garfield Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 (edited) I cannot possibly imagine why a thread called "BLOOOOOOOO-Bluecoats Official 2016 Thread" might be a love fest for the Bluecoats. I love you Garfield but c'mon. I owe Yossarian an answer but I'm going to start here. The Cadets thread is full of very hard challenges by people who love Cadets. It's not a homer thread, it's a challenge thread. The 'Coats thread feels like a love fest because so few are challenging the suddenly-prevalent idea that 'Coats "Killed It" with this design and execution. I get it, though, and attribute it to the same emotion that drives (drove) the Crown thread when it feels like they take conquer all. I think the Cadets thread and the BD thread are harder on "their" corps BECAUSE they have already won a ring. 'Coats fans are not there yet (even as I expect they will be). I think a mark of a "mature" thread is one where the fans are not just homers, but are CRITICAL homers. Edited June 24, 2016 by garfield 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 I think I agree with your point (and others') that this show may have elements seen before in WGI or other circuits. But we haven't seen it much in DCI. For some, that makes it new and fresh. For others, not so much, obviously. As is the case with every show, it's probably okay for us to like what we like. I, for one, am excited to see Bloo again. This is a good point, and maybe explains the enthusiasm for the show. I'm a WGI rookie, having only spent a couple of years watching indoor. But even I can see the near-imitation of that "art" in the 'Coats' show. Maybe that's really what I'm having a problem with. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry7184 Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 I owe Yossarian an answer but I'm going to start here. The Cadets thread is full of very hard challenges by people who love Cadets. It's not a homer thread, it's a challenge thread. The 'Coats thread feels like a love fest because so few are challenging the suddenly-prevalent idea that 'Coats "Killed It" with this design and execution. I get it, though, and attribute it to the same emotion that drives (drove) the Crown thread when it feels like they take conquer all. I think the Cadets thread and the BD thread are harder on "their" corps BECAUSE they have already won a ring. 'Coats fans are not there yet (even as I expect they will be). I think a mark of a "mature" thread is one where the fans are not just homers, but are CRITICAL homers. I think the Bluecoats did kill it last night. The best design and execution IMO. I do disagree with what you said about the Cadets thread. People get butchered over there for being critical of the Cadets. Granted, I did not deliver the message very well a couple of days ago, and deserved what I got. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwillis35 Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 I think a mark of a "mature" thread is one where the fans are not just homers, but are CRITICAL homers. I totally agree with this. I love the Bluecoats and a lot of other corps. But too many homers on a thread (for any corps) is just difficult to deal with. The best drum corps dialog is objective, opinionated, and often debated in a friendly way. A thread goes nowhere when everyone agrees. It kind of dies and sits there, racking up no interesting topics. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Lancer Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 I owe Yossarian an answer but I'm going to start here. The Cadets thread is full of very hard challenges by people who love Cadets. It's not a homer thread, it's a challenge thread. The 'Coats thread feels like a love fest because so few are challenging the suddenly-prevalent idea that 'Coats "Killed It" with this design and execution. I get it, though, and attribute it to the same emotion that drives (drove) the Crown thread when it feels like they take conquer all. I think the Cadets thread and the BD thread are harder on "their" corps BECAUSE they have already won a ring. 'Coats fans are not there yet (even as I expect they will be). I think a mark of a "mature" thread is one where the fans are not just homers, but are CRITICAL homers. Well, that could be, but right now, I am pretty OK with the show as it is considering it is the end of June. It is not a perfect show, but none of the shows are right now. Lots of changes are coming for all shows, including this one. I am just enjoying going on the ride and am excited by what I have seen so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 Okay - maybe nobody has asked this yet (I'm still getting caught up), but how would you define "innovation"? Does every aspect of a show have to be brand new? Or is it enough to try one new thing? Or even to explore further an idea that might NOT be brand new? I'm curious. And listen, I'm not attacking you or your opinions - I'm just looking for clarification. OK, so let's start here: Simple Definition of innovative : introducing or using new ideas or methods : having new ideas about how something can be done 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TroopAlum12 Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 (edited) I think that their show is innovative in the fact that they are synthesizing recent ideas and bringing many things together into a total package. Many of the classical composers that we consider the greats (Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and so on) did this same thing. There were others before them that introduced theories and ideas into music, then these greats took those ideas, added their own tweaks, and built them into something amazing that changed mainstream music. On a pop music level, the Beatles were kind of the same way. This is what Bluecoats have done the last few years with show design. Edited June 24, 2016 by TroopAlum12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwillis35 Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 By the way, I saw a short clip of the Bluecoats show from last night, but I'll wait until I finally see them live at Massillon tomorrow to write more about the genius of this show. People can say they simply brought a WGI concept to the DCI field, but I think that minimizes what they are actually doing. It truly is brilliant design, and once again there is no deep story to decipher, no complex theme or idealistic statement, no history to think about...none of it. Just straight up fun with music and visuals. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 (edited) "New ideas about how something can be done". Considering that WHAT is being done is the same (entertaining and competing using musical performance on a football field), is that something being done using "new ideas"? Well, sure, but don't we get that every year in this activity? CAN there be anything in this activity that is truly INNOVATIVE? Or is it simply "different" from what we've seen before? Has anyone clapped the corps onto the field? No. That's new so would qualify as innovative. Does spreading the pit qualify as innovative? I don't think so; lots of variations of pit placement have preceded 'Coats' version Do the half-pipes qualify as innovative? I would say no; ironically, no because, primarily, because of their ramps from two years ago! Is their spread across the field innovative. Definitely no. Does their music book, or even their articulation of it, represent new or innovative? Definitely no. Their drum book? No, it's not even close to what Cadets are playing. How do I define "innovative"? Simple. have I seen it before or not? Admittedly, that's a high bar if only because I've been watching drum corps for 40 years. But I listened and watched very closely last night in the theater (I admit I may feel differently watching the show live) and I saw some very cool stuff. But was it "innovative"? No by Webster's definition, and not by mine. Edited June 24, 2016 by garfield Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Lancer Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 This is a good point, and maybe explains the enthusiasm for the show. I'm a WGI rookie, having only spent a couple of years watching indoor. But even I can see the near-imitation of that "art" in the 'Coats' show. Maybe that's really what I'm having a problem with. That shows pretty good self-awareness ... Now I, on the other hand, am a WGI virgin, so for me ... Um, never mind ... Metaphor abandoned. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.