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St. Augustine scores and review


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Any one that attented this show have any comments or review ,what kind or size crowd did they get .I for one had intentions of going ,but i had 18 teeth pulled on friday so backed off on the drive .Even thought Saint Augustine is less then a haft hour away from where i live .But if all goes well i'll catch the Douglasville Georgia show later this season .

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Of course I was there with Atlanta CV and I was very impressed with the size of the crowd. Probably about 3/4 full. For a three corps show with two exhibitions I thought it was great. The crowd was very receptive and seemed to respond to the performances in a very positive light. Talking with some of the Sun Devils' admin team, they seemed pleased as well. The facilities were great. The weather was great (barring a little afternoon rain shower on Friday that shortened our rehearsal a bit). The field was in great shape and I think everyone had a positive experience.

Gotta say that the hospitality of the Sun Devils was outstanding. Even to the point of feeding us on Friday night! I know we had a blast and I personally hope we can do it again next year.

Maybe someone that was in the stands can give a rundown of what they thought of the performances.

Dan

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composing some random thoughts between me and my lovely bride on the performances and will post later this evening.

the venue:

It was St. Augustine, FLORIDA...'nuff said! beautiful place to spend a day or three vacationing, sightseeing, eating, and topping it off with a very entertaining drum corps show. there was something for everyone in this one. if you left disappointed, you weren't paying attention.

the weather became surprisingly comfortable just before the first corps - we are experiencing daytime heat indexes of 100+ which concerned me greatly for the corps, but I didn't hear of any problems. and of course, now watching a tropical storm that popped up just offshore.

very nice stadium. typically small HS facility, low stands but comfortable and a great sound, parking was easy in/out. i think maybe the band folks running the concession stand may have been a little surprised by the crowd (agree with 3/4) - they were still trying to bring in and chill drinks after Impact's performance.

typical well run southern show with the 'trademark' Olympic retreat! Loved the 'trophies', which were colored cut glass bottles...no reliable report on what they may have contained at one time before coming on site...if anything at all...pretty cool in a kitschy way!

The drum corps spirit of brotherhood and 'family' was evident on the field and in the stands. Contrary to some opinion, drum corps is alive, exciting, and doing very well in the Sunshine State.

later.

z

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Here are the trophies from our show. St. Augustine is more of a destination show. There is a ton of history and local lore here. The Board thought it would be clever to hand out a "trophy" that had local significance. Each trophy color represents the respective corps.

1782183_10152131898271851_11887604176347

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Finally - I promised a few folks a review of the St. Augustine show. Apologies for the delay in posting, here it is:

First up in exhibition was Impact of Orlando, giving the audience a very capable standstill performance of their Earth Wind and Fire inspired “Elements” program. Despite their small numbers, their entertaining effort and sound was very impressive, and confidently set the stage for a great evening of drum corps in the Sunshine State.

In competition first was Carolina Gold, with a classical presentation “The Darkest Hour” which incorporates an homage to the history of DCA, by representing corps no longer competing in a novel way, including an ‘Easter egg’ that is sure to intrigue/entertain/incite the DCA crowd. I wasn’t quite sure how to feel about picking out three corps I was personally associated with: very nice to see them ‘back on the field’, obviously quite the opposite emotion knowing they aren’t around, at least in competition.

For the first show of the season, the program was reasonably well prepared. Once allowed to mature and develop further, it will definitely be competitive.

Random thoughts:

  • Loved the front ensemble’s entrance and…um, .ensemble!
  • The visual ‘nuts and bolts’ are well designed and staging throughout the program made sense, at least to me. Mechanically there were the typical early season issues: messy feet, missed movement and forms, and some inconsistent horn angles which really detracted from the presentation. Some personal carriage issues, but I’m sure those will improve as they get more comfortable with the drill.
  • Guard was their strength tonight, a very crisp performance. Well integrated into the visual package, and lots of ‘wow’ moments.
  • Brass book has lots of meat. Very tasty notes with regular moments of awesomeness that filled the stands with full sound. Unfortunately it also had the typical ‘early season roughness”: some overblowing and overcompensation, especially in the lower brass, an occasional ‘hero’ or two sticking out of the high brass ensemble – although some of the latter may have been a matter of staging.
  • Percussion seemed to struggle – admittedly out of my element, but they sounded fuzzy throughout the show with some front to back phasing. I’ll defer to those who dig into the numbers to analyze and make a more analytical determination of their performance.

Overall a good first outing for Gold, and no doubt they will continue to improve and be entertaining and competitive.

Next up was Atlanta CV. Full disclosure: I’m a passionate alumnus with a lot to say positive and critical…indulge me here for a moment….

A person behind me, I’m guessing more in tune with the DCI experience and not familiar with all age corps uniforms, asked who the oncoming corps was. When informed, they said ‘saw them rehearsing yesterday, and they were killing it.” Killing it. In rehearsal. First show. In the Florida heat. A positive omen of things to come – and they did not disappoint.

The largest (full) corps of the evening filled the field and entertained the audience with “Hex” – an exploration of mystical forces: basically, the intriguing love story of a mesmerizing witch and ‘her’ drum corps.

Random thoughts:

- They definitely did not waste the mild southern winter...they came well prepared with a solid and well defined musical and visual program. Visually, they are light years ahead of any past presentations coming out of the CV camp.

- The show was complete and rehearsed – BUT I am told there are preshow/extended alternate ending add-ons that will be in place shortly. Knowing what I do, I really want to see the total package.

- At this level, and in the first show, even the minutest of lapses in focus in some of the marching members (baritones) stick out significantly. Some missed/premature drill moves, some bad posture and feet - thought maybe it was new people just finished learning the show. It most definitely will be noticeable the more solid the rest of the program gets. Get those few brain farts and tick magnets in the game and the visual is rock solid.

- Brass - great sound and just a few clinkers and folks standing out, but exceptionally tight full sound. Lots of tasty parts, especially in the mid voices….awesome runs! I felt the well-timed power impacts, which took me back to my grouchy 'good old days' – VERY NICE!

- The only amplified front ensemble of the evening. Old guy here, and therefore I’m obligated to profess grumpy disgust. But I thought it worked, and blended very well with just a few instances of it covering up the field music. I know that is not going to be a problem as they tweak it. With that, I’ve been converted.

- I did hear one small tear between front ensemble and the field - some folks need to look up from their keyboards. I'm going to suggest taping their heads to a flagpole shoved down their shorts.

- Percussion: tough for me, but they justifiably had swagger, and with the exception of a few moments of first show fuzz, I thought they were tight...top three quality. I keyed in on the snares and their stick control - from the stands, I did not catch anyone being out of control. Stick heights were spot on.

- Guard: there is a lot going on....a LOT. I'm not sure whether it is too much, if it can be appropriately cleaned, and really not sure it will net an appropriate score for the effort. If they can clean it, their presentation will be something to see. But this is one place where I might say that pruning now might be the more appropriate move. We’ll see.

Next week’s big show at the Grand Prix will be a great test this year, and I will be waiting anxiously for those folks in attendance with far more judging experience and sheet analysis to see where this corps fits in their prognostication. But I’ll say now that if there are five other programs that are judged better than this production, DCA finals night will be one hell of an incredible 50th anniversary show that you will definitely not want to miss. Folks in the stands universally thought they were underscored tonight, by at least 2-4 points. Let’s see next week. This is CV’s best production to date, hands down.

The Sun Devils rounded out the competing corps of the night, presenting “In Fire Forged”, a fiery Ticheli/Young/Whitacre inspired program. Definitely had the home field advantage here, they came out pumped, focused, hungry, and proceeded to put on an outstanding performance much appreciated by everyone in the stands. I’ve always appreciated the Devils as an organization that makes the most of their numbers and talent, and this year will prove to be no different. They filled the air very well with some great music, and the field with a thoughtful visual program.

Random thoughts:

  • Overhype. There were some points early in their presentation where I thought they may have stepped ‘over the line’ musically, trying just a little too hard. Easy fix.
  • Insert the usual ugly feet/bad carriage/ missed stepoffs here….acknowledging that this is early in the season, these are fundamental carriage and mental issues that the present level of intense competition requires them to be addressed in winter preparation instead of now.
  • Always enjoy the Sun Devil sound. Very full that defies the numbers on the field. Some rough passages, playing out of ensemble, and a lower bass blat or two, which I’m sure won’t be a problem for long.
  • Visually there were several notably messy sets, especially a block or two that should have been easily aligned on yard lines.
  • If I recall correctly, it appeared the last minute or so of the show was not done, the corps standing still at the end. Again, easy fix that will only improve the overall product.

Again, the South will be well represented and in the mix come Rochester this year.

Florida Brass rounded out the evening with an extended set of their classic drum corps selections. Always a wonderful romp down memory lane with such pearls as “Bully”, “Sing, Sing Sing”, and ‘Mercy Mercy Mercy’, with a little generational upgrade of Michael Jackson’s “Billy Jean” thrown in for good measure. They really ‘worked’ and engaged the crowd, and the stands responded appreciatively. In your face G brass, a touch of rudimentary percussion the way it used to be, and entertainment galore, a great upbeat ending to a perfect drum corps night.

And there you have it. My lovely bride and I were so looking forward to our one annual opportunity to attend a DCA show, and we left very satisfied and wanting more. Drum and bugle corps is alive and well at the all age level. Next up for us will be a standstill concert with all Florida corps in New Smyrna Beach in August, and a likely return trip to Rochester.

Posted respectfully and appreciatively.

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>>Next up for us will be a standstill concert with all Florida corps in New Smyrna Beach in August,<<

Please share a little more info the where and when for this concert ... my daughter lives close by in Port Orange and I maybe I'll try and trek down there to catch the show ... and a nice cold one at Crabby Joe's on Daytona Beach ...

HOO HAA!!!

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>>Next up for us will be a standstill concert with all Florida corps in New Smyrna Beach in August,<<

Please share a little more info the where and when for this concert ... my daughter lives close by in Port Orange and I maybe I'll try and trek down there to catch the show ... and a nice cold one at Crabby Joe's on Daytona Beach ...

HOO HAA!!!

10334292_10152038037885834_3258911464511

We live in Port Orange, too - down Williamson south of Taylor/Dunlawton. maybe we'll see you there!

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