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DCI West is the Best - June 25, 2017


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36 minutes ago, N.E. Brigand said:

I would defend BD, but not having seen their show, I can't.

OK, now I have seen it. Cool show. I assume someone's already made the obligatory Drumline joke?

And yes, they do play while moving.

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I was at Stanford tonight. I really enjoyed everyone but here are some quick takes:

 

BD - Sound awesome and I found it less esoteric than previous years. This is a top 3 show.

SCV - Very interesting use of the mobile platform/wheels. They sound good. No idea what the theme meant. This could be a top 3 show.

BK - Don't know what I just saw. Some cool moments but no idea how it all fit together. The weird hand movement got a lot of chuckles. Performed quite well and they sounded good.

PR - I enjoyed it. Very much a PR show with a few moments of what they are known for. Definitely not at the same level as the previous three.

Academy - I enjoyed it. They sounded better than last year at this time. Show felt very VK to me. I heard many comments about the guard dressed as bunnies being inappropriate. I wonder if this show has the same legs as last year's.

Mandarins - This is the best show concept I have seen from them. They sound significantly better than last year this time. I could see them finishing somewhere in the 11-15 range.

Pacific Crest - Are they having money problems? They sound worse than the last few years at this time. Guard had plain, single color flags and only one small, poorly constructed prop. They aren't going in the right direction. I hope they work it out?

 

Edited by caliswift
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Wow! Just got done watching. BD and SCV are both phenomenal shows. And thank you to both corps for some beef in those arrangements. Brass is playing their tails off this year in both corps and I love it.  Favorite moments in SCV have to be the entire opener visually, but moreso the closer and how they are playing it. BD;s arrangements and the way they are being played are just off the charts this year.  

Big shout out to the SCV Alumni Corps as well. Their performance was very entertaining. 

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3 hours ago, Musicman1084 said:

PC with only 7 tubas is a surprise.  Could have sworn I saw a pic from just yesterday where they had 9 or 10 at least.

The show appears to have been written for 12 - so they have 5 holes - ouch!

 

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27 minutes ago, caliswift said:

 

Academy - I enjoyed it. They sounded better than last year at this time. Show felt very VK to me. I heard many comments about the guard dressed as bunnies being inappropriate. 

 

Not surprised eye brows were raised. I saw a Facebook photo which was probably not what it looked like, but i found myself asking the question "If this were my daughter....."  Academy is not alone. At the theater I attended last Thursday, a few comments were made about Bluecoats colorguard too.

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Alrighty, quick thoughts on the show tonight!

PC: Not much to say, it was an average show, I don't see them moving up with this show design, but I don't see them moving down

Mandarins: Cool effects, the show design is well done and I can see this taking them far. From a brass standpoint they sound very solid. I was not terribly surprised to see them over academy, since they were really firing on all cylinders. 

Academy: Cute show, but didn't really do much for me. I enjoyed the opening a lot. I think they are trying to fight the shadow of 2016, and loosing. Guard needs some cleaning. When the hunters had the bunnies in the ropes, the guy behind me commented "What is this, the bondage movement?".

Blue Knights: I always love their soundscapes. The show needs some more fleshing out, but I liked the uniforms more than I thought I would. The stereo brass runs were awesome. Hide and Seek was cool, but I feel like they are killing their momentum with the pauses. I see them in the top 6 this year.

Phantom Regiment: I don't think the brass sounded that bad in person. Some serious struggles though with the flugelhorn. Show just felt flat. The opener had promise, but then it just felt like the same show phantom has done for the last 4 years. can't seem them in the top 7 this year.

Vanguard: So disclaimer, many of y'all know I am a huge vanguard homer, but holy #### this show was electric! From the beginning I was hooked, and it just kept going. The hornline sounded amazing in person. HUGE step up from the last few years. Prop usage was very impressive. I almost cried when I saw that weber/gaines drill. You can tell its weber, but that Gaines touch is there also. Opener was awesome. Ballad was awesome. Closer felt eerily similar to 2015 closer (Look at the prop formation for the final movement), but still was awesome. I'm so excited to see them grow!!

Blue Devils: Impressive for sure. But honestly, seeing them live at this point, I don't see them taking the gold. I loved the opening drill. Very very cool. The uniform change needs much more flair. I didn't even notice they changed the uniforms for a few minutes. When this show gets fleshed out and cleaned its gonna be a monster, but right now, especially after vanguard, I understood why they won, but I wasn't sold at all. I do appreciate though that the music is much more accessible this year!

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I hope this will be coherent.  I actually was able to attend the show tonight but I had to switch shifts so I've been up since 3am at this point, LOL--I missed the first half of the show but got in during intermission.  The sacrifices we make to get our faces blown off by drum corps.

Overall: This is likely the best live show I have ever been to.  I really enjoyed pretty much all of the shows.  Too bad this will be my first and last show of the season to attend live.

Pacific Crest - Golden State of Mind - Loved the music!  It definitely felt very California but it seemed like a rather simple show conceptually.  But 10/10 would watch and listen to again.

Mandarins - Inside the Ink - Props were huge and looked pointedly phallic, especially when the ink squirted out.  With that said, I definitely think it's one of their best shows I've seen from them.  Really enjoyable and I look forward to seeing them advance this season, which is a great possibility--considering the scores.

Academy - By A Hare - Very straight forward theme--gave me a WB Elmer Fudd v. Buggs Bunny feel.  In a word, I thought the show was very "cute."  Not as great as last year's product but it was rather refreshing to see a show with lots of comedy.

Blue Knights - i - They just keep improving year after year--I think they can be the next Bluecoats down the line.  Conceptually a very complex show with some great music and great drill.

Phantom Regiment - Phantasm - So I'm going to be honest here--I got really drowsy during this show.  Been up for a VERY long time and this show just didn't do much for me.  I like their new unis and the guard unis (at least the full robes with red masks, were pretty cool looking.

SCV - Ouroboros - (Warning, I'm a homer):  I probably say this repeatedly over the last few years but this is seriously the strongest I have ever seen SCV.  A huge departure than what we are used to from them.  Gone are the days of the classic and pleasant SCV of yore.  This sh## was downright aggressive and incredibly powerful.  So many times, my companions and people around me were just like, "woah."  The drill was absolutely fantastic and the music was awesome.  With this show, they have finally stepped into the newest era of DCI and while I may miss the designs of the last few years, this is most definitely something to look forward to.  Even without their aussies, these guys just look so big and intimidating on the field (higher pants line and shoulder pads(?) probably helps)--and I am perfectly fine with that.  Now I don't have a trained ear to critique the music but their brass just seemed so strong and on point tonight and their defeat of BD in that department is evident of that.  They are playing so many notes too it seems and moving so fast.  The prop movements, while smooth and very integrated wit the program, still needs to be cleaned up but that's a given.  Reminds me Crowns show when they took gold.  I think this one might just sneak up from behind come finals.

BD - Metamorph - Well what can I say?  BD is simply just so impressive year in year out.  I love their uniforms for the first half--has the modern flair plus a cool take on the classic jackets.  The sleeveless colorful spandex shirts plus arm thingy looks a bit silly but that's just me.  It's early in the season and Blue Devils' programs tend to be quite different between early and late season so I'll chalk up my dislikes of their show to it being an unfinished product.  The flow of the show was rather rough and, when compared to SCV going first, they didn't seem to move nearly as much, especially while playing.  I understand that marching while playing is no longer a driving force in today's activity but it's what I personally like.  Even my friend who was a first timer asked me why they didn't really move much.  Honestly, it just looked like placeholder "drill" for me so again, these critiques are probably there because the final product is nowhere near finished.  Now with the show being a "Metamorph" I have a feeling that each and every show, they will add something to it, going from caterpillar to cocoon, then finally morph into a beautiful butterfly.  I think it would be interesting to see a comparative analysis of each run at a major event.  I know corps changes shows all the time but I have a feeling their subsequent changes and additions will more substantial than little changes here and there--hence the name and theme of the show.

SCV Alumni Corps - To put it simply, I teared up at a live DCI performance.  Never happened before.  I hope they come out with a recording/video of this--I will literally tell SCV to "shut up and take my money."  And from my understanding, they will be performing during Finals Week in Indy and DRILL will be included!! Wut.  I can only get so erect. (Sorry NSFW)

For corps proper - SCV, hands down, had the biggest ovation of the night.  Nope, that's not the homer in me speaking--I was there and honest to God, it's true.

Edited by NeutralNovice
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SCV with guard, brass and percussion.

Aw snap.

posted from the DrumScorps app

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