theCHEZman Posted July 26, 2014 Author Share Posted July 26, 2014 looking forward to this evening. I think the Cadets will be on fire after last nights scores. They are a fairly aggressive bunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2000Cadet Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 People are still criticizing their perceived lack of marching while playing.... Took the words out my brain. I love the emotion on this forum about Cadets show. People love talking #### about the stage, when that's the only "distracting" prop they have on the field, meanwhile people are in love with BD's tables and chairs, coat racks and cameras, or even SCV's "pillows" and whatever those things are on the back sideline. To each his own. Time and time again Cadets are consistently railed for what they've done on the field and you know what, that's fine. But I hope those same people who are crying wolf about their design are also being as critical of the other corps who are doing more with props this year than Cadets. ANYWAY.... I have not and will never be a fan of narration. I absolutely hate it. But apparently it is here to stay. I choose not to complain about it anymore. Cadets show this year had me up in arms in the beginning because I thought it was too easy for their standards. Some days I still think it is still too easy. But they are doing what they need to do to perform the hell out of it and I support what they're doing. I am pulling for them 100% to win even though they're not as much of a favorite this year as Bluecoats. I still have faith they will pull off an upset come finals. As usual, we will see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geluf Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 (edited) The Cadets are simply in the unenviable position of being the corps directly in front of the fan favorite for the year. Everybody loves an underdog, and the Cadets have never really been "underdogs" in the entirety of their existence. I can't even remember the last time they were out of the top 5. The Bluecoats, meanwhile, are practically built on a foundation fashioned from spare underdog parts powered by the train from The Little Engine That Could and have been for years.Thus, people who want to see the underdog win, get nitpicky and tacky about the "establishment" group right in front of them. We'd be hearing more naysaying about BD if Bloo was right behind them, I can assure you.It's all silly, of course. The Cadets are quite great and everyone knows it, even if they don't want to admit it to themselves. Edited July 26, 2014 by geluf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Dixon Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 looking forward to this evening. I think the Cadets will be on fire after last nights scores. They are a fairly aggressive bunch. I agree they will come out and light it up. That said last night's score was a bad joke as were the gaps between corps last night Should sort itself out tonight. Cavaliers were the other corps that got hosed last night IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Dixon Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 The Cadets are simply in the unenviable position of being the corps directly in front of the fan favorite for the year. Everybody loves an underdog, and the Cadets have never really been "underdogs" in the entirety of their existence. I can't even remember the last time they were out of the top 5. Great points. Bluecoats are MY favorite as well this year so I'm finding myself a bit torn. Last night I saw a Coats with a ton of visual issues and personally felt the gap was way too close between them and Cadets - looked more like a 1.5-2 point gap IMO. But I want Coats to win - and earn it. I do think the changes in their program (especially the new ending) will help Coats close up the GE gap that had opened up once cleaner. Cadets placed sixth in 1991. So a while ago :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geluf Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Great points. Bluecoats are MY favorite as well this year so I'm finding myself a bit torn. Last night I saw a Coats with a ton of visual issues and personally felt the gap was way too close between them and Cadets - looked more like a 1.5-2 point gap IMO. But I want Coats to win - and earn it. I do think the changes in their program (especially the new ending) will help Coats close up the GE gap that had opened up once cleaner. Cadets placed sixth in 1991. So a while ago :) Ah! I didn't look quite that far back. Wow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2000Cadet Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Great points. Bluecoats are MY favorite as well this year so I'm finding myself a bit torn. Last night I saw a Coats with a ton of visual issues and personally felt the gap was way too close between them and Cadets - looked more like a 1.5-2 point gap IMO. But I want Coats to win - and earn it. I do think the changes in their program (especially the new ending) will help Coats close up the GE gap that had opened up once cleaner. Cadets placed sixth in 1991. So a while ago :) Honestly I can't really say I have a favorite show this year. Bluecoats show is by far an excellent and entertaining show and I'm happy that they are getting the reaction they're getting this year. It's been a while since I've actually liked a show from them. That said, they still do have a lot of cleaning to go. I hope they can clean it. If they do pass the Cadets, I won't be happy about it, but I will appreciate it because it will be something they've earned, though obviously I am still pulling for Cadets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffeory Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 This has been a great year for Entertainment for me. I really like many aspects of the Cadets show this year. Tonight maybe I'll be able to watch it on Multicam so that I can see some of the more subtle changes such as the cumerbun color changes. I don't have a problem with Americana either; I loved Star '92. They did some really innovative things in that show in regards to voicing between the brass and percussion, and that hornline was great. For me, it's just that the drill is rather sedate, the ramps sucks, and the narration sucks ( the narrator is great). The performance levels are great. Members are spectacular. Just don't like some major design points. All things being considered, I'd put them in 3rd or 4th right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cappybara Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 I'm not sure why lately (last few days, or week) there seems to be some people turning their back on this show. Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention and the folks didn't like the show to begin with, they just happened to be the ones piping up while watching it on FN. The harsher "barf" and "this jingoistic horse#$&%" comments seem new, too. I think there's enough in this show that different people will find unlikeable, and it sums up to some sort of common feeling, not sure it's the majority opinion. Some of it is narration. I sympathize to an extent -- I'd generally prefer not to hear voice in a show either, but it's the DCI we live with now. Their 2007 and 2008 shows are popular punching bags -- 2007 mainly for the delivery (though some people didn't care to hear sappily-written lines, too), and 2008 mainly for the message/story (GH regrets that, too). So then they come around this year, they have a great speaker, and rely almost entirely on great Presidential speeches (even if you nitpick a few changed lines), but it's still unacceptable to some people. Some of it is the message. I suppose because it's either too direct a message or they don't care for history or even the most mild of patriotism. Letting the tarps be for now, since I believe we haven't really seen them yet and everyone is losing their #&$* over them...the only real direct references to America AT ALL in the music/visual are the "Camptown Races" quotes in Lincoln and the pseudo-American flags at the very end (yes, other than the fact that the music is by Copland). They're not dressed up as Union soldiers, 40s attire (hello, 1995 and 2002 shows), or astronaut suits or Mad Men dresses. And yet some people are like "WTF is that blue? OLIVE, WHY?? WHY CAN'T YOU BE MORE DIRECT!" Some of it is the visual approach. I sympathize with this, too. Most fans of The Cadets, either die-hard or just over the years, want to see that classic Saktig whiplash drill from the 90s. Well, that's now where The Cadets have been the last 5 years or so, and mostly for the last 10 years -- maybe some folks are just now noticing. The last truly Cadets-like drill was the 2009 show. It's not that the shows don't have fast-paced parts, but the lack of traditional, in-your-face whiplash geometric or morphing-linear moments masks the fast drill. Look harder at 2010 Dance of the Tumblers, 2011 160bpm, 2012 Carol of the Bells, 2013 Medea, and this year App Spring -- they're booking it, but you're wanting more older-school Saktig or Gaines, where the speed is more obvious, and less Zingali, which really is what this year's drill resembles. I personally think this is a BEAUTIFULLY designed and performed show. I have my problems with it -- but I have my problems with every show ever. The guard is gorgeous (the lack of comments about the guard from DCPers watching/going to the shows is astounding to me). The brass -- the blend, the technique, and the variety -- are vintage Cadets, maybe just a hair less precise/full than last year's wonderful line. The percussion -- top 3 or 4 as usual for Colin, but not as sweet as last year. The transitions are great, the spirit is almost pageant-like, and so far a complete lack of cheese (IMO). So go on, let this show into your heart, let yourself like it. It's okay -- it's okay to be a Cadets fan, it's okay to like this country a little, it's okay to like Americana. IT'S OKAY! :-) Look. I love Appalachian Spring. SCV 2009 is one of my favorite shows. I also am a very strong supporter of narration as long as it's done tastefully. It was down tastefully by Crown last year. It's being down tastefully by Crown even this year. And it's being done pretty #### well by the Cadets this year. So let me say that both the whole Americana aspect nor the narration are the turn offs for me about this show/ What IS turning me off the way it's being executed. The best way for me to describe this show is robotic. None of the members lived through any of the history that they are trying to express in the form of music. They have no emotional connection and it shows in their playing and marching. They're clean. #### clean. They could not be executing higher. But I feel absolutely no emotion from their hornline and percussion. It's like a 150 member robot army is performing a marching show. There's no exciting moments at all. Id much rather listen to the Blue Knights play their show. Now THAT is emotion. And it was narration too, imagine that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2000Cadet Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 This has been a great year for Entertainment for me. I really like many aspects of the Cadets show this year. Tonight maybe I'll be able to watch it on Multicam so that I can see some of the more subtle changes such as the cumerbun color changes. I don't have a problem with Americana either; I loved Star '92. They did some really innovative things in that show in regards to voicing between the brass and percussion, and that hornline was great. For me, it's just that the drill is rather sedate, the ramps sucks, and the narration sucks ( the narrator is great). The performance levels are great. Members are spectacular. Just don't like some major design points. All things being considered, I'd put them in 3rd or 4th right now. I hate Americana. The only "Americana" I have ever liked was Cadets 1996. Americana shows from any corps just gets too "wear the flag on my sleeve" for me. Still. There are quite a few things I enjoy about Cadets show this year, but also quite a few things I do not. But to constantly make a point of pointing out the negative without pointing out any of the positive gets annoying. Not saying you are a culprit. Just speaking in general. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.