Gillette Stadium 7/2 Review

[craiga]

First of all, this venue created the vibe of a Regionals. I'm terrible at estimating crowds, but at one point Dan Potter mentioned 5,000 paid admission PLUS 1,000 in the Putnam Investments area for the BAC 75th Gala event, so I guess we can say there were 6,000 people there. The huge crowd and the 72 degrees at show time combined for a great evening. I watched all the Open and World Class corps, so here are my thoughts...and remember, I am a visual guy....

The Spartans: They marched well, and as usual, feature a very strong guard. They seemed dark to me, but it may have been the flag silks. They were various shades of the same color at times, which makes me think they have show silks they are yet to introduce. A strong horn line and large drum line both move well. I'm not sure if this was their first show or not, but if it was, this was a very strong first performance for them.

7th Regiment: For some reason, I didn't expect 7th to be as good as they were. The first thing you notice is an abundance of color...brightly colored guard uniforms and show silks, and a lot of body from the horn line. I really enjoyed this show, and am looking forward to seeing it again. I felt that the Open Class results could have gone either way.

Jersey Surf: They begin the show with a vivid splash of color and I like their musical production. (sigh)...I wish they had some form of headwear. I get the fact that they are not going with the shako/aussie look, but the lack of hats combined with the short sleeves gives them a very casual vibe. The is purely a matter of taste (I never really like VK's red Converse sneakers, either). Having said that, the show is enjoyable and the music is very recognizable..it really is a fun show.

Troopers: Ok, first of all, for anyone with their undies in a twist over the alleged issues of their DM and BAC's DMs...you need to know that they get along just fine and they are actually messing with the DCP community....Good for them! As for the Troopers' performance, it was clearly a huge step up from Surf. Their horn line marches well, and the drum line is VERY confident. The vocalist does a nice job and what they have her doing is both musically and thematically appropriate. The guard seems both younger and smaller than in years past to me, but there is great potential there. The moving fences do work well, and this is a very enjoyable show...looking forward to see it again. They are having a great year.

Crossmen: Speaking of having a great year...these guys are getting it done, and it seems to me as though they've gotten the memo about color. Traditionally a very dark uniform, (and yes, I DO still remember the huge full length capes and the red crosses on the front of the uniforms...), they've added color this year..lots of color. I find this show to be very enjoyable, and the horn line certainly isn't shy. The only misgiving I have has to do with the cloud props....and I'm not sure why. There is nothing wrong with them, and they are thematically relevant. Maybe they just need more of them?? In any event, these guys are a level above this year, and I see them ending up over Madison and perhaps Blue Stars by the first regional.

Carolina Crown: Quite possibly the most cohesive program of the night...it is ironic that after trampolines, Frisbees, and hula hoops, they have gone to "straight ahead" drum corps and the audience last night loved it. I love the black, red and orange color scheme, and tonight both huge moments involving covering the whole corps worked flawlessly. I like this show from them..it seems less "bando" and more intense. Dante would be proud. I am looking forward to seeing them again.

The Cadets: I think I may have said this about them in the past, but it is still true. They seem almost surgical in their approach. They move like nobody else, and every time their drum line speaks it is like a master class in percussion. Visually, there is more meat to this show than last year's show, and they seem pretty clean to me despite the visual demand. I do say this, with full respect to this program, however: The guard doesn't seem to be the gem in the crown it has been in the past. Yes, they performed their book well, but I just felt like they maybe have been passed by several other guards this year. But, it is Cadets, and there will probably been rewrites aplenty. And, you can't go wrong with Shosty's #10. They will be in the top 3, or close to it in August.

The Blue Devils: First of all, despite some of the gnashing of teeth on dcp about their uniforms, I have to tell you they look great! They have a full white stripe down one leg, and during the moves where you see only that side, their horn line basically gives a clinic on uniformity of technique. They sound spectacular, and the perch the snare line is placed on at the very beginning of the show is very effective.. they seem to be exploring adding a new visual dimension (that of height) to the field, and it works. I like this year's guard uniforms much better than last year's, and the sultry section is a howl! In terms of the very top of the activity, this will be a battle to the very end (and I still haven't seen SCV yet).

The Boston Crusaders: Speaking of battles...this program is making more sense with every performance. As an ardent supporter of BAC, it was a bit concerning to see where they were scoring in the first week. However, the progress has been substantial over the past 10 days. Last night was the first night with all 36 banners on the field, and the horn line has obviously been unleashed...quite a bit in places. I know there is more layering to come....there is great growth potential in visual performance at times, but unlike last year, everything is working. And that guard....the weapons (they use rifles, sabres, AND foils, btw) was great last night. They open with these huge, full length heavy hooded capes that billow out as they jazz run across the field. Also, I didn't notice until last night that there are actually four sets of flag silks being used simultaneously, which match the four kingdom banners...I am convinced that as they continue to clean and add (which apparently has been planned since January) this show will continue to grow. This could end up in 7th or 8th if they clean the feet...which I think they will.

It was a great night all around. As Dan Potter said at one point, the number of drum corps who have successfully survived 75 years is very small. To see BAC not only surviving but actually thriving is a tribute to all involved. Maybe the East Coast Classic at Gillette could become a regular thing...?

[chadwick]

Great review, thanks!

[LabMaster]

First of all, this venue created the vibe of a Regionals. I'm terrible at estimating crowds, but at one point Dan Potter mentioned 5,000 paid admission PLUS 1,000 in the Putnam Investments area for the BAC 75th Gala event, so I guess we can say there were 6,000 people there. The huge crowd and the 72 degrees at show time combined for a great evening. I watched all the Open and World Class corps, so here are my thoughts...and remember, I am a visual guy....

The Spartans: They marched well, and as usual, feature a very strong guard. They seemed dark to me, but it may have been the flag silks. They were various shades of the same color at times, which makes me think they have show silks they are yet to introduce. A strong horn line and large drum line both move well. I'm not sure if this was their first show or not, but if it was, this was a very strong first performance for them.

7th Regiment: For some reason, I didn't expect 7th to be as good as they were. The first thing you notice is an abundance of color...brightly colored guard uniforms and show silks, and a lot of body from the horn line. I really enjoyed this show, and am looking forward to seeing it again. I felt that the Open Class results could have gone either way.

Jersey Surf: They begin the show with a vivid splash of color and I like their musical production. (sigh)...I wish they had some form of headwear. I get the fact that they are not going with the shako/aussie look, but the lack of hats combined with the short sleeves gives them a very casual vibe. The is purely a matter of taste (I never really like VK's red Converse sneakers, either). Having said that, the show is enjoyable and the music is very recognizable..it really is a fun show.

Troopers: Ok, first of all, for anyone with their undies in a twist over the alleged issues of their DM and BAC's DMs...you need to know that they get along just fine and they are actually messing with the DCP community....Good for them! As for the Troopers' performance, it was clearly a huge step up from Surf. Their horn line marches well, and the drum line is VERY confident. The vocalist does a nice job and what they have her doing is both musically and thematically appropriate. The guard seems both younger and smaller than in years past to me, but there is great potential there. The moving fences do work well, and this is a very enjoyable show...looking forward to see it again. They are having a great year.

Crossmen: Speaking of having a great year...these guys are getting it done, and it seems to me as though they've gotten the memo about color. Traditionally a very dark uniform, (and yes, I DO still remember the huge full length capes and the red crosses on the front of the uniforms...), they've added color this year..lots of color. I find this show to be very enjoyable, and the horn line certainly isn't shy. The only misgiving I have has to do with the cloud props....and I'm not sure why. There is nothing wrong with them, and they are thematically relevant. Maybe they just need more of them?? In any event, these guys are a level above this year, and I see them ending up over Madison and perhaps Blue Stars by the first regional.

Carolina Crown: Quite possibly the most cohesive program of the night...it is ironic that after trampolines, Frisbees, and hula hoops, they have gone to "straight ahead" drum corps and the audience last night loved it. I love the black, red and orange color scheme, and tonight both huge moments involving covering the whole corps worked flawlessly. I like this show from them..it seems less "bando" and more intense. Dante would be proud. I am looking forward to seeing them again.

The Cadets: I think I may have said this about them in the past, but it is still true. They seem almost surgical in their approach. They move like nobody else, and every time their drum line speaks it is like a master class in percussion. Visually, there is more meat to this show than last year's show, and they seem pretty clean to me despite the visual demand. I do say this, with full respect to this program, however: The guard doesn't seem to be the gem in the crown it has been in the past. Yes, they performed their book well, but I just felt like they maybe have been passed by several other guards this year. But, it is Cadets, and there will probably been rewrites aplenty. And, you can't go wrong with Shosty's #10. They will be in the top 3, or close to it in August.

The Blue Devils: First of all, despite some of the gnashing of teeth on dcp about their uniforms, I have to tell you they look great! They have a full white stripe down one leg, and during the moves where you see only that side, their horn line basically gives a clinic on uniformity of technique. They sound spectacular, and the perch the snare line is placed on at the very beginning of the show is very effective.. they seem to be exploring adding a new visual dimension (that of height) to the field, and it works. I like this year's guard uniforms much better than last year's, and the sultry section is a howl! In terms of the very top of the activity, this will be a battle to the very end (and I still haven't seen SCV yet).

The Boston Crusaders: Speaking of battles...this program is making more sense with every performance. As an ardent supporter of BAC, it was a bit concerning to see where they were scoring in the first week. However, the progress has been substantial over the past 10 days. Last night was the first night with all 36 banners on the field, and the horn line has obviously been unleashed...quite a bit in places. I know there is more layering to come....there is great growth potential in visual performance at times, but unlike last year, everything is working. And that guard....the weapons (they use rifles, sabres, AND foils, btw) was great last night. They open with these huge, full length heavy hooded capes that billow out as they jazz run across the field. Also, I didn't notice until last night that there are actually four sets of flag silks being used simultaneously, which match the four kingdom banners...I am convinced that as they continue to clean and add (which apparently has been planned since January) this show will continue to grow. This could end up in 7th or 8th if they clean the feet...which I think they will.

It was a great night all around. As Dan Potter said at one point, the number of drum corps who have successfully survived 75 years is very small. To see BAC not only surviving but actually thriving is a tribute to all involved. Maybe the East Coast Classic at Gillette could become a regular thing...?

Nice review. Looked for you but finding people at the Gala was almost impossible it was so crowded. Best chance to run into someone was in the agonizingly slow bar lines. Must have been former Trooper DM's working the bar. Sorry had to say it. No harm meant.

[Ghost]

Well done Craiga. Crown got the gala crowd up after they finished real quick and the Cadets Symphony 10 music and drill was unbelievable. Loved the long standing O given Boston prior to them beginning their show.

[cadet_mellos]

I was anticipating a mention of how effective and visually stunning the simulated wild horse stampede by the Trooper guard was.

As far as the Cadet guard, they have looked improved in at least their last 2 shows and have some momentum. I'm watching the hornline and percussion more but haven't seen anything dropped for a long time. They have a high risk show and are getting it down well recently. Getting the French Horns in tune as a group of 8 in varying temps is a tough assignment but they have that figured out now.

Boston Crusader vocalist a little better than the others IMO. Crossmen a close second. Trooper's OK but a little grating. The vertical BAC banners obscuring my view all over the field was a little weird.

One of the corps had several giant drums on a raised platform that started the show off on a powerful note. Didn't see that mentioned in the review but to me that was a highlight.

Have not seen the BD or SCV yet but will have a shot in Clifton. My son was recruited by the BD but opted to stay closer to home with the Cadets this season as a rookie. Last night was his first shot at hanging out after the show with BD people and the other corps. Hoping he makes some friends with at least one person in each of the corps.

Thanks for the review. Very interesting to hear another perspective on where they stand.

[D-Cex]

Excellent review, Craiga. Wonderful crowd and loved their response to Crown's performance. Kudos to BAC's Board and staff for putting on such a great show. Great year for Drum Corps.