DCI Central Indiana (Muncie) July 1

[mjoakes]

Didn’t post last night. While watching the premier on Flo, I regretted so much DCP attention while the shows were ongoing. So promised to keep the phone tucked away during Muncie’s live show. Quick opinions:

Phantom was good to watch and hear. Very appreciative crowd. Colts sounded good to my ears, but felt like a lower tier show and execution.

Crossmen, I’m not sure about. Nice sound and show. Why the dramatic change to their look? Any of they’re recent looks, including the Aussies, would fit the show fine.

I am as tired of posting that blue Stars are over-propped as people here are are tired of reading it. It’s junky to my eyes. Fine corps and music and efforts. I just don’t like so much stuff that has little productive value to the performance.

Cavies were improved. I’m a fan and often biased. Love the field without the junk, especially following Blue Stars. Guard seemed off from recent years, but better than the Premier.

Crown stepped onto the field to lots of excitement. Crowd anxious for them. Sounded very good. Guard work made me wonder even more about Cavies. But the show is not my thing. In fact, on the drive back from Muncie this morning I began to realize the Bluecoats and Crown shows are nudging me away from much drum corps. The kids must like it all. Good for them. Many of you dig it. And drum corps needs to adapt to new interests and new fans. That adaptation always means shedding old things. Even old fans.

Fortunately, there are several corps that will keep me satisfied. I will give Crown a chance to grow on me, which may well be what happens.

[queenanne_1536]

10 hours ago, Incognito365 said:

You're literally judging a show "through a video that is delivered over WiFi through FloMarching that sometimes has issues of its own" as well. Sorry, but you can't jump someone for something when you're doing the same exact thing. Pot meet kettle.

Also, the same people that are saying Bloo has a better design are the same people that said the exact same thing in 2017 when Crown was 3rd and Bloo sat out on medaling. This crown show will medal. It's in contention to win, like it or not. I knew people would try to tear it apart with them having not been at the Tour Premiere per usual, and the hype that was seen in the Crown thread. 

As for the app, every piece of technology has it's bugs that need to be fixed. When Bloo came out in 2014 they had electronic issues half the season, and did every year until 2018. Give Crown time to sort the app out. As for phone ringers going off, people need to realize you need to turn the media volume up on their phones, not the ringer volume. That's a personal error. People also need to realize, like I've said before, that their cheap *** government phones aren't going to run the app correctly and sit it out. Experience it from their neighbors phone. 

Rant over.

Last time I'm touching these subjects this season. I'm just gonna start hitting the ignore button when people want to sound like a broken record.

1. I wasn't jumping on someone. I was asking them a question. A legitimate question. I think asking someone how they can judge a brass performance through a video streaming over the internet is valid. I can't, so I want to know how someone else thinks they can. 

2. I am not doing the same thing. I am judging the overall design of the show, not the technical performances. Big difference. Design doesn't get distorted through a video, or rely on speaker placement, speaker volume and equipment failure. I don't have to be down on the field in close proximity to the individual to assess the design, like I would to assess the performances. I've said not one thing about anyone's technical performance or abilities, other than I think Crown's guard and hornline are sensational. I believe design takes a huge precedence when it comes to judging, and I believe Blue Devils and Bluecoats designs are far superior to Crown's, in the sense as to what the judges reward.

3. Why does being critical about something equate to hate? The two biggest elements I hate about modern drum corps are the lack of interesting and challenging drill and the lack of sustainable melodic music. Who has interesting and challenging drill and sustainable melodic music? Crown. So, I far from hate them. They are one of my favorites. I would love it if they won. It would be great for this activity if they won. But they didn't win in 2019 because of their design and I don't believe they are going to win in 2022 because of their design. It's not what the judges reward, in my opinion, unless something changes this year.

4. Crown may medal. Not will, may. Crown may be in contention to win, but I think it's going to be extremely tough for them. The design is just not what gets rewarded, plain and simple. Go back and watch the top 4 from 2019 and you'll see the one thing that differentiated them - design. While talent kept Crown in the top 4, design kept them out of the top 3. Broken record, yes, because Crown just isn't getting it. Either that, or they want to play to the fans and not the judges. 

5. Bluecoats will likely medal. Bluecoats will likely be in contention to win.

6. Blue Devils will medal. Blue Devils will be in contention to win.

Lastly, if you want to ignore me fine but that's too bad. It's too bad we can't have a discussion. People disagree with me all the time and that's part of the fun. There are plenty of people being critical about Vanguard and I'm not crying. In fact, the more I have watched Vanguard's show, the more I agree with them. 

Edited July 2, 2022 by queenanne_1536

[BoyWonder1911]

Haven't posted in almost 3 years! Glad that drum corps is back!

I subscribed to flo marching so I've gotten to see some shows.

Remember that it is still early and corps will add more things to their show!

Having said that, even though I liked Crown, they started out by building my expectations to unreasonable levels and then slowly let me down until the end. I was kept waiting for the WOW moment but it didn't come. Right here right now, ok, but not yet! Keep waiting, it's coming, oh the show is over, it never happened. I feel bait and switched. Lol. But like I said, undoubtedly things will be added. Shows aren't done! 

Can't wait to see the west coast corps. 

Blue Stars performers are very good. Percussion needs work but they are otherwise clearly a better corps than Phantom. I just wish for once they would make a much more simple show without all the props. 

Kevin Ford and Mike Shapiro are so talented at what they do, but I feel like their best work is still yet to come. I know they can design a whopper of a show and that one day the corps will compete for a medal again. 

 

Ball State U has always been a great venue for drum corps. 

[corps8294]

1 hour ago, BlueStainGlass said:

Its not go away from Kevin it's tone down Kevin some. I think the drill is fun to watch because it's drill but if they can't clean it you can't move up. It's phantom 2010 trying to clean Rosanders monster of a drill package. Vanguard trying to clean Weber drill at one step intervals. It's what I hate in the activity that difficulty that is dirty doesn't get rewarded against clean and simple. 

The Blue Stars had Rosander back in 2012 and we all know how that season, unfortunately, turned out. 

[BlueStainGlass]

I also have on good authority that all the blue stars props are brand new. Also curious how comfy those sleds are because that would be a good nap spot. 

[BlueStainGlass]

2 minutes ago, corps8294 said:

The Blue Stars had Rosander back in 2012 and we all know how that season, unfortunately, turned out. 

And a very unpopular opinion that show was one of my favorite blue stars show musically and visually. 

[Vidal28Rdg]

9 minutes ago, queenanne_1536 said:

1. I wasn't jumping on someone. I was asking them a question. A legitimate question. I think asking someone how they can judge a brass performance through a video streaming over the internet is a legitimate question.

2. I am not doing the same thing. I am judging the overall design of the show, not the technical performances. Big difference. Design doesn't get distorted through a video. I don't have to be down on the field in close proximity to the individual to assess the design, like I would to ##### the performances. I've said not one thing about anyone's technical performance or abilities, other than I think Crown's guard and hornline are sensational. I believe design takes a huge precedence when it comes to judging, and I believe Blue Devils and Bluecoats designs are far superior to Crown's, in the sense as to what the judges reward.

Why does being critical about something equate to hate? The two biggest elements I hate about modern drum corps are the lack of interesting and challenging drill and the lack of sustainable melodic music. Who has interesting and challenging drill and sustainable melodic music? Crown. So, I far from hate them. They are one of my favorites. I would love it if they won. It would be great for this activity if they won. But they didn't win in 2019 because of their design and I don't believe they are going to win in 2022 because of their design. It's not what the judges reward, in my opinion, unless something changes this year.

Crown may medal. Not will, may. Crown may be in contention to win.

Bluecoats will likely medal. Bluecoats will likely be in contention to win.

Blue Devils will medal. Blue Devils will be in contention to win.

Fair assessment, I’m much in the camp of what you dislike and enjoy from programs and shows, the visual design/GE elements don’t really hit me nearly as hard as what I’m hearing. We’ll just have to see when we have SEVERAL shows where these top 3 are together to see where corps are doing well and where they aren’t according to judges. We’ll get to see where SCV and BD are to each other and Bloo and Crown are fairly often before that, but even then I’d be wary. Might be one of those seasons where it all comes down to 1 or two captions. It’s TBD for me as of now

[queenanne_1536]

Just now, Vidal28Rdg said:

Fair assessment, I’m much in the camp of what you dislike and enjoy from programs and shows, the visual design/GE elements don’t really hit me nearly as hard as what I’m hearing. We’ll just have to see when we have SEVERAL shows where these top 3 are together to see where corps are doing well and where they aren’t according to judges. We’ll get to see where SCV and BD are to each other and Bloo and Crown are fairly often before that, but even then I’d be wary. Might be one of those seasons where it all comes down to 1 or two captions. It’s TBD for me as of now

That's a fair assessment. I do focus more on the design than the music (as much as I'm a music lover). My favorites this year are Crown and Regiment (I love both visually and musically) and Bluecoats visually. It is such a visually feast IMO. I only heard Bluecoats once and have seen more a Crown or Regiment, and was really focused on Bluecoats visually, so I'll have to get more familiar with them musically.

[Poppycock]

19 minutes ago, BoyWonder1911 said:

Having said that, even though I liked Crown, they started out by building my expectations to unreasonable levels and then slowly let me down until the end. I was kept waiting for the WOW moment but it didn't come. Right here right now, ok, but not yet! Keep waiting, it's coming, oh the show is over, it never happened. I feel bait and switched. Lol. But like I said, undoubtedly things will be added. Shows aren't done! 

Stephan calls it fake hype. He said last night “too cheesy for me” what’s left to add to the design? Stephan likes cheese too. 

[Vidal28Rdg]

1 minute ago, queenanne_1536 said:

That's a fair assessment. I do focus more on the design than the music (as much as I'm a music lover). My favorites this year are Crown and Regiment (I love both visually and musically) and Bluecoats visually. It is such a visually feast IMO. I only heard Bluecoats once and have seen more a Crown or Regiment, and was really focused on Bluecoats visually, so I'll have to get more familiar with them musically.

Bluecoats visually are simply very cool and interesting, I’ll have to watch their show again a few more times ‘cause I’ve also only seen them once and haven’t gone back to listen to them again. It’s a show that is needing to be rewatched anyways. I have my own issues with crown’s musical program and package, even if it’s one of my preferred of the season*cough*slow the ballad down*cough*

BD has all of their fairly unique visual intricacies, and they definitely deserve all their props they’re given in that area, nearly untouchable in percussion, but their whole musical program doesn’t really blow me away and it doesn’t even really scream *GE MONSTER* that many would say it *clearly* is, at least to me. The changes they make will at least be well-thought out, but my overall impression is currently an “ehhh” with occasional “ooohs” mixed in.

don’t even know what to think with SCV until they get their whole show out there, always dangerous in their particular caption strong suits. Every top 6 corps has their own defined style like in 2019 as well so at least it isn’t all similar haha