TOC Buffalo Wing Championships 2014

[MikeD]

I sat through more Devils rehearsals than I can remember... including the one yesterday.

You seem to be assuming that I am saying that they have achieved absolute perfection.

Obviously I'm not saying that...

I AM saying that they don't really need to do much more in order to be what they have always been.

By saying that they aren't "BD" clean, I translate that that you are indicating that they are sub par... and this makes no sense at all.

I think John is saying that BD pays attention to improving the details right up to their last performance. That is how they got to be the BD that we see today.

[corpsband]

I think John is saying that BD pays attention to improving the details right up to their last performance. That is how they got to be the BD that we see today.

Well ... and they "get" efficiency. They don't waste the performers time or energy. Oh and they understand that well-rested performers actually improve more quickly than sleep-deprived performers.

[cfirwin3]

For a reference, check out the rotating box drill at the beginning of the 97 show. The block was so clean that the shadows cast by the stadium lights were a virtually perfect crosshatch of the box.

John is not bagging on BD, or calling them sub-par. He is simply stating that they are not (yet) at the level that most consider Finals-worthy BD Clean.

I remember the 97 block.... ugh... I really don't need to be educated. This show has half a dozen moments like that in sectional drill.

The scores are saying that they are finals worthy BD clean, and that is how they look. A 97.55 with dominance in nearly all captions is ABOVE a finals worthy champion score compared to most years. The scores aren't inflated, they are accurate. The Devils even rehearsed this way yesterday. There is 'rehearsal for improvement' and then there is 'rehearsal for maintenance'... the Devils did MOSTLY the latter in all sections. The visual rehearsal (I came in on part of this) was repetition of a couple sets. The time was limited and mostly consisting of repetition. The horn warm up was typical with a short section rehearsal consisting of repetition on the most aggressive runs in the show (trumpet opener, full ensemble runs). The focus was on pulse consistency through the sections. The ensemble rehearsal was a chunked run through with met... almost no alterations or critical review... a lot of "looks good guys... next chunk". Nobody gave two shoots about those darn tables... because they seem to be a non-issue. They are rehearsing to maintain at this point... and apart from the rare / occasional "Susie or Johnny, your tone is sticking out" in the horn arc... they are just riding the wave of a well prepared show.

I think that what is going on here for all of us... is that there is the "thing" that we each think that the other person is saying... and then there is the "thing" that the other person is actually saying.

So let's just stop saying anything about this topic, none of us are on the same page... and I mean this with the most friendly intent.

[cfirwin3]

I think John is saying that BD pays attention to improving the details right up to their last performance. That is how they got to be the BD that we see today.

But of course they are. I wouldn't suggest anything to the contrary. My original point was much more broad. Keep in mind that finals night is an artificial cut off of the work. Shows can be rehearsed essentially FOREVER.

[OrlandoContraAlum]

So let's just stop saying anything about this topic, none of us are on the same page... and I mean this with the most friendly intent.

Fair enough, although I think we are all actually on the same page, but maybe our books are in different languages... ;)

[Kamarag]

This is called the fallacy of privileged information. In a nutshell, your alumni status makes your opinion more authentic.

Not true.

When did you last see them live? I saw them last night.

So did a judging panel... and they gave them champion type scores a week early.

By what precedent is that not "BD" clean?

Obviously no corps is "done" until 20s are achieved... but c'mon.

My intent in bring up alumni status wasn't that it makes me somehow magically know things you wouldn't (the fallacy argument). It was to illustrated only what I said...that we alumni actually have a term called "BD clean". I'm not making this up. We discuss it extensively in another forum. The list of things to do following the Allentown performance was extensive.

They aren't currently what we consider to be BD clean. It's doesn't matter what you think, and the judges clearly don't think so yet either. Wait for Saturday night. That's when they will likely be what we call BD clean. You can call them whatever you want :)

[brichtimp]

Clean= perfect.....eternally elusive for everyone.

[jmc5682]

There is really nothing to clean or add. The score will just progress to the end. They are already REALLY clean.

What a ludicrous thing to post!

They will be tweaking the show until the final day

Edited August 4, 2014 by jmc5682

[jmc5682]

I remember the 97 block.... ugh... I really don't need to be educated. This show has half a dozen moments like that in sectional drill.

The scores are saying that they are finals worthy BD clean, and that is how they look. A 97.55 with dominance in nearly all captions is ABOVE a finals worthy champion score compared to most years. The scores aren't inflated, they are accurate. The Devils even rehearsed this way yesterday. There is 'rehearsal for improvement' and then there is 'rehearsal for maintenance'... the Devils did MOSTLY the latter in all sections. The visual rehearsal (I came in on part of this) was repetition of a couple sets. The time was limited and mostly consisting of repetition. The horn warm up was typical with a short section rehearsal consisting of repetition on the most aggressive runs in the show (trumpet opener, full ensemble runs). The focus was on pulse consistency through the sections. The ensemble rehearsal was a chunked run through with met... almost no alterations or critical review... a lot of "looks good guys... next chunk". Nobody gave two shoots about those darn tables... because they seem to be a non-issue. They are rehearsing to maintain at this point... and apart from the rare / occasional "Susie or Johnny, your tone is sticking out" in the horn arc... they are just riding the wave of a well prepared show.

I think that what is going on here for all of us... is that there is the "thing" that we each think that the other person is saying... and then there is the "thing" that the other person is actually saying.

So let's just stop saying anything about this topic, none of us are on the same page... and I mean this with the most friendly intent.

Darn you seem so angry.....

[cfirwin3]

Okay, I'm done with the BD propaganda posting...

Now that I am well rested, time for a more critical and comprehensive review of the show.

If you think that I am blind as a bat... then disregard this post. If you think that I have observations to bring the conversation... then read on.

VENUE:

As some have pointed out, this was a 3rd choice for the show site. 2 other venues fell through. This site is in a shady part of town... but the Buffalo Police Department was out in HUGE force last night, and VERY polite to show patrons. There were no less than 5 or 6 lighted police cruisers on a 2 block stretch of Main Street at the close of the show... I'm impressed by the hospitality. The use of the parking area for performing groups required that patrons park at a shuttle park and ride. It was only a couple blocks away, so it was worth the walk. The Stadium is a lot like Massillon (where TOC is at tonight) with a steel canopy. Perfect for drumcorps. The organizers did well to keep warm-up areas far from the show site. I did not hear any warming up through the duration of the show. Tim Horton's (Canadian Duncan Donuts) gave away FREE coffee drinks. Food vendors were decent, couple of different choices and some fund raiser type pizza as well. Stadium was renovated within the last 10 years so facilities were fairly clean. Restrooms ran short on TP and soap... yuck. In conclusion... this wasn't a bad spot for a show. I could see them hosting here again, and would be fine with that.

PRE-SHOW:

DCI has done well at this TOC event to have various corps small ensembles perform pre-show acts... VERY entertaining. Saw Crown, BD and Cavies small group / solo performances. Prime Time Brass from Rochester, NY are a perennial pre-show favorite at this event. They really get the crowd energized... but their rendition of the national anthems was... oooo... I dunno guys... I was happy when they were done with those. Also, it is smart of DCI to give out FREE programs in a simpler format than to nickle and dime the patrons. They really seem to be making an attempt to improve the experience and value of these events. Good for them.

SCV:

My wife's 2nd favorite show of the night (Behind BD)

A couple critical comments:

- I have NO problem with trombone in drumcorps... whatever... have at it. BUT this particular use of trombones is entirely superficial. They don't add anything to the program that cylindrical baritone valve horns wouldn't handle. The unique characteristic of trombones is the slide... and the slides play no perceivable role in the use of the trombones. That being said... there is still a SUPERFICIAL aesthetic use for them, I suppose.

- There are 3 types of visual performance... Foot Technique (CHECK)... Full Body Posture (CHECK)... and Drill (BIG PROBLEMS). SCV needs to shorten their basics rehearsals and spend that time on field visual. They seem to not have a comfortable grasp on the written show and it is showing in intervals and on-the-move form guiding. It's strange because usually uniformity in technique is the harder thing to accomplish... but they do a really good job with basics technique.

BLUECOATS:

My wife's 4th favorite show of the night... much to my dismay.

A couple of critical comments:

- They are indeed out performing their GE... they are visually quite clean. The change at the end of the show is great (double Z Pull... HUGE fermata) but I think that they would be smart to add an additional pitch bend effect at the close... that's what the audience eats up, so give them one more. I was kinda looking forward to seeing the old ending live... but oh well. Unlike Crown (that has a bit too much going on... the Coats need a few more obvious impact moments).

- About that pitch bend. It was really loud... I wouldn't turn it down, but they may do well to consider a cleaner fade in to the effect. It was rather abrupt last night.

- Solos (trumpets) were a little off... there were a few "spleahs" in there that they can't afford to have.

TROOPERS:

I'm not going to give critical comments to them... because they did well to hold their own in a field of monsters. They just need to keep cleaning their show in all of the general areas. It is a good show with lots of obvious and clear visual drill... and a clear message that is easy to follow.

CAVALIERS:

A couple of critical comments:

- The foot technique isn't nearly as solid as SCV and the others above them... AND the drill has some fuzzy spacing problems.

- Trumpets are not being matched by the low brass at times... it's not the trumpets fault.

- The show design doesn't match all sections to the VERY high GE of the front ensemble. The show is being stolen by a few moments... and this is both fun to see, but also bad for the show as a whole.

CROWN:

Wife's 3rd favorite show of the night... ugh... okay dear...

A couple of critical comments:

- The brass book is deceiving... They are performing at a very high level, but... They should thank their lucky stars (pun not intended) that the Devils aren't taking the caption from them. My beef (which really isn't a beef) is with the very clever placement of ostinato patterns and key friendly runs that make this sound much more tricky than it really is. Cadets and BD are pulling some heavier licks in modulation. I give MUCH more credit to the writing than to the performance. But hey... if they can get the credit for it... more power to them!

- The show design in general seems to be trying too hard. A good analogy might be found in sound mixing or color correction (for the more visual artistic types). When mixing and balancing sound and color, one should start by pulling back on other sound and colors in order to bring out something specific. Instead, Crown design team seems to be adding... adding... adding... adding more and more effects to the show that are muddling the presentation. For example, the frisbee thing is cool... they should do it... but they should do HALF as much of it as they are doing now. It would play MUCH bigger. The echo effects are smart, well written and well performed... but they should do HALF as much of it. It would also play MUCH bigger.

- One positive thing... their ending is more "Cadet" than the Cadet's ending. They have been doing this a lot in recent years.

CADETS:

Wife didn't like the show at all (didn't like design)... I give it a lot more credit.

A couple critical comments.

- All of their issues are with design and not so much with performance... like Crown. The show is designed strangely with the corps disconnected from the audience. Even if you took the stage away, the stage makes it necessary for the corps to reside in a space that is vary distant from the audience (the back 2/3 of the field). I think this hurts their connection as a CORPS with the audience. The narration doesn't "get in the way"... but that the same time, it get's in the way by virtue of intentional design. There is nothing that can be done about it, because it is the design that they committed to. I would have made the stage 1/3 the size that it is... and 1/4 the length... or maybe just put a small stage of the same size off to one side of the front ensemble... I don't know. But the corps is WAY back field much of the time, and I think it matters.

- Not really a critical remark... but unless I am mistaken, the new tarps were not used at the show last night. See my comments about Crown above... perhaps the design team came to the "less is more" conclusion? Don't know.

BLUE DEVILS:

Wife's favorite show... mine too (even though I wan't my Coats so badly to push hard into finals week).

A couple of critical comments.

- I think that I have said enough about the Devils for you to know where I am at with this program... so let me spare you.

- I will add only this... I think that their biggest problem is something that they can't control. There is a population of people that just don't want them to do as well as they are doing, and this mentality affects the way that they enjoy (or don't enjoy) the show.

Case in point:

I was sitting next to a 15 year old kid who was clearly a Bluecoats super fan. He didn't so much as clap for the Devils... and remarked "Yup... typical BD drill...". He was so invested in his corps doing well this season that he refused to enjoy good design, entertainment and performance for what it actually is. I wanted to slap him... and I'm a Bluecoat Alum!

That's all I got. It was a really, really enjoyable night. No show that I didn't enjoy watching... and that's hard to come by.