Quarterfinals Review!

[MikeD]

no clue buddy,

shot in the dark but, her blend with the corps would go in with Ens Music (but what if she's a 'soloist' and supposed to stick out?)

and in regards to Cadets transitions, I LOVE them... its like on iTunes when one song ends and the next starts before the last has fully completed.

According to a post by Slow Adam a while back...the individual performance type stuff is evaluated by the percussion judge.

[sopster]

next time you think about writing a review can I yell "No, don't do it!"?

I pretty much disagree with everything you wrote about every corps...

I think that's a new record!

Of course you would say that George. Possibly because he didn't speak or think highly of your precious little Cadets. <**>

[jwillis35]

I agree with Gellio completely. All of the vocals sucked and had no place on the field. Here's my review.

The Cadets 93.475 Ever see a pretty girls face spoiled by a nose ring? I don't go to a drum and bugle corps show to hear singing. Just like how I don't look at a pretty girl and say to myself "gee, she'd be really hot if she just had a ring in her nose". And George, when you toss the mics, get rid of those stupid uniforms too. btw, what's with Hoppy wanting to dress up his guard like Catholic school girls?

Dan

Well, I don't go to drum corps shows to play God and tell the corps what they should do, or must do, in order to please me. I am not a selfish fan. I respect the fact that others will like what I don't. You should respect the fact that others do not hold your definition of drum corps. I will have you know that the Cadets were incredibly well received at the Massillon show. I am a big-time Bluecoats fan, yet I have tremedous respect for the Cadets and all the other corps. Some of you, however, have these little definitions in your heads about what drum corps should and should not be. Great! So do I. I happen to go to the shows to see what new things people and corps will come up with. And the Cadets ballad is awesome and one of my favorite moments of the season.

Now as for why I got on gellio's case, it's simple: he called a member of a corps a 3rd-rate lounge singer. Considering that these kids are not professionals, that they are students, they are young, and considering the effort that they give for you, the fans, I find that highly offensive and WRONG. He knows the comment was wrong.

[George]

Of course you would say that George. Possibly because he didn't speak or think highly of your precious little Cadets. <**>

he was rude

[cardinal_frnch_hrn]

Gellio post: "BLUE KNIGHTS:

I really enjoyed the music - much more than I thought I would. Now that the postive is out of the way, how could this show have been scored so high? Was it cleaner than Madison and Glassmen? Somewhat - only when it was easier. When the drill called for anything remotely difficult there wasn't a straight line to be found. It was as dirty, if not dirtier, than Madison or Glassmen when the demand reached the levels of the demand found much more frequently in Madison's and Glassmen's drill, especially Madison's. The guard work design was unispired and ineffective, and the execution was not on the level of the Glassmen's guard. This was the only corps in the top 12 that didn't have one single moment that wowed you or even made you want to say "nice". Way overscored and placed way too high. If they would have finished 9th (behind Boston), I would have been fine with that. Placing them ahead of Madison and Glassmen is not out of line, but placing them ahead of Boston is, and this close to Crown - WAY out of line."

Given that no one has addressed this piece of your review, I felt compelled to do so.

As one of the "movie theater" announcers/commentators stated (my paraphrase) as they transitioned from the Scouts to BK, "The Scouts hit your viseral side; BK challenges your intellectual side." While I agree that the execution of the drill was less than stellar (still room to clean and score higher), the complexity of the music and the integration of the front line as a lead voice in the show was superior to those corps around them. The Barber Piano Concerto is often performed with choreography--which is what the guard members are doing during the performance. Their final score was quite consistent with where they have been placed by the judges during the past 10+ days, and--IMO--appropriate to the performances of these four corps at Quarterfinals.

BK shows historically have rarely produced the stand-up and scream moments you seem to seek. Their shows speak to a different part of the body--and that is not all bad!

DrGene

A drum corps person older than "MikeD"

[jwillis35]

In defense of GELLIO. His opinion is as valid as anyone elses. I dont see anything "over the line" written.

Gellio took the time to write a detailed review of the show, stated his qualifications and gave an opinion of the performances.

I might not agree with all that was said but I appreciate a good effort.

Just because it's his opinion doesn't make it right. Opinions can be wrong. I don't have a problem with his opinions, even when I really disagree. I have a problem with him calling a member of a marching corps a 3rd-rate lounge singer. There is an unwritten code of honor in this activity, and that is this: when being critical of a show or soloist, or what have you, it's one thing to offer your opinion in a constructive, non-hateful, meanspirited way; and it is another to verbally bash a corps or performer. These kids are not professionals, like opera singers or Broadway actors/singers, or classical and jazz musicians, they are students. We should treat them as such, and show much more respect.

Everyone has an opinion, but there is right and wrong.

[jwillis35]

Actually, that's an opinion. Thanks for playing.

No, actually the part where I said it's a fact that she is a good singer is not opinion. It is fact.

She is a very good singer.

[jwillis35]

4. You comments are hog-wash. You tell me you never have given something harsh criticism? You never say an actors performance in a movie sucked? You never say a play you saw sucked? You've never watched a TV show, saw a movie or heard a song and said it sucked? If I asked you what you thought of Paris Hilton's vocals? You're telling me you would be kind? I love how I am attacked for being honest in my review. Kind of hypocritical, isn't it? You're telling me you've never made as harsh a comment as I have about any atristic form? Give me a break! Again, I was wrong about the quality of her singing, now that I know they weren't supposed to be words, but she still had no place on that field IMO. This is a drum and bugle corps. She does not play an instrument, she does not spin a flag, and she does not march. I will say I did like the Queen of Hearts. She was pretty sassy. They could have used her as a soloist without all those vocals and I would have had no problem with it.

If you want to see how I truly feel about drum corps and how I review shows, just read my review of the Massillon show. I find all the shows to be amazing in their own right, and I never fail to be entertained at a show. I don't cry, whine, pout, mone, gripe, complain, and cry some more about where the activity is going. If people find themselves doing this too often, maybe they should quit going to shows. Not that we want to lose fans, but maybe these people could stand having less aggrivattion in their lives. Just maybe the problem is more them than the drum corps.

Oh, I know, the fan pays for tickets and entertainment, and whatever the customer wants they should get. But the kids also pay to march, and they pay a hefty price. Not only do they fork over tons of cash, but they must live with these shows and put in the difficult hours of preparation necessary to perform for you. I think they have some say about what direction this activity goes. And not every corps can be like every other corps, and they all can't meet the needs of every kid. Hence, different styles are needed, different tastes must be met. If fans become selfish and only dictate that the entertainment they be given is what all fans should be given, then they fail to consider that their happiness could come at the expense of another fan who does not like that one definition of entertainment. It is better to have multiple definitions of entertainment.

If a fan is selfish about the direction of the activity, then they choose for everyone what drum corps will be like in 5, 10, 20 years. This is not the best way. The best way is to let their be multiple styles and methods, to let the market determine what will work. In this case the market is a combination of the kids, staff, alumni, administrators, fans, and more. They all decide, and that decision is not a unified one, but a varied one. Every corps is searching, looking, researching, experimenting, innovating, and being creative in their approach to show design so they can find what works best for them and their members. This IS the beauty of DCI.

Edited August 11, 2006 by jwillis35

[I Marched Before]

No, actually the part where I said it's a fact that she is a good singer is not opinion. It is fact.

She is a very good singer.

Fact is that she is a girl. Fact is that she marches (wait...performs) with The Cadets. Fact is that there is a Semi-Finals performance tonight. You stating she is a very good singer is an opinion (whether it be right or wrong).

[jwillis35]

Fact is that she is a girl. Fact is that she marches (wait...performs) with The Cadets. Fact is that there is a Semi-Finals performance tonight. You stating she is a very good singer is an opinion (whether it be right or wrong).

Sorry, Pal, not true. The Fact is she is a good singer. You may not like her singing, and that is an opinion, but don't let your inability to judge quality sway the facts. Whether you like her singing or not is not the issue. She is a good singer. My 22+ years of experience in the professional music world tell me this is FACT. The only thing that is opinion is whether or not you like her singing.

I think we can all agree that calling her names does not make her any more or less a singer, and it only makes the reviewer look rude, uneducated, and less credible. Perhaps someone with an axe to grind.