DrumManTx Posted April 27, 2016 Share Posted April 27, 2016 If they can up the visual and guard game, it's there for the taking. Listened to 2014 and 2015 both on the way home from work yesterday, and I was absolutely in love with the musical style they have adopted. Both in their performance and style of arranging. I'd describe it as completely unorthodox, organic, and just ethereal. The middle section of 2015s show with the trombone soloist and then the trumpet is just SO GOOD. The amount of intensity and emotion in that few minutes is just infectious. Feel like I maybe don't give them the credit they deserve on here. What they've evolved to in the last few years is nothing short of incredibly unique and great. I feel like from 2004 - 2009 there were some GREAT shows, but I could never put my finger on who they were. Then they adopted a pretty happy, classical, high energy style from 2010 - 2012 that was also great, and then in 2013 they shifted again to what they're doing now. I think their current iteration in terms of identity is by far my favorite. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tobias Posted April 27, 2016 Share Posted April 27, 2016 (edited) Interesting. Not being snarky but I'm not picking them top 3, just that this year could be special. The Bluecoats in 07-08 were special in my mind even though they placed 7th. I'm not sure BK has to have a certain placement to have a special year. A second top 6 year would be special, and a top 4-5 placement would be awesome. But I think their talent and show design production skyrocketing upward make for a truly special season in the making :) Sorry, me saying special could be taken a lot of ways. Just wanted to clarify and make things clear as mud.I didn't say you were being snarky. I though BK was a breath of fresh air last year. I loved everything about them. My point was moving up in the 6-10 range is not the same as breaking into the top 4. BD, Cadets, Crown and now Bluecoats have design teams and very talented MMs in place and don't plan on sinking from last year. My inside reports are Cadets brass and percussion are better than past few years, Crowns brass is luscious and percussion continuing to get better, BD is BD and Coats are cooking so.....sure one of those teams could lay an egg in design and slip a bit but not something I would bet on. ANOTHER strong BK year in 2016 leaves the momentum for 2017 to break that ceiling with increased MM talent and a confident design team in place. IMOAs far as a special year, last year was special. First time I found myself making sure I didn't miss BK at a show I went to... Edited April 27, 2016 by Tobias Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herk Posted April 27, 2016 Share Posted April 27, 2016 If they can up the visual and guard game, it's there for the taking. Listened to 2014 and 2015 both on the way home from work yesterday, and I was absolutely in love with the musical style they have adopted. Both in their performance and style of arranging. I'd describe it as completely unorthodox, organic, and just ethereal. The middle section of 2015s show with the trombone soloist and then the trumpet is just SO GOOD. The amount of intensity and emotion in that few minutes is just infectious. Feel like I maybe don't give them the credit they deserve on here. What they've evolved to in the last few years is nothing short of incredibly unique and great. I feel like from 2004 - 2009 there were some GREAT shows, but I could never put my finger on who they were. Then they adopted a pretty happy, classical, high energy style from 2010 - 2012 that was also great, and then in 2013 they shifted again to what they're doing now. I think their current iteration in terms of identity is by far my favorite. My son performed with BK in 2012 and again in 2014 and I think he would agree with your characterizations of those two time periods. In fact, he has expressed to me that the improvements by BK is solely due to the shift away from Sully to the current design team. This shift has provided the basis of the increased quality of brass, percussion, pit and guard performers that has gotten them to 6th place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted April 27, 2016 Share Posted April 27, 2016 My son performed with BK in 2012 and again in 2014 and I think he would agree with your characterizations of those two time periods. In fact, he has expressed to me that the improvements by BK is solely due to the shift away from Sully to the current design team. This shift has provided the basis of the increased quality of brass, percussion, pit and guard performers that has gotten them to 6th place. 2012 is on my personal all-time favorite show list. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shempy Posted April 27, 2016 Share Posted April 27, 2016 2012 is on my personal all-time favorite show list. Agreed. Incredibly underrated that year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesleyrp Posted April 28, 2016 Share Posted April 28, 2016 I didn't say you were being snarky. I though BK was a breath of fresh air last year. I loved everything about them. My point was moving up in the 6-10 range is not the same as breaking into the top 4. BD, Cadets, Crown and now Bluecoats have design teams and very talented MMs in place and don't plan on sinking from last year. My inside reports are Cadets brass and percussion are better than past few years, Crowns brass is luscious and percussion continuing to get better, BD is BD and Coats are cooking so.....sure one of those teams could lay an egg in design and slip a bit but not something I would bet on. ANOTHER strong BK year in 2016 leaves the momentum for 2017 to break that ceiling with increased MM talent and a confident design team in place. IMO As far as a special year, last year was special. First time I found myself making sure I didn't miss BK at a show I went to... You and I are not arguing. I'm agreeing with u. I said I wasn't trying to be snarky cause I didn't want you to think I was being rude about clarifying what the "special" in the phrase special season meant. I agree, going to be a monumental task to move up which is why I wasn't basing my comment on their improvement on a placement or range. You and I are on the same page, not accusing or arguing my man, just was clarifying what I said and making everything clear as mud😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Channel3 Posted April 28, 2016 Share Posted April 28, 2016 (edited) BK's design team should be on suicide watch. Selecting a theme of death is plainly incongruent with a youth activity. In most artistic circles, preoccupation with overtly weighty themes is a sign of inexperience, and a sophomoric search for gravitas. A little bit of death in context works, but a vague theme of death without any literary or historical grounding is just uncomfortably overwrought and way, way too on the nose. BK is struggling artistically. In the wide, vast array of literary and musical vistas, BK's design team's preoccupation with death is nothing more than a sign of their small library of themes, and could be considered a cry for help. BK's design team have a funny bone among them? Has there been an element of humor or whimsy in anything they've done int he past three years? At this rate, the national supply of Xanax will run out by April. The only way to stage a death themed show is to reference a specific literary element, preferably one with a hint of humor or mystical fantasy. If BK does this, the show will soar. If they don't, they're looking at another shoulder shrugging, depressing last seconds before death show, vaguely and hopelessly groveling for tears, like overwrought freshman actors playing Antigone, reaching toward the sky and grabbing a piece of it, and thrusting it toward their hearts, as the audience yawns, eye rolls and shrugs. How BK's kids stay afloat emotionally after eight months of this depressing sludge is a testament to their resilience. Edited April 28, 2016 by Channel3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Channel3 Posted April 28, 2016 Share Posted April 28, 2016 The good news is that Blue Knights have found corporate sponsorship this year, Pfizer, makers of Zoloft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindap Posted April 28, 2016 Share Posted April 28, 2016 (edited) 2012 is on my personal all-time favorite show list. Me too. My last live DCI experience in the last century was Miami 1984. I started to wonder about drum corps in 2006. A few years later I bought the Legacy Collection. My first viewing was 1999 and was intrigued by Blue Knights and became a fan since. In this century, we watched DCI finals live 2010 and 2013. I bought 2012 a few weeks ago Because of Blue Knights. Kudos BK! edit: the above should be Miami 1983. I'll try to post with more accuracy and less passion next time. Edited April 28, 2016 by lindap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckH Posted April 28, 2016 Share Posted April 28, 2016 BK's design team should be on suicide watch. Selecting a theme of death is plainly incongruent with a youth activity. In most artistic circles, preoccupation with overtly weighty themes is a sign of inexperience, and a sophomoric search for gravitas. A little bit of death in context works, but a vague theme of death without any literary or historical grounding is just uncomfortably overwrought and way, way too on the nose. BK is struggling artistically. In the wide, vast array of literary and musical vistas, BK's design team's preoccupation with death is nothing more than a sign of their small library of themes, and could be considered a cry for help. BK's design team have a funny bone among them? Has there been an element of humor or whimsy in anything they've done int he past three years? At this rate, the national supply of Xanax will run out by April. The only way to stage a death themed show is to reference a specific literary element, ... *snip* This is inspiring. Here's a literary element that could serve as narration for the show you're describing... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDtO58t_G2c (Again, just want to emphasize that you should never hire me as a show designer.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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