Allentown 1

[cage]

Well after a very eventful night here is my little take on the evening.

I got to Allentown at about six and the park was already closed off. So I parked in a lot that said unauthorized vehicles will be towed at owner's expense, but I saw many other drum corps people in there and being I was in the middle figured they would never get to me if they were enforcing. Tonights crowd is supposed to have many more tickets sold, so get there early, BTW start time tonight is 6:30 because Beatrix did not go on last night.

Lehigh Valley Knights - Had some really nice impact points, and the show was well received by the home crowd. I try to compare their progress to where Jersey Surf at this point of their existence and I believe they are ahead of Surf at the same juncture.

Southwind - There uniforms look a lot like Glassmen to me. They are progressing nicely and by their performance don't seem to be getting down by some of the unfortunate things that have happened to them this year. Keep up the good work.

Troopers - What can I say, this is a vintage Troopers show. Seem a little on the young side, but are doing a pretty good job. I love the ending and the crowd gave them a nice reaction when they pulled out the vintage Trooper flags.

Mandarins - I like this show a lot. They were exciting and have a very nice show as well. Being it was such a long night I really don't remember anything specific, except that they are a solid corps that is entertaining the crowd.

Colts - They are probably about the same place they were when they were a finals corps but the competition is so strong they won't make finals. Old Man River is great. I was standing by their staff during their performance and they seemed eo be pleased by the effort as well they should be.

No the fun started,

Glassmen 1st time - The rain started and the crowd ate them up for progressing as if there was not a torrential downpour occuring. Then a bolt of lightning cut the show off before the closer. We were made to leave the stadium and keep getting drenched in a different location. Got to talk to Chris Hestin for a minute on the bus. I knew him from IUP's marching band and he is now Glassmen's percussion instructor. After about an hour we got word that the show would go on and the Glassmen would perform again.

Glassmen 2nd time - The crowd ate them up the second time for what they had been through. I like this show from them better than any Glassmen show in years. Much more entertaining and crowd friendly than recent years. Loved the closer that we didn't get to see the first time. Good job Glassmen for not letting a little rain effect your performance.

Carolina Crown - This is where a little more fun happened. When the singers sang, the amps didn't work. This brought some obvious joy to some fans with a smattering of applause, one guy even told another to shutup. This corps does not need the singing, their hornline is by far their best ever. Very good show, works well and is pleasing. I told one of the instructors going down the steps that they obviously don's need the singing and he didn't handle it real well. He told me to see it with the singing. I told him I don't want to because this was just fine. Talked to a member of their board afterwards and he thought they didn't need it either, but they have nine vocal majors that the staff wanted to utilize. Oh well, I'm just sorry they didn't have any members that majored in adult entertainment.

Bluecoats - This show is what I have come to expect of the Bluecoats in that they have a powerful horline and a pleasing show. Thought design wise they have a lessor show than Phantom but understand why they are so close.

Phantom - Great show design, beautiful sound at times. They were also muddy at times in my opinion. This show will spread from Bluecoats if they do some cleaning. I don't know if this had anything to do with the delay but they just weren't the Phantom that I expected. Don't get me wrong, they do have a gorgeous sound just needs some cleaning.

Cavaliers - I talked to one of their pit guys after the show and he said they turned their amps off after the opener. I didn't notice, which again leads to the point of why do they need them. The pit guy also said they are just going to do a little tweaking with no major changes. The closer could use some. They do some great Cavies drill but it just kind of ends without a resolution. This show has a shot of winning though. The one thing that really stuck out was how their sop line sounds a lot like the Devils with the screaching (not a bad thing).

Cadets - They didn't even bother with the amps tonight. To be honest this show left me a little flat. I don't know what it is but it just doesn't do it for me. I'm thinking they will change the ending drill for more effect but right now it's just ho hum for me and I think a good portion of the crowd agreed. Usually Allentown goes nuts for the Cadets, but that just didn'e happen tonight. Maybe going on at midnight had something to do with that.

To wrap up a very good show and I can't wait for tonight. I just hope my wallet and shoes dry out and stay dry.

[ampfan]

Carolina Crown - This is where a little more fun happened.  When the singers sang, the amps didn't work.  This brought some obvious joy to some fans with a smattering of applause, one guy even told another to shutup.  This corps does not need the singing, their hornline is by far their best ever.  Very good show, works well and is pleasing.  I told one of the instructors going down the steps that they obviously don's need the singing and he didn't handle it real well.  He told me to see it with the singing.  I told him I don't want to because this was just fine.  Talked to a member of their board afterwards and he thought they didn't need it either, but they have nine vocal majors that the staff wanted to utilize.  Oh well, I'm just sorry they didn't have any members that majored in adult entertainment.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Man, that's possibly line of the year....

[BookofJ]

Don't know who you spoke with, but my son plays mellaphone is one of the vocalists for Crown. He is in High School. None of the singers are vocal majors.

I'll add my two rants worth concerning the singing. Instrumentalists and vocalists have a longer history of making music together than does instrumentation separately. The singing is less than 30 seconds of the total show, is done tastefully and adds variety and contrast to a great show. All but one of Crown's pieces come from vocal/instrumental combination. Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", Pucinni's opera "La Boheme" and the beat generation music was almost all vocal with instrumental accompaniment. In order to hold true to the music, the arrangements should by all means include singing and poetry. If Crown's show was predominately vocal or narrated to the nth degree, then I would agree that it was too much. As it is, it stays true to the overall theme of Bohemians. They always went against the grain even as this show apparently has infuriated the purists of Drum and Bugle Corps. I find the vocals and brief poetry a rewarding change of pace with the best instrumental accompaniment I have heard. Of course, I was a vocal major. Go Crown!

[decompressed]

If they were to hold "true to the music" they would march violas and violins too

and Freddy Mercury would have to smile and blind the crowd with his choppers!!!!

:P

[cage]

Glad I could entertain you ampfan. I'll try to top myself tomorrow

[hsreed]

Glad I could entertain you ampfan.  I'll try to top myself tomorrow

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The funniest lines are usually honesty pointing out absurdity.

Nice review. Straight forward. Thanks for including some comments on crowd reaction.

I don't like singing on the field. I don't mind amps when used properly. I think BD has a nice use of amps with their Ubu drum-whatever you call that jug with a small drum head. Without amps, we would never have had that kind of sound. Then again, I've heard explosions, space, helicopters and other sounds on the field without the use of amps.

I look forward to hearing your opionion of SCV. My concern is that there has been so much hype that they would never be able to live up to the expectations. I hope you comment on the level of difficulty of the shows and how that relates to cleanliness.

[cage]

I look forward to hearing your opionion of SCV.  My concern is that there has been so much hype that they would never be able to live up to the expectations.  I hope you comment on the level of difficulty of the shows and how that relates to cleanliness.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I saw SCV the other night during a run through out of uniform. They are worth the hype. But I will let you know tomorrow.

[manoloblahniksabre]

Rant mode <on>.

There isn't a single thing innovative or "against the grain" about singing in the marching arts. Marching bands have been doing this for years and years. It is usually assumed by bands who use narration and singing that they need these things, because they feel they have to verbally convey what cannot be understood visually or musically to a less savvy audience. I think Crown is utilizing the modern term of the word Bohemian, which is really a reflection of the Beaknik society of the 1950's. Yes, Bohemians (Beakniks) went "against the grain", but in a much different sense than how Crown is trying to portray with the singing and narration. Crown has commercialized on the definition of the Bohemian spirit by trying to make people understand their artistic motives in a way fashioned for the unintelligible masses (not your average savvy drumcorps fan) by using cheesy vocal effects, and the very act of capitalizing on something untrue to your art or yourself for any sort of gain is in direct conflict the philosophy of the Bohemians. Bohemians were not concerned with making the unassuming general public understand them and what it is they were doing (they answered to a different mistress). You could say it was Crown's motive for the general corps fan not to "get it" or "get them" (as so many Beatniks were not "gotten" by the rest of society) by using singing and narration, but unfortunatly, they decided upon a medium used for years by marching bands to flagrantly portray shows to elementary audiences in the hopes that they might "get" it, or them. So, they have defeated their purpose any way you approach it. Also, "La Boheme" as used in France was a term used to describe bands of wandering Romanian gypsies, possibly originating from India. As they traveled through Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), they were given letters from the Bohemian royalty saying that they condoned and approved of their lifestyle. This awarded them prestige in foregone western Europe. As you can see, there is quite a disparity in the terms, really. Perhaps Crown was going for the prestige and acceptance (judges, anyone?) and in the process lost the true nature of their show. How very anti-Bohemian of them.

So, there is nothing about this show that is purely Bohemian, innovative, or (and I'm sick of this mantra that is echoed throughout the drumcorps community today by the ranks of the DCI/BOA B.O.D) "against the grain". It is an enjoyable show (save the singing) with a great hornline, guard, and drumline and in the grossest sense portrays some of the Beatnik spirit. "Holding true" to the music has absolutely nothing to do with vocals if you are playing that music in a different artistic arena (like, say, if your activity requires that you play it on INSTRUMENTS rather than implement microphones). Many, many pieces that corps have played over the years are vocally driven, but they never picked up a mic. Staying with the TRUTH of your activity is a actually a very Bohemian thing (drumcorps itself is a pretty Bohemian thing, innit?), much more so than using useless, been-there-done-that voiceovers. I can try and live with the amping (though I do not like it), but I won't stand for mics used for voicing of any sort. Do not insult the intelligence of the drumcorps community with all the vocal bollocks. People "get" the general theme of the show without the unnecessaries.

Just do all us "purists" (I aged out in '02) a favor and leave the singing for the choir sweety. You WILL find the majority of fans not interested in the vocal prowess (as for the actual quality...well...) of a few of you your members.

Don't know who you spoke with, but my son plays mellaphone is one of the vocalists for Crown. He is in High School. None of the singers are vocal majors.

I'll add my two rants worth concerning the singing. Instrumentalists and vocalists have a longer history of making music together than does instrumentation separately. The singing is less than 30 seconds of the total show, is done tastefully and adds variety and contrast to a great show. All but one of Crown's pieces come from vocal/instrumental combination. Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", Pucinni's opera "La Boheme" and the beat generation music was almost all vocal with instrumental accompaniment. In order to hold true to the music, the arrangements should by all means include singing and poetry. If Crown's show was predominately vocal or narrated to the nth degree, then I would agree that it was too much. As it is, it stays true to the overall theme of Bohemians. They always went against the grain even as this show apparently has infuriated the purists of Drum and Bugle Corps.  I find the vocals and brief poetry a rewarding change of pace with the best instrumental accompaniment I have heard.  Of course, I was a vocal major. Go Crown!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[cbrent]

You make an awful lot of assumptions. It seems that you have a vested interest in showing that Crown did not innovate. Why is that? Innovation is not based on the medium used for communication but on how it is used. By your logic it would now be impossible to be innovative with a brass instrument or percussion because these instruments have been used for years in drum corps. Do you believe that? Where do you see Crown doing voice overs? From my perspective they do a singing piece and a poetry reading....no voice over. Maybe you analyse too much.

cbrent

[Orpheus]

Instrumentalists and vocalists have a longer history of making music together than does instrumentation separately.

So? The flute is the oldest wind instrument in the world. We don't use them.

The singing is less than 30 seconds of the total show, is done tastefully and adds variety and contrast to a great show.

I disagree. It is not tasteful. It's jarring, takes you "out of the moment," and is nothing but a needless distraction from an otherwise awesome show.

All but one of Crown's pieces come from vocal/instrumental combination.  In order to hold true to the music, the arrangements should by all means include singing and poetry.

BFD. How many corps have played vocal music over the decades? Broadway shows, pop songs, oratorios, sacred music, operas, etc., etc. None of them needed amplified singing to make their point. When the Cavaliers played John Rutter's "Gloria" in 1989, it was one of my favorite shows from a musical standpoint of all time. "Gloria" was written for a full mixed chorus and a British-style brass band. The Cavies certainly didn't need amplified voice to produce an awesome show or to successfully interpret the mood and style of the original composition. Madison played "Jesus Christ Superstar" in '99. Would it have been improved by some dude belting out "I Don't Know How to Love Him?"

As it is, it stays true to the overall theme of Bohemians. They always went against the grain even as this show apparently has infuriated the purists of Drum and Bugle Corps. 

Going against the grain merely to be different achieves nothing. How selfish is the staff at Carolina Crown, anyhow? Wouldn't they prefer that fans be discussion how awesome the corps is doing this summer instead of debating the merits of amplified singing? We should be celebrating this corps. Instead, a silly design decision by a few staff members (notice I pointedly did not say "faculty") has all but guaranteed that they will be remembered not for putting on a great show, but for singing into microphones.