Inverness Review

[Sayre Kulp]

Some people saw my Facebook updates from this show, but for those that didn’t I thought I’d actually flesh things out to an actual review. Enjoy!

There was a surprisingly good turnout for the Inverness show! I can't really give a good estimate, but it was definitely several hundred. The stands looked pretty full except for the furthest side which filled up as the evening went on. The weather was quite nice for a Florida summer – I’d say mid 80’s with a slightly raised humidity. My perch was dead center on the 50, 2nd row from the press box.

The host school, Citrus High School put on a decent exhibition to kick off the show. They are playing a Key Poulan show that Bush did a few years ago – “Scenes From a Psychotic Circus.”

The second high school group, (I think the announcer said Crystal Springs), did one number – a jazzy tune I didn’t recognize. They must have just started camp. The performance was pretty rough, but they gave it a good try.

Mini corps, Impact of Orlando performed their “Never-ending Journey” show featuring music of the aforementioned rock band. The program started out a little shaky. Players seemed a bit timid. This is understandable since this is probably the biggest crowd they've seen so far this year. But the performance got much stronger as it went on and players got more comfortable. Still some work to do before mini corps championships – mostly individual responsibilities that just need to be solidified so that the performers can be more comfortable and PERFORM.

This concluded the pre-show segment and there was a brief Intermission (not that we needed it). And since we we're just sitting there, I decided to review the showers at the show site (just in case anyone was wondering.) Personally, I would rank the showers here a high box 2. I mean they’re group showers, cold, no privacy. BUT the water pressure was perfect - as in “not like being peed on by the wall,” nor a pressure washer taking off the layers of filth and sunburn. PLUS, the locker room didn't resemble the Dagobah System. So that's always good.

Tampa Bay Thunder (29H, 12B, 5P, 9CG) took the field to start the competition portion of the show and just like Impact, they started off a little shaky but got stronger as the nerves settled. Their “Seasonal Celebrations” program is a really nice show highlighting the best music reflective of the changing seasons. “Summertime” is a really strong production number, but there are some close calls when drill pass-throughs get tight. Honestly, feet are their biggest issue. The only other negatives that jumped out at me were the one tuba hero at the end who overdid it a little and the guard counting LOUDLY during silent work. Special shout-out to Sean (snare player for TBT) I spent the evening sitting and chatting with his mom. Good luck with your studies at UCF and at Cavie auditions, kid. You're off to a good start.

Next up was Shenandoah Sound (13H, 10B, 8P, 4CG) with their down and dirty Memphis blues program, “Night on Beale Street.” I found myself having a hard time getting past the staging. It makes no sense whatsoever, especially with regards to soloists, who appeared to be an afterthought. The highpoint of the show is unquestionably “Sway.” The percussion feature was executed much better than at their home show and was a lot of fun, though the bass drums could stand to learn that there are more dynamic levels than ON and OFF. The tuba re-entry after the feature is one of the nicest moments from the brass, but things go downhill quick from there. I can't emphasize enough how much the drill and staging (especially of the soloists) really hurts what could otherwise be a much more enjoyable show.

The final competition corps of the evening – the hometown Sun Devils (26H, 13B, 6P, 7CG) – were out to live up to their motto, “Leave No Doubt,” with their program, “Diablada: Dance of the Devils.” Of the corps in competition tonight, Sun Devils did the best job of really integrating their guard into the program. The drum feature is a great vehicle to show off one SERIOUSLY great drum line, however they missed a great opportunity here as the horn line (sans instruments at this point) could really demonstrate flawless marching technique and body carriage, but fell short at that tonight. Speaking of the horns, they get to flex their musical muscle in the ballad (Astor Piazzolla’s “Oblivion”) which should be a crowd favorite come Labor Day weekend. The re-entry after the drum feature really gets the audience off their seats with some old-school in-your-face drum corps, but the brass struggles in the new ending left things feeling a little flat. When that tag is solidified, this program should be a treat for DCA audiences.

Florida Brass rounded out the evening, entertaining the crowds with a hit-list of favorites from years gone by. This drum corps has grown from just a handful of members to a nice sized drum corps with a pretty well balanced sound. One thing is for sure – the crowd sure dug 'em!

When the final score were announced, the Sun Devils swept the caption awards for brass, percussion and guard.

Sun Devils - 74.65

Tampa Bay Thunder - 73.15

Shenandoah Sound - 64.5

Thanks to all the corps who came out and gave Florida our one and only drum corps show for the year. Special thanks to the guy from Rustic Ranch BBQ who literally dropped an entire rack of smoked ribs in my bare hands. Made for a great post-show munch. Glad I made the trip out and very glad the show had such great support from the community. Can’t wait to do it again next year!

[Fran Haring]

Great stuff, Sayre... thanks!!!

[Florida Sun]

Nice review Sayre hopefully Florida corps will make there mark at DCA finals this year .

[Jeff Ream]

good stuff!

[ShutUpAndPlayYerGuitar]

Good critique. Thanks!

[TheWhacker]

Thanks for the great review!

[BennyBassDrum]

Some people saw my Facebook updates from this show, but for those that didn't I thought I'd actually flesh things out to an actual review. Enjoy!

There was a surprisingly good turnout for the Inverness show! I can't really give a good estimate, but it was definitely several hundred. The stands looked pretty full except for the furthest side which filled up as the evening went on. The weather was quite nice for a Florida summer – I'd say mid 80's with a slightly raised humidity. My perch was dead center on the 50, 2nd row from the press box.

The host school, Citrus High School put on a decent exhibition to kick off the show. They are playing a Key Poulan show that Bush did a few years ago – "Scenes From a Psychotic Circus."

The second high school group, (I think the announcer said Crystal Springs), did one number – a jazzy tune I didn't recognize. They must have just started camp. The performance was pretty rough, but they gave it a good try.

Mini corps, Impact of Orlando performed their "Never-ending Journey" show featuring music of the aforementioned rock band. The program started out a little shaky. Players seemed a bit timid. This is understandable since this is probably the biggest crowd they've seen so far this year. But the performance got much stronger as it went on and players got more comfortable. Still some work to do before mini corps championships – mostly individual responsibilities that just need to be solidified so that the performers can be more comfortable and PERFORM.

This concluded the pre-show segment and there was a brief Intermission (not that we needed it). And since we we're just sitting there, I decided to review the showers at the show site (just in case anyone was wondering.) Personally, I would rank the showers here a high box 2. I mean they're group showers, cold, no privacy. BUT the water pressure was perfect - as in "not like being peed on by the wall," nor a pressure washer taking off the layers of filth and sunburn. PLUS, the locker room didn't resemble the Dagobah System. So that's always good.

Tampa Bay Thunder (29H, 12B, 5P, 9CG) took the field to start the competition portion of the show and just like Impact, they started off a little shaky but got stronger as the nerves settled. Their "Seasonal Celebrations" program is a really nice show highlighting the best music reflective of the changing seasons. "Summertime" is a really strong production number, but there are some close calls when drill pass-throughs get tight. Honestly, feet are their biggest issue. The only other negatives that jumped out at me were the one tuba hero at the end who overdid it a little and the guard counting LOUDLY during silent work. Special shout-out to Sean (snare player for TBT) I spent the evening sitting and chatting with his mom. Good luck with your studies at UCF and at Cavie auditions, kid. You're off to a good start.

Next up was Shenandoah Sound (13H, 10B, 8P, 4CG) with their down and dirty Memphis blues program, "Night on Beale Street." I found myself having a hard time getting past the staging. It makes no sense whatsoever, especially with regards to soloists, who appeared to be an afterthought. The highpoint of the show is unquestionably "Sway." The percussion feature was executed much better than at their home show and was a lot of fun, though the bass drums could stand to learn that there are more dynamic levels than ON and OFF. The tuba re-entry after the feature is one of the nicest moments from the brass, but things go downhill quick from there. I can't emphasize enough how much the drill and staging (especially of the soloists) really hurts what could otherwise be a much more enjoyable show.

The final competition corps of the evening – the hometown Sun Devils (26H, 13B, 6P, 7CG) – were out to live up to their motto, "Leave No Doubt," with their program, "Diablada: Dance of the Devils." Of the corps in competition tonight, Sun Devils did the best job of really integrating their guard into the program. The drum feature is a great vehicle to show off one SERIOUSLY great drum line, however they missed a great opportunity here as the horn line (sans instruments at this point) could really demonstrate flawless marching technique and body carriage, but fell short at that tonight. Speaking of the horns, they get to flex their musical muscle in the ballad (Astor Piazzolla's "Oblivion") which should be a crowd favorite come Labor Day weekend. The re-entry after the drum feature really gets the audience off their seats with some old-school in-your-face drum corps, but the brass struggles in the new ending left things feeling a little flat. When that tag is solidified, this program should be a treat for DCA audiences.

Florida Brass rounded out the evening, entertaining the crowds with a hit-list of favorites from years gone by. This drum corps has grown from just a handful of members to a nice sized drum corps with a pretty well balanced sound. One thing is for sure – the crowd sure dug 'em!

When the final score were announced, the Sun Devils swept the caption awards for brass, percussion and guard.

Sun Devils - 74.65

Tampa Bay Thunder - 73.15

Shenandoah Sound - 64.5

Thanks to all the corps who came out and gave Florida our one and only drum corps show for the year. Special thanks to the guy from Rustic Ranch BBQ who literally dropped an entire rack of smoked ribs in my bare hands. Made for a great post-show munch. Glad I made the trip out and very glad the show had such great support from the community. Can't wait to do it again next year!

[BennyBassDrum]

Thanks for the review. I was very pleased with the overall support from the local community, and Florida DCA fans. If my estimates are correct, we had over 1100 people in the stands (remember, there were also 2 smaller stands on the side). If this is correct, this makes this the best attended DCA show ever in Florida, We also had a visit from one of the best drum corps instructors ever, and Hall of Famer: John Dowlan. I spent a little time with him, and he really enjoyed himself. The high school band from which Sayre mentioned was the Crystal River Marching Band under the direction of John Ash. We're hoping this will become an annual event, and be bigger & better next year. Thanks to Everyone who came & supported the show and the Corps.