FTNK Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 Had a thought the other night-- when the Holy Name Cadets adopted the West Point uniform, it was less than 20 years since the Great War, in which (according to Wiki) 117,00 American servicemen were killed and 204,000 were wounded. So military service was a real and (sometimes graphically) visible part of the culture. It was relevant to the time. Without getting too political and/or sociological, military service and pseudo-military imagery (especially of the ceremonial type) just doesn't have as big a presence in modern popular culture now, so those West Point looks are just not something relevant to today's members and audiences Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowtown Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 I don’t love it or hate it. It seems confused, not sure how oxidize wood works or how oxidized, rusted metal has anything to do with a Salem witch trials theme. And then they say it’s a modern and fresh look? Stay on message. The guard uniforms look nothing like what I would expect from the late 1600s, puritan era I have my doubts that this uniform pushes their show theme more than the old uniform. It may allow more movement but other than that, I dunno. I could see it being a very exposed uniform so they better be clean Overall, I was expecting better design and better design justification from Boston’s new team. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eleran Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 1 minute ago, cowtown said: The guard uniforms look nothing like what I would expect from the late 1600s, puritan era They would be perfect for a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, however, or several of the ancient greek plays Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FTNK Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 (edited) Won't the oxidized whatever patterns just look black from a distance (like most digital printed uniform elements)? Are designers making choices to play to up-close shots on Jumbtron? DVDs? BluRay? whatever? Edited June 13, 2017 by FTNK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfirwin3 Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 Just now, FTNK said: Had a thought the other night-- when the Holy Name Cadets adopted the West Point uniform, it was less than 20 years since the Great War, in which (according to Wiki) 117,00 American servicemen were killed and 204,000 were wounded. So military service was a real and (sometimes graphically) visible part of the culture. It was relevant to the time. Without getting too political and/or sociological, military service and pseudo-military imagery (especially of the ceremonial type) just doesn't have as big a presence in modern popular culture now, so those West Point looks are just not something relevant to today's members and audiences Well, it was also relevant to the function and presentation of drum corps as well. The presentation looked like military drill... so the uniforms look like military uniforms. But that isn't so much the case now (and hasn't been for a very long time). The programs much more resemble a 100+ yard theatrical dance and music production. Blast became what it was because that's what drum corps was looking like. WGI became what it is because that's what drum corps was looking like... etc. This isn't the other way around like many people (self-proclaimed purists) may think. I can have some appreciation for color guard (which is really a misnomer now for these same reasons... and also a subject that I admittedly know nothing about, in practice) units that toss things other than rifles and sabers (unless called for by the theme). It SHOULD be really odd to us to see rifles being tossed in a show that claims openly to have a theme... yet the theme has nothing to do with armament. Unless the theme is "A Drum Corps Fan's Dream - Part Dos"... in which case, bring on the guns and the blades! I'm reminded of the Appalachian Spring show (The artists formerly known as Garfield, 1987... so an 'older show') where I seem to recall the use of sabers and rifles (in full colonial female dress, no less)... Now just about EVERYBODY likes or loves this show. It is a staple of top quality drum corps writing and execution. But it was a show that went all-in on the theme and yet perpetuated some of the thematic conflicts that I am speaking of. Now, of course, they did this because... hey, that's what you use in a drumcorps! In short, I don't see the activity as defying its own identity, so much as I see an activity that is trying harder to be honest about its identity... and get the most out of it. That's not to say that 1987 should be 'George Lucas-ed' into a 'better' product. You can't make that stuff better. But I think that we can make the shows of today much worse by not taking risks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnpendell Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 (edited) 5 minutes ago, cfirwin3 said: It SHOULD be really odd to us to see rifles being tossed in a show that claims openly to have a theme... yet the theme has nothing to do with armament. Unless the theme is "A Drum Corps Fan's Dream - Part Dos"... in which case, bring on the guns and the blades! That's why I thought it was really cool SCV used lightning bolts as sabers in 2015. I thought it was such a creative attribute to the show. Edited June 13, 2017 by johnpendell 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfirwin3 Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 Just now, Liahona said: Quality of execution....BS! Now... just for the record... I just got done browsing through a certain championship gold medal production from 1987... often considered to be a representation of what "clean" is. The honest truth is that there really isn't a videographed frame in which that particular 1987 performance doesn't have nearly identical pictures as what you are posting. Still frames have a much larger context than the stillness of the frame. You see what you see... but in my mind's eye, on the move, I see a tight line, in step, at the most humanly achievable uniform intervals across a span like that. As the wise old philosopher and oracle Billy Joel once said: "The good old days weren't always good and tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems..." 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjoakes Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 Nothing about the BAC costumes look appealing to me from the reveal, but I am happy to keep an open mind until seeing the whole package as part of the show. The video is a tortured rationalization of the design, however. Almost like a caricature, SNL style, of a costume reveal. Maybe we are going to witness a bit of a Bluecoats bubble for a few years. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lead Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 2 hours ago, cfirwin3 said: Even more ironically... given what a costume is (and the nature by which it 'plays pretend' or impersonates), the traditional uniform of drum and bugle corps (the dress, military-like garment that so accurately represents period and geographically contextual military or vocational garb) is ACTUALLY the most accurate demonstration of what a costume is. In actuality, The Cadets or the Boston Crusaders are NOT West Point Cadets, The Bluecoats are NOT Victorian era constables, the Cavaliers and Madison Scouts are not actually (in practice, if not in official name only) The Boy Scouts of America, and the Bridgemen weren't actually... well... whatever it was that they were looking like... etc. The background of these organizations is irrelevant. The true identity of the group is a drumcorps and a drumcorps only. This is all so much nothing more than a preferential quibble in which different parties assume the ability to make up definitions that suit their position. Drumcorps uniforms have never not been costumes... and they have been least like costumes when they have been created to specifically address the function of the activity. This is great, but the last sentence is MAGIC. And will #### dinosaurs off. But so so true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfirwin3 Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 (edited) Just now, Lead said: This is great, but the last sentence is MAGIC. And will #### dinosaurs off. But so so true. Yeah... I dunno. I don't think what I'm saying would really make people mad. But it would probably cause some of the ardent 'purists' to retreat to the truth, that they like what they like... simply because it's what they know... that they like. Like some people (like myself) will tend to order the same meal at a particular restaurant... time and time again. Edited June 13, 2017 by cfirwin3 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.