Soajoe Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 (edited) sorry... turned out being longer than I planned The past few days I had been debating whether I actually wanted to do a review of the Jacksonville show this year. I don't know why. I guess I just don't have the inspiration for it that I had last year. I figured I should put something in for the competition though. Even though I doubt it will be good enough to win. Forenote - dinner ran a little late so I got to the show just as the show was starting... saw Corpsvets from the top of the stands and saw the rest of the show from around the 10 yard line on left side of the field (AKA.. waaay over yonder) Corpsvets - From what I saw of their show dodging people that were coming in, I really dug it. It may have just been where I was standing, or it may have just been that they were a little off tonight, but I didn't think that they were as loud as I've seen them in the past. They definitely had their loud portions, but their were times that I was left wanting more. One of the biggest things that I noticed a difference between this year and last year is their drill. They are definitely attempting a more difficult drill this year than they have in years past as of now I think this is what is effecting them the most. There are parts of the show near the end of pieces that they are attempting to do some relatively high velocity drill and it seems like they just aren't getting the punch musically at those points that they are when they are standing still. Othen than that I think it is a great show. I applaud the Corpsvets for trying to branch out and try a harder show, and knowing a lot of the members of the Corpsvets I know that before all of this is over they will have a very polished product and some DCA corps that have never done so will be staring Corpsvets in the back instead of the other way around. Court of Honor - Alright, this was the first time that I had ever seen Court of Honor perform and I have to say that I was quite impressed, but knowing the staff that they have I can't say that I was surprised. For starters I will say that I'm not making this as a back handed comment or anything, but I usually do not enjoy the top level division 2 and 3 shows. With the level of cleanliness they have to get to get to the top it sometimes seems that they are afraid to let loose and play balls out. I could be wrong with that statement, but that's just what I've observed from my limited viewage of top div 2/3 corps. With that being said though I throughly enjoyed the Court of Honor show. The brass line sounds impressive. I can't really comment on the guard, because I'm not really a big guard person. The only thing that I'll say about the drill is that at times I think that it seems to be a little over their head. Not over their head that I don't think they'll be able to perform it well by the end of the season, but right now they seem to be struggling with it. I'm very interested to see how this show will finish out at the end of the season Colts - What to say about the Colts? I really don't know what to say about this show. I like it. I really do, but something just isn't there. I don't think this show is being executed as well as it could be. There are several visual problems throughout the show that seriously need to be addressed if this show is going to go anywhere. I see this being a show that is going to be fighting to get into semifinals. I'm not really sure where they are score wise now, but I know that the quality of competition as gone up tremendously this year. A lot of corps have come out to play this summer and really mean it. All that aside the hornline sounds quite good. There are some intonation problems at points, mostly at the parts that they are having trouble with the drill, but for the most part they sound good. I really wish I could see them cleaning up their visual in the next two weeks and making jumps by leaps and bounds, but I just don't see it happening. I hope they prove me wrong. Blue Knights - I like this show. I know it. I said it. I'm a spirit fan and I like the Blue Knights show. Shoot me! Ok.. all jokes aside this is the first Blue Knights show that I have actually enjoyed in a long time. I may dare say it is the first Blue Knights show that I have ever enjoyed. I knew it was going to be close tonight, and despite what my gf and her brother said I actually had a gut feeling that BK was going to win at the Jville show and they did. With all that aside I don't see this show going much further. It may be bias talking and it may not, but before the end of the summer I see Spirit passing BK. BK has a very good show with some very entertaining moments. Some of the body movements remind me of SCV 99 and some of the body movements.. like the knee bend.. remind me of Bluecoats shows of recent. I think it will be a tight fight between BK, Spirit, Glassmen, and Crossmen for the rest of the season. I haven't seen either Glassmen or Crossmen yet so I can't really say much, but I think BK will be in the big show come the end of this season. Madison Scouts - The boys from Madison did a good job at the Jacksonville show. I don't think the brass line was as loud as it has been in years past. It could also be the fact that I was sitting where I was sitting though. I'm really not sure. I really like the way that this show is designed. I really do. There are just so many things about it that are cool and make me go... yeah Madison. I have to say that when they started to do the rotating company front that I found myself audibly saying "Show that Cadets that you own that move Madison!" Even though it may have been a little dirty that night. I really don't know where I see this show placing this summer. It is so hard to say with how good everyone is this summer. I think I see Scouts being anywhere between 7-9th, but I definitely see them being in finals again, which is a really cool thing to be able to say after it appeared they were on a downward spiral which thankfully ended last year. Go Scouts!! Blue Devils - Two words, #### clean. OK.. I've never really understood what that phrase means, but that's what the Blue Devils where tonight. The way that they move on that field. They just make it look so easy. The way that when they move as a block every member makes direction changes the exact same way. And I don't mean the way that most corps do the exact same way. I mean the EXACT same way. You could take a picture of one of Blue Devils moving blocks at the time of a direction change and everybody would look the exact same.. every foot height would be the same, every leg angle would be the same, every torso angle would be the same. I think you get where I'm going with this. They make their drill look easy not because it's easy but because (in best Triple H voice) They are just that d(*& good. There are points in the music where they play some runs that just make you scream inside yourself #### yeah. There was one run that I remember them doing that seemed to just go on forever. And the solos. I don't know who their screamer is but boy can he wail. I'm not usually a fan of the Blue Devils but I can honestly say I enjoyed their show tonight. I enjoyed all the train effects. At some points the ambiance of the show reminded me a lot of the show that I did with Spirit in '01, Ghost Train. That all being said, I don't like the ending. The crowd didn't get it. The train effect is cool, but I don't think it works the way that it is currently being done. I look forward to seeing if and how it will be changed. Santa Clara - All I can say is that I really loved this show. It has really cool drill and it's all there. It reminds me a lot of the '99 SCV show, but I really don't think the energy is there yet. I remember seeing Santa Clara at Madison in '99 and just feeling the energy being poured off of that field on finals night. I don't think they have that yet, but I think they will, and I think that once they do it will be a magical experience and will be one #### of a ride for the members. If they pull out a show that reaches the potential that I know they have for this show on finals night that they will take it all. If they don't it will take nothing away from what they have accomplished with this show. The brassline (best Mike Myers impersonation).. just like butter. They melt you. Man they sounded so good tonight. The drill needs some work, and even the guard work could use some touching up here and there, but with an inspired performance on finals night I think that SCV could take it all. Spirit - For once you're not going to have to worry about a biased review of a spirit show from me, because actually I thought that the show was relatively flat at the Jacksonville show. I know I was outside the 10, but it didn't have the intensity that other shows had, at the moments that should have had the intensity. Maybe I'm being rougher on them because I have heard them playing the show standing still and I know how well they can play certain parts. I'm really not sure. The show is very difficult. The is no disputing that. This show will not be maxed out until finals week. That's my story and I'm sticken to it. Now back to their Jacksonville show performace. Their were several parts that the guard was off at the show. I'm not a guard person either. So if I can tell that there was something wrong with the guard performance than their was something wrong. Everybody has been ranting about how good Spirits guard is this year so I'm pretty sure it was just the jitters of being in front of a home crowd that got to them. Although they are a very good guard. I am still relatively sure that they are a rather young guard at the same time. I think maybe the whole corps had a case of the jitters tonight. I don't know. I know they will clean this show. There is no doubt in my mind about that. So scores are announced and sadly they came out just as I had suspected that they would. I was glad to see Blue Devils defer the encore peformance to Spirit. That was very classy of them. Now to comment on the encore performance. All I can say is why oh why can't you march and play with the intensity and passion marching and playing as you did in that encore performance. Wow! That was a top 6 hornline that played that encore peformance. I don't care what anyone says. That was a top 6 hornline. Georgia was just wow as it always is. The drum major did the turn around and get the crowd on their feet move during the last hold which seems to be becoming a signature thing to do and when he turned back around he brought the hornline back up to a whole new decibal. Of the people left I seriously doubt there was a person left in their seat after that. My Finals Notes based on the one and only show I saw- Court of Honor is going to do very well for themselves and in a couple of years I see them being a possible power house in div 2/3. Colts have a lot of work to do. Blue Knights should be back in finals. Where they finish off is entirely up to how willing they are to work for it. Madison will probably be in 8th. I don't know why I say 8th. It is just the number I say. It is not like I say a number and it is Joe said this number thus this number it shall be. I just have a gut feeling. Blue Devils will either get 2nd or 3rd. I can't say whether I think Cavies or Cadets will beat them because I haven't seen Cavies or Cadets. SCV will win it this year. The feeling I get when I see this corps on the field matches to the tee the feeling I got when I saw the '99 Vanguard on the field. Just this time they will share with no one. Spirit. Spirit will be in finals. Spirit will clean their show up. Spirit will get some intensity in their show, and come finals spirit will be kicking some a. The one thing Spirit lacks now, and it something we lacked when I marched, is consistency. With confidence will come consistency and by finals Spirit will be a force to be reckoned with. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Hope you enjoyed me review. Didn't mean it to be as long as it is. I didn't think I would remember as much as I did. I ate a 48oz. steak the night before the show and I really wasn't feeling the greatest in the world during the show. If you read this far though I salute you. - Joe Edited July 23, 2004 by Soajoe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usmpiano Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 Corpsvets- From what I saw of their show dodging people that were coming in, I really dug it. It may have just been where I was standing, or it may have just been that they were a little off tonight, but I didn't think that they were as loud as I've seen them in the past. They definitely had their loud portions, but their were times that I was left wanting more. One of the biggest things that I noticed a difference between this year and last year is their drill. They are definitely attempting a more difficult drill this year than they have in years past as of now I think this is what is effecting them the most. There are parts of the show near the end of pieces that they are attempting to do some relatively high velocity drill and it seems like they just aren't getting the punch musically at those points that they are when they are standing still. Othen than that I think it is a great show. I applaud the Corpsvets for trying to branch out and try a harder show, and knowing a lot of the members of the Corpsvets I know that before all of this is over they will have a very polished product and some DCA corps that have never done so will be staring Corpsvets in the back instead of the other way around. Thanks Joe for the CV review. It's always nice to see more opinions about the show. Yes, the drill is MUCH more challenging, especially the last 3/4 of the show; and to that end, some of the people are still trying to get their dots instead of selling the show. I expect that this show will be in the upper echelons of DCA come Finals weekend. CorpsVets will be rocking this weekend up north...I can't wait to see how they do head to head against the big boys of DCA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soajoe Posted July 23, 2004 Author Share Posted July 23, 2004 No prob. I really was impressed with the CorpsVets performance. Some day I plan on marching CorpsVets, but I want to focus on graduating school first. - Joe Thanks Joe for the CV review. It's always nice to see more opinions about the show. Yes, the drill is MUCH more challenging, especially the last 3/4 of the show; and to that end, some of the people are still trying to get their dots instead of selling the show. I expect that this show will be in the upper echelons of DCA come Finals weekend. CorpsVets will be rocking this weekend up north...I can't wait to see how they do head to head against the big boys of DCA. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldManAlto Posted July 28, 2004 Share Posted July 28, 2004 but I want to focus on graduating school first. do you plan on transferring away from JSU??? lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.