triplefunk Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 Question: I have never seen this Vietnam show that gets so much mention on here, but I wonder - do we qualify it as dark based on the performance of the rep and its visual presentation, or do we call it dark because of the music itself? Or, is there some ground in the middle where music that could otherwise be considered as "light" are portrayed in a rather sinister light. Marion Catholic high school did a vietnam show in 2005.... o wait, this is DCP... oops.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 I like variety. Lighthearted shows, sentimental shows, kaleidoscopic shows, dark shows...thank goodness for corps willing to take a risk. BK 06 is the darkest show I've ever seen, and I loved it, and the fact that it was surrounded by very different shows made it even better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWonka Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 The Miss Saigon show has some very dark thematic elements and music mixed with a few light moments. Much of the music is militaristic and aggressive. The show opens with the entire corps off-field in the endzone, with the exception of the battery. The battery creates an uncannily accurate sound effect of incoming helicopters while the corps charges the field and the music begins. There's a variety of musical styles and emotions, but one of the highlights is a gentle, sort of pastoral theme with the guard doing a beautiful dance with large woven-bamboo leaves. For me it always evoked a tea ceremony.. but as that section ends the helicopters return, accompanied by staccato gunfire, bombs falling, air-raid sirens, guard and horn players falling to the ground dead or wounded.. very dark and emotional. Fabulous stuff. The finale of the show has the corps moving off field with a gigantic communist flag (think 20 yard line to 20 yard-line) and the fading helicopter effect. The whole show is goosebump-city and really needs to be in the countdown broadcast one of these years. Not all of the music is dark and aggressive. The show is filled with wonderful melodies and some fantastic atmospheric work from the front ensemble. It's a wonderful mixture of emotional highs and lows. He may be talking about Suncoasts Vietnam show. But I remember the last time I saw the Miss Saigon show in Dallas vividly. It is tied with a few others as my all time favorite show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raphael18 Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 I was referring to the Suncoasts Vietnam show - but after that description of the Miss Saigon show, I'm definately going to check it out. Very nice writting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjdavistuba Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 3rd Movements of Crown 05 and 06. Both of those shows had scary 3rd pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnyboy Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 Personnally I don't like the dard shows. And as far as the evil=good stuff (renegades), I'll get a hot dog and a beer during the show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monoemono Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 Dark as in angry. Angry music. See parts of Star 93 for the orginal angry music show. BD '91 wasn't dark and angry? Just the first that came to mind... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X DM Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 (edited) This is just a question. It seems to me that there is one word that comes up in many threads here and it is "Dark". People seem to be very passionate when they use this word to describe shows. Can someone help me understand what about "Dark" is good ? This is truly a question. I am not trying to start trouble or complane. I am just one that enjoys "Uplifting". It's more of a mood preference. If you like uplifting themes and music, you'll generally feel something missing when the composer plays something depressing, which really is just another word for " Dark ". Somebody usually dies in a " Dark " themed show. That's pretty much a given. Somebody's dead, ill, or about to die, or somebody is so angy they want to engage in homicide. Some people prefer unhappy, depressing, decidedly downbeat musical themes where people are unhappy, or suffer, get ill, or die needlessly. If the composer or performer in a " dark " show can make you feel depressed, angry, sad, at the end, they have reached you. If not, then you just prefer a different mood style, that's all. Keep in mind, that everyone's musical tastes can be entirely unique and personal. Edited February 28, 2007 by X DM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jared_mello Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 BD '91 wasn't dark and angry? Just the first that came to mind... The end of the BD '91 opener is really one of the most chill-inducing "angry" moments in the history of drum corps for me. Look at the sop at the end of the form for a primary example. BD '95, the ending, is one of the only other moments in DCI that can even compare, IMO. Look at anyone on that field (battery, sop soloists...) as soon as the show ends and tell me they don't all look more emotionally drained than healthy pre-21 year olds should be. James Gulke looks like he just got out of bed after a loooooooong night, hahaha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jared_mello Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 You can find a lot of "dark" moments in Boston 2001, too. The last chord of SCV '01, as well as pretty much everything else post-New Era Dance, to paraphrase a 50 year old wrestling announcer or something, is definitely something that can get your "blood boiling." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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