A Positive Indy Review!

[Matt_S]

I apologize for the length. Over nine pages in MS Word, in fact! My mom walked in and saw me typing this and thought it odd that I was working on a term paper during the summer break. :P

But hopefully you'll keep me in mind when voting begins for best reviews :)

I’ll be honest. I debated whether I would bother writing a review. I had thought that in order to really write a great review, I would need to take notes as I watched, and I didn’t want to sacrifice my attention to the field by writing on a notepad. I wanted to watch the shows I’d spent all season hearing so much about. Good thing, too, because this Indy show was one of the best I’ve been to. Every corps entertained, even more than last year!

But of course, when I got home, I knew I had to write. The experience was too great not to share with everyone.

Seats: I know a lot of people like to review their seats when they review a show. I often find myself skipping over that, because it isn’t interesting, but in this case I just have to tell you a little about mine. I ordered my tickets a little more than a week ago, so I was at the mercy of what was left. The good news was that I was able to get seats pretty much on the 40. The bad news was that they were only three rows from the top of the Dome. For those of you who don’t yet know, sound travels off the field and gets lost in the rafters of this stadium. The rafters, then, is NOT a place where you want to be sitting, since everything becomes a little mushy. A lot of subtle parts get lost, and a lot of loud sections can start to sound like white noise.

Still, this is a venue that I am very familiar with. I marched four years with a great Indiana high school band, and we performed six shows each year in the RCA Dome – one for ISSMA State Finals, twice for the BOA Indy Regional, and three times for BOA Grand Nationals. So, although the acoustics were much different than they would be at an outside event, I was able to get past that and enjoy the performances I saw on the field. Less mush would have been great, but I was able to adjust and feel good about the show.

Crossmen – Don’t let the lower scores fool you! This is a fun show! They had the tall task of leading off tonight, but they did well in that spot. Their opener grooved, especially in the high brass. Holy ####, but these guys have a #### of a sop line! (Can I still call it that?) I was floored by the way they were able to play so high, yet maintain a really full tone with texture to it. Some screamers in other corps tended to drop off at the top, but not these guys. They were definitely the strength of the corps musically. As for the strength of the show, that would undoubtedly be their ballad. I downloaded the original Joni Mitchell piece that they used, but wasn’t impressed at all. But Drew Shanefield could just as well have been sitting next to me, saying “Trust me, we’ll make it work for you” It was gorgeous, the best of the night, and one of the best in any year, as far as I’m concerned. Way to play guys. That brings us to the closer, which grooved like their opener, but better. I wasn’t around Crossmen back in the day, I never heard Puma the first time around. I don’t care if the first time was better, because I enjoyed this time around. They brought back the gate drill move of the past two years, in a scaled back form, but I’m glad they didn’t bring back the endless final chord of last year. Instead, they ended in a curved front, the drumline arcing to form a bubble in the middle, and the cymbal line came up to the empty space and formed an ‘X’ to finish off the show. Very fitting, and very nice.

Prognosis – Some performance issues, but nothing a little cleaning won’t be able to fix. It’s tough to guess how much they’ll be able to get done in a week, but I don’t think it will make too much a difference in the end. They won’t be able to catch the corps ahead of them, who are just too good, but it shouldn’t matter. They have a very entertaining product on the field, they’ve done a great job with it, and there’s no reason not to consider this season a success, despite what Hopkins and YEA! might think, judging by the changes they made last offseason.

Bluecoats – One of my favorite corps, because in every show the past few years, they’ve been able to communicate the idea that they really have fun with their shows. This year was no exception, although it wasn’t able to grab me quite as much as some of their past shows have. At this point, I would highly suggest reading my discussion in the introduction about the location of my seats. That has to be tossed in as a disclaimer before I say anything else. Still, this was one of the quietest corps of the night. That made it pretty tough to get into what they were doing on the field. I wanted to like these guys. They played some pretty cool music and they looked like they enjoyed it. But you couldn’t feel it. If I got any impression, after seeing both jazz shows, it was that the Bluecoats performed as if they were Crossmen Lite. The performance was a little stronger technically, but a step down in most other areas. My friend next to me, a big Gordon Goodwin fan and a big Hunting Wabbits fan, remarked after the show that he liked Crossmen better, too, so it wasn’t just me…

One of the biggest sells of this show, though, was the guard. Using the rifle equipment, they were able to act out Elmer Fudd for us, prancing across the field with those big straight-up steps that he takes. It was their clowning around that convinced me I was watching the Bluecoats that I knew, having fun on the field as always. I just wish they would have opened up more.

Prognosis – I don’t know where they have left to go with this show. Perhaps they’re holding back until finals? If not, they’ll be wasting some potential. They aren’t doing as much as they can to sell this show, and because of that, I just can’t get a feel for the program.

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Expectations – A word must be said here. I confess, I’ve been following the Bluecoats during the season. They have been one of my favorite corps over the past two, three, seasons, and I really wanted to see them do well this time around. I read reviews early in the summer, and everyone seemed to have really great things to say, so I expected something to top what they gave me last year. In contrast, I hadn’t particularly enjoyed Crossmen’s show last season, and after seeing low scores for them, I hadn’t been expecting anything too much from them this year, either.

With that in mind, perhaps my reviews of the two corps become a little more clear. I went into the show with high hopes for the one, only to be left a little disappointed. I went into the show with no specific hopes for the other, and left pleasantly surprised by the show they gave. I thought that was interesting enough to think about, and thought I’d share it with you because it explains the reviewing process in a little better detail.

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Blue Knights – Another personal favorite. These guys are my favorite underdogs, mainly because I love the style of show that they play. I like the dark nature, and the unique choreography that they’re known for. This year was no exception. Bringing back Trittico was great, especially the way they did it, mixing it in and out of the rest of their show. As far as I saw, they were the only corps to use high mark time, just as they did in the 1999 production. Again, I haven’t been around drum corps long enough to remember when they played Mass in 1990, but I recognized certain melodies as being from that production. It was a great programming choice to put these two pieces together. Either that, or the arranger did a phenomenal job. Whatever the reason, I really enjoyed this show. It had everything to offer: Dark, well-performed music, just what I like. Creative drill and choreography, some of the most underrated of the night, that kept me captivated. Add to that the fact that these guys are fighting for finals, and it’s hard not to be pulling for them.

Prognosis – If they clean, they could catch Glassmen right ahead of them, but Crossmen are probably out of reach. Didn’t get to see the afternoon show, or even the recaps, so I don’t know how locked in they are to that twelve spot. Still, this is a finals-worthy show, and should be in. Of course, I thought that about last year’s program, as well, and that got bumped from Indy to finals. I hope I didn’t jinx them just now!

Glassmen – I’ve heard Blast! referred to as “Drum Corps’ Greatest Hits”. Well, Glassmen must have decided that if it can work on the stage, it can work on the field. The most recognizable tune they played was certainly Barber’s Medea, which they featured several times, specifically the big pushes. The first time they hit that section, I half expected to hear the ferocious drum roll that accompanied the section in Star’s ’93 production. Of course, it wasn’t there, but the comparison to Star was automatic. I don’t think you can play Medea without conjuring images of Star. Unfortunately, of course, the performance didn’t match, but the good news is that this was a much better showing than they gave last year. Hopefully they can keep this staff together and regain some momentum.

One thing that bugged me about the show, though, was the guard outfit. At the beginning of the program, they are in these big dresses, with flaps in the front. At certain hits, they would lift these flaps up to display a solid red color. Maybe it was just me, but seeing the girls constantly lifting their dresses up over their heads was a little unusual. It got better from there, though. They did have one of my favorite guard moments of the night. There is a point where the guard clumps together, with the corps circling around them, reminiscent of Cavaliers’ Fight Club. Well, after performing their segment, the corps breaks away. The guard remains, and one girl who had been lifted up, walks down from above, stepping down the backs of guard members along the way. It was pretty neat, made all the more effective by the way it was programmed as the focus of your attention.

After that, it was Appalachian Spring, most notably the Simple Gifts melody. I am happy to say that Glassmen have continued the tradition of having a great soloist. The guy on sop did a phenomenal job playing out on Simple Gifts, and got great cheers because of it!

Prognosis – Still not even close to the corps they were just a few years ago, but getting better. The show struck me as relatively safe, in both selection and arranging, but perhaps that was a smart move to get back into Saturday. If Blue Knights clean, they’ll catch Glassmen, but hopefully we’ll still see these guys in finals. As successful as they once were, I’d love to see them doing well again.

Carolina Crown – The first of the vocal corps, so of course I was intrigued. They began their show by forming words with their drill. Those words were apparently the ‘Bohemian ideal’: Freedom, Beauty, Truth, Love, and Peace (can’t recall the exact order). I thought it a bit cheesy and over the top, but as the show went on, I accepted that. I came to understand that this show thrives on the cheese. It embraces it, which I think is kind of the point. Cheese would fit well with the Bohemian ideals, at least as Crown depicted them. The question then has to be, “is it too much cheese?” Thankfully, no. If you’re an anti-amp person, then you answer might be a little different. But what kept this show genuine, to me, was Bohemian Rhapsody. By playing that song as their closer, and in its entirety, they made it clear that they never intended to take themselves too seriously. Some shows are guilty of that, such as some of the patriotic shows we’ve seen, and that’s disappointing. We want to be entertained, to have fun, and cheese in the context of a heavy-handed patriotic show feels more like work than play. This was different, though. You could tell that the corps wanted us to have fun with the show, and at their request, that’s exactly what I did! I sang along to Bohemian Rhapsody, and I certainly wasn’t the only one. I cheered along with everyone else when Crown formed a giant diagonal crown on the field toward the end of their closer. I cheered when they formed a heart, with the guard waving red flags in the middle. I stood up and cheered at the end, because this was a fun show,

Prognosis – Crown keeps growing by leaps and bounds. This show was heads and shoulders above last year’s production in every way. Personally, I would have them right in that mix fighting for fifth or sixth. I’m not sure what’s been holding them back of late, but certainly Boston and Bloo didn’t stand out as being significantly better. Until I see what the judges are seeing, though, it’s impossible for me to say they’ll be moving anywhere. I guess ninth is calling their name, but the placement doesn’t reflect how good they’ve become.

Boston Crusaders (Yes, I said Boston, not Tarpon) – This was a solid show, minus the distractions. By that I don’t mean just the vocals, but also the boxes. That was the first thing I noticed about this show, and unfortunately they commanded attention during the show, as well. The biggest shame of it was, they weren’t needed. The only time they were used were to hide the corps as they began the show, and then again when they ended it. The boxes had wheels, but were never moved. And they were huge! They dominated the end zones, making the corps between them small and cluttered. In their own way, they were a worse programming decision than the amps.

As for the show itself, well, the staff is trying, but not in any of the ways that they should be. There’s way too much standing around, particularly in the middle section. I’m not talking about a slow-moving ballad. I’m talking about no movement at all, for a majority of the corps. It really stagnated the show. I’ll give the corps credit, they are performing the show well, and especially the hornline which is really playing out. They give the show all the energy they can. Unfortunately, when the show picks up again, the staff again runs into problems by recycling last year’s Blue Devils book. I sat there and couldn’t believe that they were playing nearly note for note the Blue Rondo rhythm. As aggressive as they were, it was hard for me to get into that. I’m not very familiar with Tarpon’s 2003 show, so I can’t comment on that.

I say some negative things about this corps, but the truth is, they frustrate me. This season’s show was a perfect example. They are capable of some amazing programs. The corps performs exceedingly well, and the staff is clearly not without talent. They’ve won me over in other years, such as 2000 and 2001. Unfortunately, these guys always seem to stick with what’s been done before. I guess you can say they go out on a limb, but it’s never really to try anything new. There’s so much potential here for Boston to be one of the unique, individual corps out there, but they waste it by indulging themselves and rehashing other material. Some people love what they do, and I’m certainly not going to gainsay their right to do as the please. I’m just saying I think it’s a shame

Prognosis – Not going up. Madison and Phantom are just too good, and though I had Boston over Bloo, even I could see that Bloo’s still got the potential. The judges dropped Boston to eighth this night, but honestly, I could see Crown catching them, too.

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A word about Amps: So now I’ve reviewed both the vocal corps. In their own ways, each corps took a very different approach to the use of voice. Crown had singing, while Boston didn’t. Boston narrated, while Crown read a poem of sorts. But the biggest difference to me was that Crown featured their vocal performances, while Boston covered over their corps. This made a lot of difference. With Crown, I was able to appreciate the vocal sections as unique musical moments of the show. They were given the stage, just as a drumline or a hornline would be, for their own feature. I didn’t really care for the singing, or the voice for that matter, but at least it didn’t detract – other than for reasons of personal taste – from what was going on on the field.

Boston was a little different. They’ve cut back tremendously, it seems, from the narration they used to use. Certainly they no longer shout out random colors, or tell you what you were seeing, from what I could tell. I will give them credit for that. However, Boston’s vocals came during the middle of hornline performances. There was music happening, which had the effect of covering up what the narrator was saying while simultaneously distracting me from what the rest of the corps was playing. The voice wasn’t a featured part of their show, and perhaps because of that, I felt it certainly wasn’t needed. It felt to me as if they were using it because they could, not because they should. But that’s their choice.

After hearing the whistling effect during the Cavaliers’ 007 show, I’m convinced that amps in the pit can certainly help drum corps. It’s neat, it’s new, and it adds to the show. As for voice, well, I’ve never been a big fan, even in marching band circles. However, I recognize that Crown was able to make it a part of their show, and I realize that there are people out there that enjoy that. Boston too, for that matter. Corps make programming choices that I don’t agree with all the time, but It never fails that there’s someone who just eats it up. In my mind, amps and voice are the same way. There were some not so great uses in this event, but there were some really great uses as well. For that reason, I’m inclined to have them stay, and see what we learn in a few years, as we find out what works and what doesn’t. That’s all I wish to say about it in my review, though, as a true discussion of amps would belong in another thread.

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Cadets – This show was a puzzle for me. They gave me every reason to like this show, with plenty of rocking sections that you would expect from a rock ‘n roll show. But it just didn’t excite me as much as it should have. I thought about it, and after viewing nearly the whole show I think it might have been the pace. This show starts out slow, and maybe that’s why it doesn’t really grab me. Imagine 2000 without the big, loud opening hit. That’s kind of how this show worked. It even had a bit of the show-off section later in the show, making the 2000 vibe even stronger. Unfortunately, though, this show just doesn’t offer anything that I can’t find in any other corps. Well, except for the twirler that is. He did a phenomenal job, scraping the roof of the Dome to strong applause from the crowd. The rest of the guard performed strongly as well, as did the whole corps. Make no mistake, they are earning their points with smoking performances from all sections. As soon as they took the field, you could feel the difference between them and the rest of the field. But for all that it just left me flat. Perhaps it’s just me, as I haven’t been able to get into too many Cadets shows. Perhaps it was the seats, that limited what I was able to hear musically. Or perhaps it was the show itself, which just isn’t anything special. I’ll step back from my role as reviewer, and let you decide what is missing, either on my part or the corps’.

Prognosis – Well, it’s hard to say. They’re performing solidly enough, and I had them picked ahead of Vanguard on that point alone. But that’s as much as they have going for them. A clean Vanguard has this show beat, and Cadets can’t rely on another penalty in Denver. There’s a week left, but what Cadets really need is a rewrite, something to make this show into something special, but I can’t imagine there’s time enough for that to happen. Fourth place, in all likelihood.

Blue Devils – Wow! This show was cooooool. I came in expecting another random show from them, which might explain why I was so impressed (see above section on Expectations). But they did play a random music book. Certainly there were discernable melodies like in, say, Santa Clara’s show. But it worked. I thought to myself during the show, “This is ten minutes of ‘look how good we are’… and it’s working!” Even now, though, I’m mildly at a loss to explain how. I think it might be the attention to every detail. Especially in the second half, there was always something going on, something to keep you interested. It was often a train effect, but not always. A lot of the first half was soloist with corps accompaniment, but these guys were so #### good that they were able to pull it off! The notes these guys hit had me and my friends guffawing at the range. I can’t believe these guys are my age! I could never hit that!

For the first time, the Blue Devils have come up with a show that works best as a whole. Nothing stands out, just the show itself. I can’t tell you a whole lot of what happened during it, but I can tell you that it worked. The feeling at the end was ‘holy crap’, I can’t believe I saw them do that. It was just an amazing display of ability from the very beginning and it never let up. The final moments, the hornline marches left to right, ending up in the end zone. They march in random directions, until the zone is filled up, leaving a lane in the middle. The drumline crabsteps their way into that lane, slowing down as they go, eventually coming to a stop, just like a train at the station. It’s a beautiful effect, and the perfect way to wrap up such a professional show. These are the best words I can muster for this show in just one viewing. Suffice to say, this is one I’m going to be watching on the DVD’s many times.

Prognosis – After I watched them, I understood why they’d been receiving such high numbers. It’s all been earned. This was nearly flawless execution. The only problem I can see is that there’s a week left to go, and the Cavaliers are still dirty. That’s the only possible threat, though. Those two corps just stood a step above everyone else, if not more. I’m guessing they’ll finish second, but it won’t be for lack of performance.

Madison Scouts – This felt like a psychology experiment! You know how the anticipation makes makes it that much better when you get what you want? This show demonstrates that principle pretty clearly. I spent the first half of the show wondering if this would be the Scouts I remembered. Instead, it felt like any other corps or band I’ve seen. The best example was when the horns were playing a passage, accompanied by a constant rhythm from the drumline. It just didn’t fit. The whole opener was generic, with nothing that grabbed me and kept me entertained. Last year, I felt that the Scouts played the perfect show, as they transitioned from the old regime to the new. This year, I wondered if they had let the old Madison feel slip even further. At least, I felt that in the first half. Then they played Malaga.

No, this isn’t the Malaga of ’95. You can’t expect it to be. This is a different corps, a different staff, and a much different show. But. It’s still the Madison Scouts playing Malaga! The crowd latched onto that right away. This arrangement starts out much more faithful to the original than the ’95 version. There was some scattered applause when the first recognizable lick from that earlier show, though. It’s as though the audience could feel it coming, and sure enough, it did. Early on in the chart, the corps lined up in horizontal front, pausing for a bar to give room for the cheering. Applause and cheers erupted. The corps marched to the 50, before rotating into the company front. The crowd didn’t go nuts, like they did in ’95, but I still got chills. Several other goosebump moments came along, especially during the push, when the corps formed the fleur-de-lis in the middle of the field. The tribute to the past had been paid, and I was satisfied.

Back to the psychology experiment. One of the most common question of the last two seasons has been “Are the Scouts still the Scouts?” Well, I came into this show asking the same thing. For the first half of the show, I was let down, and the answer was a flat no. At least, to me it was. The second half brought back the Madison flair, and it seemed to be that the initial disappointment made the vision of Madison past that much sweeter to witness. Certainly the crowd ate it up

Prognosis – Whatever you say about how interesting the show is, it’s being performed very solidly. I thought they clearly had Bloo and Boston outperformed tonight, but Phantom outmatched the Scouts, in turn. I expect Madison to be slotted firmly in sixth, possibly getting caught, but not catching Phantom.

Santa Clara Vanguard – For the past few weeks now, I’ve been listening to the Rimsky-Korsakov original, in preparation for this show. I have to admit, I had my misgivings. It was hard to listen to a 45-minute piece and hear a drum corps show in it. Vanguard did a great job of showing me how it could work. I was also glad that I had listened to the original so much, because it helped me to enjoy the music even that much more. Still, I have to admit I was a little disappointed. Myself, I’ve been a big fan of their shows since 1998, and the esoteric nature of those productions is actually something that I’ve grown to enjoy. This year, it felt like Santa Clara took steps to be more appealing, but at the cost of the niche they had filled previously. As a result, while I enjoyed this show, it wasn’t able to affect me the way I’d hoped.

Still, this was a solid, enjoyable show. There were loud cheers each time the corps did the traditional horizontal collapsing drill move, this time onto a triangle. I have to confess, though. I spent much of the show watching the guard! Wow, were they great. I know nothing about guard, what is good or bad. But you can’t be a straight guy in his early 20’s without watching that guard! It also helped that the guard was really used to sell the show. Two girls and a guy were the focal point of the show, as the man was torn between the two, finally running off with the first girl. It reminded me of the Blue Devils 1997 Casablanca show. But only in that regard, as it definitely had a Santa Clara feel, throughout, albeit more of a power-driven 1995 Vanguard feel.

Prognosis - I don’t see this show contending for a championship, though. I didn’t think the performance matched the two corps in the front, and again, the show design itself seemed too stale to be a championship show. They haven’t locked up that third spot yet, either. Still, this was some great, traditional, melody-driven music and it’s easy to see why it’s so popular. Perhaps this should be considered 2004’s version of last year’s Phantom show.

Phantom Regiment – I’ve been listening to a lot of Astor Piazzolla for a while now. My favorites are easily Adios Nonino and Oblivion, so I was very interested to see what they would do with those selections. I have to say my reviews were mixed. I really loved the Adios Nonino moments, which reminded me very much of the role that Canon played for them last year. Certainly the push in the closer was one of the highlights of the evening. I wasn’t sold on Oblivion, though. After listening to the original, and especially after being spoiled by the Crossmen ballad, I was hoping to hear something gorgeous. Instead, the source music could only really be heard toward the end, and since I was listening for it the whole time, the ballad was kind of wasted on me. My biggest disappointment, though, was that I only got to see the show once. I’m not sure what to think of it just yet, or to pass my judgment on it. It was certainly an enjoyable show. For the first time ever I think, I heard oooh’s and aaah’s for a Phantom drill move! The music was also performed extremely well. One spot in the closer, when the corps is pushing a chord and the guard is slowly lifting red flags just gave me chills. It was so powerful. There’s no question I love what they’re doing, but is it a step forward for them? Is it Top Four material? These are the kinds of questions that need a few more viewings to be decided. Certainly the visual book improved from last year, and they left little doubt that last year’s show was any kind of a fluke. Good for them.

Prognosis – Firmly in fifth. I still think there’s a separation there between what they are doing and what the Top Four is doing. If nothing else, that separation exists in performance quality, where Cadets are just sick (in a good way). They’re knocking on that door, but with Vanguard improving – especially in the hornline – Phantom just isn’t ready to be an elite quite yet. Still, I think they showed an appreciable gap between themselves and Madison, and should be able to hold them off in Denver.

Cavaliers – A very cool show, oozing suave confidence at every moment. Also this is possibly the most engaging Saucedo show for the corps. The Bond theme was easily recognizable, even with a rep of lesser known tunes from the Bond soundtracks. The show starts out with a typical Gaines move. The corps begins in a grid, of many different squares, and each square takes turns rotating, as the corps moves across the field. Several other Gaines moments abound, like when a rotating circle moves through a marching block, turning in several directions before exiting to the side. My favorite would have to be another block, tightly condensed, moving from left to right. As it tracks across the field, rows and columns shift and rotate, all without disturbing the outer border of the block. It’s an amazingly challenging, and had everyone around guffawing with amazement. Despite those moments, this show doesn’t have quite the wow factor of past Cavaliers shows. Still, the demand is obvious. These guys never stop moving! There were a few falls, including one from a drummer that elicited some ‘ooohs’ from the audience. But with the speed they were moving and the surface of the RCA Dome that they were marching on, I’m surprised there weren’t more falls.

What impressed me the most this year about the Cavaliers, by far, was their hornline. Wow, can these guys play! There were some screamers, but it wasn’t just them. The whole line was asked to play balls-to-the-wall for the whole show, and they delivered. This could be even better than the 2002 line. They even had a chord hung in the RCA Dome air for many seconds after the cut off. It had me and my friends staring at each other and laughing silly over how great it was. I couldn’t believe the textures I was hearing. It was amazing to think that this came from just a brass hornline. This one show that I can’t wait to get on the CD’s, and especially the DVD’s, just to hear it again. It was everything we’ve come to expect from the Cavaliers the past few years, but also just plain fun!

Prognosis – The Cavaliers performed at an amazing level, but the show is not without its flaws. There’s still some dirt in there, and they haven’t taken this show as far as it can go yet. The only question is how much they can clean up in a week. It’s in their hands though, to win if they can.

Placement Comments: Everyone ended up about like I thought they would, both from the scores of the season so far, and from my own judgment of the field. There weren’t really any discrepancies, so hopefully the conspiracy theories will take a rest this year. I didn’t get to see the afternoon show, and still haven’t seen the results, so I don’t know in which order the four corps to advance were placed. Still, I was able to correctly call how they would place in the evening. Boston in eighth was the only surprise, because I thought they had a more aggressive show than the Bluecoats, who performed very early in the contest. It was also the only placing that I failed to call correctly. Madison was a step ahead of those two, but Phantom was a couple steps ahead of Madison to me, and placed accordingly. Still, the gap between the top four and everyone else remains. That didn’t change tonight, and it was pretty obvious after seeing all the performances. There’s still an appreciable gap between what the top four are accomplishing and everyone else, despite the desire of many for greater parity. I correctly called Cadets over Vanguard, as Cadets put on a much more solid performance. However, 2004 is a two horse race, make no mistake. The Blue Devils and The Cavaliers were easily the class of the evening. For this night, Cavaliers were still just too dirty to catch a #### clean Blue Devils program. I don’t think that’s going to continue much longer, though.

[BlooooContra]

Very, very nice review.

As much as it pains me, gotta agree about your Bluecoats opinion. they've got tons of talent, but NO volume. It's a bit difficult to get into a show when it doesn't reach out and grab you. Though holy ish, the guard is amazing.

First crossmen viewing for me this season (at Indy), loved the show. Last few seconds of the ballad.... wow.

Edited August 3, 2004 by BlooooContra

[GMichael1230]

This is an absolutely brilliant review. Fair, descriptive, easy to read, informative and unbiased......the best one I have read so far.

~G~

[bawker]

Wow, that's a review for the ages...definitely my choice for Review Of The Year!(At least until I do my review of Finals... :P I kid!)...great comments!

Thanks for a nice read.

[Matt_S]

Thanks G!

Of course, it didn't hurt that I said some nice things about your Devils, right?

[Matt_S]

Wow, that's a review for the ages...definitely my choice for Review Of The Year

Thanks! but now I'm holding you to that! :P

Edited August 3, 2004 by Maedhros

[artlady]

Great reviews, and I agree. When the Cavaliers clean up their program, and they will, there was a big difference (except the fall) from Murfreesboro and Indy (I was at both). Their percussion has placed the highest of all both days, and their horn line is awesome. If the Blue Devils don't add anything and Cavies clean it up (they added the last part of the closer on Wednesday), I can see them going on top. Hey, look at the 2 days, a half a point on Friday, a tenth on Sat. Then on Sunday in Napierville, a 96.10 (highest of the season). Should be a great and close finals. Wish I could go!

[iceman]

Okay, Now THIS is the best review I've read. Good job...

[StupidLikeAFox]

wow.... how long did it take you to write this?!?

well I guess time flies when you write about something you love..

GREAT REVIEW!

[CrossmenAlumni]

Crossmen –

Prognosis – Some performance issues, but nothing a little cleaning won’t be able to fix.  It’s tough to guess how much they’ll be able to get done in a week, but I don’t think it will make too much a difference in the end.  They won’t be able to catch the corps ahead of them, who are just too good, but it shouldn’t matter.  They have a very entertaining product on the field, they’ve done a great job with it, and there’s no reason not to consider this season a success, despite what Hopkins and YEA! might think, judging by the changes they made last offseason.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nice review of the Bones! I agree about Both Sides Now. I think it's the most beautiful song on the field this summer.

In regards to the future of the organization and whether or not George and YEA think the corps has been successful this season, they have already locked in Director Larry Markiewicz and Assistant Director John Burgan for next season. With a full off-season to prepare this time around (Larry was hired about a week before auditions last year, and the show wasn't even decided on until well into December), I'm expecting a more consistent offering from the Crossmen in 2005 with much more stability on the instructional staff.