Popular Post oldbandguy Posted July 17, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted July 17, 2013 I think Bluecoats (members, staff, administration) deserve tremendous credit for being CONSISTENTLY one of DCI's most outstanding groups. Here is a list of corps that have scored above 90 over the past 10 years at finals ALL 10 YEARS. It's a very short list: Blue Devils, Cadets, and BLUECOATS. That's a grand total of 3. This corps deserves MUCH respect. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THeShadeOfNight Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 Not to delve too off topic, but it seems visual has been THE issue for quite some time. Consistently, it has been the caption holding them back from higher rankings despite multiple staff changes. They have been producing incredible shows, but it seems like visual scores combined with them "playing right notes and going to my dot" rather than "performing" is what's holding them back from a lot of recognition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREENBLUE Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 (edited) Amazingly enough, I agree with everyones posts :) Bloos situation reminds me how on reality tv shows like Top Chef/Project Runway the judges tell the contestants "you are safe", then go on to lecture the middle of the pack that they need to see more from them, they need to "take risks" even if you sometimes fail. At least get noticed. I prefered Bloo 2007-2009, I thought the shows were unique and gave me some of my favorite moments of those seasons. 2010 they gave everyone a run for their money with the new show direction and 2011 gave us "Creep" which I absolutely love. 2012/2013, I have no feelings towards positive or negative. To me the show design is just blah. The kids still perform at great levels and the brass is still distinctly Bloo, but I feel they have lost their identity. Wearing a Cavies shirt the other day, a high school kid stopped me. Told me that he didn't like 15 minutes of Fame, but the girls in his high school band learned the ending dance from the show. Then continued to talk about all the Cavies gimmicks from 2008 (when he started following dci) till present secret society. Said his favorite corps is Phantom, feels they are the romantic corps of dci loves the murders, lol. Loves to hate BD,lol. And loved cadets 2011/2012, while following by listing the music n gimmicks he liked from those shows. BTW...he loves crowns brass and mentioned rach star and triple crown. My point being is that all these shows, had something that stands out, something that's memorable. Speaking of stands, those are the coats gimmick this year and they're not really standing out from the pack, lol. Say what you will about each of the following, live it or hate it, but each are getting our attention. -Cavies Cloaks and blindfolded pyramid -BD poles -Phantoms trees -Cadets rolling circus boxes -Crowns narration -madisons singing -blue knights blue ball, lol Edited July 17, 2013 by GREENBLUE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeptic Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 Love the Bluecoats, just not this years show. Dont like the show = no hype. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c.l. Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 Nothing to add here because I agree with everything said, but they seem a tad 'safe' along with Boston. They're consistent and strong in all areas, but some above and around them are doing more "things". Even if groups that take those risks aren't successful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREENBLUE Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 (edited) I think Bluecoats (members, staff, administration) deserve tremendous credit for being CONSISTENTLY one of DCI's most outstanding groups. Here is a list of corps that have scored above 90 over the past 10 years at finals ALL 10 YEARS. It's a very short list: Blue Devils, Cadets, and BLUECOATS. That's a grand total of 3. This corps deserves MUCH respect. I completely agree with this and of course respect this statistic. BUT....would you rather be introduced as "1 of only three corps to score above 90 the last however many years." Or " fifteen time dci champion blue devils" or " seven time world champion cavaliers." Statistics can be manipulated however you want. I'm gonna use the Cavies for example, because I'm most familiar with.... "The Cavaliers have medaled all but two years since 1999, including 5 dci titles." Now that's all well and good, but that statistic isn't going to help them rise in placements or make people like and remember a show. Edited July 17, 2013 by GREENBLUE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 Their 2007 show (Criminal) remains one of my favorites from Bloooo, and it was a show that spent most of the summer in the top four, with the corps winning the high brass caption at Quarterfinals that year. Sadly, they fell apart, to some degree, visually at the end of that 2007 season and dropped from 4th to 7th come DCI Finals. Even so, that is the highest-scoring seventh-place show ever, and less than one point behind that year's fourth-place show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g00fyg00ber Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 Would it take another season like 2010 for them to get things stirred up again? I was browsing through this thread, and I saw this and wanted to reply, so sorry if I'm missing out on everything else said here, but man I would love for that to happen. Metropolis is one of my favorite drum corps shows of all time. I don't think it's that they're underrated, I just think there are other storylines people follow more. BD/Crown/Cadets battle, "bubble" corps like Troopers, Crossmen, Academy, Madison's great anniversary show, etc. Just my opinion though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbandguy Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 I completely agree with this and of course respect this statistic. BUT....would you rather be introduced as "1 of only three corps to score above 90 the last however many years." Or " fifteen time dci champion blue devils" or " seven time world champion cavaliers." Statistics can be manipulated however you want. I'm gonna use the Cavies for example, because I'm most familiar with.... "The Cavaliers have medaled all but two years since 1999, including 5 dci titles." Now that's all well and good, but that statistic isn't going to help them rise in placements or make people like and remember a show. My stat of only 3 corps having scored above 90 for 10 CONSECUTIVE YEARS is meant only to show that the Bluecoats are deserving of much respect. Obviously what the Blue Devils have accomplished is the "gold standard" for drum corps. The Cav's achievements in the decade of the 2000s is incredible. Any corps that has ever earned a DCI title is certainly deserving of respect, but that being said I don't think having a ring is a requirement for being an outstanding corps. Consistency is "noteworthy." Still...the are thousands of us Bloooo fans that are really looking forward to the day (and I think it will come soon) when having a title is yet another bullet point on their resume. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 Sometimes I wonder if it has more to do with what types of things get the focus here on DCP. If you go to the shows you will notice that the Bluecoats are always loved by the crowd (or at least the majority of the crowd), but conversations here on DCP tend to focus on who has a legitimate shot at winning the DCI title or we focus on who has fallen off the wagon (so to speak). To some degree it's a compliment to the 'Coats that they don't get talked about too often. They seem to consistently be in the top 5 to 7 every year. Without fail they seem to produce some of the best brass and percussion lines one will see on the field each summer, and in some small way (maybe a large one) we would all be shocked if they were not in the top 5 to 7 corps. They were the sweethearts and got a lot of buzz after their 5th place finish in 2005. They backed that up with a 4th place finish in 2006. Their 2007 show (Criminal) remains one of my favorites from Bloooo, and it was a show that spent most of the summer in the top 4 with the corps winning the high brass caption at Quarterfinals that year. Sadly, they fell apart to some degree visually at the end of that 2007 season and dropped from 4th to 7th come DCI Finals. Their 2008 show however was a great production, and perhaps some of my most favorite music from them...ever!!!! The music from Rocky was really well arranged and the brass shout in the middle of the show to the Paul Simon tune was terrific. They were, once again, one of the most popular corps that summer, at least from an entertainment perspective. Although the 2009 show was not my cup-of-tea, their 2010 production was stellar on many fronts. They finished 3rd that year and, once again, I think people were somewhat psyched for Blooo and Crown (who had finished 2nd just the year before). 2011 was a sweet show, and 2012 had its moments, but both shows suffered from overall GE. They just weren't able to drive the theme from top to bottom. Still, the corps performed with amazing precision, as they always do. They've had killer drums and brass going back to the early 2000s, and prior to their fall out of the top 12 in 1999 they had killer brass and drums and some killer shows in the 80s and 90s. For those of you that may teach music, and in particular Marching Band Techniques at the college level, I highly recommend showing your class the Bluecoats 1989 show. For flat out entertainment, staging, pizzaz, and great effect, that show is a stunner. I make my class watch and analyze that show every year (among others). When it comes to DCP popularity perhaps Bloooo has fallen off a bit only because they haven't been in serious contention and also because they haven't fallen to the bottom of the pack. I think there is a lot of excitement this year because we could see a new champion. I am rooting for Crown. Love their show and do indeed think they are the best corps out there. I think SCV may ultimately take 2nd with Cadets 3rd and BD 4th. Regardless of what happens, Blooo will be right there with Phantom in the end if for no other reason than their outstanding performance levels. even going back to when they first got everyone's attention back in 86, Bloo has always been that "nice" corps, that usually puts out popular shows, but aside from a few placements thatcaught attention, they're always kind of there, liked but not loved. They don't have the trophies or history and traditions some do and while' they're always in the mix, they've never had that one show that just WOWED the world. They have had elements in shows, like Criminal or the Boxer, even back to 87-88 with the 20 snares, but the total package just never took that giant leap. I mean, over the years, Bloo has been some of my favorite shows. I can't listen to 91 enough, or 2001...Red Cape Tango IMO is still incredibly under rated. The talent around them has always been deep, so in order to really break through and become a super darling with millions of honks liek Crown, they need that one show that skyrockest them up. 2010 was good, and they performed great, but they've had other shows that were far more well received by the masses 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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