Words on Warrenton

[vaguardguy]

I need to keep this short since I am leaving for Allentown around noon. If you would like to see my other reviews, I invite you to read my Westminster, MD DCI write-up (marching history/biases included here) or my Reading, PA DCA write-up.

Since this show was relatively local (45min. w/o traffic), I decided to take my folks to this contest. They have never seen a show in which I wasn't performing, so I was surprised they were so willing to attend (maybe DCI has two more converts?). For anyone who knows DC-area traffic (second worst in the nation), you understand just how important it is to plan about quadruple the travel time to go anywhere when it's even close to rush-hour. We left shortly after 4PM, got stuck in traffic on I-66, and arrived in Warrenton with just enough time to sit down for 45min. to eat dinner and get to the show.

We picked up our General Admission tickets from will-call that were pre-ordered for $15 (they were $18 at the gate). We watched some warm-ups in the lot, and took our seats. I can't complain, these were the best seats I've had for a show this summer; moral of the story: arrive at least 30min. early to every show from now on. We sat right on the 40 side B, very top row. The stadium was fantastic. It was bleacher-seating, but built into a hill. The sound was excellent, and these seats were high enough to make out drill. The only complaint could've been the weather (it was hot and very humid through nightfall, but I can't fault the show sponsors for that one). Now, on to the corps:

Blue Stars - I love their musical selections. There are some serious compositions in modern video gaming, and the Final Fantasy series has been the benchmark for what many video games wish to achieve. I am glad they're exploring this body of work, and I hope they continue it into the near future (here's hoping for music from Chrono Trigger/Chrono Cross games, but I doubt many people reading this will relate).

I follow II/III avidly, and whereas this is a fine show from a design standpoint, it will not beat Spartans or ECJ with the execution it's receiving. This is a very large corps (I hear 60+ brass), and one that tours as much or more than many DivI corps. Given those numbers and the amount of time they have available for rehearsal, they really should be good enough to easily win DivII. Instead, corps like Spartans and ECJ (who both have off during much of the weeks) are noticeably better with much fewer members and much less rehearsal. Maybe Blue Stars put in as much rehearsal time as the mid-90s Madison Scouts, but unlike them, I seriously believe they're too young and inexperienced to make that work. There's something to be said about rehearsing smart, not hard; but when you're working with a lot of rookies, there's something to be said about throwing in a few "hard" days here and there too. I hope they prove me wrong (because I love Blue Stars, I love their shows, and I love their legacy), but I see them placing no higher than 3rd in Boston. I know what to expect from a II/III corps per hour of rehearsal, and I think they have a greater potential they are failing to tap.

They had an excellent visual package. Their drill was top-notch, and I hope they keep whoever they have as drill-writer when they go DivI - it will do well there. Those mellophones took what was already an amazing line last year and stepped it up a notch. Those mid-voices were great. For all the bad press their colorguard uniforms received, I was expecting a disaster; on the contrary, I thought they were great. They fit the show really well (pseudo-anime), and it was a great effect when they opened their jacket to reveal their colorful tops below. I just wish they had the technique and execution they had back in their DivIII days ('01-'03 - those were some mighty-fine colorguards). Every section improved across the board when they stepped up to DivII, but for some reason their colorguard took a step or two backwards when they got more members. Technique was inconsistent from person to person, and they didn't look confident under their equipment. Brass and percussion played very well. Their marching could use a little work, but nothing a whole 12hr day or two of basics block won't fix.

Esperanza - The first thing one notices when they take the field is how small their hornline and colorguard look in contrast to the Blue Stars. Fortunately, this can't be held against them since they easily produce more volume and perform with greater excitement and precision. Again, their colorguard is their most noticeable attribute. It's not as good as it was last year, nor in their '02-'03 DivII days, but it is still very good. The white, stretchy cords attached to their uniforms, and pulled on by themselves and other guard members are used to great effect. The percussion section plays very well. I don't know for certain if they have the same drill writer from '03, but the style seems very similar. If so, he writes a very good drill and the members are performing it well. Really, what's holding them back is that there isn't much memorable to take from the show. I remember liking the music a lot when I was hearing it, but it didn't drag me in like the other shows of the night (excluding of Pacific Crest). All in all, this is a fine corps (though I still think a step down from '03, when I last saw them in person), it is just the competition is steep this year.

Pacific Crest - This is a show with some pretty stellar execution from the drumline and hornline, but also fails to exude excitement other than the occasional loud chord. I know this show is supposed to be about fluid states, but I don't see it. The mirrors the guard used didn't convey the idea as well as I'm sure the staff hoped. Their feet are pretty good, and they make excellent use of the field. Their backfield soprano soloist in the ballad was gorgeous, my favorite of the night. Their guard didn't have a great deal of equipment work (though they did have gorgeous silks), and there were little details that seem overlooked. The transitions between equipment feel very forced and awkward, and little details like making sure the guard turns the same direction when leaving the sideline after picking up a new flag are missing. It's all in the details. This was a good show, but like Esperanza was missing something to make it truly memorable. Score-wise, it should have been a little closer to Esperanza than Southwind, but this could easily be a case of first-show (out East) jitters.

Southwind - I will make a bold leap here and say this is my favorite show of the summer. No, it is not my favorite performance (performance takes into account execution), it is my favorite show. There's a part of me that's mad the members and staff aren't working 25hrs a day making this thing clean. This is like SW2000, an amazingly well-thought-out show that deserves to be in finals (though I still contest SW should've been in finals that year over a certain Zorro show and an unusually weak 'coats), but the execution isn't there. The drill is great, the feet are not. The music is wonderful, the playing is a work-in-progress. To SW's credit, they look very young, and I am certain they are working to their fullest ability. I just wish I could see a corps like Cadets perform this vehicle (or SW2000 while they're at it). This is a show you can spend all 11min. watching really creative forms and transitions, and listen to all the little musical tidbits they throw at you (all tied together by one or two good riffs). If SW can maintain their membership and step up the rehearsal intensity, they can be in finals in a year or two with this design staff.

As to the show itself, there are more good moments than I have time to talk about. First, contrary to the opinions of some on this board, their skills are about where a 15th-ranked corps should be. Yes, if they want to keep moving up they'll have to improve, but at the same rate as the other sections would be acceptable. Those Lake Mary people they have on board know what they're doing, and it shows in the design and performance (especially given what looks to be a really young colorguard). Frankly, I love their uniforms. They're exploring different materials and patterns in the same outfit, and yet it works well with the show theme and the images provided by the corps-proper. The only person on whom it looks unflattering is the one boy in the guard, but aside from that one instance it looks great on all the girls. I'll go so far as to say it's my favorite guard uniform on the field this summer (though heaven-forbid ever seeing it in on the street - though Colts and Scouts are alright on that front). As a guard, they need to keep cleaning; but that's still the case for many corps. The corps has a good singing feature that transitions into a wild dance feature. This is not your typical corps dance feature, and putting it in words is difficult. Let's just settle on it being "out there" and you need to see it for yourself. The best part is it's been cleaned well. I expected disaster from a hornline attempting something like this, but it was alright. The cymbal players playing the tenorline's tenors was hotttttt (yes, I'll give it six t's), and earned one of the better applauses of the night. This was a fun show, and if they keep cleaning I imagine they'll hold on to the 15th spot. Welcome back to Semi-Finals (I hope your 18th place curse in two of your last three years will break), you deserve it.

Intermission - 30min. seemed a bit unnecessary, but that's what was given. I just held on to our seats with an ex-corpsmate as family and other friends went elsewhere for a bit.

Colts - What a good show, Colts. I hope you keep working and get that 12th spot in finals, because this show is well-written to meet your abilities and is very enjoyable. You deserve it. Some may say the drill looks mid-90s-ish, I think it's written to be executed cleanly by its members. One can argue their guard book was too easy (though all the work they did in the opener from the bottom crutch tip was crazy butch - bravo!), but it was written so it'd be clean by August (and it is). This was a very pleasant show in which to watch and listen. They were clean, they were melodic, they were interesting. The guard spun big equipment with big silks (rather shiny too under the stadium lights) that had fantastic visual effect. The staging was solid. All in all, this is a show that can serve as a model for other corps that might be attempting too much for the membership they have.

Carolina Crown - Best guard of the night. I never will get over how they try work that would otherwise be relegated to indoor (for fear of being too risky) outside. They best part is they keep pulling it off. I don't have enough words to describe how enjoyable this guard is to watch, so I'm going to stop here. The hornline can play, and their drumline is pretty good too. Their feet have cleaned up a lot since I saw them in Westminster, MD, though I still think they don't march well enough for a 7th-ranked corps (I imagine their high visual performance marks have to be coming from the body they're attempting). The hit where they form the crown was pretty awesome, I was just surprised I found myself to be the only one cheering (I don't know, maybe band kids think this is a concert or something?). I think this show should be closer to Madison than the judges are giving credit; but since the gap is indeed closing (within 2pts now), they might be finally noticing.

Madison Scouts - I love the Scouts. I think this show fits them well. I can tolerate the girl on the field. I was just expecting more from them given the early-season hype. This was a great show, best of the night, but they really only had two or three moments that made me want to leap from my seat (and this is the Scouts, I should be wanting to stand the entire show). The drill was the most difficult of the night, and well-executed to boot. The staging with the guard in the beginning was fantastic, and their interpretation of the opera was on. They had solid technique, about on par with Crown's, but their book wasn't as difficult. Musically and visually this was the most entertaining performance of the night, but I just wanted more from them (shame on you for setting my standards so high ). What other fans say is true, without major re-writes (and I don't mean a down ending - which was fortunately not in tonight), this show is about peaked. Still, this is a very fun, entertaining, enjoyable show; a recommended view for all (oh yeah, Carmen: the hype over her presence in the show is over-rated - I barely took notice after her entrance).

I hope y'all enjoyed the read. Sorry my reviews got shorter as it went along, but I want to get this done before leaving for the weekend. Also, if all you care about is the top 12, then consider my review a punishment for close-mindedness .

I wish DCI would come closer to NoVA (we used to have Herndon, but that field was unacceptable and after two years DCI told them they couldn't host a show any longer), but this will do. As for now, off to sleep, half-day of work tomorrow, then packing my bags for East. Look for me (unless it's to express dissatisfaction in what I wrote, in which case please consider passing) there!!!

[arno0940]

Great review...thanks for taking the time..... I feel the same way about the Stars, Colts and Crown!

[PCOP_trumpet04]

Good review!

Now if only they would finally post a recap...

[erralston]

What's the deal with the Recap? It's been almost 48 hours now and still not posted!

[alto92]

*nostalgia break*

I only marched one year, but this show in '03 is almost as good as it gets for me. It was raining a little bit, and the field was too wet to march, so the whole show was a standstill. After not getting a whole lot of crowd response for much of the year due to a pretty *esoteric* show, you guys at Warrenton threw us (SCV) so much love. We played to rip the stadium down, and you all reciprocated - thank you!. And then there was Clowns. A good night, indeed.

[Laurakemb]

*nostalgia break*

I only marched one year, but this show in '03 is almost as good as it gets for me.  It was raining a little bit, and the field was too wet to march, so the whole show was a standstill.  After not getting a whole lot of crowd response for much of the year due to a pretty *esoteric* show, you guys at Warrenton threw us (SCV) so much love.  We played to rip the stadium down, and you all reciprocated - thank you!.  And then there was Clowns.  A good night, indeed.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There are few shows that I remember every second of in my 4 years of drum corps. This show was one of them. Being in the pit, I got to be up close and personal to the crowd, and it was an amazing feeling. It was seriously awesome, thanks to the good people at the Warrenton, VA show in 2003!