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Is anyone becoming bored w/the Avant Garde shows?


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Is anyone getting bored with show themes among the top corps these days?

Most everyone is doing the avant garde, post modern, esoteric, hidden meaning thing.   

I'm constantly thinking "what is it?"  Random circles and sticks, run ways, doors opening, strange props, futuristic costumes... I feel like I'm in the modern art museum at the Smithsonian every drum corps season.    

Does anyone miss a little bit of realism and grit in shows?   Maybe every once in a while a major score show ... like the old days...Phantom, Fiddler, etc.  

Or a show that doesn't leave people wondering "what is it?" 

Edited by chris7997
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1 hour ago, chris7997 said:

Is anyone getting bored with show themes among the top corps these days?

Most everyone is doing the avante garde, post modern, esoteric, hidden meaning thing.   

I'm constantly thinking "what is it?"  Random circles and sticks, run ways, doors opening, strange props, futuristic costumes... I feel like I'm in the modern art museum at the Smithsonian every drum corps season.    

Does anyone miss a little bit of realism and grit in shows?   Maybe every once in a while a major score show ... like the old days...Phantom, Fiddler, etc.  

Or a show that doesn't leave people wondering "what is it?" 

Bluecoats were one of the few corps this season where I wasn't scratching my head trying to figure out what the show is supposed to be about. Theater does not transfer to the field very well.

Edited by dans
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Yes, and I have been for many years.  I really miss the unique recognizable identity's that each corps used to have and miss the Diversity of those unique identity's. I miss corps being themed like British, Scottish, classical, jazz, show tunes, etc. 

Edited by FlamMan
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Maybe "What Is It?" would make a good show--theme title. :tongue:

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I'll take this era over the literalism of some of the 80s shows, or the over-reliance of wind ensemble music in the 90s/early 00s. Whether or not this era is too "Avante Garde" or "esoteric" is debatable. If anything, DCI shows are the "summertime blockbusters" to BOA/WGI's "arthouse indies."

Even if groups are trending "esoteric" (the most overused/least understood word on DCP) -- I'd argue that the collective design staffs of all DCI groups are way better at programming/pacing/design/arranging/electronics than they were 10-15 years ago.

Many people loved Crown's show this year ... and hardly anyone knows what the hell it was about (myself included). And that's ok.

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why change now?  The activity is going to die away soon anyway. 

 

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