American Tradition in Annapolis, August 2

[Cappybara]

Finally home! What a great night of drum corps! I'll keep this as concise as possible. Warning: biased opinions ahead.

Jersey Surf: Well well, look at them back in uniform and looking like an actual drum corps! I like the uniforms, especially the aqua plume. Great look. The opener and closer were pretty entertaining, but the middle part of the show fell really flat and you could tell from the audience that everyone else felt the same way. I like their aesthetic, but I wish they went back to their fun shows that they're known for.

Mandarins: This was my first read on them. I'm a bit lukewarm on the show, mostly because I didn't understand it at all. They were a clear tier above Jersey Surf in all facets, however. Their brass had a really warm sound and the guard was really, really good. The silks complemented the corps well. I would've enjoyed the show better if I knew what was going on.

Oregon Crusaders: Only my second read of them, and wow have they impressed me. Their hornline was not as loud as Mandarins, but they sounded more controlled and I think the music arrangements were a notch above the Mandarins. Say what you want about the uniforms, I think they work really dang well live. The pants make the marching look crisp and clear. Their violinist is still there (same one from 2014 I'm pretty sure) and I think it added really well to the show. Did a great job of setting the mood. I was just as confused about this show's story arc as I was with Mandarins, but I think the music made up for it, really entertaining. Also that drumline has attitude. I loved watching them play.

Crossmen: What a huge step up from OC. Again, I'm ashamed to admit this was only my 2nd read of the Crossmen. Hornline was the best of the night to that point, and probably the loudest too. I felt that their drumline got lost in the show though. My friend and I loved their silks and the guard was just overall integrated so well into the show. I was a bit nervous about the tarp, but thankfully there were no issues. This was the first corps of the night that had a theme that was properly integrated into the show. I know a lot of people are upset about the quiet ending, but i honestly loved it. The audience was still able to get their applause in before the corps continued and it really gave the show a sense of finality that was missing in the last closer. Music-wise it wasn't my favorite, but that's just personal preference. I wish Crossmen brought back some screamers.

Boston Crusaders: My first read of the corps. And I'm left scratching my head why they're sitting in 14th. These guys are good. They were a little heavy on the synth at times, but I just found the whole production to be very enjoyable. Hornline was just as loud as Crossmen (looks like they solved those woes from last year), though I can't speak to the quality of the sound when comparing the two. The guard did get a bit lost in the show as did the percussion. I have to say that I LOVED their uniforms live. The stadium lights reallly brought out the red as well as the black sequins on their jacket. REALLY cool look, probably my favorite uniform of the night actually. The music was just plain fun. If there was a story, I completely missed it, but I liked the general Don Quixote overlay they had. Windmills were in sync for the opening hit, and then were never together after that.

Blue Knights: I was very meh on this show. Until I saw them live. WOAH. This show is meant to be seen live. Doing anything else does not do this show justice. Okay I just want to start off by letting everyone know I was blinded for the first few minutes of the show because two mirrors were positioned in such a way that they were directly reflecting light straight into my eyes. I had to wear sunglasses for this portion of the show, I'm not joking. Hopefully they won't run into that issue in Lucas Oil. That aside... This show has the full package. Hornline was aggressive and musical (and plenty loud), percussion writing was awesome (their drumline was one of my favorites of the night), and the guard was integrated so, so well into the show. Musical selections seemed to flow better, and I found it to be overall more engaging. Saturn left a little more to be desired, but I loved the quiet ending. Narration fit well, and I think the show made sense for the most part. I don't understand the guard uniforms in the opener though.

Santa Clara Vanguard: HAHAHA are you kidding me? Favorite show of the night (and the season). I had goosebumps for half the show. Crowd really hushed up once the pit started playing and you could tell people were just mesmerized. Opening hit was LOUD even though it happened on the other side of the field of where I was sitting. Mellos were ON FIRE. The whole show was built for the mellos and they really shined tonight. They've improved quite a ton with their intonation from the beginning of the season and they sound a lot more confident. I'd say they had the 2nd best hornline of the night overall. Double tonguing section sounded pretty crisp. Drumline was the most musical of the night, and they had the best balance of being noticeable, but not too noticeable out of all the corps. My guard friend (who marched Cadets) said they had the cleanest guard of the night and one of the most effective. I thoroughly enjoyed this corps, GE scores be ######.

Blue Devils: I'm sorry, I'll try to contain myself for this one. SCV still has my favorite show, but in terms of overall sound, no corps came even close to touching the Devils. My guard friend was gasping the whole show everytime BD had a big hit. And for good reason. We sat near the 40 which is around where the trombones in BD's show appear. The timbre of the trombones was incredible, their sound was pure. People have been criticizing the glissandos, but I don't think they understand how hard it is to pull off those glisses in tune with 20 trombones. They sounded flawless, and when you hear this show live, they just seem to make sense. Someone else described the corps' sound as professional and sterile, and I just can't understand that latter description. They sounded so alive, the sops in the opener were unreal. I seriously can't express enough how amazing this corps sounds. I can't really tell anyone how clean each drumline was, but I loved how aggressive BD's percussion writing was at times. I have to admit the guard didn't really impress me, and my friend felt similarly. They had some uncharacteristic drops as well. Speaking briefly on the theme, I found all the little references to the Tempest to be really well done. I know they're not really telling a story, and I think that's what gave me a peace of mind while watching the show. I was not a fan of the new narration in the closer, I really hope they end up cutting atleast some of it by finals.

Cadets: My feelings are so, so mixed. My Cadets alum friend felt the same. Let's start with the positives: the statues on the side of the field don't get in the way and aren't distracting. I really liked the overall look of the field given by the black uniforms and colorless guard unis. It matched the mood of the show. The Cadets brass sounded awesome, the low brass really packed a punch in the opener, and I'm not talking about thunderous goo (more on that later). The drumline was very strong as usual and my friend found the guard to be the cleanest or second cleanest guard of the night. Getting rid of the stage was a really good idea. Okay, now some negatives: what the hell was up with the bass coming out of the speakers?!? I occasionally noticed some bass from other corps, but the goo in the Cadets' show was overpowering on every single big hit. They need to get that fixed soon. The drumline is, much like 2014, staged very badly. They were lost for much of the show except the drum feature. They need to be farther upfield. Another thing is that this show hasn't programmed many good places for the audience to clap. After large hits, the corps quickly transitions into something else, and I just think that's unfortunate for the corps members. Finally, the show story "arc" is confusing. Not sure why Adonis is sitting for most of the show, not sure why the other guard members became human, and I'm really confused why the humans killed Adonis. I know they're trying to reach it, but clarity is still not there. I only emphasize this for the Cadets and not, say, the Mandarins because the Cadets have higher standards.

[drumcorpsfever]

Finally home! What a great night of drum corps! I'll keep this as concise as possible. Warning: biased opinions ahead.

Jersey Surf: Well well, look at them back in uniform and looking like an actual drum corps! I like the uniforms, especially the aqua plume. Great look. The opener and closer were pretty entertaining, but the middle part of the show fell really flat and you could tell from the audience that everyone else felt the same way. I like their aesthetic, but I wish they went back to their fun shows that they're known for.

Mandarins: This was my first read on them. I'm a bit lukewarm on the show, mostly because I didn't understand it at all. They were a clear tier above Jersey Surf in all facets, however. Their brass had a really warm sound and the guard was really, really good. The silks complemented the corps well. I would've enjoyed the show better if I knew what was going on.

Oregon Crusaders: Only my second read of them, and wow have they impressed me. Their hornline was not as loud as Mandarins, but they sounded more controlled and I think the music arrangements were a notch above the Mandarins. Say what you want about the uniforms, I think they work really dang well live. The pants make the marching look crisp and clear. Their violinist is still there (same one from 2014 I'm pretty sure) and I think it added really well to the show. Did a great job of setting the mood. I was just as confused about this show's story arc as I was with Mandarins, but I think the music made up for it, really entertaining. Also that drumline has attitude. I loved watching them play.

Crossmen: What a huge step up from OC. Again, I'm ashamed to admit this was only my 2nd read of the Crossmen. Hornline was the best of the night to that point, and probably the loudest too. I felt that their drumline got lost in the show though. My friend and I loved their silks and the guard was just overall integrated so well into the show. I was a bit nervous about the tarp, but thankfully there were no issues. This was the first corps of the night that had a theme that was properly integrated into the show. I know a lot of people are upset about the quiet ending, but i honestly loved it. The audience was still able to get their applause in before the corps continued and it really gave the show a sense of finality that was missing in the last closer. Music-wise it wasn't my favorite, but that's just personal preference. I wish Crossmen brought back some screamers.

Boston Crusaders: My first read of the corps. And I'm left scratching my head why they're sitting in 14th. These guys are good. They were a little heavy on the synth at times, but I just found the whole production to be very enjoyable. Hornline was just as loud as Crossmen (looks like they solved those woes from last year), though I can't speak to the quality of the sound when comparing the two. The guard did get a bit lost in the show as did the percussion. I have to say that I LOVED their uniforms live. The stadium lights reallly brought out the red as well as the black sequins on their jacket. REALLY cool look, probably my favorite uniform of the night actually. The music was just plain fun. If there was a story, I completely missed it, but I liked the general Don Quixote overlay they had. Windmills were in sync for the opening hit, and then were never together after that.

Blue Knights: I was very meh on this show. Until I saw them live. WOAH. This show is meant to be seen live. Doing anything else does not do this show justice. Okay I just want to start off by letting everyone know I was blinded for the first few minutes of the show because two mirrors were positioned in such a way that they were directly reflecting light straight into my eyes. I had to wear sunglasses for this portion of the show, I'm not joking. Hopefully they won't run into that issue in Lucas Oil. That aside... This show has the full package. Hornline was aggressive and musical (and plenty loud), percussion writing was awesome (their drumline was one of my favorites of the night), and the guard was integrated so, so well into the show. Musical selections seemed to flow better, and I found it to be overall more engaging. Saturn left a little more to be desired, but I loved the quiet ending. Narration fit well, and I think the show made sense for the most part. I don't understand the guard uniforms in the opener though.

Santa Clara Vanguard: HAHAHA are you kidding me? Favorite show of the night (and the season). I had goosebumps for half the show. Crowd really hushed up once the pit started playing and you could tell people were just mesmerized. Opening hit was LOUD even though it happened on the other side of the field of where I was sitting. Mellos were ON FIRE. The whole show was built for the mellos and they really shined tonight. They've improved quite a ton with their intonation from the beginning of the season and they sound a lot more confident. I'd say they had the 2nd best hornline of the night overall. Double tonguing section sounded pretty crisp. Drumline was the most musical of the night, and they had the best balance of being noticeable, but not too noticeable out of all the corps. My guard friend (who marched Cadets) said they had the cleanest guard of the night and one of the most effective. I thoroughly enjoyed this corps, GE scores be ######.

Blue Devils: I'm sorry, I'll try to contain myself for this one. SCV still has my favorite show, but in terms of overall sound, no corps came even close to touching the Devils. My guard friend was gasping the whole show everytime BD had a big hit. And for good reason. We sat near the 40 which is around where the trombones in BD's show appear. The timbre of the trombones was incredible, their sound was pure. People have been criticizing the glissandos, but I don't think they understand how hard it is to pull off those glisses in tune with 20 trombones. They sounded flawless, and when you hear this show live, they just seem to make sense. Someone else described the corps' sound as professional and sterile, and I just can't understand that latter description. They sounded so alive, the sops in the opener were unreal. I seriously can't express enough how amazing this corps sounds. I can't really tell anyone how clean each drumline was, but I loved how aggressive BD's percussion writing was at times. I have to admit the guard didn't really impress me, and my friend felt similarly. They had some uncharacteristic drops as well. Speaking briefly on the theme, I found all the little references to the Tempest to be really well done. I know they're not really telling a story, and I think that's what gave me a peace of mind while watching the show. I was not a fan of the new narration in the closer, I really hope they end up cutting atleast some of it by finals.

Cadets: My feelings are so, so mixed. My Cadets alum friend felt the same. Let's start with the positives: the statues on the side of the field don't get in the way and aren't distracting. I really liked the overall look of the field given by the black uniforms and colorless guard unis. It matched the mood of the show. The Cadets brass sounded awesome, the low brass really packed a punch in the opener, and I'm not talking about thunderous goo (more on that later). The drumline was very strong as usual and my friend found the guard to be the cleanest or second cleanest guard of the night. Getting rid of the stage was a really good idea. Okay, now some negatives: what the hell was up with the bass coming out of the speakers?!? I occasionally noticed some bass from other corps, but the goo in the Cadets' show was overpowering on every single big hit. They need to get that fixed soon. The drumline is, much like 2014, staged very badly. They were lost for much of the show except the drum feature. They need to be farther upfield. Another thing is that this show hasn't programmed many good places for the audience to clap. After large hits, the corps quickly transitions into something else, and I just think that's unfortunate for the corps members. Finally, the show story "arc" is confusing. Not sure why Adonis is sitting for most of the show, not sure why the other guard members became human, and I'm really confused why the humans killed Adonis. I know they're trying to reach it, but clarity is still not there. I only emphasize this for the Cadets and not, say, the Mandarins because the Cadets have higher standards.

I love to SCV's show as well. They sound beautiful. But one question: if the show is about the seasons, then why is it the tree stays the same? Am I missing something there?

[DrumManTx]

I love to SCV's show as well. They sound beautiful. But one question: if the show is about the seasons, then why is it the tree stays the same? Am I missing something there?

I agree.

And that's why I still think/hope they have something to add to it.

[Cappybara]

I love to SCV's show as well. They sound beautiful. But one question: if the show is about the seasons, then why is it the tree stays the same? Am I missing something there?

My friend asked about that too. I'm hoping they can add something, though it would be difficult. Maybe they can add colored LEDs to the tree in different colors (green, yellow/red/orange, and then brown(?) for the branches)

[D41145]

Everything has been so close this year that if a corps gets the slightest edge it could mean they win. I've seen recaps where a corps does win GE and Vis but doesn't take music and places below the corps that placed 2nd in both captions but Music. I honestly think music could be a huge factor.

[DasTuba]

I love to SCV's show as well. They sound beautiful. But one question: if the show is about the seasons, then why is it the tree stays the same? Am I missing something there?

I agree.

And that's why I still think/hope they have something to add to it.

SCV has snuck up on my list of favorite shows to number 2 now behind Crown. Nod to Bluecoats fantastic show this year but OMG SCV! I still think they gotta have something more planned for that tree in the final days of the season. At least I hope so. Either way this show will be on my playlist for many years to come.

[D41145]

I love to SCV's show as well. They sound beautiful. But one question: if the show is about the seasons, then why is it the tree stays the same? Am I missing something there?

I've been wondering the same thing all season. I mean it's there but what exactly is it for? Wouldn't it be cool to see some leave fall off or something instead of it just sitting there?

[luv4corps]

The Mandarins topped the Oregon Crusaders by a convincing 2 points on Saturday at the Atlanta Regional ( well, ok.. 1.95 ). The staff must have taken the Corps to the beach for a swim for couple of days, as tonite the Oregon Crusaders quickly turned the tables in a couple of days, and topped the Mandarins by 4 tenths ( ok.. 4.5 tenths ). In a head to head matchup, thats a swing of 2.4 points between 2 Corps in less than 3 days. Makes you wonder why we don't see such head to head matchup swings of 2.4 points in 2-3 days with the Corps higher in the World Class Division. Its sort of a head scratcher to say the least. Maybe we'll see such head to head volatility continue higher up the ranks...( then again, don't hold your breath.. haha!)

Same thing happened last night at the Salem VA show. OC was back on top of Spirit and Mandarins in a head to head. It's no secret I think OC got hosed at the Atlanta show and should have never fallen below Mands or Spirit. It was you Brasso who talked about some judges liking OC's show, some not. That is painfully obvious.

I can only hope Atlanta's judges are not Allentown's judges. If so, it's curtains for OC.

OC and Mandarins are always duking it out the entire season in any case. The Academy used to be in that hunt and look at them now!

Edited August 3, 2016 by luv4corps

[LabMaster]

Boston picked up about .6 on the XMen. Keep chipping away.

Wasn't Boston within 2 points the other day? Now it's over 3. I could be wrong but that doesn't look like a closing gap.

[KVG_DC]

Last night I had the impression during the Cadet's show that the 'humans' and 'statue' are less literal characters and more 'the spirit of wanting to be human' and the 'spirit of being a statue' that war within the mind or something to that effect. Thus the desire to be human and mobile overcomes the inertia of being a statue and prevails in the end.