Bluecoats 2014

[mj3004]

I saw the corps live in Allentown. After reading all the posts recently about visual issues, I was expecting a large amount of dirt visually, but they really surprised me and are moving better than I've ever seen them before. It was very clean from a form standpoint, yes still more to clean like everyone, but wow they have a lot of exposed angles just based off their show concept compared to the other corps around them.

It seems like they have been getting rewarded in Visual - Analysis since they did end up winning that caption in Allentown over Cadets and topping Cadets again the following day in Buffalo. But were they just "off" last night that caused K. Giese to create a large gap to Cadets all of a sudden? Or maybe the colorguard was not as strong last night which has a big affect on all those visual numbers?

[ajlemm]

I think where they are at in performance and score, any nitpicking we are all doing are with a fine tooth comb. They are performing at such a high level!!!

[superOOk]

My wife, who is admittedly not a DCI person, said that she thought that BLOO guard was very simple compared to Crown and then Cadets. I think this is a big reason why Coats are not in 2nd right now.

I personally LOVE Coats guard this year, especially their rifle work.

Edited August 6, 2014 by superOOk

[ajlemm]

Sorry if this has been covered before:

After watching the video of the Bluecoats singing Hymn of Acxiom at the Massilon show, I wanted to know the words they were singing. I found that, and didn’t quite understand the meaning behind the words. So I watched a video of Vienna Teng discussing it and singing it. She said she was interning somewhere and they had access to a marketing database called “Acxiom”, and this “hymn” was written from the database’s point of view:

Somebody hears you. You know that. You know that
Somebody hears you. You know that inside
Someone is learning the colors of all your moods, to
(say just the right thing and) show that you’re understood
Here you’re known

Leave your life open. You don’t have. You don’t have
Leave your life open. You don’t have to hide
Someone is gathering every crumb you drop, these
(mindless decisions and) moments you long forgot
Keep them all

Let our formulas find your soul
We’ll divine your artesian source (in your mind)
Marshal feed and force (our machines will)
To design you a perfect love—
Or (better still) a perfect lust
O how glorious, glorious: a brand new need is born

Now we possess you. You’ll own that. You’ll own that
Now we possess you. You’ll own that in time
Now we will build you an endlessly upward world
(reach in your pocket) embrace you for all you’re worth

Is that wrong?
Isn’t this what you want?
Amen

No deeper effort to understand their show. Just thought I would throw this out there for anyone interested.

[Precious Roy]

Too campy to stand up and sing along with the ballad as it is performed, a la Madison alumni last year?

[ajlemm]

Too campy to stand up and sing along with the ballad as it is performed, a la Madison alumni last year?

lol.

[oldbandguy]

Too campy to stand up and sing along with the ballad as it is performed, a la Madison alumni last year?

Warning...anyone thinking of trying this at Indy...DON'T!!!

[Precious Roy]

How about at the theater on Thursday?

[ajlemm]

Warning...anyone thinking of trying this at Indy...DON'T!!!

Yes, probably not a great idea...

[c.l.]

Sorry if this has been covered before:

After watching the video of the Bluecoats singing Hymn of Acxiom at the Massilon show, I wanted to know the words they were singing. I found that, and didn’t quite understand the meaning behind the words. So I watched a video of Vienna Teng discussing it and singing it. She said she was interning somewhere and they had access to a marketing database called “Acxiom”, and this “hymn” was written from the database’s point of view:

Somebody hears you. You know that. You know that

Somebody hears you. You know that inside

Someone is learning the colors of all your moods, to

(say just the right thing and) show that you’re understood

Here you’re known

Leave your life open. You don’t have. You don’t have

Leave your life open. You don’t have to hide

Someone is gathering every crumb you drop, these

(mindless decisions and) moments you long forgot

Keep them all

Let our formulas find your soul

We’ll divine your artesian source (in your mind)

Marshal feed and force (our machines will)

To design you a perfect love—

Or (better still) a perfect lust

O how glorious, glorious: a brand new need is born

Now we possess you. You’ll own that. You’ll own that

Now we possess you. You’ll own that in time

Now we will build you an endlessly upward world

(reach in your pocket) embrace you for all you’re worth

Is that wrong?

Isn’t this what you want?

Amen

No deeper effort to understand their show. Just thought I would throw this out there for anyone interested.

The song is definitely more relevant this year with NSA, privacy concerns, etc. I like the original song more than what any drum corps could do to it, but I don't see a thematic reason to include this song in the repertoire other than the use of a vocoder makes a "tilting" effect. If you're looking at past Bluecoats shows ('10 and '11), then it definitely continues with the dystopian theme.