westminate scores as they happen

[greenland]

I 'reviewed' Westminster here. I'm not a judge, just some personal remarks from a somewhat educated observer.

Like the review, plenty of positives at this point in the season! Boston has the talent, needs to get the show into the stands a bit more..

[cavalier81]

If I were to predict some internal levels of competition right now, I see Phantom, SCV, Bluecoats in close competition....... Crown, Boston, Madison, being close to one another,........ Blue Knights, Glassmen ( unknown really ), Spirit, Colts, Crossmen, Cascades, in close competition....... and then Magic, Academy, Blue Stars, etc in close competition....... with Cavs, Cadets, Blue Devils the three at the top for the title hunt. ( with my early guess, between Cadets and Blue Devils on Finals night for the Title)

X DM

Academy is Div.II

[Lance]

unless scv makes some big improvments, i don't see them competin with the Bluecoats, but perhaps with Phantom. Who knows, though, it's all guess work right now.

[SF2K4]

There are many uneducated comments being made about the Cadets. I saw the Cadets last night. I will admit I was a bit skeptical about the Cadets because of some of the negative reviews I've been reading. Let me tell you this corps is on fire! They were the only corps last evening that received an enthustiastic standing ovation. This is one of the most well conceived and entertaining shows I've seen in years! Their drumline is just off the charts. They have some performance issues at this point (I guess that is why Phantom is outscoring them?????), but they have so much more demand and variety of sound than Phantom. Phantom plays very well but is very bland and un-interesting. Don't believe the negative hype going arround about the Cadets, it is pure nonsense, this corps is really good and so is the show. Good luck to the Bluecoats (I know you are a big fan from you posts), I hear they have something special also! How about Cadets and Bluecoats 1 and 2 this year, sounds pretty cool!

I'm sure there are, but you can't just throw away the educated ones with them. I too have seen the Cadets show, in Birmingham, AL, and will see it again soon in Atlanta. But no matter what I say, my opinion is just thrown out for various UNTRUE reasons.

Let me establish that I AM NOT A CADETS HATER! The 2005 production, I thought, was pretty good. I loved the brass music and the drum feature. However, I do not and never will like narration on the grounds that it doesn't sound good (imagine that... it has nothing to do with amps, it is just the fact that spoken word sounds bad in a drum corps show). I mean heck, the 2003 show was the show that GOT ME INTO DRUM CORPS (I'd never been before... so I looked for a show that played music I was familiar with... guess which corps was also doing Malaguena?).

Anyway, to be frank, I absolutely hate the 2006 show. And from right there, 50% of people will stop reading, 25% will put me on their ignore list, and 24% will post here at how I'm just a Cadets basher (because in a blind rage they will forget what I just wrote above).

I'll justify myself to appease you. First and foremost, the narration. There's too much of it. I'm sorry, I hate narration. I hate spoken word. I don't mind amped pit, I didn't mind the drumspeak, and I actually love the Crossmen's radio bit (to me, that's using amped voice creatively). However narration... it just sounds bad. Second, the drum feature, the part I loved most from the 2005 show, was very lacking considering what I was hoping it would be. Finally, the brass book was... not as memorable as last season (I mean, the ballad last year was amazing... I loved it). I honestly don't remember any licks from the hornline other than the rehash of the Twilight Zone theme at the end. Oh, and just to top it off... it's one thing to use props, but it's another to ask, "Hey, would you like some drum corps with your stage production?" Oh, and before someone mentions it as well, I don't really mind singing that much if it is either done well by a few mic'd people or done by the entire corps on the field... I prefer the latter because at this juncture I still feel as though mic'd voice is being mic'd badly (read: too loud, too rough, etc.). So I gave the voiced ballad a chance... I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either, so I discard it.

There. Is that more wholesome and fair? Can my opinion be taken fairly now? Dang.

[jwillis35]

I'm sure there are, but you can't just throw away the educated ones with them. I too have seen the Cadets show, in Birmingham, AL, and will see it again soon in Atlanta. But no matter what I say, my opinion is just thrown out for various UNTRUE reasons.

Let me establish that I AM NOT A CADETS HATER! The 2005 production, I thought, was pretty good. I loved the brass music and the drum feature. However, I do not and never will like narration on the grounds that it doesn't sound good (imagine that... it has nothing to do with amps, it is just the fact that spoken word sounds bad in a drum corps show). I mean heck, the 2003 show was the show that GOT ME INTO DRUM CORPS (I'd never been before... so I looked for a show that played music I was familiar with... guess which corps was also doing Malaguena?).

Your points are excellent! You don't have to like the show. Heck, you don't have to like the Cadets, period. I think stating it the way you did is perfectly acceptable. In fact, I don't have a problem if people are biased and glowingly review their favorite corps vs. what they give to other corps. It is good for people to have their favorites, and it is good for their to be some competitive playfulness, even with the fans.

What I have a problem with, and some reviewers do this, is when they mention how they didn't like a show (ok, no biggy so far), and then they tell you how nobody in the crowd got it, how nobody liked it, how they got the least amount of crowd response, and how people were complaining and griping over said show. This is where the problem starts. Because then we get someone who posts a completely different side of the story and we don't know who to believe. One person mentioned that the crowd response for Cadets at Westminster was horrible and people were confused, and then I read a post on this topic in which the poster suggests that the Cadets were fan favorites and received an enthusiastic standing ovation.

Now which is correct, I am not sure. I wasn't there. But it seems to me that some try very hard to slant their reviews with this type of information so they can better make their case that amps are bad, or that vocals are hideous, or that narration should be shut down immediately. These little mis-leading statements ultamitely bring their credibility into play.

Just a suggestion for posters: You can call it like you want to, and you can say whatever you wish about a corps' show. It's your opinion. But try to refrain from insulting the corps, or from making blanket statements like "the whole crowd sat on their hands during the show." You can't prove these kinds of statements. You didn't interview everyone after the show, you can't see what everyone in the audience is doing, you can't read their emotions or thoughts, and you can't assume that they gave a polite standing ovation. Maybe that's how they give all their standing ovation (they stand and clap). Wow, imagine that.

One person, also from this post, claimed that all educated people know that the Cadets drills of the pat 2 years were not well integrated. He could have just said that he felt their shows were poorly integrated, but he generalized with a blanket statement that ALL EDUCATED PEOPLE KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE. This is what will cause the fighting. Heck, I would rather you just come out and say I hate the Cadets because they win too much, and they don't deserve those titles because they really are not all that good, and Phantom is much better in my eyes. There is nothing I can say here. Your opinion. You didn't include anyone else, and you didn't generalize. Good for you.

Jonathan

[bluecoats88]

I said it was one of the TOUGHEST :P

I also happen to like it - second best of the night (behind Crown's marvel of a drill, which IMO may be one of the best drill's in many seasons)

I'll disagree with you here george. Although I liked Crown this year, wasn't a fan last year, but their drill is pretty basic and really has no teeth until right near the end. It could have been the low seating, but I doubt it. I did like the plume change though. the rich puple plumes which are now centered on the shako are a huge improvement. I also thought the silver touches in Boston uniform were excellent and effective additions.

[George]

I'll disagree with you here george. Although I liked Crown this year, wasn't a fan last year, but their drill is pretty basic and really has no teeth until right near the end. It could have been the low seating, but I doubt it. I did like the plume change though. the rich puple plumes which are now centered on the shako are a huge improvement. I also thought the silver touches in Boston uniform were excellent and effective additions.

I saw it again in Allentown tonight - much higher up - and all of us thought it was an incredibly musical drill - lots of vets in the crowd around me. That Crown drill is the real deal - perhaps when you see it in another setting you'll feel different.

[shawn craig]

I was at the Westminster show. I read most, not all of the previous post and the reviews. So here are just some comments about what others are saying.

Spirit and Crossmen each have different strenghts and weaknesses in their shows. Spirit is stronger musically, Crossmen visually. The corps that can fix whats worng will come out ahead in August. I liked both shows. Both coprs had much improved guard programs.

I liked Boston's show but it does need a little something; not quite sure what; I think a stronger ending. After the show I talked for a minute to the souvie workers who said they do have plans to dress up the props better. The guard is still getting use to moving them around. Also it was a real turf field which makes it harder to move the props. They will move better on astroturf. I liked that they are a great place to hide and keep the guard equipment. Some really awesome rifle work!!!

I agree with whoever said Crown's show has a LOT of potential! It will grow over the summer. The weak part musically is the closer. It sounds like a series of tag endings right now. The purple plums seemed out of place when they came on the field but by the time the show started I liked them. I also liked the guard outfits and flag designs.

Phantom's show is very difficult and has a lot of room to grow. It is VERY dirty right now. They do need to do more with the Margaritte character and the ending needs more visually. I would like them to do something with the rifles and sabres that the girls spin; guard tap paint ????? The corps is in white, the girls are in white, the weapons are white; to me they get lost.

Cadets visual program is WAAAAAAAAAAAY to cluttered right now. It needs some focus. The back of the uniform, the guard outfits, and the back drops are all the same blue pattern. It gets very muddled. I think Phanoms book is meatier, not much, but a little. The show does have a lot more energy this year and the drum feature is really great, although I don't like the vocals. Our seats were low and very near where the vocalist sings. She does have a pleasant smile and seems to be enjoying herself. At first I thought the black dress needs to go, yet I'm not sure what else to put her in. The show already has to much visually so maybe basic black is best. The vocals with the ballad are intentionally soft, its not meant to feature her. I don't think it adds much, but it doesn't take away from the hornline, which to me is more important. I'm not sure if this show can go all the way or not???

[shawn craig]

Ok. Now my really big complaint about the Westminster show.

Corps all had great shows, the kids work hard I appreciate all that.

I would like to preface this by stating back in 1974 when I went to my first show I was very much impressed with the pagentry aspect of corps as much as any thing else.

I did like that the corps trooped the stands (except the Cadets)!!!!! That doesn't happen often any more.

But neither Boston's or Crown's drum lines played a cadence. All the others drumlines did. Now I know they need to learn and clean the show first. But really how hard is it to teach a nice little cadence, nothing fancy, just 32 counts of something that could come out of warm up excersizes, or the show that they play over and over??? I know the members are talented enough and more than caplable of such a task. They are the ones, in my opinion, getting cheated.

AND

THERE WAS NO ENCORE OF ANY KIND

I can't praise or complain about the new song because I DIDN'T HEAR IT

WHY NO ENORE??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Edited July 3, 2006 by shawn craig