Drums Along the Rockies 2014

[BRASSO]

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- underwhelmed by Madison - especially GE & visually. I would have Crosdmem closer to them.

I thought the Crosdmem were more appealing as well. ' Much better memes depicted from them last nite, imo.

( sorry.. 'couldn't resist.. haha )

Edited July 13, 2014 by BRASSO

[BRASSO]

Right now.. its still early.... but the Crossmen look to be in a strong position to make it back into the TOP 12 Finals. Good for them if they can do so.

Edited July 13, 2014 by BRASSO

[Gloryah]

I was at the show last night. This is only the third year in a row that I've attended DATR and this was, by far, the best...even without BD there. I'm no judge of anything, but I know what I enjoyed. A few comments:

I sat close this year...section 105, row 14. Those who say watching a show on video is nothing like the real thing are absolutely correct. The music from all the corps was great to hear.

I absolutely loved the mash-up of Summertime and Firebird.

Scouts...that jazz show was great to hear...loved the trombone solo feature...but the ending confused me. They had their big build-up, ended, the DM turned to the crowd, we applauded...then he turned back to the corps, they all moved to the sidelines and they ended with that beautiful solo. Strange way to end a show.

BK...Wow!! This is the first time I've seen the ending. Beautiful, emotional, that closer simply worked.

A few bits of trivia about That One Second:

There were a few things added to the show last night that not even the members knew were coming: The echo effect in the narration, the singing...some other stuff.

The scenes painted on the props all come from "American Beauty"...except one.

What we saw last night is not what you will see in Finals...the show will change.

I got onto FN this morning. Sigh... I must say that I feel so sorry for all of you for whom that was the only opportunity to see the show. Besides all the complaints about the broadcast, my own is that there is no high-cam option this morning. That's why I sat so close in last night...figuring I'd give up seeing the full effects of the drill...being able to really hear the music...knowing I'd be able to watch the high-cam later. But, no.

Lastly, I give thanks to the weather gods. Y'all came through for us last night.

[Zeke]

What is the Musical Rep for Cascades this year? I think i saw it maybe mentioned once..on here but not sure as to where. Corpsreps doesn't even have it..and they have everything.

[Gloryah]

What is the Musical Rep for Cascades this year? I think i saw it maybe mentioned once..on here but not sure as to where. Corpsreps doesn't even have it..and they have everything.

I don't have the program handy, but their show is called "Turn". They were the ones who had the mash-up of "Summertime" and "Firebird", another mash-up of "Turn, Turn, Turn" and "Carol of the Bells", and then a couple other pieces I can't remember the names of.

It was a good show.

Edited July 13, 2014 by Gloryah

[Zeke]

I don't have the program handy, but their show is called "Turn". They were the ones who had the mash-up of "Summertime" and "Firebird", another mash-up of "Turn, Turn, Turn" and "Carol of the Bells", and then a couple other pieces I can't remember the names of.

It was a good show.

Thanks

[sobe]

Anyone else catch the SCV and Madison DMs going to attention when the other was announced?

Always love respect between different corps.

[N.E. Brigand]

What is the musical rep. for Cascades this year? I think I saw it maybe mentioned once on here, but not sure as to where. Corpsreps doesn't even have it., and they have everything.

The last post to mingusmonk's repertoire thread above says:

"Summertime" (George Gershwin)

"Turn, Turn, Turn" (Pete Seeger)

"Carol of the Bells" (Traditional)

"Dies Irae" (Traditional)

The Rite of Spring (Igor Stravinsky)

"Simple Gifts" (Traditional)

[BozzlyB]

Big Regionals aren't seeded from last year, they are seeded based on the last Big Regional. Not sure how San Antonio will be seeded yet, but if BK does well there they will be rewarded at Atlanta (and so on).

San Antonio is seeded by the combination of the scores from DATR and DCI LaCrosse.

[2muchcoffeeman]

Another fine Colorado night for drum corps. The skies were seriously scary for a while, but stayed dry and mostly calm for the show. We had seats directly on the 50, high on the 100 level. Some thoughts on the show from a non-musician, touching on the elements of drum corps that matter to me:

Academy: Paying the performance-order price in 2014 for their 19th-place finish in 2013. Performing first on Saturday, their "Vanity Fair" production was engaging from first note to last -- something that 2013's "Piano Man" had trouble doing. They reached out and grabbed the audience, which ate it up. Academy understands showmanship.

Cascades: The little corps that could. Still has the feel of a just-learned show. It wasn't so much performed as it was executed. When the members feel it more in their bones, they'll sell it more effectively.

Mandarins: They brought a serious-minded poise and presence onto the field. The emphassis was on a variety of drum-corps-playbook moments and hits, and not so much on melody. All the choppy bits of narration about "suffering and struggle" that popped into the music made for a forced, strained feel. This is a musical pageant, not civics class. I found myself more admiring and impressed than entertained.

Oregon: Another show big on dissonance and brooding, and less concerned with sending you out of the stadium with a tune stuck in your head. Personally, I respond most favorably to music with strong melodic values, which provides a sense of direction and, ultimately, destination, which results in a sensation of satisfaction. In OC's show, the sense of journey and destination is provided more by the narration than the music. It's a visually demanding and appealing show, the highlight of which was the flying raven. Looked like they were missing their center snare. The rest of the line did an admirable job preserving the interval. The dull, dark green unis, all black from the waist down, disappear into the field.

Pacific Crest: More my cup of tea with some strong melodic programming, aided by touches of whimsy. A very accessible show. Still lots of cleaning ahead for PC.

Crossmen: The wheel motif works very well throughout. That, and the guard, are the only things that remind you this is a gypsy show. No matter. The trademark glossy Crossmen brass sound is there, and the drill is a visual treat compared to last year's somewhat cramped presentation. The corps really has its feet underneath itself now, and the result was a visual confidence that popped from the field, especially in contrast to the preceding corps. I can't help but think they have bigger plans for those caravan wagons down the road.

Troopers: The new final set is only a few days old, and has the potential to be more effective than the original, which had the horns backing away from the front just as they were unloading the show's big, final chords. Now they're racing to the front, and it's a hot mess. Top to bottom, there is more musical and visual cohesion and continuous storyline in the Troopers' show as compared to Crossmen, but the Troopers need to fix their feet. Still lots of individual body-carriage issues. They're holding their own musically, the drum book is the most advanced they've ever put on the field, the horns are strong, and the kids are creating a deeper, more intense connection with the crowd with each show, but I have to believe the individual marching is deflating their viz and GE scores for the moment. The good news for Troopers: They are famous for getting this stuff fixed and polished by late season. The material has loads of potential in it: Saturday's recaps indicate Troop has more visual headroom to exploit than does Crossmen. If Troop can pull their feet together, look out.

Scouts: As a former drummer, the first thing I noticed was the small, 7/3/5 battery. They didn't lack for volume, and clarity is more important anyway, but you can take that equation only so far: A single snare and one tenor would be the optimum in clarity. So, at some point numbers are important. I wonder if their small numbers will hurt them in comparison to larger batteries that are equally as clean -- though, clearly, it didn't hurt them last night, as they topped BK in drums. Unless there's an injury at the moment, my guess is that it was a calculated decision, given the large size of the front ensemble. Perhaps it's an early step toward the eventual elimination of battery percussion altogether, to make room for more brass and . . . you know. But I digress. As for the show, I'm a fan. Again, there is melody, uh, aplenty, in the Scout's show, and their finger-snapping groove is a nice relief from the angry power-chord chop-n-bop that dominates DCI. The Scouts just shut up and play, and I appreciate that. As for the false ending, I thought it was cool. A good old-fashioned screamer? Yes, please.

SCV: This was my first look at them this year. I'm always a fan; they could put "Hot Cross Buns" on the field and I would eat it up. They were a visual feast; always something to see, and always worth it. The field staging is impeccable. The performer energy is palpable. The drum line smokes; the brass pins you back in your seat; the attention to detail is immensely satisfying. They don't break any molds with this show; it's vintage SCV with all that implies. And that's just fine.

Blue Knights: Dig the tenors playing traditional grip. The writing for the battery is the most interesting I've heard all year. I imagine their book, for a snare player, is a load of fun to play. And the battery's array of body movements fits better into the musical message than that of any other corps I've seen so far. Other than the annoying narration that keeps reminding us of some kind of "moment" or lost memory or remembered detail about hands or whatever, there's little in the music or drill that appears to be connected to the idea of whatever the narrator is yammering about. "You probably have no idea what I'm talking about," she says at some point. Indeed. Still, it doesn't detract much from the enjoyment of the show, aside from a mix that leans a little too heavily on the synth. BK brings a big, fluid, luscious horn sound to arrangements that have a haunting groove to them. "To Build a Home" is a fabulous chart that really brings out BK's signature sound and style. Looks like a top-10 show to me.

(An aside about BK: I noticed this only because BK did an encore, and I could see them up close for about 20 minutes. There are only about 10 females in the horn line, and 2 in the percussion section, both in the pit. That's about one dozen women, give or take, in the entire musical ensemble. And the guard looks to be about half male. It strikes me that BK is about as close to an all-male corps as any corps out there outside of Cavaliers and Scouts. Are BK's numbers typical? I've not made a study of it, but it just seems to me that other corps have greater numbers of females in the horn and drum ranks. Why is that?)

Finally, about the Fan Network: Thank goodness I was in the stands on Saturday. The FN production was a total mess. No one in the production truck had the vaguest idea of what drum corps is about. They threw a bunch of camera operators at the job, and time and time again the director missed the right shots at the right time. It would have been better to have a single hi cam than the endless series of random cutaways and minor moments. That, and the sound issues were an embarrassment.

Edited July 13, 2014 by 2muchcoffeeman