Carolina Crown 2025

[AllRise99]

53 minutes ago, regimentlvr said:

I’m at a loss for what happened this year with Crown. Started the season beating BAC and PR significantly. Didn’t see this shaking out this way. 

I’m not completely familiar with the term “slotting” although I know people interested in this activity use it a lot, and I’m certainly not trying to say anything was rigged…my question is sincere and coming from a place of pure ignorance:

Is it possible that early showdowns like Broken Arrow, San Antonio, or Murfreesboro kind of fueled this narrative of “Crown is fading and isn’t as good” and then judges at later shows might’ve had that in the back of their minds? Like without even meaning to?

[AllRise99]

9 hours ago, KVG_DC said:

The usual "slow burn" of Crown's layering seemed at bit too slow this year.  Honestly, I think if the season was another week, Crown would have that 'super comfortable at their peak' and not just 'arrived at their peak' energy.  They'd be past Phantom and charging at BD at that point unless Phantom figured out more to put in.   The shorter season seems to have disrupted the timeline rollout game for Crown staff.  Other corps had their timelines adjusted much smoother.

As someone who can only go to the SA show without traveling far, I really hope they put stuff in early because I have yet to see a Crown set in person😂might just have to make the trip one day

[AllRise99]

Also wondering…is there reason to worry about percussion? I remember seeing that “3” for the percussion ordinal on finals night in 2023 and thinking it was maybe the beginning of something special, but it definitely didn’t turn out that way (6th on all 3 nights this year).

Gotta factor in the return of SCV, but still…what does this say about 2025?

[uneventfulhorizon]

1 hour ago, BlueStainGlass said:

Filling up a third of a field with red brick props and tarps seems pretty big on the props... They moved them around but when the bricks were separated and spread out they covered the whole back hash and the tarps cut 20 yards off. I don't care what anyone says they used the props to shrink the field the same way crown, BD, and phantom used props to shrink the field. Bluecoats props took more space than Crowns. Just because people like a prop more than another does not mean it's not big. 

 

I've held that all season and felt now I can say it.

they were still able to have a great visual program despite this. Crown just needs to make sure to have a solid vis program around large sets pieces, or have a small set to maximize field usage.

[wilme861]

52 minutes ago, AllRise99 said:

Also wondering…is there reason to worry about percussion? I remember seeing that “3” for the percussion ordinal on finals night in 2023 and thinking it was maybe the beginning of something special, but it definitely didn’t turn out that way (6th on all 3 nights this year).

Gotta factor in the return of SCV, but still…what does this say about 2025?

Depends who you ask really. People on here mostly think “6th place, they suck, let’s blow it up”.

But in reality, it’s an unbelievable staff with phenomenal writing that’s challenging a young group more than they probably ever have been before, all while having a great time doing it (as great as 100 degree heat can be that is).

I hear the top 6 get talked about quite a bit in percussion but I’m going to throw in 2 more into the mix, Troopers and Cavies. These top 8 groups are incredible on the percussion side. Seriously, go watch any of the lot videos. ALL of them are elite. If you showed me any of them 10 years ago, I would say they were a top 3 line 100%. Instead, they are as low as 8th. The placement can be soooo misleading. The difference between SCV and Cavies down in 8th isn’t nearly as much as the placement would have you believe. And as other corps will tell you…it’s REALLY hard to beat a Rennick line!

Crown drums are just fine, imo.

[lifeisaround]

1 hour ago, AllRise99 said:

The usual "slow burn" of Crown's layering seemed at bit too slow this year.  Honestly, I think if the season was another week, Crown would have that 'super comfortable at their peak' and not just 'arrived at their peak' energy.  They'd be past Phantom and charging at BD at that point unless Phantom figured out more to put in.   The shorter season seems to have disrupted the timeline rollout game for Crown staff.  Other corps had their timelines adjusted much smoother.

I would say youre not wrong in the fact they didn't peak at the right time, but interesting to note here, by the facebook posts and websites reading,,,,, crown was one of the earliest corps to move in if not the the first corps to move in, have to wonder the efficiency at move ins as well, not only from putting dots and music together, but from an idea perspective as well, makes me wonder what is in store and how they evolve going into 2025... ;;;

[Brass Lover]

I think the arguments about story shows vs concept shows and props vs no props are largely misguided. It's less about what you do but rather how you do it. Bluecoats and Phantom had props and they weren't an issue as they were effective. Crowns shows in 2017 and 2022 were concept shows and they were largely criticized because they weren't effective (relatively). Meanwhile 2023 saw more success with a storytelling style because the story it told was effective. Intention and purpose are more important to a quality design and the lack of those elements are where Crown has struggled in bringing it together. 

[MadisonBandMan1]

12 hours ago, karuna said:

Let's GO Crownies!   Make the '25 thread even better than the '24 thread.

Here's my first topic for the thread:  what would you change?

The biggest issue I'd address design-wise is pacing.  

'24 the show is fire right up to the first percussion feature.  (1) the break is way too long (2) it leads into a brass feature which seems unconnected to the previous 2 sections.  At that point you've lost all the momentum the show had at that point.  There are lots of other places where I just ask "why" when the design throws away the momentum and just drags on.   

SO....pacing, pacing, pacing!  

Next?

 

I have been busy the last few days so you beat me to it this year Karuna! I agree, pacing and transitions are a problem that they have had for the last 6 years that I hope they address this offseason. They are improving in almost every other metric right now. 

[uneventfulhorizon]

22 minutes ago, Brass Lover said:

I think the arguments about story shows vs concept shows and props vs no props are largely misguided. It's less about what you do but rather how you do it. Bluecoats and Phantom had props and they weren't an issue as they were effective. Crowns shows in 2017 and 2022 were concept shows and they were largely criticized because they weren't effective (relatively). Meanwhile 2023 saw more success with a storytelling style because the story it told was effective. Intention and purpose are more important to a quality design and the lack of those elements are where Crown has struggled in bringing it together. 

100% this

[WildcatMello]

Hmm...I agree with just about everything that's been mentioned. Personally i think if the visuals had been better this year it would also have helped improve that GE score which is how Phantom passed them. I have no problem with the guard work. They were top notch. But if they had tweaked how they were used in the second half of the show, different color flags for the ballad....Designating a member to be Prometheus himself, like how there was King Arthur in 2023 would have helped. I think there was a member that was Prometheus, but he didn't look different from the rest until the very end. 

So yeah...visuals ..I feel visuals affect GE more than GE affects visuals...or am i wrong on that?  Also...does uniforms/costumes have more of a visual effect or GE? One thing I liked I've liked about BAC the past couple of years is that the uniforms where more traditional, with shakos....I really wish Crown would go back to that. 

Not sure how I feel about story telling vs concept. It seems under almost every video I seen of them the comments were saying the design of the show was so outdated and laments about how Crown use to come up with title worthy shows...lots of comments like that for 2023 as well. But they medaled there so clearly storytelling isn't outdated, but it needs to grab the audience in a more effective way if they continue with that kind of show for next year. 

This may be just me, but less body movement...I'm not talking about them needing to stay still more....but the way they moved around on the field, over exaggerating their arm movements or the way the would get to a new set, the brass members leaping in a sequence, like after the opening number was done. I know it's all for pageantry, but it does nothing for me at all and looked silly.. Sharp leg movements or arm movements like in 2015 and 2016.  

I'm very optimistic about next year.  Taking fifth isn't the end of the world...remember 2014 and then in 2015. 

Edited August 13, 2024 by WildcatMello