Southwestern (San Antonio) 2004 Show Review

[MikeN]

Hey, all – here’s my annual one review of the show I get to see! This year, I’m eschewing the narrative format for more of a Q/A setup – just for something different. And I’m focusing more on my reactions to different things than describing *what* they’re doing (though I put that in there as I remembered to!). Finally, I apologize for the haphazard length of some corps versus others – I’m doing it all from memory, and it’s a few days later now.

Alamodome (Capacity 65,000)

Burning Question: So, how’s the dome this year?

Well, they didn’t announce the attendance, but I’m guessing it was about half of previous years, so about 6,000 or so. The lower deck didn’t have any full sections – most were half empty. A lot more people on the upper deck this time. Go figure. I’m guessing that the fact this wasn’t the same weekend as the Texas Bandmasters Association meetings didn’t help. They didn’t use the jumbotrons at all, and most of the concession stands were closed. They had only one of the staircases to the upper deck working (and the elevators), so the whole venue had a “we just snuck in to hold a drum corps show” feel to it. The acoustics are what they are, you either like them or don’t. I don’t mind them, personally – the reverb helps low brass and drums and makes *every* corps sound like a big one. It’s kind of fun to hear. :)

Esperanza (9th, 69.200)

Five

Burning Question: How does the big E stack up in Division I this year?

Quite well, actually. The corps plays music that… well, isn’t very recognizable to the average fan. Unless you were a fan last year, in which case you’ve heard October (Glassmen, Spirit) before. The opener sounded a lot like The Canyon (SCV 1999). I’d rate the music as solid if uninspiring to me, though it will need more listens from me before I can give an in-depth analysis of it. The visual program is a treat. They work in “five” symbols wherever they can in the drill and guard (flags, for one). Slight problem in the closer – the 2nd time they form a V for a roman numeral five, there’s 6 guard inside of it. Overall, they perform well, and I’d pencil them in for semifinals at the moment (use pencil, though) – they’re cleaner than a lot of the bigger corps that came after. (And the big E in the ending drill set was cool!)

Southwind (10th, 67.300)

A Journey Across the Sands

Burning Question: Is Southwind going to make Semis this year?

It depends 100 percent on their ability to improve their individual technique in both music and visual. Design-wise, this show is fun, engaging and accessible. The music is catchy, they attempt big drill moves (finalist-caliber stuff) and there’s not a whole lot of “huh?” to it. Performance-wise, it’s shaky. There’s a lot of individual errors, drops in the guard, et cetera. (Speaking of the guard – they are dressed in some of the most outlandish colors you’d ever see on the field – not in any way suited to desert themes. And they need to lose the whip-like things.) Overall, they’re just a fun corps to watch and hear. The music – especially if you’ve heard the soundtracks – just sticks with you. :) Right now, I wouldn’t expect them to make Semifinals, but believe me, if they are able to clean, clean and clean some more, this show has a *lot* of potential!

Troopers (11th, 64.450)

The Troopers are Coming

Burning Question: Are the Troopers still the Troopers?

Yes. (That was easy…)

Troopers (11th, 64.450)

The Troopers are Coming

Burning Question: Are you actually going to review them?

Okay, it was just a joke. :) Small corps this year – I keep hoping that they’re going to bust out on us at some point with a full crew – that’ll be neat. Still the best looking DM in drum corps. I like the kerchiefs, though my wife pointed out they really need to find a way to have them tied the same on each member – the lengths vary right now, and it makes them look odd at points, but I say the waist sashes need to go. The bright yellow cuts the members in half, and makes them look kind of dumpy.

The music is signature Troopers – you could hear ‘em on the CD without seeing the track name and know just who they are. The guard uses serapes in the ballad – that was neat to see. (And my wife kept busting out “Serape!” at random moments throughout the night after that.) The song after the ballad (can’t remember the name from memory) for me is the highlight of the show – upbeat, bright and full of energy. Their drumline was the first group of the night to incorporate a lot of visual elements into their performance, and that was neat to see – I was afraid that it just wasn’t “in” anymore.

There’s a dual closer on the show, one fast, one not. The slower one (Taps) ends with the corps facing the back right corner, and is nicely done. One random observation I had during this show is that it seems to use the left side of the field more than the right – for most corps I had to crane my neck around the rail up at the front of the upper deck (we were in row 1) to see – not so much with them…

Capital Regiment (6th, 75.125)

Celebration of Life

Burning Question: Should they really be beating all of the groups that they are?

Yep. This was the first time I’d ever seen Capital Regiment, and they put on a very clean, very solid performance. First note – the guard came out in half navy blue, half neon green jackets. Yikes. When they turned around, we were practically blinded! Thankfully, those come off fairly quickly into the show. Yikes again.

Musically, the show is built a lot around a central theme in the opener and closer. I don’t know the melody’s name – if someone does, please jog my memory – but it’s the same as the Cavaliers drum feature in ’90 (Variations on a Hymn by Louis Bourgeois). The ballad, to me, sounded a lot like To Tame The Perilous Skies. Considering it’s an all-Holsinger show, that makes sense. Their highlight was the jazz number after the ballad, and the crowd really seemed to get into it. Overall, clean was the name of the game for them. It’s not the most technically sophisticated or at times exciting show in the world, but what they do, they do *very* well. I think that their standings right now are due to the technical proficiency of the corps more than anything.

One observation – I didn’t see *one* single mass corps drill move in the show – it was all swirls and follow the leaders and “regular” marching, but if there was one move where the corps did something as a whole, I missed it.

If Regiment makes Finals, I think they’ll sneak in at #12. If not, they’ll probably end up with the 13th or 14th spot. In any event, it’s a huge step up for them, and I think a harbinger of things to come!

Seattle Cascades (7th, 72.625)

Nature’s Confession

Burning Question: Can you have too many timpani?

I think so, but if you’re the Cascades, then the answer is no! They had the set in the pit, and then one at each back corner of the endzones. As the show reached it’s peak at the end, the sets are wheeled across the field towards the center, and finally to the front sideline. Personally, I found them extremely distracting – they kept me from watching the drill. And they hardly use them at all. Along the same lines, the battery picks up rain drums in the ballad, and uses them *twice,* then grounds them. Were I a director, the conversation would go like this: “Can we buy 19 rain drums?” “Why?” “Cause they’re a neat effect, and the drummers can use them.” “How much are they going to use them?” “Twice.” “Um, no. Even if we were talking $20 per drum, that’s $380, which is 200 gallons of gas or 600 loaves of bread. Better spent there, wouldn’t you say?”

Okay, enough about the timpani. The show itself is entertaining. Seattle, ever since I’ve first seen them, has always tried the big drill moves (the rotating blocks and other stuff) and this year’s the same. The highlight of the show for me was the aforementioned rainy ballad, which is just beautiful. (“Birth” by Benoit Jutras, of Madison 2003 composer fame.) Maybe one of my favorite songs this year. Visually / Guard-wise, they did present “nature” quite well. Musically, well, just go along with it and you’ll be okay. All Things Bright and Beautiful is fine – doesn’t evoke many Cavaliers images – and it’s been almost 15 years now; it’s okay to play a song again after that long. :)

Blue Knights (5th, 78.350)

A Knight’s Tale

Burning Question: Can BK break the 13th place streak they’re on?

The opening piece this year is a rearrangement of their most famous piece – Trittico for Brass Band. Guard is in full white, with blue dots (like the old unis) on them. My wife paid close attention to the guard, and she felt that they were 2nd tonight, behind the Cavaliers! As she pointed out – the white guard against the dark corps forces your eyes onto them, and they performed like a featured group should.

The second tune this year is, I think, completely original, and is very… well, medieval. It had a lot in common with Southwind’s 2nd number as well, but BK’s brass line just made this piece shine. It’s kind of Arabic, if that makes sense, with the contras playing almost a string bass line under the melody.

The ballad is from their ’99 show, if I remember right (2000, maybe?) – regardless, it’s another piece that they’ve done before. I must be getting old that I can’t remember anymore. The dance-marching that BK used so effectively during the past two years makes its first appearance here.

48 hours later, I’m having trouble remembering all of the details, but the drum break has some *great* choreography in the horn section during it.

BK this year has a new marching technique, and it’s really hard to describe. Very bended-leg, and each time they start, it has them kicking out their knee a little. Well, it makes sense when you see it. They even poke a little fun at it – there’s a part in the closer where they cut off a note, and a pit player hits one bell note, and they all kick their knees out on the note – got an appreciative laugh from the audience. Without seeing the rest of the competition, I couldn’t give you an authoritative answer, but I *hope* this corps makes Finals – I think they’re good enough.

Intermission – Alamodome Souveniers

Burning Question: How are the souvies this year?

When you walked in the A-dome, the first booth you saw was the US Army Bands. Then the McMurray College Marching Band. Then the University of Texas Marching Band. Sense a theme here? The corps stuff was farther back. The Cavaliers had to have had the busiest booth of all, but I think SCV had the best selection of merchandise. (However, I want the monitor that the Cavaliers were using to show their DVD on – holy cow!) SCV also gets props for being the only corps there with infant shirts. Southwind had some great shirts on clearance – I got a 2002 tour shirt for $5. I resisted will all of my might, but I did end up buying the Cadets 1980’s DVD and the Blue Devils Through The Years ‘80s DVD from the DCI booth. Incidentally, DCI has some *great* souvies this year – their DCI @ Mile High shirt is a classic. :)

Magic of Orlando (8th, 69.250)

Pirates of the Caribbean

Burning Question: Is this show as bad as many on DCP has said?

You know, I’m surprised that more corps don’t do pirate themed shows. The images convey fairly easily to the audience, and you get the fans into it before you’ve even begun.

I may be in a minority here, but I truly enjoyed their show. I thought it was quite entertaining. Was it dirty? Yes, but that made it no less fun. Honestly, I enjoyed it enough that if they don’t clean it to the point where they’ll be in the final 12, I’m going to buy the VHS so I can have this one to watch.

The guard steals the show for me – they do a great job of… well, not exactly conveying a story, but setting the mood. The only thing I objected to is some of the more savage imagery. At the end of the opener, did we really need half of the colorguard standing over the other half, pulling their heads up by the hair with swords to their throats? (Especially when it looked like the victims were all girls and the cutters all guys?) The “girl” in the ballad got an appreciative response from the audience – that’s all I’m going to say on that one. And the drunken corps playing “Pirates Life” was a hoot.

Musically, it’s a watered-down version of POTC, but I still found it a good listen. Much like Seattle, the ballad is the musical highlight for me – it stands out over the rest of the show. The corps for some reason dropped the black/silver sashes tonight, so they had just plain jackets – it was a little jarring at first, but after a while, you get used to it.

And while I’m on the subject of Magic here – does anyone know how they got the smoke coming off of the concert bass in the pit? Do they have to cart dry ice around with them everywhere?

Bluecoats (4th, 83.050)

Mood Swings

Burning Question: Can the Bluecoats compete for the 5th – 6th spot?

I don’t see why not. The corps is *very* loud. For the dome, actually, a little *too* loud – a lot of their melodies in the opening statement got lost in the roof somewhere, and all you could hear was drums. Ride is a great piece, I think – one that we’ll be hearing again from other groups as well. It fits a number of idioms. One Day I’ll Fly Away seemed to be the part that the crowd liked best, and the soloists were great, but the amount of backfield playing they did started to bother me. If you add it up, I’m guessing maybe a whole 2 minutes combined – at that rate, they oughta put something on the *backs* of the jackets as well, so we have something to look at. :)

I don’t really have a whole lot to say about them, really. (Seems like there’s always one corps like this at every show I go to.) They’re good, fun, technically solid, but I wouldn’t call this their best show ever. I still think their ’01 and ’02 shows had it all. There were an awful lot of Bluecoat supporters at the show, mainly behind me, I think, and that made it fun to watch the show with them!

The Cavaliers (1st, 87.875)

007

Burning Question: Could this show win DCI?

Cavaliers had some trouble with the amps tonight – a pretty long burst of static right as the show opened, until the pit guy turned it off / down, then again in the slow intro to Cuba, the 2nd song. Other than that, they seemed to have mastered the use of the mics pretty well. They amplified some whistling, snapping and singing (“oh’s”) throughout the show, and it really did work. Especially the whistling. I don’t know how well it’ll work outside, but in the dome, it was kind of eerie.

The music, obviously, is James Bond, but the song choices are very unconventional. Most people will be unfamiliar with them in detail, but there’s enough “signature” Bond themes attached that the music is easy to follow. Cuba, the 2nd piece, is completely out-of-character for the current (as in last 20 years) Cavaliers – full on Latin jazz.

Something that it took me two viewings to appreciate (the show and then the concert) – there is no traditional drum feature in the show. They *do* play some crazy-hard stuff, but it’s built into specific points in practically each song. So if you haven’t seen them yet, that’s something to keep an eye out for.

The drum feature is replaced by an auxiliary feature in the pit, accompanied by a front sideline to back sideline to front sideline drill move that has to be seen to be believed. I’ll leave it at that. As I was watching the show, I was initially composing review thoughts in my head to include, “well, there’s not a lot of “big” drill moves this year, but there’s a lot of individual work – one guy racing out ahead of the form, and things like that.” Well, I’m happy to report that there are a *ton* of big drill moves, but they’re backloaded into the show – the latter half of it will leave you simply amazed. I would love to see this show again, just so I can watch more of the guard and drill – I spent so much time watching one, I’d miss the other. Their guard is simply outstanding.

The new closer was presented, which is fast, faster and fastest. (Music is a reprise of the Bond themes as well as of the earlier musical selections.) Two horn members at the end caught my eye, because they were running – not marching, not jazz-running, but track-athelete running – through the forms. Whilst playing. And without ever breaking their stride or seeming to adjust their steps, they nailed every form. Simply amazing. As much as I’d loved to have marched one of these shows, I don’t know if I could handle the physical load that these guys carry.

From where I was sitting on the upper deck, the Cavaliers got the only full standing ovation of the night. I maintain, as I have in 2001 and 2002 (well, also in 1998), that the Cavaliers visual program simply dominates any other corps musical programs – if the Blue Devils do manage to win in Denver, they’re going to have to put on a performance for the ages to do it. This might be my favorite total Cavaliers package ever.

(Does anyone know if they’re having trouble with their tenor drums this year? All four of the drummers were practically waddling with them before, during and after the show – lots of swaying. It was so unusual that it made me notice.)

Santa Clara Vanguard (3rd, 86.725)

Attraction

Burning Question: How attractive is Attraction?

Very. This show is loud. And then loud some more. And then louder. Stamina is definitely not an issue for this corps. However, there’s not a lot of … well, dynamic contrast in the show. It’s loud. It reminded me in that respect of the 2002 Phantom Regiment (Shostakovich) show – it sounded the same way in the dome. The amps for the pit seemed like they were *too* soft tonight – a lot of individual sounds could be heard over them. Like the guard captain counting “5-6-7-8!” for one. Or the metallic belts the guard was wearing swishing as they ran around.

As for the music – it’s good. :) (I know, be more specific.) There’s a lot of melody in the show – gasp! – and they actually develop them. The drumline, as they have been the last few years, is simply superb. I didn’t see the recaps, but I read that they won high drums tonight, and it was well deserved. I kept an eye out for the two T-block moves in the opener, and I thought they were appropriate – one’s during the intro statement, and one’s during the closing statement, in a mirror image. Well, it makes sense to me! Their individual horn players are amazing – and I hate to say it, but the Bb horns sounded great – very warm and smooth. There’s a lot of solos and small ensembles during the show, and they nailed each one.

Something Jenna noticed about them that was unusual was that they never seemed to “hold” a form – they’d flow into it and right back out again towards the next one. That seems more of a design issue than a performance issue, but it did catch her attention.

Overall, right now I’d put them in 4th behind Cavs, BD and Cadets. There’s certainly room to catch up – it’s not like they’re very far behind – and it’s not wholesale changes that will have to be done – just some tweaking of the pacing and the emotional ups and downs that the show has in it. (Which means, that come Denver, they might very well be challenging for first!) The show has a lot of power to it.

The Cadets (2nd, 87.650)

Living in the Past

Burning Question: Can too much pit be a bad thing?

In the case of the Cadets – yes. They had the pit amped, to nobody’s surprise, but it was so loud that it overpowered the hornline. Just turn down the speakers and they should be fine. :)

This is a very odd bird of a show. It’s kind of jazz, kind of rock, kind of classical, but not enough of any of those that you can say, “it’s *this*.” That makes it difficult to get in to on a first viewing. The opener has a startling amount of stopping and starting in it, which makes it really hard to build up any flow. (and the drums were silent for almost the first 2 minutes of the show, but when they come in – look out!)

Bouree got a lot of response from the audience, mainly ‘cause the guard stripped. And tossed long hair around. Hey, if it worked for the Blue Devils… :) That’s *one* way to get an audience’s attention. The drum break in Bouree was great – as always, and though it’s not obvious on the APD of the show, there *is* a signature “Cadets” crazy-hard tenor drum feature in there, which as far as I’m concerned made their show a good one. (Has someone seen the drums up close – do they have *gold* hardware? It looked like they did from where I was sitting, and if so – that’s friggin’ cool!)

The twirler was *very* good, and the audience gave him a number of ovations, but it doesn’t really fit in the show anywhere – it’s just … there. On 3 different occasions. Actually, that kind of fits the whole show. The corps is good – like they are every year, they just continue to roll along – but the show’s just… there. I don’t know – maybe it was just a flat performance, but after the Cavies came out and ran the turf off of the ground, and then SCV blasted the roof off with their horns, the Cadets were a bit of an emotional letdown. It’s certainly a championship-caliber show, if for nothing else than the fact that they’re *so* good at what they do, but it doesn’t have one of those “champion” moments in it – one of those points you can later say, “this is the year the Cadets did X” and people go “oh, yeah – that one.”

I’m sorry – I know it seems like I’m bagging on them, and I’m really not – it’s a good show. It just wasn’t a *great* one in SA.

Retreat – Full Corps

Burning Question: Any surprises?

Kind of surprised that Capital Regiment beat as many as they did, but overall, not really. Any of the top three could have won and it would have been justified, I think. The differences were more apparent to the judges than the audience.

The Cadets had a guard circle in their retreat block with a guy continually spinning and tossing a rifle. (Well, he stopped once the announcements started.) When it came time for them to salute for their score, he tossed the rifle – and dropped it. It was just that kind of night for guards, I think.

And Magic’s drummers cracked me up – they kept doing very subtle little movements down the line – I guess it’s a way to keep from getting too bored. They’d like pat their drum, or make little robot moves – stuff like that. I spent more time watching that than the retreat!

Concert – The Cavaliers

Burning Question: So, what did they play?

The concert consisted of the drum cadence, their full 007 show, a brass piece that is insane in the number of notes being played (does anyone know the title?), the Stars and Stripes forever (with the toms doing the piccolo parts!) and their corps song. It was nice to hear the show again – there is a *lot* of it, apparently, that got lost in the roof of the dome somewhere, ‘cause I caught a ton more the 2nd time through.

In Conclusion

Burning Question: Aren’t you done yet?

About to be… about to be. All in all, this was a great show. I had a really fun time, and I tried as much as possible to keep my corps-critic hat off and leave my corps-fan one on. It made listening and cheering for the corps that much easier. :) (And I think the smaller lineup actually made it a better show – we weren’t exhausted by the end!) After being down on the lower deck the last few years, I enjoyed being able to see the full drill again. I think next year we’ll be back on the upper deck, just a little more centered.

Thanks for reading this far. :) Questions and comments can be sent to mike@drumcorpsplanet.com or PM’d to me.

Mike

[jcn8]

Great review... great format. Thanks!

[stevenmusumeche]

Hey Mike - great review! I agree with you about the Cadets show. It's performed REALLY WELL, but I just don't think the design can win a championship.

By the way, the "smoke" from Magic's pit comes from pouring BABY POWDER on the bass drums and then beating the #### out of them. Never seen that before.

[PeeWee]

Thanks for the recap!

Well, I saw BD and SCV when they were out here in Cali, and I thought SCV had dynamics in the horn book - in the ballad especially (lots of cres. & decres.). But I guess compared to the other corps they're just considered "loud".

BD is clean theis year, as always, but I feel about the same towards their show as you did towards Cadets. BD was just kind of blah and didn't really get the crowd involved. I think it would be a shame to see a blah show win just because it's clean.

I can hardly wait to see Cavies in Denver and TOC this year! I'd like to see Cavies and SCV in the top two spots come August 7th. They have the best crowd appeal this year I think (and, hopefully, that'll count towards something).

[danjuan2000]

By the way, the "smoke" from Magic's pit comes from pouring BABY POWDER on the bass drums and then beating the #### out of them.  Never seen that before.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A La DRUMLINE: The Movie style B) B)

Edited July 13, 2004 by danjuan2000

[isuquinndog]

Mike, you do know that you aren't eligible to win your own caption contenst, right?? ;)

Just kidding, great job on the review!

[Lancerlady]

Now I'm following the lead on this review format. This is excellent Mike! Thank you!

[TerriDitt57]

About Magic and the Pirate show....

One of my favorite Madison Scout's shows was The Pirates of Lake Mendota. Really underrated.

[ValvoGreen]

a brass piece that is insane in the number of notes being played (does anyone know the title?),

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Mickey Eastridge]

Blue Knights (5th, 78.350)

A Knight’s Tale

Burning Question: Can BK break the 13th place streak they’re on?

The opening piece this year is a rearrangement of their most famous piece – Trittico for Brass Band. Guard is in full white, with blue dots (like the old unis) on them. My wife paid close attention to the guard, and she felt that they were 2nd tonight, behind the Cavaliers! As she pointed out – the white guard against the dark corps forces your eyes onto them, and they performed like a featured group should.

The second tune this year is, I think, completely original, and is very… well, medieval. It had a lot in common with Southwind’s 2nd number as well, but BK’s brass line just made this piece shine. It’s kind of Arabic, if that makes sense, with the contras playing almost a string bass line under the melody.

The ballad is from their ’99 show, if I remember right (2000, maybe?) – regardless, it’s another piece that they’ve done before. I must be getting old that I can’t remember anymore. The dance-marching that BK used so effectively during the past two years makes its first appearance here.

48 hours later, I’m having trouble remembering all of the details, but the drum break has some *great* choreography in the horn section during it.

BK this year has a new marching technique, and it’s really hard to describe. Very bended-leg, and each time they start, it has them kicking out their knee a little. Well, it makes sense when you see it. They even poke a little fun at it – there’s a part in the closer where they cut off a note, and a pit player hits one bell note, and they all kick their knees out on the note – got an appreciative laugh from the audience. Without seeing the rest of the competition, I couldn’t give you an authoritative answer, but I *hope* this corps makes Finals – I think they’re good enough.

First things first. GREAT review. As I didn't get the chance to make my way to San Antonio this year, I'm always excited to hear about the show. :D

Just a few quick corrections on your notes about BK. I've included it above for easy reference. The ballad is actually an arrangement of I Go On, the corps song, from Bernstein's Mass. It was first played in 1990 (arranged by Jim Prime).

An intersting side note on the hornline- this is one of the larger hornline's that BK has marched in past years. I don't remember all of the numbers, but it's definitely larger than 64. Back in January the brass staff was flirting with the idea of going to 72 horns. It's entirely feasible that they decided to do so. And they're on brand new King Bb Horns! B)

As for the marching style - it look the same to me as when I marched last year. We've been using this style for a while now. One of the signature things about BK is our marching style - very bent leg, based on physical therapy and teaching people how to walk again. The feet are pointed on the pass, giving the distinctive triangle shape. In all the years that I've been a BK fan or member, we've ALWAYS done the full count prep step (except in certain cases). The thing in the pit with the player hitting the crotale and the full corps prep step comes straight out of last year's show. We added it in after First Tour last summer. In fact, if you look/listen all throughout the show, there are snippets of past BK shows, which makes sense, considering that A Knight's Tale is not only about the meidevil setting but about the corps itself and the things that make us Blue Knights. :)

Once again, thanks for the review, and I too hope that BK can make Finals this year. They definitely deserve it!

Respectfully,

Mark