Murfreesboro

[SeanOwenSullivan]

Bluecoats:

This show has some neat musical moments. I was disaapointed throughout the show by the guyard. They never really add any impact to the show and were actually very sloppy. The music flows well together. My only musical complaint woud be the climax (or lack there of) in "Someday I'll Fly Away." It builds nicely, but the climax is everything but. The opener develops nicely and works great for them. Nothing very memorable from the show.

Madison:

WOW! Madison really is back. I really liked this show. Some many awesome musical moments - especially for the sops. Guard was good, but noticeablly small. The guard hada lot of sequences and realyl juiced up their guard score. The opener develops nicely and really sets the toen for the rest of the show. Percussion hada few nice fills. In year's past, I never really got intio Scouts's shows, but I really duig this on.

Cadets:

I was apprehensive when I heard their show was Jethor Tull, but they pull it off masterfully. Hopkins gave them a preshow, on field prep talk. Even though I hadn't seen them, I could tell they had an awesome run of the show tonight. Guard was awesome. A very musical guard - perhaps the most musical of the night. They add so much to the show. AND HOLY BATON! Wow. 2 standing ovations...and that's before the show is even over. If you haven't seen this show, you cannot talk bad about it. This show is constantly moving and developing and chaging. Just they was they keep changing the sounds they are putting out is pretty spectaular. And the differen moods the evoke. While the other corps are stnading still and not playing btwn songs, the Cadets are playing and marching. They rarely stop. Even btwn songs, the stand still briefly. I'd say 5 seconds btwn each song. It's pretty incredible. This show is dripping IN GE. My only complaint is that the guard doesn't do enough weapon work. This show just got better and better thoughout. Percussion wasn't on par with what we have come to expect from them in past yrs, but we'll see what happens.

Boston:

YAWN! That's all I can say. I didn't find this show accessible at all - and neither did the crowd juding fomr their response. The show is very choppy and it's development is hurt by this. The narration ahs to go. There were ppl in the stand laughing - OUT LOUD. Good corps, but the show concept and evelopemnt is holding them back right now. Very good guard. VERY GOOD! The horns need to be playing more.

Cavaliers:

Right on. Very cool show. Love the way the insert themes from past Bond movies in the music. And even though the Bond them could be redudnat - they Cavies make it new and fresh everytime they play it. In the opner look for several brass players running through the forms like spies. Very cool. Perucssion was hot tonight. A new ending form what I rememeber and you could tell bc I saw some dirty feet - from the Cavies. So I am guessing it is new. The ending is sorta flat. Maybe bc it's new, I dunno? But it just sorta fizzles out. Guard adds so much to this show. They were awesome.

Phantom:

I was VERY apprehensive when I heard their program was latin music. They play it well, but it's just so weird to there THEM playing THAT! Pasing and development seem to be holding them back. I never did liek having the ballad as the 2nd number in a show. They do and it just seems very out of place. The 3rd number never really comes together. The closer is hella tight though! I really liek the recapitulation fo the opener in the closer and the silks the guard uses are beautiful! I doubt this show will over take Cadets this yr. Just won't.

Vanguard:

Not too much has chg'd since I saw them at Jacksonville, AL a few weeks ago. Was just as I rememebred - AWESOME! They really sell the show's concept. And the attraction idea iseen a lot in drill. You see a lot of forms messing together or one form "eating" another. Very cool drill moves, but also still some sloppiness. Some nice solos and the perussion was COOKIN'. Wow. The best percussion line that night by far. I could use more flags for the ballad, but since the silks the are using are so huge and beautiful, it works. A LOT of weapon work by the guard. Bravo. By far the best sound of the night too. Very tight and brilliant! They need to add something to the very ending musical and visually in oreder to get any higher than 3rd. Make it more emotional.

BD:

WOW! What a production. They came out and OWNED the field. You can tell how comfortrtable they were. No doubt in my mind this is going to be the Champion this year. Every caption was awesome. GE, Guard, Brass, Percussion, Visual. You name it - they got it. The opener is about 5-6 minutes and develops awesomely. Just when you think it's over - IT KEEPS GOING. The soft ending works very well. I really liek this show. "Summertime" is cbound to become a BD classic.

Cheers,

Sean

w/Stp:

[PRfan353]

Thanks for the good review!