2014 World Championship Prelims + Big, Live & Loud!

[jackroberts]

The great thing about traditional drum corps shows is that there's a built in pattern to music with recognizable emotional peaks. The peaks corresponded with the typically symmetrical drill sets. That's what's so satisfying about old drum corps shows. The tunes are typically short. The payoffs are clear and correspond with the most dramatic part of the piece of music. The audience is programmed to see an impossible drill set like a company front appear at the final push in the music. Setup. Payoff. Setup payoff.

But the Bluecoats this year are not playing your typical Malaguena. They're not playing Pagliacci. They're playing non-traditional symphonic music without those built-in peaks, and the drill is augmented with the triangle pieces that offer nothing thematically or athletically to build a cohesive picture that justify their use, and nothing that provides a wow payoff. That's a problem. There's no "Wow, how do they do that!?" (Except at the end when the guy jumps.)

Now if the Bluecoats did a thing where the entire corps was balancing on these triangular pieces (with help), and did the pitch bend while shifting from one side to the other, then we're getting somewhere. The triangles would then be justified and integrated into the course of the show. But right now, there seems to be mostly leaning up against, crawling up and laying, and dragging them around.

Or if the Bluecoats did a thing where the trust-jumper was hesitatant at first, and by the end jumps into a new "tilted" era of innovation, then yes. The triangles would be justified and integrated into the course of the show.

Or if the Bluecoats did a thing where the triangles were pushed together to form an obstacle over which they navigated by climbing over them triumphantly, then yes. The triangles would be justified and integrated into the course of the show.

But right now, they're a lot of extraneous scenery without thematic effect except at the end. Do the Bluecoats have some major change they're going to present using the triangles that help integrate and justify their use? If I were they, I'd show the jumper at the beginning not able to jump, and by the end he does. That's all they need to win. Some pattern. God help us, some throughline.

Okay now I can make more sense of what you've been saying. Interesting ideas

[Brutus]

"We?" You and what mouse in your pocket?

Look, I appreciate your attention to detail and find some entertainment value in your show critiques. But please don't even begin to make assumptions about why I enjoy going to drum corps shows and seeing drum corps performances on the FN and in the theater, and what it is that entertains ME. Speak for yourself only.

You and I are here for exactly the same reason.

Brutus, despite your serial abuse of all dissenters, myself included, I have decided that I like you. I agree with 97% of your analysis. Sure, you are a little pretentious, and not a little monomaniacal, but you are also obviously well-informed and articulate. You are no pseudo-intellectual, you are the real thing. I say this because your observations and critiques appear based on a coherent and consistent philosophy about narrative and story development. In short, I learn a lot from your posts. (I take it as a given that music qua music is not what appeals to you in a drum corps show, which is where we differ.)

So now that I have your attention, I am curious what you think of shows from the past, from the era before story-telling became de rigueur ? Take for instance one of my favorites, SCV 1999. The show was not about anything, it was just complex, sophisticated music combined with a great visual package and a lot of moxie. Do you hold such shows to a different standard, or does this era simply hold no interest for you?

Yes, Grasshopper. SCV 99 is a brilliant show.

--Commitment to a whole piece of music. Check.

--Repeating snake drill. Satisfying and a distinct recognizable chain reaction visual move. Chain reactions have an inherent predicability. The audience loves knowing what comes next. Check.

--Repeating end of opener and end of closer signature drill move. (Look at the audience scream with delight as they can predict what happens next. That's all they crave. A pattern. Repetition. It's simple as that.)

http://youtu.be/TSVJebquYV8

Edited August 8, 2014 by Brutus

[Brutus]

Brutus, you say you work in Hollywood, yes? (unless I misinterpreted your "as we say in Hollywood" spiel)

Was American Beauty a rotten tomato for you? Or......

Sorry, you don't take the final floating plastic bag speech from American Beauty and stretch it out to 13 minutes. No.

[IMcomguy]

RE: Blue Knights..........

The only element that suddenly drew me into it was that one of the pictures was of a hornline. Suddenly, this proved that the show had meaning for these performers, and related to who they are right now.

If that's all it takes, could the Bluecoats add a photo of one of them getting "tilted" at the local bar?

I guess that would be a winning formula.

[Wadep66]

Brutus, despite your serial abuse of all dissenters, myself included, I have decided that I like you. I agree with 97% of your analysis. Sure, you are a little pretentious, and not a little monomaniacal, but you are also obviously well-informed and articulate. You are no pseudo-intellectual, you are the real thing. I say this because your observations and critiques appear based on a coherent and consistent philosophy about narrative and story development. In short, I learn a lot from your posts. (I take it as a given that music qua music is not what appeals to you in a drum corps show, which is where we differ.)

Nicely articulated.

[Precious Roy]

You and I are here for exactly the same reason.

You are doing a freshman college Sociology 101 project too? Wow, small world!

[jjeffeory]

It's more than merely interesting that no one had seen the Animal Farm and the worker analogies for what they are: DCI itself.

The members on the line, of any DCI --what some on these forums call "kids" -- are the workers, disguised within the book's symbols and motifs. In regard to DCI, BAC is doing more than just the G7 in this show. Like from start to end.

Just start at the beginning and try it on that way.

You probably haven't been reading this forum because there's been at least a little bit of talk about this the WHOLE season with responses from "nothing to see here, move along". "It's great that they're doing that", "Are you stupid DCP people (rolls eyes several times in their head) thinking there sort of message here, you're stupid doo doo heads" to "cool" and "I love this part".

[justafan]

I'll try to speak your language.

When the guy jumps, what's it mean? What does it feel like to you? How does it fit?

OK, I will play a bit longer.

The show represents nonstop energy resulting from the all that tilting and it's eternal battle with gravity. The energy builds at the beginning of the show, is attenuated temporarily during the ballad and then builds again strongly at the close with multiple pitch bend teases and then the real pitch bend itself. The jumper at the end is the final, satisfying release of the built up energy that restores natural equilibrium to our world.

[justafan]

You must have missed his post where he called me pretentious and pseudo intellectual.

OK now, be honest, I think you like that description.

[THeShadeOfNight]

I notice that your posts are completely devoid of any analysis or substance. Typically, your posts contain the words "like" and "appreciate" which is really wonderful if we were all day camp counselors in the Catskills. By the way, many of my suggestions in my critiques were implemented weeks later. Review my posts and you'll see.

Liking or appreciating something implies I have done an analysis on some level, so saying it is "completely devoid of analysis" is pretty asinine. As for the substance, I do not feel the need to make gaudy, contrarian "analyses" as you do. I do notice that your "analysis" posts tend to be visually apparent synopses of the shows with interpretations of themes and a slew of personal opinions. (Note: Just because the theme or composer intended to portray one idea or theme doesn't mean that's how I perceive it or have to accept it.) You make your opinions more wordy and speak on behalf of ALL audience members everywhere (Examples below). I keep mine short and simple and want loud music. Opinions. After all, that's what the judges are putting down on paper and grading these corps by: opinions.

Let's look at some example of opinions and your assumptions of what all audience members love!

- You and I are here for exactly the same reason.

- Satisfying and a distinct recognizable chain reaction visual move. Chain reactions have an inherent predicability. -- The audience loves knowing what comes next. Check.

-- That's all they crave. A pattern. Repetition.

-The audience is programmed to see an impossible drill set like a company front appear at the final push in the music. Setup. Payoff. Setup payoff.

-without those built-in peaks, and the drill is augmented with the triangle pieces that offer nothing thematically or athletically to build a cohesive picture that justify their use, and nothing that provides a wow payoff. That's a problem. There's no "Wow, how do they do that!?"

- The triangles would be justified and integrated into the course of the show.

-But right now, they're a lot of extraneous scenery without thematic effect except at the end. Do the Bluecoats have some major change they're going to present using the triangles that help integrate and justify their use? If I were they, I'd show the jumper at the beginning not able to jump, and by the end he does. That's all they need to win. (and better visual scores lol)

We're here to see these performers present a cohesive well thought out thematic argument.

Edited August 8, 2014 by THeShadeOfNight