DCI Southeastern Regional - July 28, 2018

[kinetic inferno11]

The Cadets - unlike mostly everyone else on here, I thought they had a great performance yesterday. The mic for the soloist at the beginning may have had issues, but other than that it definitely didn't seem as bad as people were saying it was. The brass intonation is 1000 times better live than on video. The guard has improved so much since last week. They often caught my attention, especially the flags in the ballad. Ballad impact is the best musical moment of the show. So powerful. Best visual moment for me is a tie between the snake drill with the alternating forwards and backwards facing and the Z-pull. Z-pull was exceptional. I'm not a percussionist, but they were the first drumline to really pull me in and have me focus on them. They had some very good writing. Uniforms look great from the stands. Just very impressed with the work they've been doing this season. Keep it up Cadets!

The Cavaliers - this is one whose opinion changed live than on video. I really liked it on video. Live it was great for the first half, but when they get out of the ballad it kinda falls flat for me. Going after Boston and Crown definitely didn't help. Love the ending visually, it just didn't do anything past that. The guard was very effective and clean. Not sure I agreed with them getting 7th. Brass was the best I've seen since the mid 2000's. Those mellos had my jaw on the floor. There was a moment where one of the tarps wasn't fully pulled and they had to leave it, but then during a spot where the brass put their horns on the ground, two members pulled the tarp out while maintaining character. That was so impressive to me. Good for them to think on the fly while still performing. I liked the show, just wasn't in love. Definitely a huge step up in quality for the top 6.

posted from the DrumScorps app

[Bluzes]

1 hour ago, BlueStarsDad said:

The worst part in Atlanta (at least where I was sitting) is that staff would come and grab free seats

Try sitting on the aisle closest to the fifty. I am working with erasers on getting a small nose pin for the whiffs they expel and FJM for a trendy helmet to protect from swinging back packs.  

[Terri Schehr]

20 minutes ago, Bluzes said:

Try sitting on the aisle closest to the fifty. I am working with erasers on getting a small nose pin for the whiffs they expel and FJM for a trendy helmet to protect from swinging back packs.  

Ah a week and a half until we are forced to prove to a seat poacher that they’re our seats.  Keep your ticket stubs handy,  folks.  The seat interlopers now demand proof! 

Edited July 29, 2018 by Terri Schehr

[Bluzes]

2 minutes ago, Terri Schehr said:

The seat interlopers now demand proof!

Last year one of the interlopers almost got pepper sprayed just insisting he was going to occupy my seat she reached for it and he took off..  

[Terri Schehr]

1 minute ago, Bluzes said:

Last year one of the interlopers almost got pepper sprayed just insisting he was going to occupy my seat she reached for it and he took off..  

I’m bringing mine.  Chucky had to get out his ticket stub for some ### hat.  No one has sat in that seat at DCI since it’s been in Lucas oil but Chuck.  

[kinetic inferno11]

Boston Crusaders - loved this show on video, loved it even more live. I didn't think in the beginning of the season that this show could pass last year in terms of entertainment, but they proved me wrong. Their technicality across the board was incredible. Guard, brass, percussion, it's all there. Unfortunate the amazing grace vocals didn't work, but the show was still incredible. The new ending works so much better than the old one did. The disappearing had the audience (including myself) shocked. Their drill was my favorite of all the shows. So much fun to watch them move. A friend of mine pointed at the neon trees and said they looked like those car dealership inflatable tube people and I couldn't stop laughing. Now those trees will forever be ruined for me. I love this show.

 

Crown - brass, brass, and more brass. I could listen to their brass for eternity. Such a powerful and full sound. Show is definitely better live, so that's a positive. That being said, the music just doesn't scream beast to me. Like others have said, it seems like they chose the music first and threw a theme on top that. Even though it feels like that, their playing of those musical selections is just stellar. I love their musicality. The drill seemed so much cleaner than it has been. The guard was also great, and though I'm not a guard person, I thought they should be higher than they have been getting. Closer was my favorite part of the show. They groove when they get to it. They all know how to perform. They have such a high energy show, it just doesn't feel as complete thematically as those above them. Still loved their performance.

[kinetic inferno11]

Bluecoats - going on after SCV and BD was certainly going to be a challenge, but they rose to the occasion and blew us away. Definitely not a dull moment in this show. Vocalist wasn't as loud as I was expecting. Couldn't hear her in certain parts, and when I could, it was kinda muddled. I know she's great from video, but when she was live and singing while the brass was playing, she was easily covered. I know some people here would say that's a good thing, but I do wish I could've heard and understood her more. Ballad was my favorite part of the show. Simply spectacular. Closer was surprisingly better live than it was on video. Their guard is the best they've ever had. Had a lot of great moments. I love this show more than the past 3 they've done. Keep up the great work!

Blue Devils - this show has done a 180 for me. I "liked it" on video, but live has pulled me over the edge. I loved it. The story telling is perfect. Better than any other storyline show that they have ever done to me. May be my favorite BD show since 2014. That ballad made me feel like a natural woman in all the right ways! Where I was, the screamer wasn't as prominent or overpowering, so it was perfect to me. Props had an issue with windows popping out, but the overall look of having a full bar on the field was masterful. Guard was so clean. Still love the Male and female alternating work. 2nd drumline of the day to captivate me. Not a fan of their brass balance being top heavy, but I understand that it is their style. Just not my preference. Gotta give BD major props for putting on a phenomenal show.

SCV - favorite show of the season easily. I love everything about it, and I mean literally everything. Not one detail is questionable to me. I used to hate the unfinished prop look, but I get it now. They just gotta clean. Their drill from up high really stands out. I understand how some could say it's more staging than drill, but I disagree and the pictures they make are really beautiful. The brass is possibly the best brass they've ever had. I feel that part of the drop in music analysis and GE is from the lack of euph solo at the beginning of the ballad from mic issues. That killed momentum just a little. Glad it finally came back on for the duet and screaming part. My fear is if the mics mess up that bad in LOS. They had more mic issues overall than any other group throughout the show, so the fact they still got the numbers they did is impressive. The ending when they push the two platforms together made me teary eyed and I don't know why. It was just such a powerful moment. The ending was not only my favorite part of the show, but was my favorite part of the entire day of performances. Nothing matches the intensity of that moment to me. Definitely got the biggest crowd reaction of the upper deck by far. Also that horns up in the ballad was audible to us in the 300 level. That was a moment that video can't do justice for.

[desertrat68]

1 hour ago, CrownBariDad said:

Driving back on I-75N, I saw what appeared to be the Academy souvie trailer and vehicle pulled over to the shoulder with the flashers on. I was in the wrong lane and too much traffic for me to stop and render assistance. I hope they get back on the road soon.

A short time later, I caught up to the Blue Stars souvie trailer heading to the next show.

Safe travels all!

Ugh! This has actually been the roughest year in a while for vehicle/trailer issues for Academy. No show for them tonight so time to catch up to the corps if its something more than a flat tire. 

Was that this morning or last night?

 

[Bluzes]

12 minutes ago, Terri Schehr said:

Ah a week and a half until we are forced to prove to a seat poacher that they’re our seats.  Keep your ticket stubs hand, folks.  The seat interlopers now demand proof! 

Also we are going to need to be mind readers on whether or not we can reenter on concert side? Last year at quarters we entered on the concert side through metal detectors. Of course I need to make a spectacle of myself and pulled a Todd Synder  "is this thing on is this thing working" a total distraction so others could get the wine in. Went back to the hotel twice (very thirsty that day) but the second time having already been let back in earlier could not reenter.

If nothing else dci fans know how to follow a schedule but the bait & switch reentry policy makes it difficult. Just let us know in advance what the policy is so we don't miss any of the action. Thank You in advance for letting us know when & where we can reenter..

[Precious Roy]

Finally starting to recover after the long day yesterday and drive home last night. I can't do a review for each corps that we saw, but here's some random things that stick out in my mind the next day.

The venue: obviously much nicer and more up to date than the old Georgia Done. I'm not sure why they designed it to be able to open the roof, though. The roof opening is so small compared to the rest of the stadium, it would make no difference for any type of event, including a marching arts competition.

The stadium staff were very friendly, at every step of the way -- bag checkers, ticket scanners, ushers, club level seating enforcers, everybody.

Speaking of club level -- wow. The Delta club area on field level was a nice perk. But mental note -- in the future, get seats on the right side of the 50, so the men's room is closer, allowing one to get out to the restroom and back without missing a corps' performance.

I was accompanied by my wife of 17 years (with 17 years worth of second hand drum corps knowledge), our 11 year old son (his first live show, limited exposure to videos), and a friend's 14 year old daughter (in her school's marching band, but no prior exposure to drum corps). Our experience was on the left side 30 yard line, row 21 of lower level.

Overall, I got the feeling the more electronic thunderous goo (and other fake bass) you had, the more it echoed and overpowered the brass. It may work better outside, but not in a big cavernous stadium like MBS. So, the next step in electronic enhancement (if the corps insist on using it) is the find a way to minimize the echo/reverb in the big indoor venues.

My wife's favorite show: Oregon Crusaders. Being familiar with the movie, she appreciated all the Shining references, and really connected with the show. She also enjoyed SCV and Music City.

11 year old son's favorite show: Bluecoats. He really liked the trombone feature in the last number (they were right in front of us). He also (without any prompting from any of us) said his other favorite thing was the horn snap in SCV's show.

The 14 year old was a bit more guard focused than the rest of us. Her overwhelming favorite was Mandarins, followed by Boston Crusaders.

I've been a big blooooo fan since Tilt, and this year is no different. Love their show. But, I gotta say -- Santa Clara completely won me over last night. After SCV finished, I felt kind of bad that Bluecoats had to follow that up. I also enjoyed Carolina Crown (teeter totter feature), Boston (fantastic ending effect), and Music City (great entrance, and really engaging show).

I'll end with this observation/opinion. With all the electronics and thunderous goo, singing, dancing, jazz running, staging, and emoting going on, it's still good to know the moment of the year (for me) is something as simple and straight up drum corps as the SCV horn snap.