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Post by tyy1117 on Nov 5, 2022 9:59:47 GMT -6
Cypress Woods was super impressive. loved the visual effect the props had, and they marched very well
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Post by vidal28rdg on Nov 5, 2022 10:17:31 GMT -6
The last two supers have set my standards just low enough that I think over half of these bands should be in finals SHEESH!🫢😂
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Post by LeanderMomma Fan on Nov 5, 2022 10:23:46 GMT -6
very very nice from Dawson!!!! Wouldn’t be be surprised if they snuck into finals Great improvement from BOA Katy for sure!! There’s just too many great bands here!!
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Post by ohbandie48 on Nov 5, 2022 10:25:02 GMT -6
Very nice visual design and concept from Cy-Fair. I think this could go far, but probably needs a bit more cleaning to be in Finals
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Post by ilikeguard on Nov 5, 2022 10:54:16 GMT -6
If Texas bands lack visual design, then Forney is not from Texas. The body movement in particular is absolutely spectacular. Really phenomenal choreography! I wouldn’t have put these exact colors together…but I don’t mind it. I appreciate the uniqueness, and it’s executed so well that I’m not bothered by it not being all in one palette.
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Post by statechamp1239 on Nov 5, 2022 11:03:28 GMT -6
GO Sachse!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥Woohoo.
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Post by 1998to2018 on Nov 5, 2022 11:25:31 GMT -6
The last two supers have set my standards just low enough that I think over half of these bands should be in finals Ha! That made me laugh. Clearly many on the forum share your perspective. It’s a great problem to have right up until a ton of hearts get broken about three hours from now.
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Post by ohbandie48 on Nov 5, 2022 11:40:17 GMT -6
Oh my god, what a beautiful, gorgeous, and lush performance from Marcus. The sounds coming from them during that ballad was really top-tier.
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Post by tyy1117 on Nov 5, 2022 11:43:59 GMT -6
Absolutely beautiful playing from Marcus. that was incredible. I love Sogno di Volare (I’ve played too much Civ VI and it’s the theme of that game) so that was so up my alley and I absolutely loved it
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Post by coleeich on Nov 5, 2022 11:45:24 GMT -6
Been a busy week, so I haven't been as active in the forum. Been able to catch a few of the heavy hitters here and I am blown away. That talent is incredible! Getting into finals is going to be a bloodbath. Best of luck to everyone!
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Post by mikekyu on Nov 5, 2022 11:48:06 GMT -6
I would enjoyed Marcus much more if the woman behind me had not decided that she wanted to fish around in her chips bag then eat those chips with her mouth open. It was like seeing the Vienna Philharmonic in Musikverein with Cookie Monster sitting behind you.
What lovely lush sounds from Marcus, as expected. Not my favorite Marcus show but wonderfully executed.
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Post by croutonjones on Nov 5, 2022 11:51:35 GMT -6
Marcus leaned hard into the woodwind features, and it paid off big time. What beautiful control and vulnerability displayed in their program. Just gorgeous. This is the kind of show that I want to see take the whole enchilada some day.
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Post by ohbandie48 on Nov 5, 2022 11:52:01 GMT -6
Won't post my finished predictions until later, but right now I have Timber Creek, Cy-Fair, Leander, James Bowie, and Keller already pushed out of Finals on my list, which is absolutely insane to comprehend.
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Post by vidal28rdg on Nov 5, 2022 12:07:45 GMT -6
Ok so now we’ve got another troll🙃
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Post by mikekyu on Nov 5, 2022 12:11:52 GMT -6
The last two supers have set my standards just low enough that I think over half of these bands should be in finals You are SO right ilikeguard!!! I don’t know why anyone would even bother to go to or watch Grand Nationals!! Those kids are trash compared to Texas. Texas is THE standard and I’m so glad you said it as a GEM STAFFER. You KNOW!! Go team Texas!!! Look a little Texas arrogance is a good thing. This is mostly because all of us rednecks and hicks know that our bands cannot or would not be able to compete at a mediocre level in any contest outside of Texas. We have poor design from the 70s, mediocre balance and only get enough volume to fill a stadium because 100% of the instruments are mic'd and amplified.This is why we want the real bands that do real shows and play really well to come to San Antonio. We need introduced to what a good band is and how they actually play so well. Until that happens we will continue to daydream that one day we can, if we are lucky and smiled upon by the marching band gods that we will have a band that qualifies for Grand National finals. So, please educate Texas bands and send good ones to Texas.
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Post by vidal28rdg on Nov 5, 2022 12:13:44 GMT -6
You are SO right ilikeguard!!! I don’t know why anyone would even bother to go to or watch Grand Nationals!! Those kids are trash compared to Texas. Texas is THE standard and I’m so glad you said it as a GEM STAFFER. You KNOW!! Go team Texas!!! Look a little Texas arrogance is a good thing. This is mostly because all of us rednecks and hicks know that our bands cannot or would not be able to compete at a mediocre level in any contest outside of Texas. We have poor design from the 70s, mediocre balance and only get enough volume to fill a stadium because 100% of the instruments are mic'd and amplified.This is why we want the real bands that do real shows and play really well to come to San Antonio. We need introduced to what a good band is and how they actually play so well. Until that happens we will continue to daydream that one day we can, if we are lucky and smiled upon by the marching band gods that we will have a band that qualifies for Grand National finals. So, please educate Texas bands and send good ones to Texas. send ‘em all down to this undeveloped cultural wasteland we’ve got down here, that would be lovely😂
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Post by northbanddad on Nov 5, 2022 12:22:21 GMT -6
Hebron's so good, they're up next again.
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Post by ohbandie48 on Nov 5, 2022 12:25:01 GMT -6
It is truly an honor to watch the Hebron drum & bugle corps perform
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Post by tarheel36 on Nov 5, 2022 12:25:50 GMT -6
So many terrific bands here… and then Hebron is just completely on another level
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Post by cp823 on Nov 5, 2022 12:33:53 GMT -6
Hebron was probably good enough to take prelims there but they’ll need to take it to another level, cleanliness wise and energy wise, in finals. Gonna take their best run ever to win this year. I think they can do it though.
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Post by marchingmaniac on Nov 5, 2022 12:50:27 GMT -6
Hebron did not have the cleanest performance, but they were still the best band to perform so far, which is insane. Their musical abilities are unmatched by anyone in the country, and they just continue to push the envelope in terms of demand both musically and visually. That said they weren't the cleanest I've seen in terms of visual performance, but I've no doubt in my mind that they'll be able to put out a better run tonight and win the whole thing again.
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Post by marimba11 on Nov 5, 2022 12:53:25 GMT -6
Is Klein oak wes Cartwright?
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Post by ilikeguard on Nov 5, 2022 12:55:47 GMT -6
Is Klein oak wes Cartwright? That’s what I’m trying to figure out. They haven’t been in the past, but he’s picked up a lot of bands recently. The guard costumes gave me that vibe, but I was too occupied taking pictures to pay close enough attention to the flagwork (which is always a dead giveaway).
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Post by principalagent on Nov 5, 2022 13:04:50 GMT -6
Is Klein oak wes Cartwright? That’s what I’m trying to figure out. They haven’t been in the past, but he’s picked up a lot of bands recently. The guard costumes gave me that vibe, but I was too occupied taking pictures to pay close enough attention to the flagwork (which is always a dead giveaway). Nope. Their recent percussion director is still designing.
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Post by ilikeguard on Nov 5, 2022 13:05:04 GMT -6
The last two supers have set my standards just low enough that I think over half of these bands should be in finals You are SO right ilikeguard!!! I don’t know why anyone would even bother to go to or watch Grand Nationals!! Those kids are trash compared to Texas. Texas is THE standard and I’m so glad you said it as a GEM STAFFER. You KNOW!! Go team Texas!!! I know you’re just here to stir up trouble, so I’ll just respond to this once. I’m making a sarcastic little quip about how competitive this event is. These bands are also much further along in the season than any band was at St. Louis, which is the main reason why they’re performing at a higher level. It’s almost a month’s difference. I’d argue that any of the top 30 at Indianapolis were finals caliber as well. It’s just so incredibly close here. I’ll be the first person to say that Texas isn’t the standard in many ways. I’m ilikeguard, after all! In that realm, it’s generally agreed upon that Indiana is the standard, just like how Texas is for music. And since you mentioned that I work for GEM, you’ll be thrilled to know that they’ve sent me to contests in Iowa, Oklahoma, Missouri, Indiana, AND Texas this year, and I can tell you that there are huge fanbases in all of those states cheering for the nation’s greatest bands. I don’t know where you’re from, but I’m from Missouri, and if you’d like to accuse me of being biased towards any state, choose that one instead. 😙
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Post by asaiah on Nov 5, 2022 13:26:11 GMT -6
It is truly an honor to watch the Hebron drum & bugle corps perform I know you didn't mean to insult the POWERFUL Hebron woodwinds!! The brass was drum corps-esque though, for sure!
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Post by croutonjones on Nov 5, 2022 13:41:05 GMT -6
The Woodlands guard is just insane. The number of throws and variety of catches that they perform, without a single rifle or sword hitting the ground, is mind boggling. I was impressed last year, I am amazed this year.
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Post by ohbandie48 on Nov 5, 2022 13:44:21 GMT -6
The Woodlands performed their show well. Definitely a lot of high-energy of playing and moving. I thought the drill was a little bit uninspired though from a design POV, especially coming from this group.
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Post by marchingmaniac on Nov 5, 2022 13:48:11 GMT -6
The Woodlands are still performing at a super high level even with their director changes. Visually it's not the most difficult nor is it the cleanest, but they still produce magnificent sounds that are very balanced and have excellent moments with the full ensemble like in the ballad. Their color guard is easily the best that's performed so far and attempts some super impressive moves.
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Post by ilikeguard on Nov 5, 2022 13:48:44 GMT -6
That Woodlands color guard!!
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