Finals Review....long And Blunt

[JMS0527]

First of all, the weather was perfect! Temps were perfect, and the threat of rain vanished after 5.....slight breeze which diminished even more as the sun set.

My parents accompanied me to the finals....they don't follow the activity like I do, but they knew last night would be worth it. I'll include comments from them if I can think of them.

Our vantage point was WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY up....second row from the top in our section. If I looked straight down, I was looking at the north end zone. Still, it was a great vantage point for the visual! Musically, not so much....definite volume issues due to distance from the field and angle to the hornline. However, I could still tell a difference (and improvement) in hornline impact as the night went on.

READ: I'm going to be honest in my review. If you think we should live in a world that's nothing but a giant green M&M, you might not want to read this. If anyone decides to take issue with whatever I write, I promise you that a brick wall will care more about your opinion of me than I will.

And, away we go....reviews in reverse order of FINALS placement.

GLASSMEN 85.95

Mom: Never got a reaction from her.

Dad: Hated the music (and I knew he would). Felt better when the corps went to Simple Gifts (again, expected), but thought the composer earlier should've been on Prozac. I explained that a piece called Medea wouldn't be that happy.

Me: Not surprised that they scored in the 85s (almost 86!). However, musically the designers still need to figure out how to pace a drum corps show and not make it seem so flatlined...I think they've improved since '98 and '99 (don't like either of those shows), but they've still got work to do. The kids did well with the show though!

****

CROSSMEN 87.425

Never really got an opinion of them from the parents.

Me: I'm not surprised that they dropped a spot. Tim Kviz mentioned the almost distastrous colorguard drop. The rifle landed a ways from her and then she had a small case of butterfingers picking it up. A hornline block came at her, unaware that she was in the way. No one fell, but it was scary there for a second. At any rate, I thought the guard had some issues as did Ensemble Visual. Hornline had some good clarity and balance, but still somewhat problematic to me. Puma did, unfortunately, pale in comparison to '92 and that great Mark Thurston perc section.

Finally, I wish they'd stick with a uniform...go back to the '90-'94 uni.

Congrats, Crossmen, for setting a new record-high score for a corps finishing 11th!

****

BLUE KNIGHTS 87.6

Mom: Really enjoyed the show...she's actually missed the Blue Knights' best years competitively so she thought this was the best they've ever looked. Oh well, no matter....she agreed with them passing up the Crossmen.

Dad: Basically agreed with the missus.

Me: First of all, the crowd went nuts as soon as Brandt Crocker said "Denver, Colorado"....so nice to have Brandt announcing this, by the way.

Ok....again, I'm not surprised that they moved up....hornline sounded better overall than the Crossmen and guard seemed to have a good night to me (though I will say, if I spun a flag someone would get hurt). Not really sure about the overall music design...not as nice as I was hoping, but the kids obviously enjoyed what they were given.

****

BOSTON CRUSADERS 90.525

Mom: She predicted (correctly) that Madison would beat them....didn't really say much else except that she thought the voiceovers were unnecessary, distracting, and didn't make sense.

Dad: Hated it....agreed with mom on the amps and said it detracted from the show. However, even without the amps, he still would've hated it. Basically, nothing musically or visually inspired anything positive from him. He didn't even realize they had a color concept going...that's how much he tuned this show out.

Me: I'll go from the negative end to the positive.

So, let's start with the amps.

Suddenly, I hear this noise that sounds like a voice(?) talking, and I'm thinking, "What? Who the he.....oh, God...that's right...the narration" Distracting from what's happening on the field?...you bet. Did it really connect to what was happening on the field in any way?....no! Yelling out random words didn't make sense at all. Memo to Howard Weinstein: I don't care that you are a director, nor do I care that you have years of experience....do NOT insult my intelligence by allowing inane, nonsensical sentences like "The eyes are the harmonies" into future shows. Eyes are not harmonies....this is impossible...it is not cute...it is not philosophically deep. Same thing for "The mind, like the hand, is colored by what it holds" or whatever stupid drivel you designers had that poor guy saying at the end...this is another sentence that says nothing at all. Fortunately, I was able to relegate the narration in my mind to an annoying buzzing in the background like a fly....but this is not something I want to have to do in the future...so take heed, Howard and staff. Oh, the guy next to me said he felt like he was at a planetarium. And, in my section, everyone sat on their hands...everyone.

Musically....sans amps.....didn't really interest me at all, either. I'll say this.....there were a lot of people who accused the Cavies of making the 2003 music an afterthought to the drill. Boston's designers are far more guilty of this with the 2004 production than the Cavies the last few years.

Visually........now THIS is a different story. I enjoyed the drill despite the obvious connections to recent years. I thought the kids did a far better job with visual execution and GE than anyone prior to them last night. This saved the show for me...seriously.

Congrats are in order to Boston for becoming only the 2nd corps to finish 9th and break 90...new record-high score for this position!

****

MADISON SCOUTS 91.175

Mom: Enjoyed them (but she always does)....liked the overall package and, again, thought they deserved to beat Boston.

Dad: Didn't get much from him, but I think he liked them.

Me: I'll be honest....I'm surprised that they passed up Boston. Boston's visual performance made such a positive impact on me that I figured it'd be enough to hold Madison off barely. Now, I've seen everything from "Madison's back!" to "Madison, as we know and love this corps, is officially dead." It's neither...they have the roots of the flash (visually) and power (musically) that they had during Scott Stewart's reign and before. It's up to the staff to make sure it comes back in full, and I hope it does.....I will continue to assert that Madison can do a '95-type show and win if they execute the best.

The marimba motives heard at the beginning, and in the transition to the "ballad", were lost from my nosebleed seats..oh well. And, I will agree that the guys stepped it up in Malaga but only by a notch. Maybe it's because I thought the arrangement paled in comparison to '94 and '95.

The first real visceral crowd response of the night came when Madison collapsed the block into the start of the pinwheel....this was also the point when I heard audible reactions (oohs and the like) from people around me. From our seats, the music during the pinwheel was completely drowned out by the crowd. Finally, the seats were definitely not the ideal place if you wanted your face blown off at the very end :(

****

CAROLINA CROWN 91.225

Mom: Same comments about amps that applied to Boston....however, she was able to overcome Crown's decisions and enjoy the show. She'd never heard of Crown before, but she was impressed by their performance.

Dad: Basically, the same reaction.

Me: First of all, congrats Crown on blowing every other year out of the water! OK....hated the voiceovers here too...I can basically copy and paste most of what I said in Boston's review. The singing was the equivalent of a Vegas lounge act or something I'd expect from a staged dance recital...it had no connection to what was happening elsewhere on the field. Plus, it was hard to hear....if you corps can't figure out how to amp this junk so that everyone in a LARGE stadium (such as Invesco) can hear it the way you envision, then why are you bothering? The beat poetry distracted from the drum feature and, once again, had no connection to the remainder of the field. Drop the mic and beef up the percussion writing here. I was very relieved to see the horns lift their instruments back up and start playing. Oh, and again, the crowd in my section sat on its hands during the amped voiceover portions.

The overall flow of the show was not as impressive as I expected from past reviews. No matter...the kids performed the show very well...obviously, a tremendously-improved hornline and execution of drill. I had them much, much closer to the Bluecoats.

Frankly, I think the break between the 'Coats and Crown may have been to Crown's detriment (competitively, but I doubt the kids care at this point).

****

BLUECOATS 92.125

Parents: Not much was said about them....I don't really think they've ever heard of them before(!) since the 'Coats don't make their way to Drums Along the Rockies very often if at all (they weren't ever there the years we've gone). I did, however, get the impression that my mom thought Crown should've finished higher.

Me: I was a bit surprised at the flip-flop myself. I think Crown should've been right near the 'Coats in scoring instead of barely holding off Madison. Having said that....I agree with reviewers that the show didn't maximize impact as it should have. However, I have to say the kids -- in all performance aspects -- did VERY well. Fine hornline, percussion, drill execution (I'll stay neutral about drill design), and GUARD....first guard of the night to really make me take notice (and, I noticed them more than Crown's, by far). If you haven't seen this year's show, believe the hype....this guard was solid!

Humorous sidenote....Brandt Crocker announced that the Bluecoats were on the field....people begin to "cheer." A girl in the next row down got this puzzled look on her face.....then she opened her mouth to speak. Everyone, say it with me now..."Why are they booing?" Now, dub Michael Cesario voiceover, since I couldn't hear the response..."Those fans aren't booing, they're Blueing, the traditional cheer for the Canton Bluecoats!"

Lastly, congrats Bluecoats on your best year ever! The top 6 is no longer a dream!

****

PHANTOM REGIMENT 93.575

Mom: She liked it...I think it was one of her favorites of the night overall.

Dad: One of his favorites of the night....come of think of it, it might have been THE favorite for him. This surprises me because I expected him to not care for the music. He did, though.

Me: Placement....correct. Score.....not. They were every bit as good as last year and, perhaps, slightly better. Score was just a bit too low to me. Very difficult, but outstanding, show that the kids obviously believed in. The ballad gets my vote for best of the year. When the hornline shrinks down to a right triangle and the guard expands out to complement it with bright, yet cool, colors....gorgeous hornline sound. It moves me to tears..simply beautiful. Thank you, Phantom, for fielding this show.

This corps has absolutely GOT to keep Pat Seidling...to me, the roots are in place to get this corps an (outright!) championship and soon! All the staff has to do is believe it....then, they've got to move that belief on to the kids. It should, can, and will happen if Pat stays on board.

****

CADETS 95.6

Parents: I'm thinking this show just didn't make as much of an impact on them as the rest of the top 5 did. Most memorable comments were directed toward their approval of, and praise for, the twirler.

Me: I thought they were going to nip their Semifinal score....again, just a bit low. Musically, the design of the show led to pacing problems which was a detriment to their competitive success. Also, it seems that, as the season went on (comparing Orlando to Quarterfinals), they had more trouble selling and communicating the highest impact points.

But, from an overall design standpoint (now bringing in visual), I liked the show...I think the kids enjoyed it, too. Jeff Sacktig, in my opinion, is nowhere near the drill writer that George Zingali or Marc Sylvester were. However, '98 and 2000 were exceptions, in my opinion. Now, I'll add 2004 to the list. I anticipate that this drill will surpass 2000 in my mind (design-wise).

The baton twirler was on fire last night....even more impressive than I expected. Many more appearances might've been annoying, but, as it was, it was fine. Overall, my impression of the 2004 Cadets is a lot more positive than a lot of peoples'.

****

SANTA CLARA VANGUARD 96.825

Parents: They enjoyed it....enough said.

Me: Again, score was perhaps a tad low. Maybe it should've barely broken 97...I take less issue with this score than I do with the Cadets and (especially) Phantom. The opener seemed tentative......enough so, that I thought the Cadets were going to beat them. However, from the ballad on, they were locked in, and it was obvious they were going to be top 3.

Holy Percussion!!!!! They projected like no other last night....and, even from my seats, I could hear how tight they were! No doubt, they were the High Percussion champs this year.

Drill.....best ever design from Myron Rosander, in my opinion. Very enjoyable and interesting. Please continue to write like this, please!

However....please find staff who can teach the kids to march Myron's drill the way it deserves to be marched. Ballad was tight, but the opener and final segments were problematic in Ensemble Visual. This has been the case since their "comeback" in '97, and it's starting to bum me out.

Overall....fantastic....glad to see they could finish top 3. This one will be talked about for several years. It deserved 3rd.....but it was marvelous nonetheless. Oh, and I totally missed the Vanguard yell...d'oh!

****

BLUE DEVILS 98.525

Mom: Favorite overall package of the night...she just shook her head in amazement at their execution of drill and their hornline.

Dad: Also enjoyed it....agreed that they did well, but I knew it wasn't his favorite of the night.

Me: Phasing in the opening moments? Probably not.....had to be my seats. But, for a second there, I thought the power train was about to wreck. Obviously, it didn't...either they recovered or they weren't actually phasing.

OK...hornline deserved their 20th(?) trophy. Overall show design was great. The music is catchy and memorable to me. I've felt this since I first heard it. Is Wayne Downey choppier than he once was? Yes. Do I feel it is a major transgression for which he should be cast into...heck? No.

Drill: If you just watch the hornline, the drill is simplistic. From that viewpoint, I don't get much out of Jay Murphy's designs. However, I concede that from an overall staging/coordination standpoint, he brings out the best in the music design.

No matter what....the Blue Devils executed the snot out of the drill (and the show for that matter). Moreover, they make it quite obvious that they are kicking ###...they simply tell you that that is what they're doing.

Ending: Marched (in field show tempo) right off the field and out of the stadium.....brilliant. The crowd ate it up. The pit's final slow-down and stop effects were completely drowned out by the cheers.

By the way, congrats Blue Devils on breaking the record for highest score for 2nd place.

****

CAVALIERS 98.7

Mom: She begrudgingly gives them the title because of their drill design and execution. Had it not been for that, she would've thought the Blue Devils had been absolutely ripped off. She's not crazy about Bond music.

Dad: Loved the drill, but not all that endeared with the music either. This is why I think his number one (from a design standpoint) was Phantom. Competitively, he agreed with the Cavies winning.

Me: WOOHOO! For the 5th consecutive year, the Cavies have my favorite show. I mainly concentrated on drill design and execution. No one, but no one, can top Michael Gaines....he is, bar none, the top drill writer we have. Myron Rosander is a somewhat-distant second (though if he writes drills like this year's, he'll close the gap). I wasn't sure who'd win Ensemble Visual, but now I know the Blue Devils took it...no matter. The Cavies were right behind and deservedly so. They were tight. Hornline had just enough issues that I expected the Blue Devils to get the High Brass trophy. Percussion and guard were kinda ignored by me last night. I knew that their championship hinged on the drill. When it was over, I figured they'd won but barely. I was right.

Unfortunately, the finger snaps and whistling were totally lost where I sat.

Biggest crowd response (not overall, just during the Cavies)?...at the end of the ballad when they very suddenly form the 007 set.

I should clarify my music design position.....musically, the best show overall, and I knew they'd win GE Music this week.

This show just totally blew away all expectations I had in the off-season...I was worried...I should've known better.

Best overall design staff belongs to the Cavies....if they keep this staff, I think they will continue to dominate (or almost dominate) for quite a while.

Yow....that's it.....can't type anymore.

EDIT: OK, now I can think of more to sum up. The crowd in my section sat on its hands for the amped voiceovers, but, from my vantage point, I heard no real audible reactions, positive or negative, during those portions. As much as I hated the voiceovers, I was not at all inclined to voice my opinions within earshot of other people...we waited until after we'd hit the road.

To sum up (and, yes this goes just as equally to Boston and Crown), thank you, kids, all of you for your hard work. It was a real treat to see 12 corps at the end of the summer!

All 12 corps got a standing ovation...from at least 50% of the audience.

Edited August 28, 2004 by sooneralum2001

[profhill]

Jeff Sacktig, in my opinion, is nowhere near the drill writer that George Zingali or Marc Sylvester were. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

True! But, who is? That list would be very, very short.

[JMS0527]

True! But, who is? That list would be very, very short.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

True enough....I guess my point is, when you look at the Cadets in the last 20 years, the latter 10 pale in comparison to the previous 10 with the exception of '98, 2000, and now 2004.

[profhill]

True enough....I guess my point is, when you look at the Cadets in the last 20 years, the latter 10 pale in comparison to the previous 10 with the exception of '98, 2000, and now 2004.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I almost completely agree. I don't like 2000, or 2004. Although 2000 has some really cool ideas. But that's just me.

[JMS0527]

I almost completely agree. I don't like 2000, or 2004. Although 2000 has some really cool ideas. But that's just me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Interesting thoughts......2000 annoyed me in the "ballad" and the "anything you can do yada yada yada" portions, but I thought the remainder made up for it.

Of course, 2004 is based on my viewing last night only....I said I anticipate it eclipsing 2000, but I guess time will tell.

[LAMystreaux]

Isn't Sylvester still on staff though? I know he is not the drill designer, but isn't he over the entire visual program?

[JMS0527]

I think he is....not a Program Coordinator overall, but like a Visual Program Coordinator.

[JT76]

Great review!

[JMS0527]

Thanks! :)

[GMichael1230]

Thanks!  :)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Awesome review !! excellent eye and good skills in keeping one interested in reading.....Im curios as to what section you sat in as in my section......there was hardly any response to Boston or Crown either .

Thanks for the review !!!

~G~