losnickes Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Just a heads-up, this review is probably a bit opinionated at times. Also, this is a review of the webcast. I wasn't actually there, in case that makes me opinions invalid. OPEN CLASS Guardians 2nd Place – 61.275 “Terra Nova" This was a magnificent showing for one of DCI's newest Open Class corps. The growth this organization has experienced from a small SoundSport team to an Open Class corps in just one year is simply extraordinary, and the drastic growth in members is more extraordinary still. Despite how young this corps is, the members performed with the maturity of a seasoned Open Class corps, and they put on a very entertaining show. I can't wait until they're able to make the trek to Open Class Finals in the coming years. It will be interesting to see how they stack up against the other corps. Genesis 1st Place – 65.500 “Art of Darkness" Since this corps has drastically improved every year since its founding just a few years ago, I had high expectations for them this year, and they didn't disappoint. I don't have a doubt that they'll earn themselves another medalist finish at Finals this year. They might even be our Open Class Champion. This show was far from perfect, however. The kids did a fantastic job, and are no doubt very talented. I'm not sure I'd say the same about the design staff, though. The show is entertaining enough, but lacks a lot of substance. There is no real prevalent theme except that it's supposed to be a “dark” show. It's not necessarily a bad thing, I just feel they could have done more with it than they have done. WORLD CLASS Pioneer 22nd Place – 64.125 “Joy!" This is probably one of the best Pioneer corps I've seen in recent years. They have a very entertaining show that is very much “Pioneer.” If there is one thing that I enjoy more than an entertaining drum corps show is a drum corps that does what is uniquely their own. It's part of the wonderful allure of this activity. At any rate, this was a great showing from Pioneer, and I hope to see them get “better every day.” Cascades 21st Place – 67.200 “Turn" The Cascades have quite a unique show, and are performing it very well. I understand the corps has had some trouble in recent years (not an uncommon phenomenon, unfortunately), but you certainly wouldn't know it this year. Those kids are on fire! I went into this knowing absolutely nothing about them, other than they were mounting a “Four Seasons” theme, which is pretty dull as far as I'm concerned. But they did something quite unexpected with it, particularly with the musical selections. Mixing “Summertime” and “Firebird,” “Dies Irae” with “Carol of the Bells,” and “Simple Gifts” with “Rite of Spring” seems nonsensical on paper, but it works remarkably well. All in all, it was a great showing, and a delightful twist on an otherwise not so delightful theme. Jersey Surf 20th Place – 69.650 “Pay it Forward: The Gift of Giving" This is certainly not the Jersey Surf we have seen the last couple years, but they are nonetheless unique. I noticed that they have changed the different colored plumes to just white plumes since I last saw them, which is probably just as well. I recall many “malfunctions” with those other plumes in Ft. Wayne. This show features some interesting twists on “Simple Gifts” throughout, as well as a great rendition of “Lean on Me,” among other things. The theme comes across very well, and the kids perform it very well. Mandarins 19th Place – 72.375 “UnbreakABLE: The Human Spirit is Limitless" The Mandarins treat us to another Key Poulan original with a very effective voice-over throughout the production. It's an easy enough show to follow, and it allowed me to simply sit back and enjoy this amazing corps do amazing things. They look fantastic, and sound even more fantastic. I don't know what else to say except “Bravo!” Pacific Crest 18th Place – 73.050 “No Strings Attached..." This is another terrific show from a corps that has been steadily on the rise over the last few years. This show was a lot of fun, and it's befitting what is becoming the “Pacific Crest” style. It is certainly intriguing watching a relatively young corps figure out who they are, and being amazing while they do it. This show boasts a very entertaining musical book, and a lot of “cute” visual effects. I'll be very interested to see where they end up in Indy. The Academy 17th Place – 74.775 “Vanity Fair" I must admit, when I saw The Academy's program announcement, I was underwhelmed. When I saw the show in San Antonio, I was pleasantly surprised to say the least. This show makes some interesting use of red tarps, eventually transforming the entire field into what I took to be the British flag. This show is simply fun and enjoyable from start to finish. There was never a dull moment, and it even reminded me of the Velvet Knights at times (which is FAR from being a bad thing). Bravo, Academy! Oregon Crusaders 16th Place – 74.800 “Nevermore" The Oregon Crusaders took World Class by storm last year, and they definitely aren't disappointing anybody this year. Their shows in recent years have been pure genius. They're always brilliantly put together, and performed so well. And they still manage to be very original every year. The corps' take on the Edgar Allen Poe poem, “The Raven” is impressive, bone-chilling, and downright eerie. While it isn't the most “original” show they've ever done, it's certainly keeping with the incredible standards the Oregon Crusaders have set for themselves. I wouldn't be surprised to see them knocking on the door of the top 12 in the next few years. Colts 15th Place – 76.100 “Dark Side of the Rainbow" While we're talking about being “original,” we should talk about this show. This production takes the “story-telling” shtick out a whole new door, and the premise is nothing short of unique. The Colts bring us to the merry old land of Oz, but years after Dorothy has come and gone. The Scarecrow, who narrates the show, has taken over Oz by way of killing the Lion and the Tin Man. The actor that plays the Scarecrow gives a very convincing performance, and is perhaps the best show with a narration I've ever seen. And the corps backs up the narrator quite well with some great arrangements of some Pink Floyd songs. This is definitely my favorite Colts show to date, and they've had some great ones in the past. Troopers 13th Place – 77.900 “A People's House" I was worried the Troopers would be a bit of a let-down after last year's jaw-dropping show. This, thankfully, was not the case. This show is just as beautiful and entertaining as last year was. And, it seemed to be an interesting commentary on the political climate today, as well. Robert W. Smith does drum corps very well, and I can think of no one better suited to arrange for America's Corps. He does an especially great job of making this show (and all his shows) flow seamlessly from start to finish. And their “America the Beautiful” closer is absolutely breath-taking. This is another great Troopers show, and I'm sure we'll see many more. Nothing would thrill me more than to see this corps be a perennial finalist. Spirit of Atlanta 14th Place – 76.550 “Magnolia" Amidst all the fantastic shows this season, there had to be at least one that didn't quite do it for me. This year, shockingly, it's Spirit. First of all, I don't like this new uniform. I'm not sure what it is about it, but this uniform simultaneously looks like classic Spirit of Atlanta and extremely generic. There's just something about it I don't want to look at. The show concept seems to be a bit of a departure from what they've been doing the last few years. I've often heard Spirit referred to as the “southern charmers” of the activity, and this show has a lot of “southern” in it, but not a whole lot of “charm.” It's not a terribly intriguing show, and if I were a betting man, I'd say Spirit probably wont be making finals this year. But, to be fair, they're facing some rather stiff competition this year. Where this show REALLY falls short is the use of electronics. They have all sorts of audio samples that just seem inorganic. For example, in many of the Bluecoats' shows, they use a lot of electronic sounds, but the fit so well in the overall musical package that you don't really think about it. In Spirit's show, they all stick out like a sore thumb. Crossmen 12th Place – 80.250 “Alma Gitana: A Gypsy Soul" The Crossmen have certainly pulled out all the stops for their 40th Anniversary. This show grooves, the drill is fantastic, and those new uniforms are slick and classic Crossmen. In my opinion, it isn't often that FJM makes good uniforms for corps, but this is not one of those. The Crossmen look fantastic. My only complaint about this show is the theme. Given the fact that they've changed their base of operations probably more times than The Cadets, the gypsy theme kind of fits. But that's as far as it goes. But the rest of the show is so enjoyable that I really don't mind. The Crossmen did well in front of a homewtown crowd. Blue Stars 10th Place – 81.725 “Where the Heart Is" This show is cute. The use of the props is definitely interesting, turning the entire field into the floor plan for a house. The Blue Stars are certainly no strangers to using A LOT of props, and it's usually pretty effective. This year, the Blue Stars props don't strike me as “effective.” They just seem to plug up the field and it looks too busy. The costume change is also not handled well, in my opinion. But I can't really see any better way to do it, so I wont give them too much grief. The musical book is decent. I wouldn't call it some of Saucedo's best work (of course, that's comparing it to shows like “Frameworks” and “Spin Cycle”), but it's definitely entertaining. The Blue Stars' 50th Anniversary production isn't bad, just far from my favorite. On a side note: those red plumes look terrific. Madison Scouts 11th Place – 81.425 “Time Trip" As surprised as I was that I didn't like Spirit's program this year, I was even more surprised at how much I didn't like Madison. I absolutely loathe the new “all standard brass” rule (I know I'm in the minority). That being said, the section that Madison has with the trombones is the only decent part of this show. I thought the show was a lot better when the guard didn't have those costume changes and that awkward clock prop wasn't there. This show makes me think of Madison in 2009. Their show, “Relampago,” told the tale of a Latin superhero, and featured a great repertoire of Latin tunes. But the storyline of the show was really thick and inaccessible, and they tried with all their might to make little additions and changes in an effort to get the show to make more sense. They even added a voice-over at the beginning to spoon-feed the story to the audience. It ended up being a not so stellar season for the Scouts, competitively. This year, the clock prop and costume changes looked like they were thrown in last-minute. It's all very awkwardly staged, and the color scheme is a bit of an eye-sore. Form where I'm standing, the show makes less sense with all these additions. That being said, that hornline is on fire. And Madison looks GOOOOD in white. Phantom Regiment 7th Place – 84.725 “Swan Lake" Phantom Regiment has definitely made it clear that they are good at story-telling. I think because they've done it to death in recent years, the idea of another story show is a big turn-off for a lot of fans. The new uniforms are nice. I've been wanting Phantom to go all-black again for quite a while now, and this is close enough, I suppose. But the costume change mid-show isn't so nice of a look. The costume change seems so “un-Phantom,” and the black costumes themselves don't look like Phantom. Overall, this is a solid show, and it's right where it should be competitively. Boston Crusaders 9th Place – 82.425 “Animal Farm" This show is one of my favorites this year. I always thoroughly enjoy Russian music, so on that basis alone, I love this show. When Boston announced they would be doing “Animal Farm,” I was perplexed as to how they would bring the Orwell novel to the field. I fully expected it not to work out so well, and I was pleasantly surprised, to say the absolute least. This show features a lot of neat visual moments. The drill writer managed to sneak in a “BAC” form, a hammer and sickle, and even an interesting “G7” formation (I wonder what THAT could mean...). One especially striking moment was when the guard and battery climbed on top of each other to form a windmill, just like in the book. This show is a little rough around the edges, but I'm sure they'll clean it up. Blue Knights 8th Place – 84.100 “That One Second" Ever since 2010, the Blue Knights have systematically dug their way into my heart with some of the finest shows in modern drum corps. In 2013, with their show “NoBeginningNoEnd,” they became one of my new favorites. I must admit I wasn't fond of the new uniforms when they were debuted. When I compared it to some videos of the Blue Knights in the 80's, this interesting new look definitely made a lot more sense. And then when I saw them on the field in San Antonio, I fell in love with them. They look fantastic on the field. And the show perfectly combines that cerebral quality that their shows usually have with a very accessible theme. The musical book is gorgeous, and they do some tremendous things visually. And the concept is one that could very easily go horribly wrong in the wrong hands. Thankfully, the Blue Knights know what they're doing. Santa Clara Vanguard 4th Place – 89.000 “Scheherezade: Words 2 Live By" Remember the last time Santa Clara wore white? There was a period in the 90's where many SCV fans would agree the Vanguard “lost their way.” It wasn't until they were back in red when they finally “became” Santa Clara again. When I saw those new white uniforms...I got nervous. From the opening hit, I knew my uneasiness was justified. All those trombones for just the opening impact (and then again at the very end) seems like a rather large investment for such a minimal effect. This new take on an old Santa Clara favorite is pretty uninteresting. It's performed with that usual SCV precision, it just can't keep my interest. And the color palette is a bit of an eyesore, mainly because of those pillow props. Speaking of which, those “pillows” aren't used very well. The show would be infinitely better without them. Not my favorite Vanguard show of all time, but they can't all be winners, I suppose. Bluecoats 3rd Place – 89.850 “Tilt" I didn't buy into all the hype this show was getting before the season started. But when I saw it for the first time in the movie theater, my jaw dropped. This show is, in my opinion, the best one of 2014. The white additions to their uniform really make it “pop.” And they make an absolutely genius use of those scalene triangle props. This show is just exhilarating from start to finish. I don't know what else to say about it. It's the perfect show, and it is performed so well. The Cavaliers 6th Place – 86.925 “Immortal" After undergoing some big staff changes, The Cavaliers have had to take some time to truly adapt. Well, ladies and gentlemen, the wait is over. While I don't think it'll happen this year, The Cavaliers will probably end up being a regular in the top 3 again very soon. The Cavaliers, who haven't been strangers to putting on “weird” shows, offer us an impressive program with a vampire theme. Their color guard certainly sells that theme in fine style. The “marimbas on the field” is certainly one of those classic Cavaliers gimmicks that go alongside the 2010 rifle feature, their upside-down performers and stilts in “XtraordinarY,” and many others. The drill is certainly on par with some of the Cavaliers greats, and they boast a fantastic musical book to boot. This show is 100% Cavaliers, which is never a bad thing. Carolina Crown 5th Place – 88.700 “Out of this World" I have to say, I was rather shocked at the 5th place finish. But after comparing it to some of the other corps, it isn't THAT surprising, I suppose. Last year, while Carolina Crown certainly earned that championship, I didn't think it was very “Carolina Crown.” This year, they seem to have merged the new Carolina Crown of 2013 with the Carolina Crown fans fell in love with over the last few years, and the result is spectacular. While I'm not fond of the new uniforms, they're certainly unique, and Crown makes them work. And nobody can dispute the sound and virtuosity of that hornline. And the drill is certainly impressive on the obvious physical demands alone. The show opens with an a capella rendition of “Space Oddity,” which is, to say the least, intriguing. And then we're hit in the face with that powerful brass sound that we've gotten so used to. This show kind of makes me think of their 2009 show, but in space, and that is not, by any means a complaint. Blue Devils 1st Place – 91.650 “Felliniesque" If we can get a show like this from the Blue Devils every year, I personally would be one happy drum corps fan. This show combines the Blue Devils' unique approach to show design and the entertaining Blue Devils of the past. The result is an absolutely beautiful and thought-provoking show. The music rocks the house, and their use of props perfectly meld with their overall visual program. I found this show absolutely captivating from start to finish. And not just because of the color guard. The Blue Devils were definitely the clear winner. The Cadets 2nd Place – 90.975 “Promise: An American Portrait" This show took me a while to warm up to, but it has really taken shape since I first saw it in Akron. This is probably their best use of narration since 2007, and their “Appalachian Spring” blows SCV 2009 out of the water (which blew Cadets 1987 out of the water). This show certainly inspires a certain amount of patriotism. Perhaps not as much as Troopers, but they are America's Corps after all. The three different cummerbunds used to match the guard costumes was an interesting touch. And they all look rather nice with the traditional Cadet uniform. The “stage” behind the front ensemble is strange to me. It doesn't really distract from anything, but it doesn't really add anything, either. They just don't do anything all too extraordinary with it. This isn't really a complaint, just an observation. This corps will most likely finish in the top 3 at Finals, but the Bluecoats still might surprise them. Overall, this was a spectacular show top to bottom, and one of the greatest seasons in DCI's recent history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwillis35 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Excellent review and very detailed and insightful! Bluecoats really have a show that could "pop" at any moment and jump into the top 2. I said on another thread that it would be tough because the way BD and Cadets have crafted their shows. But if BLOOO won DCI Finals this year, the crowd would go APE-****. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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