Murfreesboro Review

[SeanOwenSullivan]

Show Site:

I have been to this show site since they started it in 99. I really love this place. The venue is prefect for a drum corps show! There were a lot of ppl here tonight. They said we broke a record with +9,000 in attendance. On the down side, they only had two gates open and there was a pretty long line to get in and then they had half of the walk way roped off which made traffic flow slow.

Souvies:

I don't really like how they put the booths IN the stadium. it just gets way too conjested. There is plenty of room outside the stadium for 'em. Glassmen's booth was there yet Glassmen was not. Seemed weird to me. Why can;t ther corps go do that?

Seats:

Side 2, 40 yard line, Section 2QQ, about 30 rows up from field level. Incredible seats!

Bluecoats: "Capture & Escape"

I really liked this show when I saw them last month in Sevierville, TN and I like it even more now. The music is an excellent veichle for this corps. Their guard was on of th most musical and most complimentary last night. They have several guard moments which were executed wondefully. The desgin of capture and escape is great and is really explored throughout the show. I felt that there could have been more escape, but all and all, a great, well though out show. Their sound was really nice. A good full, bright sound for them. Sounded very much like last yr's brassline. The part when the break into 4 blocks and have a sop solo has a really cool feel to the music. The ending was a little anticlimatic and came out of nowhere, but I think they might have a new closer in the works b/c this one sounded the same as it did from my last viewing.

Boston: "Encore"

So I heard how this show has some higlights from 00 and it did. This yrs version of "Bolero" was disjointed and really didn't develop as nicely as it did in 00. Their 2nd number was really nice and they had some of those great impacts and silent hits that this corps has down to a science. After that, I was overall dissappointed with their show. Musically, uninspiring and visually, Ok at best. This show just seems to fizzle out of life. The sound from the brass seemed closed off or muffled. "Malaguena" has no life to it. When they park and bark, it is very underwhelming. The design of the show is not very well demonstrated on the field.

Madison: "Red, Gold, & Green"

There are some parts of this show I absolutly love and others I hate. The opener is one that I love. It has that classic Madison sounds and drill to it. Some nice sop solos and some very impressive footwork and visuals from the corps. They really showed complete control of the program. The ballad is one that I hate. I get the concept of it, but something seems to be missing. They need something to pull the trigger. They have it all there, yet the number is underwhelming in my opinion. Their third number, the one the with the coats and hat racks is weird. Musically, it's great, but visually (hat racks) is weird. What's the point of them? At one point, the guard is actually riding them like ponies. I heard quite a few ppl who had the same obsevation as me. Just confusion. The closer is a lot of fun with some great drill work. I am glad to see that the guard and the corps all around is back. I don't feel that they are back to the level they were at in the mid and late 90's, but it seems they have made a good turn around from recent yrs.

Santa Clara: "Pathways"

I was really looking forward to this show. I have loved SCV in past yrs. This show like Madison's has parts that are awesome and others which are weird. The opener has some great visual work, but musically, it is very redundant. The first 2 minutes of drill felt a lot like 99 with the quiet music and big moving forms. The ipact is wonderful, but after that they stay in the same musical motive for about 4 minutes and it just gets boring. "One Man Show" is really cool. They have some great swells in the dynamics and really sell this piece. Visually, the design of the show pathways is put on the field in many aspects especially during this number. The ballad portion of "One Man Show" is great! I felt like 99 or 00. There was one part when a bari player had some rough notes in a soft passage, but otherwise, a great climax to the number. The closer is the visual highligh. They do some really cool stuff and put the finishing touches on the pathways ideas. The musical part which is like a jam session is great! The guard, the music, the drill - it all clicks and make sense together. Overall, this show it what I expected and was very much pleased with how well they sold their show.

Cadets: "Our Favorite Things"

Now that they have a definite salute and beginning to their show, I really like this show design. I think something that would put the opener "A Few of My Favorite Things" over the top would be to have flags with some corps anmes, or pic's or song title on them. Kinda of like what Spirit is doing in their ballad number. It would just really set you up for the show. They are sayting: remeber these shows and thses corps? We loved 'em! The 16 counts of silent drill they do and say something is weird from all stand points. Once this show gets going though, it takes off. "Fanfare & Allegro" is awesome. I love the orchestral version of this piece and the arrangement they have put on the field is super. I felt that Cadet's guard was the best at the show. Everything they did complimented the music prefectly. They really are trying to get their percussion out there and make them very visual. They have a lot of breaks and features throughout the show. In classic Cadets style, they end this number in amzingly fast and clean drill. "Malaguena" rcoked! Their version of it works well with this corps. Mostly percussion centered, it cooks! I was underwhelmed by the guard throughout this number epcially at the end. The should be on full flags. Standing Ovation. "PRH" has come a long way since Sevvierville. You can tell that they have spent the most time working on and cleaning this number. They have added a lot of drill and really juiced up their brassline for their closer. The guard was nothing short of perfect. The silks and their uni's really highlight them. The Z pull got a Standing Ovation with about 10 seconds left. This show is bound to please even the most avid Cadets haters.

Blue Devils: "The Phenomenon of Cool"

The opening with the percussion stuff was cool. It really setup the show well. Like Cadets, the Blue Devils have a very percussion centered show. One thing that really stood out in my mind was the guard. I was overall dissapointed with their work, their uni's and the silks. I am used to seeing such great guards from this corps and I thought with a show with cool in the title, they are bound to have a kick ### guard, but I was very underwhelmed throughout the show. Their uni's alone do not inspire any aspect of cool. Ok, enough of my ranting. Musically, the opener and the closer were amazing. The ballad was great, but needed some juicing up drill and guard wise. The brassline has complete control and it is shown during their ballad. They do some cool drill moves during the ballad whcih is a plus. Their 3rd number (the one after the ballad) is weird. It never reallt settles into any groove or rhythm. The part when the guard does that drum talk or wheatever we are calling is weird. Is what would make it better would be if they said a rhythm and then the percussionist played it. I get the concpet but they don't seem to be pulling the trigger with it. They could do so much more and have it be effective. The closer was great from all standpoints. Musically it rocked. Aside from the Cadets, the Blue Devils were the only other corps to get a standing ovation before their show was done. It's a fun show, but that 3rd number doesn't seem to fit in.

Phantom Regiment: "Harmonic Journey"

WOW! What a hornline. WHAT A SHOW! In my book (and everyone else's from their reaction to the scores) Phantom should win this thing! "Canon" is somethng to be reckoned with. The way they keep revisiting the theme of "Canon" thoughout the show really sells the show concept. The guard also compliments the prgoram excellently. "Wild Ride" is a great piece for this corps. They play it so well. I felt that the drill was somewhat relaxed for such a fast and intricate piece. The end of "Wild Ride" is amazing. What a sound they create and the guard is doing the most prefect visually complimenting work. WOW! That's all I can say. Goin back a little, the orange rifle didn't do much for me. I didn't get it. Any other color, pls! "The Lord's Prayer" is a great ballad. The guard really sells this piece. "Ostinato" feels like something from 93. What a ride that piece is. All sections get to show off throughout this show and especially in this number. When they hit back on "Canon" it is great! What a moment they create there. The guard is work is perfect. They are actually lessening the number of flags while the corps is getting louder, make is makes sense. I think somthing that could really put them over the top is to have aguard member come out on the blue double flags they used in the original statement of "Canon". That would be great. This is the TOTAL show package. I can't wait to see this show in Orlando! My favorite show from them since 96 and at this rate it could be my favorite EVER!

Cavaliers: "Spin Cycle"

Nowadays, when I think Cavlies I think drill. And what better show idea for them is there than to center their prgoram aorund spinning. They really sell this show. There is just so much...well, SPINNING! They really know how to make an effective impact. The new flags with the arrows are ingenius! (sp?) Their ballad is great! and the rotating circles, well...I told you there was a lot of spinning. The guard work during the ballad compliments the music prefectly. The thrid number is the most visually and mucially pleasing to me. The guard does some stuff which just amazing. There is just so much going on. I have seem them twice and I know there is some stuff I am missing. Everywhere you look, there is spinning in one form or another. Their closer has some musical statements from the opener. You can feel that the music is constantly building to something. I saw a post on here about their new ending and I was very anxious t see what it was. It is nothing short of genius. They actaully have a false ending. After they have that ending they move into the opening theme and drill. I can't explain how or when, but at one point they end up at the form they were in at the opening impact (not the opening set). From here, they play and march the opening seguence in reverse. It is very effective. They end where they started and they do so with a silent ending. It is mind boggling. You just have to see it! Great show. May favorite of the original compositions and my favorite Cavies show since 98.

Here's how I ranked 'em:

1. Phantom

2. Cavies

3. Cadets

4. BD

5. SCV

6. Bluecoats

7. Madison

8. Boston

Out of everyone I've seen this yr:

1. Phantom

2. Cavies

3. Cadets

4. BD

5. SCV

6. Crossmen

7. Bluecoats

8. Madison

9. Spirit

10. Boston

11. Crown

12. Colts

13. Southwind

14. Magic

15. Pioneer

www.axe-adams.com

B)

[Phan Doris]

Thanks, S.O.S. for the interesting review. I see by your avatar that you might lean a bit toward The Cadets, but your overall comments on all the performances were very fair, IMO. :)

[Phan Doris]

Perhaps the error (IMO) in my previous post (should have been IMOP) should really have been IMBO (in my biased opinion).

[Phlickster]

Phantom Regiment: "Harmonic Journey"

  I think somthing that could really put them over the top is to have aguard member come out on the blue double flags they used in the original statement of "Canon".  That would be great. 

Hmmmm

Sounds like a great idea to me!!!!

^OO^

[starting line]

Not sure what the phrase " the design of the show was not very well demonstrated on the field " means .( review on Boston ).

Edited July 28, 2003 by starting line

[SeanOwenSullivan]

Not sure what the phrase " the design of the show was not very well demonstrated on the field " means .( review on Boston ).

If you didn't know what the show was, the show and msuic and marching and everything wouldn't have given you a clue.

www.axe-adams.com

B)