Dave_G Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 (edited) I left Raleigh around noon yesterday to head to Fort Mill SC. After stoping for a fairly decent sized meal I headed back to the staduim and met up with a few good friends of mine that I hadn't seen in quite a while, since I marching with Tarheel Sun in some cases. The temprature was rather warm (low 90s) but there was relatively low humidity and no sign of rain in sight so the stage was set for this to be a good night for drum corps. I'll make a note right now that I focused mostly on the musical aspects with drill design and "flow of the show" right behind it, I won't make many comments on anything else unless it really stood out to me. Spirit: First corps on tonight and they had one heck of a fun show. The opener was prety solid and the first real indication that the corps is going to put out some sound this season, hopefully enough to deter those that criticized the corps last season over the honeline. The ballad had visual issues but was solid in terms of the brass performance. I had been told that they recieved the new props for the ballad just an hour before ensamble rehersal today and decided to put them in the show that night, so that likely had a lot to do with the visual/guard issues tonight. Luck be a Lady was probably the highlight of the show for me, solid soprano solo and just a prety good overall groove to it. The closer could use a kick or three in the visual velocity design department, but musically they are going to be fine. The whole show just flows so much better then last seasons, already a step in the right direction to get back into finals. The positive: Musically they came out without too many issues. A few people sticking out and a couple blend issues but overall nothing that will take long to fix there. The negative: Visual design didn't seem to be as demanding as the other 6 corps there. But it also seems like there is plenty of room to kick it up a notch or three in some places in terms of the visual design. The corps needs to figure out what to do with the banners, which I'm sure they will over then next 2-3 days. I scored them a 65.5 Boston Crusaders: It was my first read on the show and I can already say that it's going to be my favorite BAC show since 2000. They were prety solid in all aspects tonight, although they really didn't do anything amazingly well. There were some timing issues right at the begining of the show that locked in after about 3 counts or so... to be expected at a first show when the corps uses the kind of spread out form they use. Candide and Promise of Living had solid arrangments and were performed quite well. Sing Sang Sung was the highlight of this show for me, the corps had a prety solid groove going on and this section is just going to get better throughout the year. The closer was the only spot of the show that I could possibly call a weak spot, and I just didn't think it was quite as good as the pieces that came before it, otherwise it would have been a solid closer. The positive: good in pretymuch all aspects, this is going to be a strong show this year and they could possibly push for a return to the top 7 this year. The negative: no real stellar section this season, and the closer simply wasn't quite as good as the other aspects of their show. A long way to go to catch up with the Bluecoats. I scored them a 66.8 The Glassmen: A contemporary take on New World Symphony. This is one of these shows I was really looking forward to when I first heard what they would be playing this year. The opener was solid, though there were a few rythmic/timing issues that seemed to last a measure throughout the piece. The best I can figure is that it's due to the way the corps is spread out in the formations. The ballad is a much more streight approach then Phantom Regiment's version. The mello soloist seemed to have a few problems, either with controling their heart rate and breathing rate after the opener or simply with nerves. The 3rd peice didn't seem to be too teribly much of a departure from the source material either and was just flat out well performed tonight asside from some timing issues due to spacing again. The closer is where this show really cooks to me. They made the 4th movement of New World into a Tango with something of a combination of a Latin and a hip hop beat... and it works for me. Outright out of the corps typical characteristic for me in a good way. It was well done and will be the highlight of the show once they clean things up. The positive: great arrangments of one of the most recognizable classical pieces anywhere. Should be a great show once they clean it up. The negative: A lot of timing issues in the show, seemingly whenever the corps had huge differences in spacing of sections playing a "call and answer" for lack of a better term. I scored them a 65.4 The Bluecoats: After hearing about this show on here pretymuch everywhere I turn it was time to see things for myself. This is by FAR the cleanest I have seen Bluecoats at this time in the season, and with the hardest design I have ever seen out of the corps. The guard was strong, very strong in fact. The fact that they finished 5th tonight was nothing short of a joke to me. I really wonder how they got 4th in visual GE as well, 13.8 seemed low to me when I saw the recap... but I'm not a judge. I'll have to get another viewing of this show to really give a better review on this one, I was just too stuned to see Bluecoats this strong this early to have much really stick out in my mind. I will say that the drumspeak part works for me, and this is coming from someone that is SERIOUSLY against the amplification of voice. It wasn't nearly as distracting as the use of amplification was last year for me, and "teracing" the drumspeak to where the brassline is doing it as well at the end is very effective. The positive: Unbelievably solid drumline this year, in fact I'd say they were solid in all captions. If anyone in the top 5 is off their game at all this year Blue is moving up. The negative: Judging from tonights other shows, the Cadets won't be one of those corps this year. I scored them a 71.7 The Cadets: Ladies and Gentlemen, we have guard unis. I'll come right out and say that they are very plain looking, but for what the corps does in the show they work for me. That said, someone please explain the white hats in the intro to me. Are they nurses hats in reference to Kill Bill? I really couldn't tell from where I was sitting. Ok, on to the accual review of the show. As I mentioned earlier, they just debuted the guard unis tonight and it gives them something of a sci-fi look... it works for this show. The "Kill Bill" intro was prety cool, definitely my favorite opening statement at that point in the night. The opener has something of a Bernard Hermann feel to me, it really helps to set the sureal tone for the show. The ballad was the strong point of the show for me, and probably the best of the night. The percussion groove going on in the background of "Dancer in the Dark" gives it a different feel when compared to the version that the Bluecoats did a in 02. The hornline had a great sound throughout the piece, and the intonation at the impact was SOLID for this point in the year. The intro to the third piece was a bit too "cute" for my tastes, though when taken in context with the show it kinda makes sense. There's a lot of exposure in the percussion and a lot that still needs cleaning. That said, the tennor line has an amazing feature durring this segment of the show that really cought my attention. The drumspeak at the end of the piece worked for me a lot more then at the begining. The closer has a very BD2000 feel to it with the music from vertigo. The "Pioneer Girl" as I've seen dubbed around here has a VERY Twilight Zone moment at the begining of the piece and the closer just cooks from there. They put the closer drill in the show for the first time tonight and honestly it was hard to tell that it was new at all, at least from my persepctive. The Positive: outright cool show. Very Sci-Fi look to it and the Twilight Zone moment at the begining of the closer was just classic. The Negative: Still a good bit behind the Cavaliers at this point in the game. Weather or not that stays that way remains to be seen. I scored them a 73.75 The Cavaliers: The opening statement was VERY "in your face", and the runs throughout the hornline, as well as the multi-tounging licks in the sops, were remarkably clean for this point in the season. The opener was prety cool, definitely an "On the Town" kind of feel to it. The car horn effects throughout the hornline definitely worked for me, and is something that would be repeated even more effectively in the ballad. "Jig" was probably the highlight of the show to me and really showed why these guys seem to have a stranglehold on effect, especially visual effect, for the past few years. The guard is just outright fun to watch in this section. The ballad starts off with a couple sops making a fire alarm type sound backfield and keeps adding on with the rest of the section as they go, setting the stage for their depiction of the great fire. The guard uses the ladders quite well in the piece and even the mellos utilize it well to play part of "Amazing Grace". The closer was pretymuch unexpected if you've seen the corps the past, well, 20 years. Just streight up Jazz-Blues in "Sweet Home Chicago", done very well althought obviously the groove isn't quite there yet at this point in the season. It all makes for a fun and exciting show that could easily take home #7. The positive: they prove once again why they score so well in GE. This show is absolutely packed with effect. The negative: the ladders were very much a distraction after the end of the ballad. In fact I'd probably like to see them taken off the field after the ballad. I scored them a 77.0 Carolina Crown: They were last years surprise corps yet again, and there is all kinds of hype heading into the season. The Gloria intro was easily one of my favorite moments of the night. Asside from a couple of horns sticking out it was solid and will probably be amazing by finals night. The timing issues started to show a little bit in the opener, with the corps rubbing a few times and synching back in after a couple of counts to a measure. If the guard unis are staying all black for this season, I like it. It really works well with the guard work right now IMO, and especially with the flags in the opener. The ballad is where things started to go downhill a little bit for me. I noticed a lot of individual playing problems that could easily be chalked up to nerves, but it was just the flow of the ballad itself that wasn't doing it for me. The body work for the piece worked well for me, especially what the sops were doing at the begining of the piece. The corps just needs to work on the ebb and flow of the piece, it seemed like the most mechanical ballad of the night for me for lack of a better word. The closer just fell apart for me a couple times over timing issues. The visual for it was prety well designed, but the corps is also spread out enough to timing will have to become the primary concern for a while there. The positive: good visual design, great hornline in the upper dynamic range once they get a couple people that are sticking out under control. The negative: first show/home show can be a curse. Nerves could have easily created many of the problems that I heard musically tonight. That said... timing, timing, timing, get that fixed and you guys are set. I had them at a 65.35 How I ranked them on Execution: 1) Cavaliers 2) Cadets 3) Bluecoats ---- 4) Boston ---- 5) Spirit 6) Glassmen 7) Crown How I ranked them on design: 1) Cavaleirs 2) Cadets 3) Bluecoats ---- 4) Boston 5) Crown ---- 6) Glassmen 7) Spirit overall I left the show feeling that I had just seen 7 of the finalist shows from this year. That SCV and Phantom better be on their game if they want to hold off the Bluecoats, and that I had to check the date on my cell phone to make sure it's only June 22nd. This was an absolutely phenominal show with solid performances. Edited June 23, 2005 by d_grey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakerm16899 Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 Dave, Great review. Wonderful insight into the corps as well as design and execution. I think you are correct, that many corps have stepped up their preparation, and as a result we are seeing better performances earlier in the year. Mark :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craiga Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 Dave, thanks for the thorough review. I do have one question......you are the fifth reviewer of Fort Mill who thought Boston should have placed higher. It's unusual to have five different people agree on something like this. Any thoughts as to what might have brought their score down? (Other than the GE Visual score looking out of place) Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tummygoat Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 This is an excellent review!!! My question: What would the standings be like to you when these corps clear up their beginning of the year mistakes? Do you anticipate much change in placement? Sounds to me I keep hearing Boston and Carolina have some incredible shows this year but their problems are keeping them back at this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave_G Posted June 23, 2005 Author Share Posted June 23, 2005 This is an excellent review!!!My question: What would the standings be like to you when these corps clear up their beginning of the year mistakes? Do you anticipate much change in placement? Sounds to me I keep hearing Boston and Carolina have some incredible shows this year but their problems are keeping them back at this time. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I think Boston and Carolina would be fighting it out with eachother pretymuch trading off wins if they were both at the same level of execution at the same time. It would all depend on which judges were on the pannel that night IMO. Both shows appear to be right about on par with eachother this year in terms of design so it's pretymuch a matter of which corps cleans up first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave_G Posted June 24, 2005 Author Share Posted June 24, 2005 Dave, thanks for the thorough review. I do have one question......you are the fifth reviewer of Fort Mill who thought Boston should have placed higher. It's unusual to have five different people agree on something like this. Any thoughts as to what might have brought their score down? (Other than the GE Visual score looking out of place)Thanks! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> honestly I'm not 100% sure. First Reads tend to be funny like that sometimes. We'll have to watch and see who's putting up what a week from now for a more accurate scoring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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