Bloooooooooooo! Bluecoats Official 2016 Thread

[DrumManTx]

Are my opinions more or less absurd than your Mom's? Or do they just not agree with yours? (That's OK, I know the answer; you should ALWAYS do what your Mom says!)

"Listening environments"? Three props to hide behind is challenging? Did you see BD's show last year?

Spreading the field? Really? Maybe compared to THEIR past shows, but Cadets spread "10" from the ten to the ten last year. Innovative?

I'm not saying they won't medal or even contend for the title. What I'm saying is that I see as many cracks in their shell as I see in other June performances, and it's as futile to proclaim them dominating all the others in June as it is to say that Cadets or Crown are toast. Especially when we haven't even seen several dominating corps yet!

I understand and appreciate your excitement (and your lengthy review of last night!). I said the same thing about Cadets last year in June (until I saw BD in July).

Look, dunno why you are gunning after me. I never said it was perfect, I never said every little thing they are doing is innovative, I never said it was the hardest show ever. Relax, sorry everything I say is stupid. I actually agree with the WGI stuff and that is not necessarily innovative, though it is new to the DCI idiom. I (maybe used to) to really respect your opinion on here. Sorry if I ###### you off for some reason.

But saying there is not that much demand in their show is just not true.

Listening Environments, and NO I'm NOT SAYING THIS WAS INNOVATIVE:

Front ensemble as has been discussed.

In the opening of their show, went to a bootlegged video of them to watch, they are playing stuff from Heat of the day from the 5 yard line stage right, all the way over the the 20 yard line stage left. End of the next segment, spread 15 to 20. In Ojos de Brujo, their vertical staging is pretty huge in spread, all the way from the back sideline down to the front. I think that at times the way they are spread is pretty impressive considering how solid they sounded. I never made it a pissing contest with other corps from previous years to say it's harder or new, but for them, I was glad to see them doing stuff like that.

And on the last point, when did I ever say that? I don't know if that is directed at me, but I NEVER said that Cadets and Crown are toast, and God knows I think BD is going to be 2014 scary this year. I explicitly said in my review that I don't know where they finish, and there are things in their show that I could see getting stale if they don't evolve and experiment. After seeing some comments directed at other corps last night, I explicitly didn't want to come off that way. All I said is I feel like they have a shot and I really liked the show, a ton. Sorry if that's too much positive.

Edited June 24, 2016 by DrumManTx

[noahsigs]

It's a Doug Thrower show (maybe his best) Of course there is a tuba feature! They're featured a few times. And they blew the roof off LOS near the end of Great Gig. You're gonna smile...a lot!

Almost forgot...get your tickets for Massillon TODAY. They'll cost you more tomorrow. On sale at DCI.org

Got them weeks ago! I plan ahead haha

[drumcorpsfever]

I love the Bluecoats "All In" approach with this show. They're pushing the envelope with a really cool look. I wouldn't call it revoultionary though - or a paradigm shift as some others may have suggested. Go to WGI and see what they do there. If you were to see a smaller scale version of this show in WGI Winds, I don't think you'd call it revolutionary. It would fit right in on that stage. I'm not sure I'd want to see a steady diet of this concept on a drum corps field. But, that said, really enjoyed the show and have thought about it a lot since seeing it. But musically and visually, not sure how this show will stack up come August. We'll see. For last night, though, Bravo Bluecoats!

Edited June 24, 2016 by drumcorpsfever

[Jurassic Lancer]

Look, dunno why you are gunning after me. I never said it was perfect, I never said every little thing they are doing is innovative, I never said it was the hardest show ever. Relax, sorry everything I say is stupid. I actually agree with the WGI stuff and that is not necessarily innovative, though it is new to the DCI idiom. I (maybe used to) to really respect your opinion on here. Sorry if I ###### you off for some reason.

But saying there is not that much demand in their show is just not true.

Listening Environments, and NO I'm NOT SAYING THIS WAS INNOVATIVE:

Front ensemble as has been discussed.

In the opening of their show, went to a bootlegged video of them to watch, they are playing stuff from Heat of the day from the 5 yard line stage right, all the way over the the 20 yard line stage left. End of the next segment, spread 15 to 20. In Ojos de Brujo, their vertical staging is pretty huge in spread, all the way from the back sideline down to the front. I think that at times the way they are spread is pretty impressive considering how solid they sounded. I never made it a pissing contest with other corps from previous years to say it's harder or new, but for them, I was glad to see them doing stuff like that.

And on the last point, when did I ever say that? I don't know if that is directed at me, but I NEVER said that Cadets and Crown are toast, and God knows I think BD is going to be 2014 scary this year. I explicitly said in my review that I don't know where they finish, and there are things in their show that I could see getting stale if they don't evolve and experiment. After seeing some comments directed at other corps last night, I explicitly didn't want to come off that way. All I said is I feel like they have a shot and I really liked the show, a ton. Sorry if that's too much positive.

To be fair, garfield did say he understood and appreciated your (our) excitement and he appreciated your review, which really was excellent, in my opinion. He just has a different take on the show than we do. It's OK ... I am still willing to sit down have an adult beverage with him ... and you ... even both of you at the same time!

[ShortAndFast]

I'm curious: what paradigm, specifically, was shifted and how? Leotards? Props? Clapping? (I'll give you clapping - that was cool and much better than "drum speak").

Please share more of your perception of a paradigm shift.

Everything in DCI builds on something else. Even Garfield 1983 - a paradigm-busting show if there ever was one - built on what SCV and 27 had been doing, but took it to another level.

Just speaking for myself, I thought the Bluecoats music book was completely captivating. All 21st Century music, and some styles that haven't really been used much in DCI, that nevertheless comes together almost like a 21st-century take on a classic spanish jazz drum corps book. On a scale of 1=rotten to 10=freshly-picked, I thought 'Coats were somewhere around a 9.

And the bold visual design and use of the props may not be without precedent, but I think a lot of people immediately reacted to it as some of the coolest "4D" cirque-like design we've yet had in DCI. Again, pretty fresh.

Much like BD often does, it looks like the 'Coats design team was willing to go all in on their idea. Costumes, props, weird pit formations. It comes off as a show that's trying to be something artistically, not to check off boxes on the sheets. So once again, fresh.

Is it paradigm-changing? I don't think I've seen another show that quite pulls these design elements together this well. They appear to have the performance excellence to compete with what they've put out there. You'll know that it changed the paradigm in 5 years if other groups copied it.

[Bruckner8]

I'm not gonna watch any vids, but I have one very important question... Is there a tuba feature???

There is a low brass feature that starts with tubas alone, adds euphs, then baris. But no, I wouldn't call it a "feature" of which you've become accustomed from Bloo.

[cfirwin3]

we're all buzzing about it because it's our first time.

but underneath is this just "Tilt 3.0" ?

people have compared this to the Motionhouse production. but that production relied on the digital imagery BEHIND the prop to give the ramp stuff substance. our eyes were constantly fooled and intrigued by the performers appearing to interact with the image.

just throwing some thoughts out there.

that said -- I can't WAIT to see this live :-)

No more than Phantom is fielding "hooked on classics 24.0"... or Madison is fielding "peel paint 30.2"

The Bluecoats chosen style of show design is not JUST anything. It is their identity. All corps have one in the way that they design their productions.

It's easy to make a claim against a group for their predictable style... but it isn't productive to suggest that a corps could be victim to their own identity, especially if it has become anticipated and loved.

[Precious Roy]

...almost like a 21st-century take on a classic spanish jazz drum corps book.

YES! Absolutely, this!

[Cappybara]

No more than Phantom is fielding "hooked on classics 24.0"... or Madison is fielding "peel paint 30.2"

The Bluecoats chosen style of show design is not JUST anything. It is their identity. All corps have one in the way that they design their productions.

It's easy to make a claim against a group for their predictable style... but it isn't productive to suggest that a corps could be victim to their own identity, especially if it has become anticipated and loved.

That's actually a nice way to look at it! Thanks for the food for thought

[garfield]

Look, dunno why you are gunning after me. I never said it was perfect, I never said every little thing they are doing is innovative, I never said it was the hardest show ever. Relax, sorry everything I say is stupid. I actually agree with the WGI stuff and that is not necessarily innovative, though it is new to the DCI idiom. I (maybe used to) to really respect your opinion on here. Sorry if I ###### you off for some reason.

But saying there is not that much demand in their show is just not true.

Listening Environments, and NO I'm NOT SAYING THIS WAS INNOVATIVE:

Front ensemble as has been discussed.

In the opening of their show, went to a bootlegged video of them to watch, they are playing stuff from Heat of the day from the 5 yard line stage right, all the way over the the 20 yard line stage left. End of the next segment, spread 15 to 20. In Ojos de Brujo, their vertical staging is pretty huge in spread, all the way from the back sideline down to the front. I think that at times the way they are spread is pretty impressive considering how solid they sounded. I never made it a pissing contest with other corps from previous years to say it's harder or new, but for them, I was glad to see them doing stuff like that.

And on the last point, when did I ever say that? I don't know if that is directed at me, but I NEVER said that Cadets and Crown are toast, and God knows I think BD is going to be 2014 scary this year. I explicitly said in my review that I don't know where they finish, and there are things in their show that I could see getting stale if they don't evolve and experiment. After seeing some comments directed at other corps last night, I explicitly didn't want to come off that way. All I said is I feel like they have a shot and I really liked the show, a ton. Sorry if that's too much positive.

Heck no, I'm not gunning for you and I'm sorry you're taking it that I am. I just disagree with the perception of the 'Coats show, that's all! It's just band!

Do you think their listening environment "challenges" are helped by the speakers that are strategically placed around the field?

I didn't mean to suggest that you had said Cadets and Crown are toast; I said proclaiming 'Coats as dominating thanks to their innovative staging is the same as saying others are toast.

Really, I apologize if this comes across as personal because I don't mean it to be. But I do recognize that you're a huge 'Coats fan so maybe it sticks a little more because I'm using your comments (very similar to others' here) as points of contention.

Don't mean it to be personal. I appreciate you're love and enthusiasm. I'm just not seeing the things you are, like innovation, edginess, and spacial challenges.

Let's be friends, man. Even argumentative ones, OK?