BlooooContra Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 (edited) Ok, It's 3:30am, time to write a review. My seats were a little inside the 40, stage right, 2nd to last row up, so I had a pretty good vantage point both for drill, and for acoustics. The Lima stadium is definitely a good place to see a drum corps show. Purchasing tickets was interesting, they had a grind with X's on it drawn on posterboards so you could pick the individual seats you wanted. Kudos to the show organizers. Excellent job. Marion Glory Cadets- Improvement is the keyword here. Having been involved in the organization this year, I can tell you that these kids have gone through a lot, esp. in terms of staff changes. They've rolled with it and their rendition of The Planets is really coming along. Technique clarity is their major issue right now. The percussion, esp. the battery, is playing well. Closer still appears to not be on the field. Hopefully we'll be seeing it soon. I kinda felt bad for them at retreat, watching their DMs standing next to Cap Reg with all of the loose, sagging material on their uniforms. Hopefully they can remedy that situation next year, though money may be tight. It's definitely a small corps with heart, and they've been working their tails off this summer, with some supringly exciting results. Capital Regiment- No doubt, the best corps they've ever fielded- by far. Holsinger for the most part didn't grab my attention, but the jam session at the end of the show was well done. They had a particularly strong low brass sound. Magic of Orlando- Hmmm.... tough to make a call on this one. The music, while sometimes entertaining and recognizable, just didn't do it for me on the whole. A little too repetitive after a while, feels like hearing variations on the same few measures. As for the uni changes, I LOVE them. Perfect. Guard uniforms were great too. I think I might even prefer them over the 97 Scouts pirates. They really fit the mood. It still makes me sad that Magic no longer has it's "identity." I really miss the old Magic. Couple of good moments in the guard, esp the plank walking. Very dramatic. I loved the drunken corps scene as well, but I think to make the impact more effective, they should cut down on the water a bit before the "full spray" if you will. Maybe decorate the jugs as well. Spirit- aka "Cavies Jr." though that is NOT a bad thing. Marching style change is really working for them. Solid drill. The show's concept however is basically arbitrary. I think they'd be better off just calling it "Cool music set to good drill." The end of the closer left a bit to be desired, but we'll see what they add in during the season. This show really needs multiple viewings to really sink in. There's a lot of subtle small ensemble visual moments to take in at first. This out to be a solid 10-12 spot on finals night. They're a definitely step above Magic and Cap Reg. Bluecoats- Odd night for the Bluecoats. After a tough last few days, and a bus breakdown last night, the corps seemed kind of tired. It showed a little in the performance tonight. The energy wasn't quite there, and the volume was much less than even the Toledo show. The visual package is very, VERY demanding, and is starting to clean. The closer is still not on the field. Once it is though, look out. Haven't seen the closer drill yet, but the music is amazing. Tonight's Bluecoat highlight was definitely the colorguard. They definitely bring the attitude accross. The diamond at the end of Ride was incredible for this early in the season. They've got the talent, staff, and package to place in the top 5, and not just that 5th <A TITLE="Click for more information about slot" STYLE="text-decoration: none; border-bottom: medium solid green;" HREF="http://search.targetwords.com/u.search?x=5977|1||||slot|AA1VDw">slot</A>. Right now it's a matter of how clean they can get it. Hands down the toughest all around package of the night. Cadets- Amazing brass line. The new yamaha contras are a giant improvement over the old front valved ones. The hornline had some definitely volume, not to mention clarity. Colorguard was on tonight, and the battery smoked. I've never been a Cadet fan, but I have to say, this has very high winning potential. Not as visually demanding as I would like, but they're very clean for June. the top position will be a dogfight in August. Boston- ....ok. I'm not totally sure what to say. The drill is written to be clean. Lots of fast moving, contrary motion, on-2-and splitting drill. Hornline was aggressive. Colorguard sold emotions well. The voice overs..... If you attend BOA grand nationals, and enjoy almost every band, you will like this show. This is a great Bands of America show. That's not necessarily an insult. You can watch it and imagine Tarpon Springs, or Kennesaw Moutain doing it. Well performed. Just not my cup of tea. Retreat- Few Cap Reg hangovers in America/O Canada. But come on.... if you're going to hang over, at least do it on an impressive high note. lol Or maybe not at all. All in all a very entertaining night of drum corps. I felt that the scores were dead on. Cap Reg is solidly ahead of Magic. Maybe they have a shot at finals this year. Spirit is doing well. Boston is ahead of Bluecoats right now. When cleanliness starts to happen (and the addition of a closer) it will be a back and forth battle just like 03. Cadets will have an opportunity this year to win. Denver is going to be an exciting place this August. Edited June 29, 2004 by BlooooContra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Directorofbands Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 Thanks for the review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell Posted June 29, 2004 Share Posted June 29, 2004 (edited) m Edited May 19, 2005 by Russell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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