Carolina Crown 2018

[TigerBaritone19]

3 hours ago, Cappybara said:

I agree that both BD and Bloo have murky concepts right now, but I don't really find them any more or less murky than Crown's. BD currently is creating a story based off the people sitting in the diner in the Nighthawks painting (there's an detective, some gangster, and a woman), Bluecoats have some story with the singer where she is apparently in a dream and overcoming stage fright or something of that sort. 

I had to do some research to understand what was going on for all 3 corps. Seems like it's how things go nowadays. 

I wasn't saying that they were more or less murky, but simply that Crown's is equally as murky (to me at least) and people are giving them the shaft for it, while the Bluecoats are getting praised out the @## for what a great show they have and all I can tell is that they end their opener with fast drill and they play loud jazz, and their ballad is amazing. I have only seen the Blue Devils once on Flo so I can't really comment on their show this year, but I was referencing past shows that they had done that were off the wall abstract yet people loved it. What I am trying to say is that Crown seems to be getting a lot of the heat for not having their show make sense and that is why people don't like the show (not all people say this) but yet they corps itself is extremely talented this year and is in contention to win brass and percussion with how their scores have been lately. I also don't know why people were so quick to put Crown down. It seemed that it was right out of the gate, and it hasn't stopped. Sorry for the long post and it was more of a general comment to everyone towards the middle and end.

Edited July 13, 2018 by TigerBaritone19

[Lance]

when Crown is at the top of their game, their shows aren't hard to figure out. 

i don't get their show yet this year, but that doesn't necessarily mean they won't put a narrative together, if that's what they're going for. 

can't wait to see these top 6-ish corps go head to head for the first time. 

[CrownBariDad]

32 minutes ago, MPutnam said:

Could the "Beast" be an alien that Crown picked up when they were "out of this world" in 2014?

 

Or maybe it escaped the Inferno. 

You knew that was coming, right?

[queenanne_1536]

3 hours ago, MikeRapp said:

If you are trying to communicate a story and a message, and people don't get that message, then you've failed in show design. If you don't care, then you walk the corps out and play 11 minutes of kick-@ss music and drill, and call it a show. 

Does anyone really communicate what the show is about effectively, without the audience having prior knowledge? Absolutely not. In 2016, when I first saw the Blue Stars, I sat there thinking, "Why is there a woman walking around under an umbrella the whole show?" I went home, and went to read their show announcement. It was a small novel, so I said forget it. The bottom line is most of the audience, on any given night, does not go to the corps website and read about their concept before going to the show. They have absolutely no clue. When I saw Blue Devils this year, I had no idea they were actually trying to protray the lives of the characters in the painting. I just thought, "how cool, they recreated that awesome painting." The only character that I even noticed before the final set was the woman in the red dress. The others, I had no idea they were even on the field before they were sitting at the bar in the painting. I assumed a couple marching members just ducked under the bar and changed their outfits. I can say this about every single corps out there. It is impossible to fully communicate what the show theme is (unless it's super simple) to an audience who has no prior knowledge, for anyone. At Stanford, I had no clue what the deeprooted themes were for every single corps that performed, because I spent no time researching beforehand. I had, and still have, absolutely no clue what BK's show is about. At the end of the day, it's a 10.5 minute band show (forgive me). Why should I have to spend time studying something I view merely for enjoyment.

To me, the show themes and storylines have gotten so out of hand that it's absolutely ridiculous. That being said, I'm thrilled about this season because we have so many entertaining shows, and that's all I care about, at the end of the day. I want good marching, good visuals, and a good guard. I think i'm getting that in spades this year.

Edited July 14, 2018 by queenanne_1536

[N.E. Brigand]

1 hour ago, MikeRapp said:

If you are trying to communicate a story and a message, and people don't get that message, then you've failed in show design. If you don't care, then you walk the corps out and play 11 minutes of kick-@ss music and drill, and call it a show. 

Yes, you're right.

IF a corps appears to be attempting to deliver a lesson or tale, then it fails if those aren't clear.

As you go on to say, it's equally valid for a corps to go totally abstract. And that's what most corps did most of the time until well into the 90s, at least.

[queenanne_1536]

10 minutes ago, CrownBariDad said:

Or maybe it escaped the Inferno. 

You knew that was coming, right?

I was listening to Inferno the other night, and that opener would have been perfect for Beast.

[MikeRapp]

26 minutes ago, TigerBaritone19 said:

I wasn't saying that they were more or less murky, but simply that Crown's is equally as murky (to me at least) and people are giving them the shaft for it, while the Bluecoats are getting praised out the @## for what a great show they have and all I can tell is that they end their opener with fast drill and they play loud jazz, and their ballad is amazing. I have only seen the Blue Devils once on Flo so I can't really comment on their show this year, but I was referencing past shows that they had done that were off the wall abstract yet people loved it. What I am trying to say is that Crown seems to be getting a lot of the heat for not having their show make sense and that is why people don't like the show (not all people say this) but yet they corps itself is extremely talented this year and is in contention to win brass and percussion with how their scores have been lately. I also don't know why people were so quick to put Crown down. It seemed that it was right out of the gate, and it hasn't stopped. Sorry for the long post and it was more of a general comment to everyone towards the middle and end.

I just don't think Crown's design is very effective. The props, for one, at best add nothing to the show. At worst they actually distract you from the show. 

Bluecoats' props add immeasurably to the show, both in terms of message and execution. Blue Devils' props exist pretty much exclusively to sell the story concept and design.

[queenanne_1536]

11 minutes ago, MikeRapp said:

I just don't think Crown's design is very effective. The props, for one, at best add nothing to the show. At worst they actually distract you from the show. 

Bluecoats' props add immeasurably to the show, both in terms of message and execution. Blue Devils' props exist pretty much exclusively to sell the story concept and design.

I can agree on all counts except Bluecoats. To me, they don't add much. They don't do anything unexpected with them. And, I just think they are unattractive. BD's is great, but serves a single purpose. SCV's are amazing and utilized very very well.

[nsxanax]

As Guardling alluded to earlier, ‘89 SCV is, too, one of my fav shows of all time; one which very much told a “story.”  Interestingly enough, PR came took the silver, with a show inspired by Dvorak’s 9th.

I recall Rondo was in the booth with Curt Gowdy that night in KC and to paraphrase his segue, “Curt, Phantom is straight ahead drum corps, but SC, well, they’re telling a story.”  Please forgive my butchering of the exchange...

In my humble opinion, two of the greatest 1st and 2nd shows of all time, and I think might illustrate how both abstract(ish) and story telling shows can provide exceptionally powerful & compelling performances.

[MikeRapp]

Just now, queenanne_1536 said:

I can agree on all counts except Bluecoats. To me, they don't add much. They don't do anything unexpected with them. And, I just think they are unattractive. BD's is great, but serves a single purpose. SCV's are amazing and utilized very very well.

I kind of see them as similar to SCV's props last year. They didn't need them to tell the story, but they used them well. I think this is where props in general are going. The best use of props either tells an essential part of the story (like Boston's fire last year) or provide unique ways to stage the corps for ensembles and solos. Probably not unique to really any stage production set. The musical Chicago didn't need their props to tell their story, but they used them in really amazing ways and the show was over the top because of it.