Phantom Regiment 2023

[PRomoter]

That brass line! It’s just so much cleaner and more refined than I’ve heard them at this point in the year probably since Turandot. It doesn’t get me in the feels yet, but maybe it will later. It’s definitely a more competitive book than I’ve heard out of them in a long, long time. 
 

Edit: not taking anything away from the last two years, which still bring me to tears every time. They’re just starting in a very different position this year. This is not your grandfather’s Regiment. 

Edited June 23, 2023 by PRomoter

[KVG_DC]

It's a new rep adventure for Phantom for sure, but it works well.  They're far from done with it with regard to shaping dynamics and setting the horns loose for the big impacts but that's to be expected.

The ballad has loads of potential to be a real moment musically. 

Percussion seems to need the most cleaning, they're fighting that book at times.  Although the doggo at 4:40 is digging the percussion break there!

[OldSnareDrummer]

6 hours ago, Sutasaurus said:

Not your “Saurses” drum corps but that’s a good thing! Can’t wait to see it in the field. Bravo and a SUTA to the 2023 edition of our phamily!

Wowza. Pure PR passion and emotion taken to an even higher level. Have a tissue handy when you watch this on the field. It's going to bring tears to the eye. Will it score well? Who knows, I don't care. That's a friggin drum corps the way I like to see them. Color me very impressed. 

[kdaddy]

 

[kdaddy]

I'll listen to it around 400 more times today. But my initial reaction is that the warning of this edition of Phantom Regiment being different was not overblown - it's indeed different, and that's okay. If it doesn't work out, they should be applauded for trying something different - there's always more Tchaikovsky to explore next year.

It seems to me like a more competent attempt at doing the kind of show they tried in 2018. Take the weirdness of Mandarins but add more melodic content (and that's no knock on Mandies). 

I was worried that the Rach 2 may not be a good fit with everything else, but I think it is, especially with how it is arranged. That said, it seems like someone said "we need to put something recognizable in there." 

[college-phan]

5 minutes ago, kdaddy said:

That said, it seems like someone said "we need to put something recognizable in there."

Love the Rach ballad, but yeah I agree. It almost came across to me like they felt they *had* to incorporate something from the classical realm into the repertoire. Sounds great (I think the ballad is better than last year) but it’s a bit different from the rest.

[kdaddy]

14 minutes ago, college-phan said:

(I think the ballad is better than last year) 

Kind of apples and oranges, but I'd agree. 

Also, I think the Rach 2 fits in better with this show than the Mahler 5 fit in with last year's show (though I did like it).

[KVG_DC]

oh the close video gives a good look at the uniforms.  Those are nice!  

[DrumManTx]

This is the most interested I’ve been in a Phantom Regiment show in YEARS.  This feels like it could be a very successful venture outside their comfort zone which is I love to finally see.    
 

With who they have on the visual side of things I cannot wait to see what the visual product looks like.  

[old drmmjr]

I turn 52 in a few months, and am recovering from heart bypass surgery at the moment, and after listening to this, it's official, I am an old Dino, for sure! I already said I am going to miss the beauty of the straight leg, and now I am missing the PR emotion in this show.

One thing you could always count on was the emotion in a PR show, and hopefully it will be added, because I feel none for this music. I turned my head to not watch and just listen, and there was very little to tell me it was Phantom playing. Those good old days will be missed. I had better go start hanging with Grandpa Joe and Granny Smith!

Edit to add...it will probably score better for them. I get it, design for the judges is how it has to be done. 

Edited June 23, 2023 by old drmmjr