Riverside, CA (6/22) review

[Eddie]

Velvet Knights - Their equipment truck apparently caught on fire, so they used borrowed equipment tonight.

Is that really what happened? I only ask because I was told that they were renting an equipment trailor from my old corps.

[2CoolVK]

....I was told by Joe tonight, "Welcome to the Velvet Knights"....LOL....Our premiere tonight was FILLED with behind the scenes VERY VK stuff happening....I can't wait for tomorrow when something else happens. There is something about this corps, you know???

Hilarious (sarcasm off). You can't blame the old VK for this VK being a rolling mess. It's all you now.

Edited June 23, 2007 by 2CoolVK

[EdMedina]

..."Welcome to the Velvet Knights"....

...See you tomorrow. :)

That just about sums up the VK experience right there -- these kids officially now know! What a way to break the seal. Combine it, too, with what John said: "a rolling mess... [and Clint's] we'll see you tomorrow!"

Nice work, guys.

[radiosteele]

Hilarious (sarcasm off). You can't blame the old VK for this VK being a rolling mess. It's all you now.

These kids will have the time of their lives doing it though....

[chris ncsu]

Thanks for the review. I hope Devs get some dynamics...not all about the constant loudness...

[arno0940]

Great Review thanks!

SCV have been out a week and still no closer...yikes. I thought DCPers would be all of them for that. Most corps have their full show on thei field by now (maybe minus some guard work)

[PeeWee]

Gee Mike--considering your ability to pontificate, couldn't you do a little more than just that for Impulse?

Sorry Ryan. I was very tired, after all.

Impulse still marches very well and has great showmanship, just like the old VK we all know and love. I think they get ripped every year by the judges. I think there's some politicking going on and they just don't like or want Impulse to succeed.

Better Ryan? :)

[PeeWee]

Is that really what happened? I only ask because I was told that they were renting an equipment trailer from my old corps.

Well, that's what the announcer said as they took the field, so I guess it's the official word. Sorry about your equipment truck! :(

[Tez]

Thanks for the review. I hope Devs get some dynamics...not all about the constant loudness...

I'm sure the Blue Devils will have dynamics soon. It seems they often start out the summer playing everything really loud (this helps get control over everything brass-wise), then they soften certain sections to make it musical. This method, while not providing the best early-season shows, seems to work for them for finals.

Check out some June recordings of them last year, they play everything really loud.

[thebaritoneguy]

Sorry Ryan. I was very tired, after all.

Impulse still marches very well and has great showmanship, just like the old VK we all know and love. I think they get ripped every year by the judges. I think there's some politicking going on and they just don't like or want Impulse to succeed.

Better Ryan? :)

Being a spectator and follower of California Drum Corps and shows. IMHO, if the judges didn't want Impulse to succeed, they would not have given them the credit to win Div III last season. When Impulse was dropped into Div III last season, they went on first at every show (I think) and still kicked little tiny Div III butt, while scoring very close to Jersey Surf who was 3 times their size? and funnier? Funny obviously isn't Impulse's thing anymore as they evolve, with this new (not old or returning) VK, everyone can enjoy non competetive entertainment once again. Impulse seems to be more about better programming and teaching / training. What a great horn sound for a 21? person hornline.

Impulse was refreshingly clean compared the groups before them. I believe once they close their holes and get all the members waiting to be put in the show (from what I hear), in the show, Impulse will be a force to reckon with.

It's too bad the rest of the kids in So Cal don't see Impulse is (in my opinion) a great teaching and performance program in So Cal to be part of. Most of SCV's snare line is all Impulse alumni and a few horn players. I hear in conversations that there are two Impulse alumni in BD's pit.

There is some good training happening at Impulse, kids need to be aware of this and take advantage.

Mr. Pee-Wee, It's almost sad to compare Impulse to the Old, "original" VK who in the late 80's and early 90's were all about serious execution before gags, slapstick and childrens TV show characters (which were all executed well too).

Too bad this new corps using the VK name (which anyone can do if they file the DBA in any of the remaining 49 states in our country) doesn't take performance as seriously as the Original VK did.

Impulse seems to do this with more reverence to the original VK while the staff and management of the new VK chooses not to. But hey, if having fun is all they want to do and hope somebody likes it, they should be in exhibition and using another name so they don't traumatize the kids competively and depress more alumni.

No diss to the kids, just my observations of what seems to be a self serving situation with the people who started the new VK.

While I'm at it, here is a short review.....Gold is a great grassroots drum corps, but had absolutely no business outscoring Impulse last night. After seeing the show and the recaps online, the drum judge really screwed Impulse, after receiving great scores up north just a week earlier. I saw those shows and last nights drum performance was better. I hope they (judges) get it right tonight.

Gold nevertheless is serving the drum corps interests of a community with little money, like PC used to in the early to mid 90's.

Mystikal, was....well needing members and doing music no one in the audience could relate too. Not sure why these and the new VK exist when a larger Impulse would represent So Cal much better from a national perspective.

Again not to diss any of the kids, it's just there are more, small, not so good, corps when an Academy like program could be happening in So Cal instead. And I hear a new Kingsmen Jr corps is coming next season? Good luck with that. We'll see who survives all this. Last corps standing will be the winner.

VK - doing what they want because they want to, don't seem like they are addressing the judges or the audience.

Impulse - many of us older folk (30-50) types only hear serious music, but this is music from a very popular video game, so today's teen population get's it, eventhough we may not. So they designed a show to a niche viewer...their prospective members.

Academy - no surprise they just mugged PC in an alley and took their lolly pop. On the way to the top 12 and only 6 hours south. What will So Cal do now? Ans: continue to feed top 12 corps with more talent from the area?

Mandarins - small and mighty Div 1 rides the crest again.

PC - same show different melody. More recognizable than previoulsy, just as marching band like as ever.

Maybe white or teal jackets will help. Doing a full national tour isn't apparently ending their belief they are punished competively for not doing a full Div I tour. $2,000+ dollars for members and still not making semi finals kinda sucks.

(sorry for the harsh words) It's been disappointing watching this well run, well financed organization put out a full corps that has dropped places one after another. They may be higher than 21st this year, who knows, but Academy seemed to have taken what PC did as a growing corps and organization and slapped them across the cheek with it last night competitively.

SCV - it's gotta be clean to win. It sure seems designed to win.

BD - WOW 68 or 70 horns? signature sound, formulaic show, decent performance. A more interesting visual show performed as well will beat this show in Pasadena. BD may be creatively stagnating again like they did during the 87-93 period. Todays winners have performance and design. A great design and awsome performance isn't enough, they both have to be awsome and over the top.