another review from Charleston, WV

[Orpheus]

It was a nice show. I guess Laidley’s not so bad as all that. Now that they've got that nice new turf, though, the PA system definitely could use a refit, tho the announcer did her best. As for the parking, yeah -- it's always been a nightmare around Laidley. A lot of locals will park down by the Capitol complex and walk the few blocks to the stadium. Saves a lot of headaches. Wish I'd have thought to impart that bit of advice to y’all before the show, but it didn't even occur to me. It was nice to see all the media support, too. Very cool.

A few thoughts on the corps ...

Phantom Regiment put on what is now the favorite show that I’ve seen in years and years. It was just awesome. The design is mind-blowing and the execution is just superb. The solo guard guy adds so much to the show. I mean, WOW! Hornline is absolutely on fire. Trumpets sound really great on those technical parts. And the overall ensemble sound is out of this world. Sure, the drill plainly isn’t quite what we’ve come to expect from Cavies or Cadets, but I think it’s probably the best I’ve ever seen from PR and unquestionably top 3 or top 5 quality. Luv the umbrellas, too. Great effect. And the "tap dance" segment was a crowd fave. I could keep going, but you get the idea. I can’t say enuff good things about this show.

The Scouts were great, as well. Like others have said, I wish they made more use of their solo dancer. She’s only out there for about a third of the show and she really doesn’t do very much. Compared to the use that PR gets out of their visual soloist, she really doesn’t make much of an impact. Madison’s music sounds great, although the arrangements are a tad too “hack ‘n’ slash” for my tastes. Not to the extent that it harms my ability to enjoy the show, of course, but I’d prefer a little more melody and a little less of the fancy flourishes and staccato accents and pointless chords and whatnot. That aside, it was a very solid show and I liked it a lot.

I really was disappointed by SCV. The Shostakovich failed to involve me at all and I couldn’t help comparing this season’s RCM to 1987's version. I mean, they were dead on that season, and this year just can’t really compare. But even judging ‘em in their own right, with no reference to past shows, I have the same complaints about Santa Clara’s horns this year that I did last year ... I may be totally alone in thinking this, but I still feel that they sound way too top-heavy, the parts sound kind of watered down, the bari/euph sound gets totally lost in the ensemble, and the tubas just sound muddy whenever they try and play anything technical. The drill’s nothing to write home about, either, and the corps’ feet might have been the worst I’ve ever seen from SCV. It would be fine for a lot of other corps, but we’ve come to want a lot more from the Vanguard. I didn’t dislike the show, but it didn’t impress me like I wanted it to.

Colts did seem to be lacking something in the energy department. It was a pretty solid performance, though, and I enjoyed the music a lot. The postcards definitely are not used to much effect, however. If they’re gonna use ‘em, I’d like to see the things integrated a little more fully into the show. Personally, I could have done without the jazzy dance section. I’d probably have been happier if they’d chosen to adopt a more serious symphonic style for the entire thing.

Southwind. Good job, horns! Very nice show. I love the whole rhythmic groove of the music. It’s a fascinating way to put together a show, and I really got into it. Visually sloppy, yeah, but musically wonderful. I think they were scored fairly, but just for pure enjoyment, it just might have been my second favorite show of the evening after PR. I know I’m contradicting my usual opinion against wildly “recomposed” music, but in this case I’m definitely willing to make an exception. Nice stuff. I’d love to see something along the same lines next season. I didn’t even mind the funky headgear.

This was my first viewing ever of Esperanza and I liked their show a lot. Just a nice solid performance all around. I have to admit that I’m not really a big fan of the ELP music to begin with, but these guys definitely sold it. Nice ensemble sound and plenty of GE. Pretty strong visual package, especially, I thought.

So I wanna say congrats to Phantom Regiment and everyone involved with this show. I was a bit disappointed that it wasn’t at Marshall’s stadium, but obviously there was a good reason. And props to the ground crew workin’ at Laidley for getting everything completed on time! I’m not a big fan of “festival” seating at DCI shows, but considering that there’s no seat numbers, there’s not much that could be done about that. I had a blast, as usual. Can’t wait for ‘06.

P.S. So is the show in Charleston again next summer, or in Huntington? Or is that yet to be decided?

[ccat]

It was a nice show.  I guess Laidley’s not so bad as all that.  Now that they've got that nice new turf, though, the PA system definitely could use a refit, tho the announcer did her best.  As for the parking, yeah -- it's always been a nightmare around Laidley.  A lot of locals will park down by the Capitol complex and walk the few blocks to the stadium.  Saves a lot of headaches.  Wish I'd have thought to impart that bit of advice to y’all before the show, but it didn't even occur to me.  It was nice to see all the media support, too.  Very cool.

A few thoughts on the corps ...

Phantom Regiment put on what is now the favorite show that I’ve seen in years and years.  It was just awesome.  The design is mind-blowing and the execution is just superb.  The solo guard guy adds so much to the show.  I mean, WOW!  Hornline is absolutely on fire.  Trumpets sound really great on those technical parts.  And the overall ensemble sound is out of this world.  Sure, the drill plainly isn’t quite what we’ve come to expect from Cavies or Cadets, but I think it’s probably the best I’ve ever seen from PR and unquestionably top 3 or top 5 quality.  Luv the umbrellas, too.  Great effect.  And the "tap dance" segment was a crowd fave.  I could keep going, but you get the idea.  I can’t say enuff good things about this show.

The Scouts were great, as well.  Like others have said, I wish they made more use of their solo dancer.  She’s only out there for about a third of the show and she really doesn’t do very much.  Compared to the use that PR gets out of their visual soloist, she really doesn’t make much of an impact.  Madison’s music sounds great, although the arrangements are a tad too “hack ‘n’ slash” for my tastes.  Not to the extent that it harms my ability to enjoy the show, of course, but I’d prefer a little more melody and a little less of the fancy flourishes and staccato accents and pointless chords and whatnot.  That aside, it was a very solid show and I liked it a lot.

I really was disappointed by SCV.  The Shostakovich failed to involve me at all and I couldn’t help comparing this season’s RCM to 1987's version.  I mean, they were dead on that season, and this year just can’t really compare.  But even judging ‘em in their own right, with no reference to past shows, I have the same complaints about Santa Clara’s horns this year that I did last year ...  I may be totally alone in thinking this, but I still feel that they sound way too top-heavy, the parts sound kind of watered down, the bari/euph sound gets totally lost in the ensemble, and the tubas just sound muddy whenever they try and play anything technical.  The drill’s nothing to write home about, either, and the corps’ feet might have been the worst I’ve ever seen from SCV.  It would be fine for a lot of other corps, but we’ve come to want a lot more from the Vanguard.  I didn’t dislike the show, but it didn’t impress me like I wanted it to.

Colts did seem to be lacking something in the energy department.  It was a pretty solid performance, though, and I enjoyed the music a lot.  The postcards definitely are not used to much effect, however.  If they’re gonna use ‘em, I’d like to see the things integrated a little more fully into the show.  Personally, I could have done without the jazzy dance section.  I’d probably have been happier if they’d chosen to adopt a more serious symphonic style for the entire thing.

Southwind.  Good job, horns!  Very nice show.  I love the whole rhythmic groove of the music.  It’s a fascinating way to put together a show, and I really got into it.  Visually sloppy, yeah, but musically wonderful.  I think they were scored fairly, but just for pure enjoyment, it just might have been my second favorite show of the evening after PR.  I know I’m contradicting my usual opinion against wildly “recomposed” music, but in this case I’m definitely willing to make an exception.  Nice stuff.  I’d love to see something along the same lines next season.  I didn’t even mind the funky headgear.

This was my first viewing ever of Esperanza and I liked their show a lot.  Just a nice solid performance all around.  I have to admit that I’m not really a big fan of the ELP music to begin with, but these guys definitely sold it.  Nice ensemble sound and plenty of GE.  Pretty strong visual package, especially, I thought.

So I wanna say congrats to Phantom Regiment and everyone involved with this show.  I was a bit disappointed that it wasn’t at Marshall’s stadium, but obviously there was a good reason.  And props to the ground crew workin’ at Laidley for getting everything completed on time!  I’m not a big fan of “festival” seating at DCI shows, but considering that there’s no seat numbers, there’s not much that could be done about that.  I had a blast, as usual.  Can’t wait for ‘06.

P.S.  So is the show in Charleston again next summer, or in Huntington?  Or is that yet to be decided?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for the review. I understand there is a nasy, nasxty virus effecting many of the COLTS and many have been sick, out of rehearsal, to the hospital etc. That might explain a sluggish performance...although the kids have been sucking it up and going out and doing their best. Prayer is that they will get over it in time for finals week. Postcards? Yeah, everyone is saaying the same thing. DOn't know what's up or what they are going to do. haven't used them in two shows now.