Orlando Review

[idontwan2know]

Unfortunately, I missed Teal Sound waiting for a friend at the gate. Comments from the people I was with who saw them were very positive, though.

Kiwanis Kavaliers:

This is the first time I've ever seen this corps, so I can't comment as to the relative strength of the corps compared to past seasons. With that being said, they definitely have some membership issues. Very small hornline for a division I corps, and very unbalanced. They marched 5 tubas, approximately 12-15 baris, 4 trumpets and 3 mellophones. There was one trumpet on the sideline who appeared to have just joined, which would bring them up to 5. The balance issues were compounded by the fact that they seemed to be trying to "write to the strengths" of the corps by having low brass carry most of the brass book, however they went too far. The trumpets play almost nothing other than big impact chords...and I don't mean they don't have a lot of difficulty. I mean they literally don't play. There are segments of the show that are several minutes long where they disappear entirely from the show and are used visually to expand field coverage.

The show is very entertaining, and despite the high brass issues, appears fairly competent musically, with a strong drumline and huge pit. The tunes are recognizable and fun, and the bari soloist is excellent. Visually, they have a lot of feet issues. Overall, I think this year is going to be an uphill battle for them competitively. Given the program, and youth of the corps, I suspect that their goals aren't entirely competitive.

The Magic:

Well, Magic is light year's better than they were last year at this time. Those of you who saw them at this time last year will know what exactly that means: not much. The show has a ton of potential in all captions, but they will have to make a lot of progress execution-wise if they want to make finals (and that is definitely the goal with the program they're playing). So far, I don't see a lot happening to carry out the "New Beginning" theme, but as it's their first show, there could be more in the works visually.

The hornline is fairly strong, though they were the second corps who were very obviously trying to hide the trumpet section.

As far as drill goes, there are some very cool moments, but I feel that the writing is a little optimistic for the corps physically. They are not a tall corps and they have a lot of moves with very big step sizes...there isn't a lot of clearly defined marching technique to enable them to handle the big step sizes either. With that being said, if they can clean it it will provide a big boost to them score-wise.

Essentially, that comment covers the entire show for Magic. *If* they clean it, they'll be a finalist corps...they've got a long way to go, though.

Spirit of JSU:

I was really impressed with this corps. They seemed very strong in all captions (with the possible exception of guard, which I'm really not knowledgable enough to judge). The step up in execution in every area was startling. I did not see Spirit last year, but from the comments I've seen about them, it appears that they've gone back to their roots with this show. It's a jazzy, fun, "southern" show, with a very hot hornline (praise jesus, a trumpet section that plays!). I can't say enough about how impressed I was with the strength of this corps. Within the first two measures of the show, the difference between them and the corps that had gone on before was clear.

With that being said, I suspect strongly that Spirit will peak early this year. They're very strong right now, and while there are a few licks and drill moves to clean, I don't feel like the show has a lot of room to grow.

Glassmen:

Man, this aint your father's Glassmen. I didn't feel they should have beaten Crown tonight as they are still struggling mightily with a very demanding program, but come August I think they will be solidly on top. It's a fun show, with a neat twist on each movement. The influence of Robert W. Smith is obvious. My only qualm was with the slow movement, which felt very much like the old Glassmen and my attention really started to wander.

Boston Crusaders:

Boston's show this year is very sparse compared to some of their recent shows. It's all about the musical selections for this corps, and they've chosen some great music. Honestly, however....I just don't feel that this show works. The contrast between Boston and Crown is startling, given that they are attempting similar shows(different music tied together by an idea). While I wouldn't have necessarily known exactly what that idea was with Crown if I hadn't heard it, they somehow made the whole package flow seamlessly. Boston's show, on the other hand, was jarring in the way it transitioned from one musical selection to the next. And I didn't see them doing anything visually to tie it all together. While each individual segment is well arranged and performed, they don't collaborate together throughout the course of the show to create tension and release.

There is definitely something in this show for everybody, though. And given that this is one of their first shows, it's entirely possible that the missing piece of the puzzle is still in the works. My only real quibble with it is how severely watered the arrangement of Candide was. If you're going to play it, play it.

Crown:

I have never been a Crown fan, and I seriously doubted that that would change when I initially heard their show anouncement. I've never been a fan of winterguard style shows on the football field, but this show just works. The three different musical selections work wonderfully together, and the visual program ties it all together. The hornline has a very warm sound, plays very musically, and makes some simply gorgeous attacks and releases. Visually and brass-wise, they recall the Cadets and Star at their very best.

I do however, have a few complaints with the show. Firstly, it's short on demand, even in the brass book(which is clearly the strongest section of the corps). While the integration, flow and overall design are top notch, the difficulty of the show(or rather the lack thereof) will keep them out of the top 5 this year. Secondly, I felt there was a tad too much dance in the hornline. It was very tasteful and done well, but I felt they laid it on a little thick, especially in the middle number. A few really effective goosebump drill moves mixed in would have been more effective overall. Regardless of those complaints, they should have beaten Glassmen. They were simply the better corps last night, and the reaction of the crowd indicated that I was not alone in feeling that way. There was an audible murmur and momentary hesitation before the applause began.

Bluecoats:

Wow. Just wow. Never been much of a Bluecoats fan before, but I am now. This corps has it all. Visually, they're flying around the field throughout most of the show, and playing some very difficult music while doing it. I have a very hard time thinking of anything to complain about in this show, EXCEPT the drumspeak.

Sorry, I went into this show with an open mind, not even knowing they had any vocalizations, and was thoroughly digging the show right up until the drumspeak started. Each time it did, it was jarring, seemed utterly bizarre and out of place, and was just stupid. Especially, the overly precise, ridiculously enunciated manner in which it was done. It felt very much like something stuck in because everybody else is doing it, not because it added anything to the show.

The saving grace was that they always followed it by something awesome that sucked me right back into the show. Performance-wise, they were very much "on" tonight. This is definitely a corps that is intent on crashing the top 5 party. The trumpets got a little over-exuberant at times, but that was the only execution issue that I stopped digging the show long enough to notice.

The Cadets:

Give the Cadets credit...they are trying to portray ideas more complicated and abstract than any that has ever been done succesfully before. At this point, the key word is "trying". If you don't know in advance exactly what the show is about and what the school girl represents, you have ZERO chance of understanding what the #### is happening on the field. Maybe by August they will have fixed this, but I don't know how.

Performance wise, it's a strong corps still struggling a bit with a difficult show. The hornline is loud as ####, but gets very edgy quite often. Framed by the Bluecoats and Cavies, the effect is noticable. They also don't seem to have much in the way of gradation in dynamics. The switch is either on or off.

With that being said, I very much like the ballad. The battery writing is especially cool and generates a lot of momentum and tension. The finale is also cool. Ultimately though, I still think the show will live and die by how well it communicates its ideas, and right now it's failing.

Cavaliers:

Cavies are clearly in another league right now. The show is neat, fun, and unlike the pre-2004 Cavies, doesn't take itself too seriously. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the bluesy portions of the show are done. I was very nervous that it would be show tuney and unauthentic, but it wasn't at all.

Personally, while I liked all 13 minutes of the show, somehow it also didn't grab me the way it should. I felt it lacked flow and overall structure. It was a first read, though. I've always hated ladders, too. Regardless, Cavies will not be relinquishing a top two spot easily. They are definitely beatable, though.

Oh, and their pit was too loud. Turn down the amps, guys.

[chris ncsu]

Thanks for the lengthy review!

[Magic Mom]

Thanks for the lengthy review!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[93Bluecoat]

Great review! You mentioned that you didn't like what the Bluecoats did with the amplification (which is cool, you supported yourself adequately!)...however made no mention of what you thought of the Cadets. Would you care to expand on that a little? Thanks.

DW

[idontwan2know]

You're right, I realized after posting that I forgot to mention that.

Cadets beatboxing was definitely far more offensive and annoying. Basically all the narration I've seen so far feels very much like show designers using it because they can, not because it really makes sense or adds to the show. It's like a kid with the new toy.

I'm sure it will die out pretty quickly, though...much like the prop fad did. Some corps out there will come out and blow everybody away by just playing great arrangements of great music and doing awesome drill like SCV did in the late 90's and make everyone realize that those things are and always will be the fundamental strengths of drum corps. Everything else is just fluff....when done right it can help, but it doesn't help just by virtue of it being there.

I probably mentioned 'Coats vocalizations more because it was more annoying in the sense that it was the only thing wrong with what was otherwise a freakin' awesome show. Cadets, on the other hand, still have a long way to go before the dork with the mic is the only thing wrong with the show.

[byline]

Sorry, I went into this show with an open mind, not even knowing they had any vocalizations, and was thoroughly digging the show right up until the drumspeak started. Each time it did, it was jarring, seemed utterly bizarre and out of place, and was just stupid. Especially, the overly precise, ridiculously enunciated manner in which it was done. It felt very much like something stuck in because everybody else is doing it, not because it added anything to the show.

This is exactly how I felt when I saw them in Evansville. I wouldn't have described it as stupid, just jarring and interrupting the flow of the show.

Good review. Thanks!

[byline]

I probably mentioned 'Coats vocalizations more because it was more annoying in the sense that it was the only thing wrong with what was otherwise a freakin' awesome show. Cadets, on the other hand, still have a long way to go before the dork with the mic is the only thing wrong with the show.

Again, this is exactly how I felt.

I have another problem with the rapping, or whatever it's supposed to be. The people performing it are just doing it, not really performing it, if you know what I mean. I think that's part of why it so disrupts the flow of the show. Here you are, getting into all this great musical and visual stuff going on, and then out of the blue comes this amplified vocal stuff, and so then you naturally start looking around for where it's coming from. Then you actually look at the people doing it, and they're just standing there doing it, but not really getting into it . . . if you know what I mean. They almost look embarrassed doing it; I don't think they are, or, at least, hope they're not, but that's how it comes across. So then I deliberately look away to the all the other activity going on, but by that time I've spent an inordinate amount of time seeking out the rappers. It's just a really odd disruption to the flow of the show, and unless a corps is really going to go all out and do it (think Bridgemen), it's just sort of there, not really contributing anything.

[posaune10]

My only real quibble with it is how severely watered the arrangement of Candide was. If you're going to play it, play it.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've been waiting for someone to address this... After growing up listening to to '90 Cadets version of this, the BAC arrangement was hard to listen to. The Cadets horn line played essentially everything BAC's pit played. (And cleaner too!!!)

Other than that, I did enjoy the Crusader's show. While a bit disjointed, they do perform it pretty well!

Steve

[^Michael^]

Cadets, on the other hand, still have a long way to go before the dork with the mic is the only thing wrong with the show.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Listen to the source material, folks. The "dork" (how nice) with the mic is giving a spot on replication of the vocal in the source.

Not saying that I dig it - just saying it is an accurate representation of the original material it's taken from.

[byline]

Listen to the source material, folks.  The "dork" (how nice)    with the mic is giving a spot on replication of the vocal in the source.

Not saying that I dig it - just saying it is an accurate representation of the original material it's taken from. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is true. It made more sense to me than what Bluecoats did, because Cadets are actually replicating what Bjork did in the original music. But it's still jarring, IMO. . . .