Clifton - 2025-07-12 Abridged Compliment Sammiches

[C.Holland]

I didn’t take my phone out of my pocket. So you all don’t get many notes. So instead we’ll go super efficient for this forum.

 

We’ll go with the following format.
YAY: something nice to say

NAY: something of criticism

YAY: something sunshiney and rainbowey so you all don’t egg the house. 
 

ok… it’ll try at least but you’re not new here. You know mularky will be noted where it’s apparent. 
 

y’all know my background. A bunch of years marching, former educator of both single age, and double aged, career designer for entertainment and club-date musician. comments are never directed at the members. We all know this is a design led activity and everything on that pitch is because of the people standing in front of them telling them what to do.  They’ve either trained and designed it well, or they didn’t.  
 

Newsflash, and this will sound harsh and it needs to… Finals is barely 3 weeks away.  Read that again.  Today is 7/12. (Now 7/13 as I type this) Open class prelims is 8/4. Do the math. Ships have sailed for training members the fundamentals to be at an acceptable level.

 

the venue overall,

I will say, I do love this venue.  It feels old school. It smells old school.  Tail gating in the lot. The warmup designated areas are nowhere near far enough to not hear battery ruin all the quiet moments. The diet cokes are ice cold and they cheer when you tip the servers. The 50/50 was not my number but whoever won, let’s get dinner. On you. I’ll work for it. ;)
 

I’ll skip who I missed… so Sonus, Sky Alum, sorry y’all. Wasn’t there for it. But you sounded lovely as an echo of the near buildings. 
 

7th… YAY. Atlantis… ok. like the idea of this show. I dig the choices in music (carnival of animals, la mer) and the audio effects. I dig the set and the gold tridents. Well done on coordinating your aesthetic. 
Nay: This show doesn’t know how to set itself up to highlight moment to moment.  Totally missed big important plot points because there’s a distraction of busier motion on the other side of the field.  Fix those and you’ll fix the show. 
YAY: Guard (and corps overall) looks young, but punches well above its age. Give them another season together and they’ll be smoking the work. Frankly if the design team can fix the moments that clash, and let one side of the field setup the other, this would be baller. 
 

Raiders. 
Yay: Largest corps in years. Show concept is kickin. I dig it.  Unis and scenery is tasteful and elegantly used. Time in a bottle is a nice touch. 

Nay: Horns don’t put air in the instrument. So there’s 30 of them, but you won’t hear them. It’s July and the show isn’t done. (Yes… you read that right… standing still on july 12 is… a no-no) 

Pseudo Yay: The show will be seriously sweeeeeeet come August 4, IF they can somehow figure it out, AND train the members. But it’s 22 days til prelims and the last minute or so is not there yet. I feel like ships have sailed and this will be lots of band aids and tail chasing, which is unfortunate. Because if fundamentals of drum corps haven’t been taught yet, they won’t be at this point. The pit here is working overtime and it shows. 
 

Sun: it’s called Move. A show about a concept. 

YAY I dig the new school approach to show design. The pop of color later on. The integrated audio and the battery is the highlight of the group. They’ve woven Move into all sorts of graphic styles. Flags, Poles… flag poles… just watch it, you’ll get it. 
NAY:  a few holes tonight. Some members just not sure of the drill. 
Yay: integration of body, sound, and percussion is well done. It’s good to see youthful staff breathing life into a show that has loads of potential.  The battery is kicking. Go give them a listen. 
 

Bux… On Display. 
YAY: they look and sound like the youthful reading corps we’re used to seeing. Tubas are in boss mode here. The mix of modern charts with classical works is a signature, and they do pull it off well. 
NAY: the windows. (Or two way mirrors frames) There’s a ton of them. They look in the way. They read like a “good enough” idea but not a “great” idea. They’re fine I guess. But aside from holding guard gear they don’t feel necessary or even well integrated.  They feel like “the activity likes props so here’s some props” 

YaY: they sound huge. The horns and FX weaving together is done as well as any top 12 corps. Moment to moment is setup very well in the corps proper.  
 

Bush: where do we begin (show title… not a question to you the reader)

yay: best bush show in years.  Bucimis. You and a I. Good choices in sounds.  Actually an ok blend between horns and percussion. Really melodic playing from both. Even the flute was a great choice. (Sorry haters, it worked well)
nay: amplified sound… overall balance and EQ, mics cutting out, some things really hot, some non existent… woof.  I’d rather have no FX than what was there tonight. Seriously. Killed y’all. 
yay: throw out the affects and just perform this sucker. You’re playing above it. Go make a few changes to make it a hair more challenging and really let it blossom. It’ll make whoever is on direct before it forgettable.
 

hurcs: the black parade.  (Death… and hope as it comes… google it kids) 

yay: guard is gonna push this show. They already do. They’re outworking everyone. Well done tossers of tossable materials. They steal the show. In a good way. 
nay: there’s 2 aesthetics and scale of set pieces on the field, and they don’t belong together. Seriously. Use graphics (with less gloss) or iconic symbols but pick 1 aesthetic and scale for these things.  Or remake it so it all looks like it belongs in one world of the script. 
yay: aside from graphic issues this is a cool show. Has potential. It’s not dreary enough yet to give you creep vibes but the idea is there. It’s missing bigger impacts and doom moments to contrast the sweet moments.  But it’ll be entertaining once that gets thought out. 
 

Cabs : On The Edge

yay: Melodie’s that people will hum as they leave the stadium. (REM, Lady Gaga) music for the modern drum corps kid. Well done. Corps looks and sounds big. Moves… ok. Horns are pushing to give you an old school feel with new school gear. Battery is tasteful. Guard is…neon.  I like it.  
 

nay. Set pieces don’t have enough weight in the base to not move under a single performer on top. And no wheel locks used. The height of ramp without a railing wouldn’t be allowed on Broadway.  So it triggers my brain to want to scream at someone. Because it feels like an accident waiting to happen. Scratch that, It is an accident waiting to happen. 
 

Yay: death Ramps aside, the show is fun, watchable, hummable, you’ll dig all 10 ish minutes of it. And whoever is playing before it you’ll forget about (unless it’s bush).  In a sea of shows trying to do too much, this show feels right for the time to clean it and maybe make a few changes in time to do well to surprise us in Indy. (I won’t be in Indy this year, but you should go)   The “Inception” usage of the death Ramps is creative way to restage and repurpose things really well. It lies they stole the idea directly from (Hamilton, Harry Potter, inception…) but hey. It works. 

Cabs alum.  As always. Well done. Not a mic needed to hear you. Crusty old bugles with arrangements written in a good slot for the horns, and just mow your face off horn blasts. Rump rump rump it up.  You all need to be the feature at dci semis one year. It’s too good an old school vibe, done too well, to not be in the dome just once. Hats off to y’all. 

 

Got things to say… feel free to send an angry email to support@flosports.tv or leave a voicemail at 317-275-1212 I’m sure someone in both these places will expedite your concern to the highest degree of their customer serving abilities.

 

cheers.

[Jeff Ream]

from watching on FLo, i agree with a lot of this....except Bucs, because, well, Flo

[C.Holland]

On 7/15/2025 at 2:09 PM, Jeff Ream said:

from watching on FLo, i agree with a lot of this....except Bucs, because, well, Flo

The bucs are great performers. 

But brutal honesty… the show is complex, clean for a daily corps marketed as a weekend corps, and a snooze fest. You didn’t miss much. It’s like watching a much cleaner blue knights. 

[Jeff Ream]

14 hours ago, C.Holland said:

The bucs are great performers. 

But brutal honesty… the show is complex, clean for a daily corps marketed as a weekend corps, and a snooze fest. You didn’t miss much. It’s like watching a much cleaner blue knights. 

i'll see it tomorrow

[jwillis35]

Thanks for the excellent review.