Carolina Crown 2017

[DrumManTx]

3 hours ago, CubFan said:

They are there for the singer to help her with timing since there is so much going on musically all over the field (this information is from someone inside of Crown so I am taking their word for it).  They are not there to enhance the sound of the brass line for the audience.  Because, as you said, they don't need it.  

Cool, just wanted to do some digging.  

On the synthetic sound offensiveness scale Carolina Crown was near the bottom last night, that's the only thing that was even noticeable where I was.........and there was at least one corps that blew the top off the offensiveness meter in that regard.  

[DrumManTx]

So reading through my review of last night I feel like I was overtly harsh on Carolina Crown........was SUPER tired and kinda all over the map.  Pretentious and gimmicks were way way way too strong words to use.  

5 Things I Liked:

• As soon as I heard the first note, knew we had the best brass line of the night.  The clarity and control they play with is unreal.  
• Choreography in the Ives was super clever with the members falling/stumbling around on the disassembled yard lines, perhaps a play on the tune it sounds like we all know?
• I effing love that No One to Know One quote going into the ballad.  
• I played and loved bass for nine years through HS/college, the bass line was off the hook in the closer, and building on that......
• Much much much more interesting integration of the percussion this year, and they're playing incredibly strong most of time.  

They're the one show I get to see three times live this week so I should have a pretty good idea where I stand come Sunday on the way home.  

[DasTuba]

1 hour ago, wilme861 said:

Yeah I was 99.9% sure they still weren't amping the brass. Just not a philosophy that has caught on to the Crown staff...yet anyways. I had no idea what the mics were for though.

Always learning something...

That's what I love about Crown brass, they melt my face without any help. It's always so refreshing live after hearing so many corps use synth to up the volume and then to hear Crown come on and do it even better WITHOUT the synth.

[defeldus2]

Someone asked for an explanation of the show this year and this is how I explained it:

 

 

This is a mix of spending some time with Crown this year, reading what the design staff wrote, and my own interpretation. 

On the surface, it's a simple concept about deconstructing a typical drum corps show both musically and visually. They literally move the field lines, rip rifles in half, raise parts of field, and go from a very traditional orchestral piece to a feel good ballad to a contemporary esoteric piece. 

The ending though, is about proving that no matter how much things change, it's still drum corps and still recognizable and should be appreciated. It's a commentary on pushing the art form and how everything that makes drum corps great is still recognizable. "I know you!" signals a return to the classic music and big impact but the field has been ripped apart, showing that the two (old and new) can coincide and produce worthy art and entertainment. The final ending will push this idea even more with the reappearance of the traditional Crown form and use of props. 

 

[Newseditor44]

15 hours ago, DrumManTx said:

So reading through my review of last night I feel like I was overtly harsh on Carolina Crown........was SUPER tired and kinda all over the map.  Pretentious and gimmicks were way way way too strong words to use.  

5 Things I Liked:

• As soon as I heard the first note, knew we had the best brass line of the night.  The clarity and control they play with is unreal.  
• Choreography in the Ives was super clever with the members falling/stumbling around on the disassembled yard lines, perhaps a play on the tune it sounds like we all know?
• I effing love that No One to Know One quote going into the ballad.  
• I played and loved bass for nine years through HS/college, the bass line was off the hook in the closer, and building on that......
• Much much much more interesting integration of the percussion this year, and they're playing incredibly strong most of time.  

They're the one show I get to see three times live this week so I should have a pretty good idea where I stand come Sunday on the way home.  

Thanks for the review brother. 

[Newseditor44]

32 minutes ago, defeldus2 said:

Someone asked for an explanation of the show this year and this is how I explained it:

 

 

This is a mix of spending some time with Crown this year, reading what the design staff wrote, and my own interpretation. 

On the surface, it's a simple concept about deconstructing a typical drum corps show both musically and visually. They literally move the field lines, rip rifles in half, raise parts of field, and go from a very traditional orchestral piece to a feel good ballad to a contemporary esoteric piece. 

The ending though, is about proving that no matter how much things change, it's still drum corps and still recognizable and should be appreciated. It's a commentary on pushing the art form and how everything that makes drum corps great is still recognizable. "I know you!" signals a return to the classic music and big impact but the field has been ripped apart, showing that the two (old and new) can coincide and produce worthy art and entertainment. The final ending will push this idea even more with the reappearance of the traditional Crown form and use of props. 

 

That was excellent, nicely done

[Kevin.]

No worries! Show is def not for everyone. Appreciate you identifying what you do like, though. Positive drumMan is back!

[supersop]

OK.....I've been hiding for a while.   This is only the 2nd time I've weighed in this year.  Hopefully, someone at Crown will read this. Here goes.....

 

Concerns: 

1) Vocal singing

a) The First Act of the show contains no vocalization. Hence, you have a continuity issue in the story line and the flow of the show.

b) The young lady performing the singing portion of the show is doing a fine job for what she is being asked to do. However,  I'm not so sure that the Broadway/Disney style she's being asked to portray is the best fit for the show.

2) The addition of the broken yard lines that have been added to the show are very effective. However, you now run into the issue of "losing your sense of direction" but, the drill does not portray that in any way. Moving clusters through the broken line just doesn't cut it. I would suggest that if you're going to leave the drill the same then you, at the very least,  need to change the orientation of the cluster and the upper body direction of the performers. You know, like they've lost their sense of direction.

3) I know you!  Why?  You started with no storyline then introduced the storyline with the singer about losing her sense of direction and you close the show with her recognizing someone.

My first issue with this is why? Is the show title really IT IS ALZHEIMER'S? 

Secondly, how does this help tie the show together and bring things to a conclusion?

For all the incredible playing that your corps is doing, it just seems a shame that the visual program has so many holes and flaws in the concept.

Maybe these concerns have already been brought up by the judges. Who knows? If they haven't, then I hope this gives you a fresh perspective to think about for the second half of the season.

I've always been a fan of your corps and plan to be Honking very loudly by the time finals arrives. I just pray you get things worked out.

 

Btw, I'm digging some of the recent music changes.  Keep up the great work! 

[supersop]

I know some will take issue with my previous post. Some are going to tell me that my questions have already been answered because that's the true design of the show.

 

All I can say is I don't buy it. It's a convenient excuse for weak design.

[sched88]