quietcity Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 First of all; KIDS, quit the bickering. DON'T MAKE ME STOP THIS CAR! Next, the qualifier: for about the last, oh, 20 years, my eyes have glazed over about halfway through most BD shows. (full disclosure: I am a SCV fan-boi). Finally, the video: WOW, just...wow!. This is not just an excellent BD show, this is a standard-setting show, in terms of staging, musicality, flow and showmanship. And BD knows how to use stages, not just as static platforms, but in shifting ways that constantly re-define the performance space and highlight various performers and ensembles. Cadets, are you watching? Re:rite of Spring made me want to medicate myself. But this show, this show makes me... what's the word....happy! Damm you BD! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cappybara Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 So funny to read these opinions. It's like someone publishes talking points for BD fans. 1. notes for note's sake (um someone needs to listen to the originals) 2. effect for effect's sake (face value ridiculous as ALL effect is for effects sake (duh?) 3. like watching a BOA show (instead of watching WGI shows?) I must watch the wrong BOA shows 'cause I've never seen any HS program march, play or spin anything close to Crown's book. but hey maybe there's a secret regional i don't know about. lulz Oh well the thing that caught MY attention about the BD show: BD shows are now entirely prop driven. The props have take center stage and the performers merely window dressing for the props and their logistics. Sure this makes for seamless movement of the props but it rapidly degenerates into watching how the drill's only purpose is to support the props. It actually becomes a big distraction. Musically the most coherent show in quite some time. Arranging is a bit less ADHD. I think 2011 was much more coherent than this. I agree with the props, though I don't see that as a bad thing necessarily. It's just a different style and I don't think it takes away from anything. It's pretty cool to watch sometimes. Funny that you mention the source music. I think that's my biggest gripe about this show. BD arguably chose the most solid set of source music to match their theme and I think they didn't do the phenomenal source music justice. But it's still quite unique and I think the only thing I can agree with Eric49 on is that this show is BD through and through. Ok let's play. i referred to the show as being silly because I think it is silly, be it high school or drum corps. And I don't remember referring to execution of the show. Yes, it is fairly well executed at this point in the year. I am referring to design not execution. It certainly has nothing, what so ever, to do with the kids abilities, as Crown has a very good group currently. So how is my point highly ignorant? And as yet, I don't recall using exaggerated criticism. But when I do I will be sure and "QUALIFY" it as such for you. :) So, let me use an analogy by comparing Crown show designs (not corps performance) with my line of work. I am an architect. And often times, critics refer to a good architectural design being ruined by the architect not knowing when to put the pencil down, or in todays world, taking one's fingers off the computer keyboard. I remember a couple years ago, reading someone on here that Crown's show was never allowed to come to fruition because they were running so fast while playing so many notes that the real design of the show lost it's real worth. I'm sure this can be argued but I thought he had a point. And it seemed that it was for nothing more than to prove that they could do it. Those are not not my words, but those of someone else. You're of course allowed to have an opinion and I respect that. I don't respect degrading a high school performance by connotating it with "silliness" and calling any drum corps show that resembles that of a high school program as silly. It's sometimes easy to forget that we're not just watching mindless bodies playing instruments and marching on the field. They are actual people that put so much incredible work into these shows, whether it be high school level or drum corps level, and it is very disrespectful to the performers to call their work silly. Saying you don't like the design of a show or the arrangement or use of props or whatever is one thing, calling the performance silly in a degrading way is a different thing. It's a very nuanced difference but I am going to hope and have faith in you that you are mature enough to understand that difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corpsband Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 (edited) I think 2011 was much more coherent than this. I agree with the props, though I don't see that as a bad thing necessarily. It's just a different style and I don't think it takes away from anything. It's pretty cool to watch sometimes. Funny that you mention the source music. I think that's my biggest gripe about this show. BD arguably chose the most solid set of source music to match their theme and I think they didn't do the phenomenal source music justice. But it's still quite unique and I think the only thing I can agree with Eric49 on is that this show is BD through and through. I don't count 2011 as part of the current BD show design trend. In my mind the whole show was an exercise justiifying the return to their previous (and current) path. It should have had an epitaph: "Is This REALLY What You Want Us To Do?" Edited June 15, 2014 by corpsband Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric49 Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 I think 2011 was much more coherent than this. I agree with the props, though I don't see that as a bad thing necessarily. It's just a different style and I don't think it takes away from anything. It's pretty cool to watch sometimes. Funny that you mention the source music. I think that's my biggest gripe about this show. BD arguably chose the most solid set of source music to match their theme and I think they didn't do the phenomenal source music justice. But it's still quite unique and I think the only thing I can agree with Eric49 on is that this show is BD through and through. You're of course allowed to have an opinion and I respect that. I don't respect degrading a high school performance by connotating it with "silliness" and calling any drum corps show that resembles that of a high school program as silly. It's sometimes easy to forget that we're not just watching mindless bodies playing instruments and marching on the field. They are actual people that put so much incredible work into these shows, whether it be high school level or drum corps level, and it is very disrespectful to the performers to call their work silly. Saying you don't like the design of a show or the arrangement or use of props or whatever is one thing, calling the performance silly in a degrading way is a different thing. It's a very nuanced difference but I am going to hope and have faith in you that you are mature enough to understand that difference. We could keep on keeping on, but apparently you don't get my point. And this is the last thing I am going to say about it. Perod. I think the show is silly, yes. The show is silly to me because the designers designed a silly show. The kids perform what they are given to perform, they either perform it will or they don't. How is calling a show bad being disrepectful to the performers. Trust me, they know what they are performing, whether they like it or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HockeyDad Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 My opinion was qualified on the basis that I have seen both shows and have something concrete on which to base an opinion. Unlike you, who is willing to express opinons based on hear say. Do you have any hear say about the blue coats? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HockeyDad Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 We could keep on keeping on, but apparently you don't get my point. And this is the last thing I am going to say about it. Perod. I think the show is silly, yes. The show is silly to me because the designers designed a silly show. The kids perform what they are given to perform, they either perform it will or they don't. How is calling a show bad being disrepectful to the performers. Trust me, they know what they are performing, whether they like it or not. I see something disrespectful to the performers. It's the BD staff, disrespecting the guard by putting them in those beyond hideous costumes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photographer Jim Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 Oh well the thing that caught MY attention about the BD show: BD shows are now entirely prop driven. The props have take center stage and the performers merely window dressing for the props and their logistics. Sure this makes for seamless movement of the props but it rapidly degenerates into watching how the drill's only purpose is to support the props. It actually becomes a big distraction. Musically the most coherent show in quite some time. Arranging is a bit less ADHD. Oh I forgot: yeah, I like it :-) I understand your opinion regarding BD's use of props in the past. I think in both "Through A Glass Darkly" and "Beat My Heart Skipped" especially, the props were a major component in the show and as such were "featured". One was expected to pay them attention, IMO. After seeing this year's show last night. I don't have the same opinion. Although there are certainly a number of props "on the set" I think they are used much less obtrusively than in recent years past. There were very few times during the course of the show where the props or their movement drew my attention away from the corp itself. Even the rolling platforms (the prop used most predominately) seemed to blend into the drill quite naturally, without drawing undue attention. I don't think the current show falls into the category of being prop driven. I very much agree that this show is "musically coherent". As I commented last night, I felt the flow and pacing were right on point, and the sections worked well together, with each segment complimenting what preceded and followed. I very much believe that fans in general with receive this show's music positively. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric49 Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 (edited) First of all; KIDS, quit the bickering. DON'T MAKE ME STOP THIS CAR! Next, the qualifier: for about the last, oh, 20 years, my eyes have glazed over about halfway through most BD shows. (full disclosure: I am a SCV fan-boi). Finally, the video: WOW, just...wow!. This is not just an excellent BD show, this is a standard-setting show, in terms of staging, musicality, flow and showmanship. And BD knows how to use stages, not just as static platforms, but in shifting ways that constantly re-define the performance space and highlight various performers and ensembles. Cadets, are you watching? Re:rite of Spring made me want to medicate myself. But this show, this show makes me... what's the word....happy! Damm you BD! Quiercity, I agree 100% with everything you said. And god forbid I use that word again, but your points clearly distinguish the BD from Crown. And as I said a very mature, well thought out through and through BD show. This is one show where the props completely reenforce the show. As for Corpsband's point about BD shows being prop driven. Might it be possible that this is their answer to DCI's concerns about keeping fans interested and or attracting new fans. I fully admit I don't always like some of the props they use, but I try to understand why they use them. As I see it, the BD organization is drawing upon the enormous wealth of talent in the entertainment industry surrounding them to stretch and grow, reinvent or whatever term one would like to use to move the activity forward. And I have come to believe in what they are doing. Edited June 15, 2014 by eric49 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric49 Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 (edited) Do you have any hear say about the blue coats? no but I cannot wait to see them. They have long been one of my favorite corps. edit: I really like their approach to music selection. Never predictable or boring. Not always the most successful but entertaining. Edited June 15, 2014 by eric49 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corpsband Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 (edited) We could keep on keeping on, but apparently you don't get my point. And this is the last thing I am going to say about it. Perod. I think the show is silly, yes. The show is silly to me because the designers designed a silly show. The kids perform what they are given to perform, they either perform it will or they don't. How is calling a show bad being disrepectful to the performers. Trust me, they know what they are performing, whether they like it or not. Are you claiming this as first hand knowledge? (that Crown's performers think their show is a silly, stupid show and they don't enjoy performing it? Edited June 15, 2014 by corpsband Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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