THE CADETS 2022 SHOW

[George Dixon]

2 minutes ago, jwillis35 said:

Very true. Sadly that uniform was out of character for the more upbeat Power of Ten show. All dark was the wrong way to go. I mean you had a 1st place brass line, darn near 1st place percussion section, great marching, fantastic drill and somehow...Oh, never mind. We all know the story. I don't even want to get started with that one.  Sigh 😞

don't worry they won't be using the M&G in a "surprise" attempt at GE - doubt they even own enough of them given the larger corps this year vs. last

17 minutes ago, FTNK said:

Just watched it with mAh wIFe, she’s a scientist but a very good musician from a very musical family. She said it was “boring,” and that the narration added nothing. She actually wondered if it was from Taxi Driver which… would be a very different show

It’s kindof just a collection of noises, but that’s a lot of modern drum corps. Pretty baffled by the uniforms - a printed spandex version of the old jackets is very low effort

It's apparent you dislike the narration, the props, the uniforms and a host of other things about Cadets 2022, not sure your wife as an extra witness is necessary at this point - we get it. 

[FTNK]

4 minutes ago, George Dixon said:

It's apparent you dislike the narration, the props, the uniforms and a host of other things about Cadets 2022, not sure your wife as an extra witness is necessary at this point - we get it. 

have a pretty good track record of calling bad Cadets shows bad

[Cappybara]

4 minutes ago, FTNK said:

have a pretty good track record of calling bad Cadets shows bad

That you do. But based on the circumstances the organization has been going through, I think just an okay show is an acceptable building block

[George Dixon]

22 minutes ago, FTNK said:

have a pretty good track record of calling bad Cadets shows bad

You're very consistent - this is not bad - 16, 17 & 19 were BAD

[Lance]

After an amazing weekend with family, finally got to see this show. Unfortunately, I could only find a sideline cam version of the show without performers wearing uniforms or anything, but I think it was enough to get a taste of what's going on with the corps. 

I couldn't really see what was going on visually, but I did see some run and gun stuff that felt very cadets.

I loved pretty much everything about the show musically.  The first number is one of my favorite openers of the year I've heard so far.  Second number I only have one criticism, and it's the synth stuff with the trumpet solo at the beginning. I know it's probably faithful to the original piece, but when you have a narrator talking in present tense about the beatnik era, and they're also shouting out names of musicians who were definitely using synth,  I don't think it really fits.  Synth stuff in the closer feels okay, but it's kind of take it or leave it for me...if it scores more points, great.  My only problem with the narration is that the narrator sounds super disinterested.  

The brass has a really mature ensemble sound.  I think they'll be able to pump up the volume in some places as they learn the show, and impact moments will get a lot bigger.  Don't know anything about percussion, but I liked what I heard from the battery and especially enjoyed the front ensemble features. 

I think this is a terrific vehicle for recruiting future members.  Everything is very well done, and the intensity will be there soon enough.  Can't wait to see the whole production for the first time.   I'm rooting so hard for The Cadets to eventually contend for titles again.  

 

[postertrout]

This show was meant to be a bridge to deal with the fall out of the scandal in 2018 and, if we are being blunt, the debacle that was 2019. The show was slated to field in 2020 as vehicle to bring back alumni, sponsors, and donors in order to continue to build on a new version of the Cadets. Of course, COVID had other ideas, so the show was tabled due to the cancelation on the 2020 season. 

Given that 2021 was a celebration of DCI and not competitive, they opted to go with a greatest hits type show that allowed the corps to showcase the established brand of the Cadets. They brought back the M&Gs since it is such an integral part of their identity and one of the most iconic uniform in drum corps.

It seems 2021 created a buzz from long time fans and helped energize their potential to get interest from top tier talent. Phantom Regiment seemed to follow the same train of thought with their retread of their 2003 show. Both organizations have seen their stars diminished in recent years, so they needed to turn to nostalgia to create excitement for their respective brands. “Shall Always Be” and “Harmonic Journey” were crowd pleasers last year, so it worked out for them.

There is some truth to the thought that the 2022 Cadets are not pushing the envelope of innovation such as the likes of Bluecoats or even Mandarins, but the organization had a show locked and loaded that really builds on the success of 2021 and sets the stage for future innovation.

That plays into the entire theme of the show “Rearview Mirror”. The themes of Jack Kerouac’s prose of moving from the past into a future of change. The entire show design plays into this from the musical book, the fast-paced drill, and even the uniform choice. The Cadets know what their past and are ready to set a new identity for the future.  As stated in someone’s previous comment, the Cadets are not financially overachieving to the point of being able to bring out all the bells and whistles, so it seems disingenuous to claim laziness or cheapness in relation to their prop and uniform choices.

The uniform in general, while it is kind of baggy, fits into the show thematically by starting off having details of the M&Gs and then showing a new modern take on the classic design with their body suit maroon shirts. It is a way to convey a respect for the past, but a taste of the modern and probably very comfortable for the performers compared to the initial jacket they are wearing.

The props are small but seem to play well within the show itself. I do agree there is a lot of narration, but it does not take away from the show and is necessary for it story wise. Maybe they can tweak it in certain areas to help with the pacing.

This show is needed for the Cadets to continue to rebuild their donor base and bring in new talent that wants to march a fast paced and challenging musical offering. The innovation will come in time as the CEO and Director are keen to keep to the history of innovation that the Cadets have done in the past. If they field a similar show next season then maybe they do need to re-evaluate the direction they are taking the corps, but that is yet to be seen.

I find the show enjoyable and if they can clean it some, they could land better than 2019 for sure. It has the potential to be a 7th place show. I do not think they can overtake Cavs and they need to keep Phantom, Blue Stars, and Mandarins in their rearview mirror, pardon the pun, which might be a tall order.

[2000Cadet]

3 minutes ago, postertrout said:

This show was meant to be a bridge to deal with the fall out of the scandal in 2018 and, if we are being blunt, the debacle that was 2019. The show was slated to field in 2020 as vehicle to bring back alumni, sponsors, and donors in order to continue to build on a new version of the Cadets. Of course, COVID had other ideas, so the show was tabled due to the cancelation on the 2020 season. 

Given that 2021 was a celebration of DCI and not competitive, they opted to go with a greatest hits type show that allowed the corps to showcase the established brand of the Cadets. They brought back the M&Gs since it is such an integral part of their identity and one of the most iconic uniform in drum corps.

It seems 2021 created a buzz from long time fans and helped energize their potential to get interest from top tier talent. Phantom Regiment seemed to follow the same train of thought with their retread of their 2003 show. Both organizations have seen their stars diminished in recent years, so they needed to turn to nostalgia to create excitement for their respective brands. “Shall Always Be” and “Harmonic Journey” were crowd pleasers last year, so it worked out for them.

There is some truth to the thought that the 2022 Cadets are not pushing the envelope of innovation such as the likes of Bluecoats or even Mandarins, but the organization had a show locked and loaded that really builds on the success of 2021 and sets the stage for future innovation.

That plays into the entire theme of the show “Rearview Mirror”. The themes of Jack Kerouac’s prose of moving from the past into a future of change. The entire show design plays into this from the musical book, the fast-paced drill, and even the uniform choice. The Cadets know what their past and are ready to set a new identity for the future.  As stated in someone’s previous comment, the Cadets are not financially overachieving to the point of being able to bring out all the bells and whistles, so it seems disingenuous to claim laziness or cheapness in relation to their prop and uniform choices.

The uniform in general, while it is kind of baggy, fits into the show thematically by starting off having details of the M&Gs and then showing a new modern take on the classic design with their body suit maroon shirts. It is a way to convey a respect for the past, but a taste of the modern and probably very comfortable for the performers compared to the initial jacket they are wearing.

The props are small but seem to play well within the show itself. I do agree there is a lot of narration, but it does not take away from the show and is necessary for it story wise. Maybe they can tweak it in certain areas to help with the pacing.

This show is needed for the Cadets to continue to rebuild their donor base and bring in new talent that wants to march a fast paced and challenging musical offering. The innovation will come in time as the CEO and Director are keen to keep to the history of innovation that the Cadets have done in the past. If they field a similar show next season then maybe they do need to re-evaluate the direction they are taking the corps, but that is yet to be seen.

I find the show enjoyable and if they can clean it some, they could land better than 2019 for sure. It has the potential to be a 7th place show. I do not think they can overtake Cavs and they need to keep Phantom, Blue Stars, and Mandarins in their rearview mirror, pardon the pun, which might be a tall order.

This is excellent. 

[JAZZER]

1 minute ago, 2000Cadet said:

This is excellent. 

AND, as a first post. Nicely done. win.

[njthundrrd]

15 hours ago, Logan Dingus said:

I don’t understand why they didn’t stick with the traditional uniforms this year when the maroon/gold/cream is practically the exact same thing, just a little more abstract.

Save that money for a year when you want to go whole hog into something radical another year.

The uniforms are sponsored. 

[TexasPRfan]

12 hours ago, jwillis35 said:

Very true. Sadly that uniform was out of character for the more upbeat Power of Ten show. All dark was the wrong way to go. I mean you had a 1st place brass line, darn near 1st place percussion section, great marching, fantastic drill and somehow...Oh, never mind. We all know the story. I don't even want to get started with that one.  Sigh 😞

I couldn't agree more.  That amazing drill & marching would have popped so much more in the traditional uniform with white pants that year.  I still contend it might have put them over the top.  The switch to black unis during the latter part of that season was a huge mistake, IMO.