My Indy Recap

[cavies98]

Outstanding review Matt, one of the best this season. Kepp 'em coming!

I didn't think I was going to do an Indy review. I didn't take notes, or snap any pictures, I just wanted to go and enjoy the show. And I'm glad I did! Definitely a great show. There were plenty of enjoyable products, and a few that I think will become classics. After such an important night, it'd be impossible for me not to share my thoughts. With so many corps, though, the reviewing process becomes a little difficult, especially with no references. So consider this not a review, but a recap. I'm just going to put my thoughts down as they come to me…

I'll confess, I didn't see the morning show. I helped my girlfriend move a few boxes into her new apartment, and then went to catch the Cavaliers rehearse. We stuck around until 4:00, long enough to catch a run. I liked what I saw, but we were relatively low, and the guys seemed like they weren't quite on top of their game. A lot of individual errors, guys missing step offs and horn lifts, that kind of thing. I looked forward to seeing it again later that night, from higher up and when it's game time.

So it's on to the show. Thanks to fellow DCP'er Michael LaJoice (LaSqueegee) I was able to purchase tickets right on the fifty, and 31 rows up. It was a pretty great spot, horns were pointed right at me, and I was high enough up that I could make out most all of the drill. I'd always sat in the upper deck, and while that's okay if you can sit close to the edge, the lower deck is vastly superior to the upper when it comes to experiencing the music.

I've listened to almost all of the APD's, and all of Division I, so I knew largely what to expect. There were a lot of shows I was looking forward to, mostly from the corps on after intermission, but I wasn't going to miss any corps's performance. This was actually the first time I had ever seen a Division II/III or Senior corps in person. I left with very similar impressions of both Revolution and Memphis Sound. They were about the same size, the kids were clearly giving a great effort. Neither show really left a great impression on me, though. Revo did play Kaval Sviri, and that's one my favorites after Blue Knights' show in 2003. I did enjoy hearing that again, with allowances for the fact that I was watching a Div III corps. I also enjoy hearing Blue Rondo from Memphis, mixed in with a little Blue Moon that seems to have gone uncredited; would've liked to have had more of that moment. A note to both corps, though; some dance moves are absolutely feminine in nature. If you opt to have a co-ed color guard, please recognize that these moves should not be performed by the entire color guard.

Minnesota Brass was certainly a change of pace. The show began with a screaming soloist, that just kept climbing. That definitely got a huge crowd reaction one of the best of the night. Honestly, while he got pretty high up there, it wasn't musical. I kind of hoped for some context, or for him to do something with those notes once he got there. I suppose it is still early, though, especially for a senior corps. It wouldn't surprise me at all if that solo was something to behold by the end of the season. As for the show itself, it was a step above the previous corps in terms of entertainment. Well, musically at least. One of my first impression was how slow they moved, compared to a junior corps. Is this something that's true of most senior corps? It does seem like maybe something I would expect to see, but this has been my only senior corps experience so far. It's just a tempo thing, too. Clearly the corps paid attention to the visual, as they had some props that they used to pretty good effect. Essentially it was staircases, which some soloists performed on, and two guard members were featured on, later in the show. The music was catchy, but struck me as more basic than anything else I heard that night. The crowd seemed to enjoy it, as have a number of reviewers so far. Myself, I'm more partial to what I heard later on in the night. I'm very curious to see what other senior corps are like, though.

Blue Stars kicked things off in Division I. I thought that was unfortunate, because clearly they deserved to go on a little later. Pioneer, God bless them, just aren't performing at a higher level than Revolution or Memphis, and I think those corps even had better products. I remember when someone once mentioned that they should stop playing Irish music. It's not that. Let Blue Devils or Cavaliers perform Irish music and they'll still be title contenders. I don't know what it is, and I don't know much about the organization, but I have to wonder what direction they're going for here. Is the focus on the experience of the members? Competitive success doesn't seem to be the goal of their season, if it was they might be better served dropping down to Division II. In Div I they just seem overmatched, both in performance and in production. I don't mean to flame, and I'd love to hear from supporters of the organization. It just puzzles me that a group wouldn't do more to better itself.

Magic was a step up. After watching them, I wondered why their numbers were so close to Pioneer's. They had an exciting show, I especially liked getting to hear Chaos from Cadets 2000, it just needs to be cleaned. Right now the talent hasn't caught up with the show, and from the demand of it, that might be the case all season. A good product that will be more and more entertaining if they can clean, clean, clean. In that regard, they were a lot like Southwind. I'm a sucker for Firebird, and I like how they combined it with In the Spring. Duality, though, could use a little more variety. They rely on these two themes throughout their show, and what makes for a good opener isn't nearly as effective the second time around, as a closer. The beginning of the show was also rather surprising. Before they even play a note, they put their horns down and have a drum break/choreography section. It's not a bad effect, but it's something that should be built up first. Use an effect like that to cap a section of your show, not to start the whole thing off. There were some good things from both of these corps, though, and I'll certainly flick over to them more than a few times on the CDs.

Taking another step up in show design, we find ourselves in the tier with Blue Stars and Capital Regiment. I thought Blue Stars clearly had the better performance, but found Cap Reg's show to be the more enjoyable product. Like Firebird, I've also become a big sucker for Equus. I loved Cadets' opener last year, but Cap Reg played the original, and played it extremely close to the source. I loved it on the APD, and I loved it in person. Now clean it, guys, and it'll be one of my favorite openers of the year! Sleep worked really well as their ballad, even better than it did on the APD. Going with the two Whitacre pieces really helped to make a cohesive show. Of course, the flipside is that it made the Philip Glass feel like more of a departure. What fun, though! The amped voices weren't entirely clean, but perhaps that was the point? As with the rest of the show, they match the original piece very closely, blending in with the rest of the sounds, and doing a great job of becoming just another layer, not dominating. The section was supposed to be about play, and you know what? They convinced me they were having fun. Entertaining show, and that drumline really threw down at the end!

Blue Stars also had amped voice, which caught me off guard. I hadn't heard anyone talk about them. They used a lot of it, too, describing each "freedom" for us, reminiscent of Boston describing color for us. Most people in the stands just seemed glad to have Blue Stars back, though, and they had a lot of goodwill built up for that reason alone. Certainly this performance would never have had you thinking that this was their first year back in Div I. They're not in the running for finals this year, but it was a good solid show that will give them a great base to build on.

One last tier to go before we get to the sure-fire finalists. Not quite at that level, we have Colts and Crossmen battling it once again. Honestly, I don't know who to back in this race. These are two pretty good shows! I couldn't really get into Colts on the APD, but it's amazing what seeing them live can do to change one's mind. Each corps got increasingly powerful throughout the night, and Colts hornline fit nicely into that progression. The spread between them and Crossmen was also quite right, I thought. Crossmen might have the better product in the end, they've just got a lot of cleaning ahead of them. The ballad is gorgeous, and the radio section brought some of the best laughs of the night. For the football scores, they had the Hoosiers leading the Badgers 28-3! Big applause for that one. The dial change is a little grating, though. They need to cut back on that to really increase the effect of that section. Changing Lanes is probably going to become one of my favorites this year, be sure to catch the car effects they have at the beginning!

Another favorite is going to be the Glassmen. Wow! These guys have an enormously entertaining show. They bring power in the opener, beauty in the ballad, and outright fun in their playful section. The guard totally sells the show in that middle section, treating us to an early 19th century dance. The section of the show where the horns and drums drop out, yet keep going through the motions, is absolutely chilling. I think most of the people around me got it, because there were quite a number of cheers. The only regret is that the silence is broken by guard members catching their equipment. A quick rework would make that section any better. I loved the coattails on the drum major, brass definitely should have been ahead of Crossmen tonight, if you get a chance to see this show, catch it, because it's that good!

Carolina Crown will also be in finals, the only question left is how much damage will they do when they get there. These guys have definitely stepped up the difficulty of their program, and that's evident in the brass alone. The drill, though, is also busy, busy, busy. It's a different Crown, in that they're not as accessible as they were in 2004. 2005 also gave us an obvious theme, and obvious actors, to latch onto. This year they're going with just drill and music, and as for me, I think it works. Of course, I'm pretty familiar with the source music, I've had the CD for several years. The show they've been given is also much more intense than in years past, and I appreciate that from them. They won't contend for the brass title this year, but what they've got is very impressive. I'll be playing this audio track a lot, I can tell. If we consider the top five to be pretty much set, I'd put Crown down as the frontrunner for that six-spot, though that comes from only seeing an online video of SCV.

I can't see Scouts challenging for that spot. I do like the music here, but they aren't owning it yet. Of course, then I have to remind myself that it's still early, Indy isn't at the end of the year anymore. They've got time, but what I'm worried about the most is responsibilities. It just feels like the members aren't being given enough to do. The concept of the show is there, but it's best communicated by the guard, and almost exclusively in the opener. It hurt being sandwiched between the corps that they had around them, but it felt like there wasn't as much to sink my teeth into with their show. Rewrites can help that, though, because for sure there's talent here, and the source of what they have and the basic foundation isn't bad. They just need to keep building from where they're at. Really bring the Ginastera out, especially. I felt like I was ready to throw myself into that closer, but the corps just wasn't quite ready to carry me along for the ride. They've got an uphill battle to finish where they want to be, and there's no guarantee that they'll get there. But I sure hope they do. This will be a terrific show, when it reaches that point.

One of the safest bets of the night was Bluecoats in fourth. They are certainly knocking on the door, but despite the hype they aren't ready to challenge the top three just yet. I looove this show, probably my second favorite of the night. The opener is totally grooving, and it's totally in character with everything the Bluecoats have been doing the last five years. The difference this year is that they're performing at a much higher level than even last year. I love a lot of the drill that they do, as well. The very first sequence, as well as the hands across America set, stand out in particular. As far as pure drill GE goes, I think these guys have been second to only the Cavaliers over the last two years. If they can add a little more oomph to that closer, this might pass 2003 as my favorite Bluecoats show ever. Just a great time, and I was happy to hear the trumpet soloist nail it cold this time around. I'm a little worried that they don't have enough product to hold on to that four spot, but even if they finish fifth again I think they'll still have shown improvement. Definitely on the right track, they just need an added I-don't-know-what. One of my favorite shows of this year.

I think I'll tackle the Cadets next, and save the two-horse race at the top for last. First, let me say that there's a lot of good stuff going on here, even if you can't stand the vocals. Actually, even if you hate vocals passionately, I don't honestly think that that's the biggest flaw with this show. What seems to hold them back the most is that this production is just too busy. They've done a great job of selling us on a total show concept, but rather than give us one main storyline and embellish on it throughout, they've inundated us with multiple concepts and effects, and many times those effects end up competing with each other. One of the most outrageous things (in a good way) that I've seen on the field is when the pink tables are tilted, and corps members go running up them, to take a flying leap over the edge. The height and the speed at which they take these jumps is something to behold! Unfortunately, the amazing drumming that's going on at exactly the same time up front is also something to behold, but because my eyes were drawn elsewhere I missed that. There are so many threads here, and if left by themselves they're all very excellent, but the Cadets try to weave them all in together and the resulting product comes across as confused, even a little forced. The transition from the drum break to the ballad is a great example of what I mean. I loved each of these sections. Cadets have one of the best drumlines in the world, and we get to see them up close and personal, even more than we did in 2005, or 2000 for that matter. They also have a stellar hornline, which they show off during the ballad (though the singer could do a better job of resting on top of the brass, rather than dominating them). The problem with the transition, though, is that each of the moods these sections create is so disparate, that we can feel what's intended until halfway through the ballad. The drumline keeps fading away, but takes about a full minute to do so, so rather than allow us to move on to the next idea, we aren't able to forget about the previous idea. Honestly? I do like this show. I think a lot of the ideas in there work, there's just too many of them. In their opener alone, they have more effects and wow moments than all but a few other corps have in their entire show. But at some point, those effects start to become less than the sum of their parts. And yeah, I hate to agree with a lot of the haters, but some of the best parts of this show are when they are just playing and drumming. Those moments, especially before they repeat their closer from last year, are unbelievably solid, and had me thinking we might see Cadets pull out the win. Bottom line, had this been designed as a cohesive show, it would end up being one of my very favorites, ever. Instead, my impression is that Hopkins wanted to push the envelope as far as possible, and left us with a product that's just too overworked.

The battle this year, like most in this century, will be between Blue Devils and Cavaliers. Let me start with the night's champion. Holy drumline! I'm far from knowing anything about drums, but even I could call them in first. It's odd, but this might be a year that Devils are remembered more for their battery than for their horns. Of course, they're still spectacular on that front, but I don't think it's anywhere up to the level of, say, the 2004 hornline. Still, when they come in on the full chorus for the Godfather Waltz, it's one of the biggest goosebump moments of the night! I can already hear those hits being blasted from car stereos all across the country. The problem for was, that statement lasts what, a few bars? After that, they've created in me the expectation of familiar music, only I'm left with quite the opposite. It was like listening to filler, while I kept waiting for hits of the main theme. Maybe if I was more familiar with the movies I would recognize more of the music and the effect wouldn't be so bad. I did recognize the significance of the horse head flags, though, and that was a treat! They carried a big red flag over the guard from left to right, and as the flag passed the horse heads were there! Very neat. Still some dirt to clean, especially visually, but this is going to be a fan favorite on the year, and the pop culture connection is only a part of that.

However, my pick for eventual champion is Madison is going to be the Cavaliers. Yeah, I'm biased, as I'm sure you know if you've read my posts here on DCP. But honestly, I didn't see any show on the field last night to match the total package that Cavaliers bring to the table. It's total concept, from beginning to end. They do the robot after the first big hit, they pass guard members across a conveyor belt, they have an assembly line to give a trumpet soloist his instrument, they have rifles spinning like cogs while a sound effect like hissing steam plays on. There's so much that adds to the Machine concept in this show, and what separates them from the Cadets is that you're always drawn to the right location. You can watch this show and be aware of every idea that the staff is presenting. One of the neatest ideas that they had will go down as a classic drum corps move. About halfway through, the corps is line up in a big block. One guard member comes in from the right, pushing the entire block in, until the resistance becomes too great and the block springs back into shape, sending the guard member sprawling. That got a huge response from the crowd. Another guard member then grabs the top left corner, stretching it out until it too springs back, while a third guard member pushes in from the bottom left, eventually collapsing the block into a triangle. It's such a crowd pleasing move, one that will be talked about for a while. I'm also hoping that we can get Tommy's salute on the DVDs. His herky-jerky robot moves were a blast, and definitely got the crowd pumped. As for the music, I love it, it doesn't stop grooving from beginning to end. Fits the show just perfectly, the only let down is the last moments of the closer, when they keep hitting the same chord. It couldn't be more obvious that that's not the final ending, though. The last ten or fifteen seconds have typically been a weak point in the Cavaliers' shows, I think, but I know they'll come up with something better than they've got. Why do I think the Cavaliers will be your winner? IMO, it's the best package, more detailed than the Blue Devils without going overboard like the Cadets. And despite the high scores, these guys are still really dirty, especially individually. They've got a lot of cleaning to do, member-to-member, particularly in the feet and horn movements. But look for another title once they reach the Cavalier standard of clean, and hopefully another brass title, too. Great stuff coming out of there, and I'm glad to see they took that caption Saturday night.

As for placings, I had them pretty much the way they were. When Cavaliers finished, I even said "they won't win tonight, but watch out in August". The only change I might have made would be to put Colts ahead of Crossmen, but both corps are so close, and clearly it could go either way. What will definitely be interesting to see is how the corps that weren't hear stack up. Top five appears to be set, if we throw Phantom in there. Can SCV, BK, or Boston take sixth away from Crown? Will Madison really finish tenth or eleventh? The tiers seem to be set so far, but the races within those tiers are as tight as can be. It's going to be, and already has been, a great year!

So anyway, that's my review. I think I covered all the corps I saw, but I did skip around some. I also know I didn't get too in depth, just gave my impressions. If you want to hear more about any particular corps, just ask away. Sometimes it's easier to remember something when you can take the show on one at a time, rather than in one big rush.

[ajlemm]

Matt,

It is surprising how many of the same things we said in our reviews of this show regarding Bluecoats, Cavies and Cadets. I even used the words "je ne said quoi" while you used the anglicized version "I don't know what". Weird. Your review is much more technical than my general impression review, which for me is appreciated since I am not nearly as familiar with some of the music and technical aspects as you are. Great review!

[bluecoats88]

I realize youre probably used the the short attention span theater nature of DCI today, but the word youre searching for in description of MBIs performance is "songs". Srs typically play them, rather than snippets or phrases of them or musical quotes that suggest the essence of the concept.! :P And btw Roger Grupp is about as good as they get on trumpet and he did a fairly good job of channelling Bill Chase in the beginning of MBIs show in "Open Up Wide". I doubt there was a junior corps trumpeter there in Indy that night who begins to approach his range.

Yes senior corps do move slower than juniors owing mainly to our advanced decrepitude and arthritis. When one is 30 they simply cant do the things they could when they were 20. When one is 40 the things you did at 30 become impossible, and when you are 49 like me you just hang on and pray you can get through the show!

I'm messing with you with a bit of sarcasm but your comments seemed a bit funny to me (but understandable since you havent been to a DCA show) and I say in all seriousness that yes DCA corps tend to play more of a song than does a junior corps and yes we move at quite a slower speed than juniors. And MBI actually skews younger than the average senior corps. You have to imagine that DCA is drumcorps somewhere in the late 80s perhaps. The emphasis is much more on engaging fans and entertaining them, so you probably will have to throw out your junior corps sensibility when you go to a seniors show. What youre going to see is about half the corps as a cross between Scouts and VK and the others Phantom and Glassmen. High pointless screaming is very valued in DCA as well!

I would say to come out and attend DCA and see what we're all about.

well not all Senior corps move slowly, I marched one year in the Buswackers senior corps in 1995 and our show consisted of tempos ranging from 160-190 bpm. We played Hindemouth's 'Matisse de Mahler' and Bernstein's 'Age of Anxiety' (think SCV 1997)

[Andy in AK]

Oh, Cavaliers 2000-2004, Santa Clara 1999-2003, Blue Devils 1995, 1999, 2000, 2004, Cadets 2000 & 2001, Bluecoats 2001-2006, Phantom 1993, 1996, 2003, Blue Knights 1999 & 2003, and Madison Scouts 1995, 1997, 1999 and 2003. Probably forgetting a few, but that's a quick rundown.

w. o. w.

[MikeD]

well not all Senior corps move slowly, I marched one year in the Buswackers senior corps in 1995 and our show consisted of tempos ranging from 160-190 bpm. We played Hindemouth's 'Matisse de Mahler' and Bernstein's 'Age of Anxiety' (think SCV 1997)

Maybe you moved so fast because you were riding on a bus... see what you wrote as the corps name above! :P

[OrlandoContraAlum]

Maybe you moved so fast because you were riding on a bus... see what you wrote as the corps name above! :P

No Mike, they had to move fast to *catch* the bus so that they could "Wack" it.

:P

[MikeD]

No Mike, they had to move fast to *catch* the bus so that they could "Wack" it.

:P

:P

A great corps, whatever they want to call themselves!!!

[Scerpella]

well not all Senior corps move slowly, I marched one year in the Buswackers senior corps in 1995 and our show consisted of tempos ranging from 160-190 bpm. We played Hindemouth's 'Matisse de Mahler' and Bernstein's 'Age of Anxiety' (think SCV 1997)

Im not so much referring to tempo, even we (Kilties) do 172bpm for our production number and drum solo Norwegian Wood. I may have not expressed it well but Im referring more to the speed at which pictures come and go. The average Sr corps probably has about 1/4 the sets of a junior.

[Contra Chick]

Slow tempos, huh? I'm pretty sure they're marching at or above 180 bpm in the closer. Not too slow if you ask me. :P

Edited July 10, 2006 by Contra Chick

[BorisTS]

How fast you're moving isn't just the tempo of the music-- it's the overall step-sizes required, too.

Not that I've seen some of the shows/corps being discussed, but I just wanted to point out that it's possible to have your tempo be 180, 190, whatever and still not be moving very fast.