Carolina Crown 2023

[billj]

3 hours ago, Sensioto said:

Indeed. If there was ever a show that needed a crown set, it is this one! I hope they integrate the pizza wedges and somehow the round table into the crown set. Or a dissolving crown a la 2017. Something to get the crowd on their feet 👑

Pizza slices = jewels on the crown 

[jjeffeory]

Crown is great! I think the brass has taken a slight step back in excitement, but the quality is there.

Something about their staging doesn't sit perfectly with me, but that's ok.

I won't be mad if they win it all, but it's going to take until the end to sell me on this show.

The guard is on fire. The percussion seems great and integrated well, but the combination of brass and percussion isn't blowing me away. I've seen the show live 3 times, and I have to fight to stay focused.

 

I wanna throw babbies, but I'm not compelled to throw babies. We'll see how that goes.

What should I be looking for in order to get more out of the show?

 

With Boston, I concentrated on the guard, and that drew me in.

With Bluecoats, I focused on that bacon-sizzle brassline. That drew me in.

 

With Crown, I'm used to that brass. Now it's the guard that's doing the heavy lifting, but it doesn't give me that Cadets '93 level of excitement just yet.

I need some education folks! Please point some stuff out for me!

 

Thanks!

[TigerBaritone19]

33 minutes ago, jjeffeory said:

Crown is great! I think the brass has taken a slight step back in excitement, but the quality is there.

Something about their staging doesn't sit perfectly with me, but that's ok.

I won't be mad if they win it all, but it's going to take until the end to sell me on this show.

The guard is on fire. The percussion seems great and integrated well, but the combination of brass and percussion isn't blowing me away. I've seen the show live 3 times, and I have to fight to stay focused.

 

I wanna throw babbies, but I'm not compelled to throw babies. We'll see how that goes.

What should I be looking for in order to get more out of the show?

 

With Boston, I concentrated on the guard, and that drew me in.

With Bluecoats, I focused on that bacon-sizzle brassline. That drew me in.

 

With Crown, I'm used to that brass. Now it's the guard that's doing the heavy lifting, but it doesn't give me that Cadets '93 level of excitement just yet.

I need some education folks! Please point some stuff out for me!

 

Thanks!

Just from what I have seen on Flo, it's not so much them trying to highlight one section. It seems that they are very comfortable with all sections and the whole show is just a cohesive thing (i.e., not making the brass the star of the show). I think you should just watch the show on multicam since you've seen it live all 3 times and find new things each time. There are a lot of smaller details that could be missed watching it live. I think they do a good job of telling the story throughout the show, which is their big thing this year because without telling the story the show is nothing. As for brass, it isn't as technical as it is musical and the arrangements are amazing this year. The ballad is so intricate that one player missing an attack by a millisecond almost ruins it because it's so audible. The brass book may not be the most difficult they have ever had in terms of the amount of notes, but it's still a difficult book. It is very much like a movie soundtrack and fits the show very well IMO. Hope this helps. If not, then I just word-vomited on the thread haha.

[saxfreq1128]

1 hour ago, jjeffeory said:

Crown is great! I think the brass has taken a slight step back in excitement, but the quality is there.

Something about their staging doesn't sit perfectly with me, but that's ok.

I won't be mad if they win it all, but it's going to take until the end to sell me on this show.

The guard is on fire. The percussion seems great and integrated well, but the combination of brass and percussion isn't blowing me away. I've seen the show live 3 times, and I have to fight to stay focused.

 

I wanna throw babbies, but I'm not compelled to throw babies. We'll see how that goes.

What should I be looking for in order to get more out of the show?

 

With Boston, I concentrated on the guard, and that drew me in.

With Bluecoats, I focused on that bacon-sizzle brassline. That drew me in.

 

With Crown, I'm used to that brass. Now it's the guard that's doing the heavy lifting, but it doesn't give me that Cadets '93 level of excitement just yet.

I need some education folks! Please point some stuff out for me!

 

Thanks!

I think it’s gonna pop more when the brass adds a little more fire — they have the vehicle IMO, they’re selling it well, but they’re not going for the kill yet at this point in the season. 

I can also totally see how the show might seem same-y for some people: it’s dark and serious throughout, kinda takes awhile for the pizzas to be upright and for new red colors to be thrown into the mix, and even then, the overall vibe doesn’t change, it’s either dark and somber or dark and aggressive. I *like* this about their show. But they’re up against corps that are showing off a wide range of moods, and maybe that’s why they seem less sparkly for some people right now. 

Edited July 6, 2023 by saxfreq1128

[TigerBaritone19]

3 minutes ago, saxfreq1128 said:

I think it’s gonna pop more when the brass adds a little more fire — they have the vehicle IMO, they’re selling it well, but they’re not going for the kill yet at this point in the season. 

I can also totally see how the show might seem same-y for some people: it’s dark and serious throughout, kinda takes awhile for the pizzas to be upright and for new red colors to be thrown into the mix, and even then, the overall vibe doesn’t change, it’s either dark and somber or dark and aggressive. I *like* this about their show. But they’re up against corps that are showing off a wide range of moods, and maybe that’s why they seem less sparkly for some people right now. 

I agree with this. With BD and Bloo going super colorful, this show just isn't very bright at all, but that's fine. This isn't supposed to be bright. And I think Crown is going with the add more later approach this year. Last year was throw it all out there and try to clean but it didn't work in their favor. In the Marching Roundtable interview, Subel alluded to the fact that they would add more to this show throughout the summer. I expect the brass book to get beefier and the closer to be completely different drill-wise and maybe music-wise come Finals night

[MadisonBandMan1]

I fell asleep very early yesterday after a very long day, so I missed the show and had to watch it later. The show is being sold more and more with each watch, and it was overall WAY cleaner this show than the first. There are some parts that came across with much more clarity musically than they did a few days ago, and found myself saying wow when I heard new parts come out of the muck. I can see where so much more is going to be added. 

Great job on the win for them and I hope they widen the gap some more with Bloo between now and NightBeat. I can't wait to see them live at San Antonio in two and a half weeks, ticket has already been bought. (I fly down there next Sunday for three weeks to visit family and friends and I am so excited.)

I love this show and am already starting to build and emotional connection to it, some sections are already really starting to sell the concept really well. 

[MadisonBandMan1]

The ballad *really* struck me today. That is going to make people cry come finals night. I can feel it. The silence is deafening. 

[Grandpa Joe]

29 minutes ago, TigerBaritone19 said:

Just from what I have seen on Flo, it's not so much them trying to highlight one section. It seems that they are very comfortable with all sections and the whole show is just a cohesive thing (i.e., not making the brass the star of the show). I think you should just watch the show on multicam since you've seen it live all 3 times and find new things each time. There are a lot of smaller details that could be missed watching it live. I think they do a good job of telling the story throughout the show, which is their big thing this year because without telling the story the show is nothing. As for brass, it isn't as technical as it is musical and the arrangements are amazing this year. The ballad is so intricate that one player missing an attack by a millisecond almost ruins it because it's so audible. The brass book may not be the most difficult they have ever had in terms of the amount of notes, but it's still a difficult book. It is very much like a movie soundtrack and fits the show very well IMO. Hope this helps. If not, then I just word-vomited on the thread haha.

I just noticed last night that Arthur pulls the sword out of the table. I had been watching on high cam the first couple of shows that I completely missed it, plus the things I mentioned late last night. The show has several layers to it already, and there's still so much more to add. Drill will change, music will change, the closer will DEFINITELY change. We're just getting started with this show, and they've already began to layer (heard a little in the brass book last night).

[MadisonBandMan1]

You can tell the ensemble has built a lot more endurance the last two weeks as well, they sound a lot more relaxed as is typical with every corps. 

[MadisonBandMan1]

3 minutes ago, Grandpa Joe said:

I just noticed last night that Arthur pulls the sword out of the table. I had been watching on high cam the first couple of shows that I completely missed it, plus the things I mentioned late last night. The show has several layers to it already, and there's still so much more to add. Drill will change, music will change, the closer will DEFINITELY change. We're just getting started with this show, and they've already began to layer (heard a little in the brass book last night).

Yeah I heard some of the new layers in the brass book last night too. And the Tuba multi-tonguing feature came out much more clear this show than it had the last few shows too. A lot of cleaning creates layering in itself.