THE GREATES INDY REVIEW

[Phantombass]

So I head to a seat (Not mine seeing that I got one of the cheap seats and the stands are more than half empty. As the clock hits 12:45 I see a corps come out with a hint of bright orange. Looking around I see about a thousand people as the announcer announces,

FROM THE NETHERLANDS, JUBAL: Opening Statement hits (Sop, Screamer... ohhh... cool). as I watch the show I can't stop thinking of the parralels between this corps and East Coast Jazz. Both are smaller corps and like to play BD style jazz. And both do a pretty job at working with what they have. They had a pretty loud hornline for the under 30 horns they had. They were BD right down to the final, whop whop whop horn tag at the end. If it just gets better from here on out it just may be a good day of drum corps.

The Madison Scouts: Opening Statement (WOW!). Impression at the end of the closer, Madison will make finals tonight. Counter rotating circles in the closer were simple, but visually effective. Had the fans on their feet by the release of the last note. As I said in part 1 the guard is holding them back BIG TIME. When I found out that they didn't make finals I was amazed and kind of outraged. I didn't think the Colts should have made finals, but with that hometown crowd it was an obvious assumption that I just failed to make.

From Kitchner Ontario (The other) KAVALIERS: This was my second viewing of Kiwanis, and let me say right off the bat, LOOSE THE MASKS! With that being said this is possibly Kiwanis' best corps ever, if not at least since 98. Drill looks pretty good from up top too. The rotating drill block in the closer was nice. The show kind of reminds me of a college marching band halftime show. In closing I just want to say it's dissapointing that Kiwanis is doing so well this year, when all the other corps are doing better too. I wish I could see Kiwanis up around 12 or even 15th, but not this year. This is a good year for corps.

SOUTHWIND: Playing farmiliar music. Couldn't tell you what year or corps but I can tell you a top 12 corps did some of it in the 90's. A snare playr dropped his stick in a snare feature-type part. Their drumline is better than it is most years. The pit was interrestingly positioned on the left of the fifty on the actual field not to the front. A good corps, don't know why they're scoring so well, they should be closer to that 10 to 15 pack IMHO.

PIONEER: Initial reaction, OK, there are picnic tables on the field. A guard girl stands on the 50 twirling her hat for about two minutes, where are the Drum Majors? Finally they appear the judges and DM's give the go ahead and the show kicks off. It's a decent crowd pleasing show from this corps. The hornline reminds me of the old video game Lemmings when the scramble around dragging picinic tables acrossed the field. Pioneer is kind of small this year.

COLTS: Guard, riffle tosses, nearly 40 girls in unison, they are using this guard to their advantage putting them front and center. Pretty good flag work by the ladies as well. Colts always seem to spread the entire length of the field and this year is no different one 10 to the other a few times in the show. Drumline (When they're not dhutting too loud!) Are rocking those Premiers, no standout percussion moments that I can think of.

TROOPERS: America's corps. It's the Troopers playing Troopers music. There are some neat backsticking parts for the snareline at one point. At points in the show it sounded like even the Troopers are giving in a little bit and updating their musical scoring.

CROWN: Seem MUCH better than a month ago in Cortland. drumline was the first since Madison that made me think, now THAT is a top 12 drumline. Last half of the show seems more resolved. Drill seemed to be cleaned up alot more.

SEATTLE CASCADES: The corps I had been waiting all morning to see. Would they live up to the hype? First impact.... Welcome to the top 12 Cascades :D End of opener impression: "d###! This is the best thing out of Seattle since Starbuck's!!!!!!" Guard was wearing business outfits/suits. This guard was the hottest one of the day look wise (Not to be sexist, but the thought hopped into my head that these were some good looking girls.) Standing O at the end of the park and blow. At the end of their show was the biggest standing ovation since Madison (IF NOT A BIGGER ONE!?!) Seattle, you guys rock. If you can get those souvies up to par you're in it to win it.

Spirit of Atlanta: Initial thought: They're small. Then the guard jumps from behind the hornplayers. Then they appear to be quite large. They're big and the accompanying horn sound, it's big too. Not quite the Spirit of old, but good enough for now, that's for sure. Like the drum book, but the bass line is either weak or just got the shaft in the writing. There was no bass feature in the show after a quad and snare feature was a pit feature, I was dissapointed with that.

BLUE KNIGHTS: Oh man, 2 bass drum let downs in a row. BK, the perennial powerhouse bassdrum line only has 4 bass drummers. And it seems like there aren't nearly as many beats as the previous two years stellar basslines. Pit is actually on the football field and the hornline is loud. A better show than last year but the competition is also much improved. Looks like a 13th or 14th place finish for this team from Denver.

CROSSMEN: Last night in Tennessee they scored really low in drums. The line was really solid when I saw them in Cortland NY a month earlier. I like the show alot, but judging from the recent scores they may have peaked early. Lots of toe tapping in the audience as they played that killer opener. At the end of the opener I got some goosebumbs as I thought back to the killer 97 show. One part that was not good, at all was a snare brush part where they were spread out. It sounded like unreadable garbage. Needs to be addressed big time. Also the sop trio, much improved B) last time I saw the show it wasn't too hot.

So then I left before scores were announced. My 4 making finals: Seattle and Crossmen, then Madison and JSU Spirit. I was wrong about Madison. Oh well, wait 'till Madison.

[dc oldtimer]

Hey, you said Part 1 of 2 in your first post!!!

Tease!!!!

[CVsnare]

The Colts had a hometown crowd? In Indianapolis, the only Colts is the National Football League franchise.

[Phantombass]

In Indy who is closer than the Colts from Dubuque?

[Riflechicadee]

hmm.

[Guest Aderagon]

Technically, Southwind would be the "home" corps for the Afternoon show (Lexington, KY).

[jlhiatt]

And "Spirit" dropped the "of Atlanta" now that they're "sponsored" by JSU. But we still think of them as Spirit of Atlanta, so that's okay.

[Machine]

In Indy who is closer than the Colts from Dubuque?

The Cavaliers, Phantom Regiment, Glassmen, Southwind, Bluecoats, and Madison are all closer to Indy than the Colts of Dubuque. Southwind just edges out the Cavaliers for closest to Indy.

[PRPhamilyMan]

You mentioned that you recognized Southwind's musical selections, but couldn't pin who had done it before. Southwind played some music from Phantom Regiment's 1992 show. That is probably where you've heard it before. That was such an awesome show. I absolutely love the music from '92. I've just about worn down my PR Classics Vol. 3. :D