Three Rivers Summer Music Games

[kevingamin]

I had the pleasure of reviewing the show in Pittsburgh, PA, this past Sunday for Drum Corps World. It was my first experience writing a review for DCW. I would like to thank Steve Vickers, publisher of Drum Corps World, for giving me the opportunity.

Here is the review:

The Cavaliers remained undefeated in the young 2007 Drum Corps International season, but the Cadets closed the gap between first and second to 1.5 points, passing Bluecoats in the process. Glassmen improved their score by more than three points and opened a significant spread over Southwind, who unveiled their 2007 show Sunday night.

Southwind (5th, 57.00) opened the show by opening their season with “InTheLoop”, a program featuring original compositions from corps arrangers Steve Vento, Shane Gwaltney and Eric Willie. This was also the first appearance of Southwind in their new uniforms, returning the corps to the yellow and black color scheme they used from 1999 through 2003. The original music allowed Southwind to showcase their brass, which scored only .4 behind Glassmen in brass performance.

The gypsies of Spain are the inspiration of the Glassmen (4th, 65.10) in 2007. Nowhere is this more evident than in the color guard, which embodies the spirit and look of a nomadic gypsy band, right down to the beautifully designed uniforms. The majority of the music, while composed by Robert W. Smith, is heavily influenced by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol. The music, along with the antics of the guard, which finished .3 ahead of Bluecoats for third place, was very popular with the crowd, and it will be fun to see where Sal Salas and the rest of the Glassmen design team take this show throughout the summer.

There was nothing “Criminal” about the Bluecoats (3rd, 72.70), especially in regards to their brass and percussion sections, both of which took top honors in their percussion performance, ensemble music, and general effect music. This was the first show of the night to feature narration, complete with the corps receiving their Miranda rights during a silent drill feature. The new two-tone blue uniform jackets and black pants are striking and give the corps a unique look reminiscent of a policeman’s uniform, paying homage to their roots with the Canton Police Boys Club. The Bluecoats have a very mature look and sound to start the season and look to continue their climb up the competitive ladder.

You may find it hard to believe that the Cadets (2nd, 73.50) can combine the most traditional elements of their heritage along with a very progressive show concept and narration. After viewing this year’s production of “This I Believe”, seeing really is believing. A fast-paced drill combines with an aggressive brass and percussion book which is classic Cadets to give fans in-your-face drum corps. Narration gives fans a glimpse into the hearts of the Cadets’ members. This is especially effective during the closer, during which a member of the trumpet line talks about how music changed his life. The Cadets had a strong performance and can definitely give the Cavaliers a run for the top spot this season.

Finishing the night with the music of Billy Joel, the Cavaliers (1st, 75.05) “And So It Goes” production marked the first time in 25 years that Joel’s music was featured by a Division I/Open Class corps. Joel’s music is working well for the Green Machine as they took all visual captions as well as brass performance. The Cavaliers drill can be considered as acrobatic as it is athletic as the horn line performed many coordinated ripples and rolls on the field, giving fans a visual delight. The musical portion of the program matches the razzle-dazzle of the visual and is most evident during Pressure, which was very popular with the crowd. The corps has yet to put their closer on the field, which means there is plenty of room for this show to grow throughout the summer.

[toph34]

Thanks, Kevin!

^OO^