Blue Devils in the Details 2023

[DWW11]

31 minutes ago, KVG_DC said:

I'm (not) looking forward to the part of the tour where I'm fighting to stay awake in the Eastern time zone in order to see the Blue Devils on Flo...heh.

I don’t sign up for flo until a month before finals. That’s always right around the time BD hits TX. That hour is BIG!

[theonlyfizzle]

Bump

[theonlyfizzle]

Congrats my Devils! Our journey has began.

[mboogey73]

Second half definitely needs work.  Closer sounds like old school Phantom Regiment. 
Be fun to see what changes are made. 

[resipsaloquitur]

A brief reflections on DCI Vista for DCP Friends:

In the great works of art, there is always a sense of depth. A monument waiting to be explored. The Cut-Outs, the BD 2023 production is meant to be a profound experience, a groundbreaking achievement in colors and senses that expands the visual limits of a DCI performance. For the occasion, the colorguards greet the audience at DCI Vista with a blast of colorful floral motifs and unis that look as if the cut-outs created by Matisse himself. 

The opening allegory perfectly describes the art-imitates-life theme of Cut Outs. I blew in tears hearing its beauty..."How small a thought it takes to fill a whole life!". This is exact, precise, concise and accurate. It comes from a musical composition called Proverb by Steve Reich. The poem itself comes from a collection of Ludwig Wittgenstein’s writing entitled Culture and Value.

To better understand both context, it helps to refer to Wittgenstein's original German: "Schon der kleinste Gedanke genügt, um ein Leben zu erfüllen", which means word-for-word: "Even the smallest thought suffices to fill a life". Much of Wittgenstein’s work is ‘proverbial’ in tone and in its brevity. This particular text was written in 1946. In the same paragraph from which it was taken Wittgenstein continues, “If you want to go down deep you do not need to travel far”. The poem can be seen as explanation, or reflection, of the theme of the show itself, as well as perhaps a parallel to Matisse's (and Reich's) latter career, much of it spent exploring minimalist cut-outs.

I think Wittgenstein and Reich are trying to get at the possible complexity of seemingly simple things, given Reich's supposed love of "simpler" musical textures, ideas, forms, etc. that blossom into more complex ideas. Though I am no philosopher and cannot say I am fully versed in Wittgenstein's philosophy, I do know that Wittgenstein, like a mathematician, constructs his philosophy on simple axioms and builds a relatively complex theory from them, just as The Blue Devils are known to do by relying on themes based on an artistic movement (Dadaism), an artist (Fellini), a work of art (Nighthawks), or a color (Tempus Blue), and from them build out an artistically and musically nuanced show.

And Steve Reich’s Proverb is an amuse-bouche for what’s coming up with The Cut-Outs. Following the medieval polyphony in the opener, The Cut-Outs goes on to feature music that combines heroic anime, airy ballads and polyrhythmic metal – Cody Fry's Caves, JoJo pt. 1 and 2, Both Sides Now, and TesseracT – it’s thrilling to listen to. Caves is apropos to the show because Joni Mitchell, who wrote and sang the ballad ‘Both Sides Now,’ once spent two months living in the Matala caves on the island of Crete writing songs. With details like that, while the judges won’t know, the discerning audience have come to expect. 

Now that they're at normal altitude again they're definitely playing like monsters. Would not be surprised at all if they take brass again. Percussion appears to have a much more difficult book and playing many more notes than last year's all rookie line. Someone sitting next to us exaggerated that they are playing so many notes it's hard to fit them all onto one sheet.

Like the music, the visual imagery that constructs Palladian edifices of architectural structures and intimate textures and colors. BD is pulling out all stops, taking drum corps to yet another level.

BD fully knows what the fans want and expect, comfortably. And they continue to deliver at the highest level, creating new fans along the way. That is their formula. It was pleasure seeing all this play out in the audience during a beautiful evening in San Diego.

[corps8294]

8 hours ago, resipsaloquitur said:

BD fully knows what the fans want and expect

Whatever you say, Kreskin. 

[theonlyfizzle]

12 minutes ago, corps8294 said:

Whatever you say, Kreskin. 

Did he stutter ? I don't think so. It may not be all fans but yes

[theonlyfizzle]

Some drum corps fans are quite obnoxious. But i have my Big bowl ready for the season.

[DrumManTx]

They should go full on anime with how good Jojo is.  
 

Amazing diverse music?  ✅ 

Distinctive art style? ✅ 

Accessible?  ✅ 

Would be 10/10.  

[lawdn]

On 6/30/2023 at 4:48 PM, DWW11 said:

I don’t sign up for flo until a month before finals. That’s always right around the time BD hits TX. That hour is BIG!

2 hours!