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Post by bigtrombone on Aug 11, 2023 16:55:27 GMT -6
Blue Knights have locked themselves into finals. Nice rebound for them after missing out last year.
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Post by bigtrombone on Aug 11, 2023 16:55:58 GMT -6
Show for Friday August 11th, 2023
Event: DCI World Championship Semifinals Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN Weather @ Show Start: Partly Cloudy, 81 F (Domed Stadium) Broadcast: This event will be livestreamed on FloMarching Lineup (All Times EDT):12:50 PM - Welcome & National Anthem 1:00 PM - Seattle Cascades - Seattle, WA 1:17 PM - Columbians - Tri-Cities, WA 1:34 PM - Jersey Surf - Camden County, NJ 1:51 PM - Southwind - Mobile, AL 2:08 PM - Genesis - Austin, TX 2:25 PM - Gold - San Diego, CA 2:42 PM - Spartans - Nashua, NH 2:59 PM - Intermission 3:19 PM - The Academy - Tempe, AZ 3:36 PM - Music City - Nashville, TN 3:53 PM - Madison Scouts - Madison, WI 4:10 PM - Spirit of Atlanta - Atlanta, GA 4:27 PM - Pacific Crest - Diamond Bar, CA 4:44 PM - Crossmen - San Antonio, TX 5:01 PM - Blue Knights - Denver, CO 5:18 PM - Troopers - Casper, WY 5:35 PM - Blue Stars - La Crosse, WI 5:52 PM - Intermission - U.S. Old Guard Exhibition 6:52 PM - Colts - Dubuque, IA 7:09 PM - The Cavaliers - Rosemont, IL 7:26 PM - Phantom Regiment - Rockford, IL 7:43 PM - Mandarins - Sacramento, CA 8:00 PM - The Cadets - Erie, PA 8:17 PM - Boston Crusaders - Boston, MA 8:34 PM - Ultimate Drill Book Recognition 8:42 PM - Special Recognition 8:49 PM - Bluecoats - Canton, OH 9:06 PM - Carolina Crown - Fort Mill, SC 9:23 PM - Blue Devils - Concord, CA 9:40 PM - Open Class Champion Encore - Spartans - Nashua, NH 9:57 PM - Special Recognitions 10:22 PM - Troopers Legacy Corps - Casper, WY 10:52 PM - Age-Out Ceremony 11:15 PM - Final Scores Announced Scores will be posted as they become available. Bumping up to new page. |
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Post by paddy on Aug 11, 2023 17:45:04 GMT -6
I’m not going to go back and quote the post, but after really listening to Phantom I’m not sure they are putting a ton of brass through their electronics.
However they are pumping synth bass and a ton of sound effects/back track through. Once you hear it you can’t stop hearing it. Frankly I would argue they are doing a disservice to the hornline.
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Post by N.E. Brigand on Aug 11, 2023 18:22:48 GMT -6
There should never, ever, ever be a delay due to electronics. Have a contingency plan in place for all possible problems or don't use electronics at all.
Edited to add: however, I have read that the delay to Boston's show was due to the stadium power source going down.
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Post by N.E. Brigand on Aug 11, 2023 18:41:57 GMT -6
Also when you have just one person personifying a white whale, my thoughts go to beluga whale rather than Moby Dick.
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Post by bigtrombone on Aug 11, 2023 18:47:00 GMT -6
I'd be remiss if I didn't offer my congratulations to Lincoln High School band member (now alumni), Ethan Dumke, on winning the UDB competition.
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Post by Allohak on Aug 11, 2023 19:08:36 GMT -6
Also when you have just one person personifying a white whale, my thoughts go to beluga whale rather than Moby Dick. Inb4 they add a Baby Beluga quote tomorrow night |
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Post by N.E. Brigand on Aug 11, 2023 19:52:02 GMT -6
I brought the tiger.
(Every time I see Spartans show, that "Bad Lip Reading" comes to mind.)
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Post by N.E. Brigand on Aug 11, 2023 20:05:45 GMT -6
After Santa Clara Vanguard performed in 2013 and before scores were announced, I said they deserved a 97. No fourth place corps has ever scored a 97. And they didn't either. They got 96.85. Some people are wondering if it will finally happen this year, given the caliber of the top four. I don't know. But I know something else that's never happened: there's never been a tie in finals for third place.
It was close in 2013, though: Cadets scored 96.95.
(Something else that's never happened: Blue Devils have never finished in third place. I can't see that happening this year!)
Edited to fix that wildly incorrect statement about BD, who finished third in 1975, 1978, 1985, 1988, 1998, 2000, and 2006. Yikes.
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Post by philodemus on Aug 11, 2023 20:08:14 GMT -6
I really want to love Boston.
But those are without doubt the worst hats that have ever been marched.
It’s distracting.
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Post by N.E. Brigand on Aug 11, 2023 20:44:48 GMT -6
The title of the Troopers Legacy Corps program tonight was "One More Ride."
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Post by bigtrombone on Aug 11, 2023 21:26:22 GMT -6
DCI World Championship Semifinals Scores1. Blue Devils 98.275 2. Bluecoats 96.988 3. Carolina Crown 96.950 4. Boston Crusaders 96.738 5. The Cadets 93.613 6. Mandarins 93.350 7. Phantom Regiment 93.163 8. The Cavaliers 92.038 9. Colts 90.038 10. Troopers 88.725 11. Blue Stars 88.550 12. Blue Knights 87.088 -------------------------------- 13. Crossmen 86.138 14. Pacific Crest 85.050 15. Spirit of Atlanta 83.625 16. Madison Scouts 82.988 17. Music City 82.875 18. The Academy 82.500 19. Spartans 81.275 20. Gold 79.913 21. Genesis 78.775 22. Southwind 77.450 23. Jersey Surf 75.488 24. Columbians 74.600 25. Seattle Cascades 73.925 Recaps can be found here: dci.org/scores/recap/2023-dci-world-championship-semifinals
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Post by N.E. Brigand on Aug 11, 2023 21:44:43 GMT -6
Carolina Crown first in brass again.
Cavaliers first in percussion again.
Blue Devils were fourth in both those captions, but first in everything else: they ranked highest with nine of eleven judges.
It was close in music analysis. Both of those judges had Crown ahead of BD by half a tenth in one subcaption -- and because of that plus brass, Crown was actually first overall in music tonight -- so if Crown has a perfect run Saturday and BD slips ... but who am I kidding?
BD got two "perfect" tens in content subcaptions (one GE judge and visual analysis).
One GE judge had Bluecoats first in content but BD ahead overall by outperforming their content.
Farther down the recaps, one of the GE judges had Spartans 13th in content. Earlier this year, there was speculation that Spartans could be in the fight for World Class Finals. That didn't happen and they otherwise didn't come close, but still: not bad for an Open Class corps.
In the last ten years when the corps who won in Semifinals also won in Finals (i.e., since 2009), their score has gone up by half a tenth (0.4995). So look for BD to score 98.775 tomorrow.
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Post by hewhowaits on Aug 12, 2023 5:18:22 GMT -6
There should never, ever, ever be a delay due to electronics. Have a contingency plan in place for all possible problems or don't use electronics at all. Edited to add: however, I have read that the delay to Boston's show was due to the stadium power source going down. All of the marching arts organizations clearly state that power in the facilities is not guaranteed. The groups are responsible for assuring their own power should there be an outage. |
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Post by OldSchoolTrumpet on Aug 12, 2023 5:46:00 GMT -6
(Something else that's never happened: Blue Devils have never finished in third place. I can't see that happening this year!) BD have finished 3rd several times. Or am I misunderstanding what you're referring to? |
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Post by philodemus on Aug 12, 2023 6:02:20 GMT -6
As I said last season, I will say this season: BD winning effect means either that the judging community has no idea what effect is, or I have no idea what effect is.
I am open to either possibility.
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Post by paddy on Aug 12, 2023 7:14:06 GMT -6
There should never, ever, ever be a delay due to electronics. Have a contingency plan in place for all possible problems or don't use electronics at all. Edited to add: however, I have read that the delay to Boston's show was due to the stadium power source going down. All of the marching arts organizations clearly state that power in the facilities is not guaranteed. The groups are responsible for assuring their own power should there be an outage. The way I understand it talking to people actually in Crusaders and what I observed in the facility during setup. The LOS power is the backup to most of the corps bringing their own generators. Boston has 2 generators that they use at every practice and performance. One of them went down so they turned to the backup power. It was not ready so they had to wait while the cords were brought in and the backup power provided. As an aside, when a organization like BOA hosts a show in a facility like LOS, the idea that they are free and clear for any responsibility to provide a properly equipped performance space to the groups they charge hundreds of dollars to participate is ridiculous. |
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Post by bigtrombone on Aug 12, 2023 10:31:41 GMT -6
Show for Saturday August 12th, 2023
Event: DCI World Championships Finals
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Weather @ Show Start: 50% chance of Scattered Thunderstorms, 83 F
Broadcast: This event will be livestreamed on FloMarching. Finals Retreat will also be streamed on DCI's Youtube Page.
Lineup (All Times EDT):
5:30 PM - Welcome
5:40 PM - INpact Band
6:00 PM - U.S. Marine Drum & Bugle Corps - Washington D.C.
6:20 PM - National Anthem - U.S. Marine Drum & Bugle Corps
6:30 PM - Blue Knights - Denver, CO
6:47 PM - Blue Stars - La Crosse, WI
7:04 PM - Troopers - Casper, WY
7:21 PM - Colts - Dubuque, IA
7:38 PM - The Cavaliers - Rosemont, IL
7:55 PM - Phantom Regiment - Rockford, IL
8:12 PM - Intermission
8:32 PM - Mandarins - Sacramento, CA
8:49 PM - The Cadets - Erie, PA
9:06 PM - Boston Crusaders - Boston, MA
9:23 PM - Carolina Crown - Fort Mill, SC
9:40 PM - Bluecoats - Canton, OH
9:57 PM - Blue Devils - Concord, CA
10:28 PM - Retreat
The final scores of the 2023 DCI season will be posted to this thread following the event.
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Post by N.E. Brigand on Aug 12, 2023 11:40:40 GMT -6
(Something else that's never happened: Blue Devils have never finished in third place. I can't see that happening this year!) BD have finished 3rd several times. Or am I misunderstanding what you're referring to? Thanks, I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote that, because as you note, it's very wrong. |
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Post by N.E. Brigand on Aug 12, 2023 11:53:13 GMT -6
As I said last season, I will say this season: BD winning effect means either that the judging community has no idea what effect is, or I have no idea what effect is. I am open to either possibility. I don't know if this will make either of those possibilities more likely, but DCI's judging sheets were once posted here: issuu.com/drumcorpsinternational/docs/2012_judging_sheets_full_set/2That's eleven years ago, but the current sheets probably aren't that much different. Speaking for myself, I thought Carolina Crown should have edged out Blue Devils for victory when I saw them both in Pittsburgh six days ago, but it was a close call for me, and that was before I knew what BD's show was about: I hadn't read any corps show descriptions this year. Now that I understand from the sixty-second description one of their designers gave during the cinema screening Thursday and another couple minutes of reading about Matisse and seeing his collage titled The Snail, I am tickled by the concept; more so than I was by their Edward Hopper show. I do think it's fair to ask whether even that is too much for the "audience" whom corps are supposed to be "engaging." |
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Post by N.E. Brigand on Aug 12, 2023 12:08:35 GMT -6
It might be interesting to figure out how those sheets would need to be different in order for Bluecoats', Boston Crusaders', or Carolina Crown's show to be tops this year.
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Post by dbalash on Aug 12, 2023 16:43:07 GMT -6
It might be interesting to figure out how those sheets would need to be different in order for Bluecoats', Boston Crusaders', or Carolina Crown's show to be tops this year. Bluecoats need to get off their edibles trip they've been on since Down Side Up (which is their last show I've even enjoyed), Crown needs percussion, and all of them need Blue Devils to die. It has now been 1,465 days since the Blue Devils have lost, and I'm here for it. 👿👿 |
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Post by N.E. Brigand on Aug 12, 2023 18:19:49 GMT -6
It might be interesting to figure out how those sheets would need to be different in order for Bluecoats', Boston Crusaders', or Carolina Crown's show to be tops this year. Bluecoats need to get off their edibles trip they've been on since Down Side Up (which is their last show I've even enjoyed), Crown needs percussion, and all of them need Blue Devils to die. It has now been 1,465 days since the Blue Devils have lost, and I'm here for it. 👿👿 Carolina Crown beat Blue Devils in percussion just six days ago. |
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Post by paddy on Aug 12, 2023 18:28:36 GMT -6
Bluecoats need to get off their edibles trip they've been on since Down Side Up (which is their last show I've even enjoyed), Crown needs percussion, and all of them need Blue Devils to die. It has now been 1,465 days since the Blue Devils have lost, and I'm here for it. 👿👿 Carolina Crown beat Blue Devils in percussion just six days ago. Inexplicably |
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Post by N.E. Brigand on Aug 12, 2023 19:28:52 GMT -6
Bit of an obvious (albeit correct) move to switch the ending like that, but Boston had their best run of the three nights.
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Post by paddy on Aug 12, 2023 19:35:13 GMT -6
Bit of an obvious (albeit correct) move to switch the ending like that, but Boston had their best run of the three nights. The stadium went nuts when that happened. |
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Post by N.E. Brigand on Aug 12, 2023 20:33:17 GMT -6
Bringing in the Madison Scouts to play "You'll Never Walk Alone" in the tribute to former Scout and retiring DCI director Dan Acheson is very nice.
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Post by N.E. Brigand on Aug 12, 2023 20:47:43 GMT -6
Here are some thoughts about the 2023 DCI Finals, as viewed on the high camera live stream. There are lots of opinions in what follows. I welcome all responses.
The Commandant's Own, U.S. Marine Drum & Bugle Corps, "Music in Motion 2023" (exhibition)
People who follow the news will know that right now there is no Commandant (although there is someone acting in that role), which perhaps explains why the corps' website still says that the repertoire of their 2023 program is "coming soon." (The show title is the same as past years.) Their pit is on the field (at the numbers and centered on the side one 40-yard line), and they use some amplification and have a keyboard. The rest of the corps came on field to a cadence and set up to start in a three-sided framing drill from the 30-yard lines to the back hash. The mallets quoted "Stars & Stripes Forever" in the opener, which is a march. They had amplified solos. They have no guard, 13 in the battery (5/3/5), 6 in the pit, 38 brass, 1 drum major and an assitant who sometimes conducted backfield. Their ballad was vaguely familir to me, like a movie theme from the late 1990s or early 2000s. This was followed by a very lively Latin number, with six tubas at a microphone laying down a groove. (That's disappointing. I first saw this group in 1989. They were then sending out smaller ensembles to play at different events, so what I saw was a corps of about 20 with just one tuba who blew the house down all by himself and with no mics.) This included a rather stately drum break. Their visuals here were clean but not challenging: many high schools could do as well. But when the brass resumed, they were big and great with a crisp trumpet trio. All in all, this felt like a step back from some of their past years, even recent years. As often, they closed with an arrangement of "The Stars & Stripes Forever." The drum major led a big company front (with the mallets taking the famous piccolo part).
The Marines then played the national anthem, and they marched out to the Marines' Hymn.
Blue Knights, "Unharnessed"
I could do without the various sound effects and samples between the opening strains of Verdi's "Requiem." And "I want to get away" reminds me too much of Greta Garbo's "I vant to be alone." Get away from what or whom? What are the constrains from which you wish to break free? Some of the drill in "Break on Through" while the tubas are playing the bass line was good. And I guess they broke on through the angled line marked by their obelisks. And then they were right up front but sounding rather muddled in their big hit. Why isn't the show over? They've broken though! Why are we hearing the line "set me free" repeated? (I'm kind of wishing for a show about how there's value in subsuming your individuality to a greater good.) A boring piano interlude felt like filler to get to the ballad. The guard work with the rope feels like even more of a copy of the Reading Buccaneers' 2014 show. (But because of the thematic and musical similarities, I'm grateful to BK for programming this. A very useful way to compare.) This ballad felt like a few motifs in search of a melody. What "weight" have you been pulling? The repeated narration is annoying in the way that Boston Crusaders' was in 2017. "With every step I sink further down into my own darkness" -- there's a weird jumpy quality to this narration, as if each syllable were being individually generated. But it's not rhythmic, so it could just play smoother (naturally it should be live). Well, while I think this seems far less enjoyable than Dutch Boy's 1989 show or Trooper's 2013 show (which didn't even make Finals), they did, and congratulations to them on being able to say, "We reclaim what is ours." They started and ended in triangle sets that evoke their classic logo. My score: 84.
Blue Stars, "In ABSINTHEia"
I appreciate the very clean opening look with just the three prop elements and one performer on the field. That said, the white boxes looked a bit shabby. Another slowly building opener full of random noise. But once the solo and mello ensemble work began, it was more interesting and visually it built cleanly and very readable. Too much bass from the synthesizer. (I would ban that utterly if I could.) If we need to hear the bass, move those tubas up from the middle of the field to where the rest of the brass are. (Of course, this has been aproblem with many corps since 2009.) The mellophone feature is fine. The tuba feature likewise. I don't care for the mallet part that followed. I think this show's theme is pretty dumb (yes, I have seen it explained), and thus it doesn't matter to me that they really aren't making it very clear what's going on. Some people are in purple. Later they're in green. Fine, whatever. I mean, are the tubas and mellos supposed to more freethinking now than the rest of the corps? The overall use of the field is generally pleasant. Again in the big chorus, there's too much bass synth. It takes away from the quality of the brass and percussion. (And it's a problem from there to the end of the show.) Some spacing issues in the big drill that follows, but I like the drill there, and the fact that they play through much of it. My score: 87.
Troopers, "To Lasso the Sun"
If you've never seen the amazing opening sequence to Once Upon a Time in the West, go look it up on Youtube. The sounds of a fly buzzing and water dripping and so forth that you hear in Troopers' preshow comes from that source. It was a bold move by Sergio Leone to spend so much time setting up three well known Western actors only to kill them off. The rope action in the Troopers' opening is a bit unclean. I have repeatedly noted over the past decade that Troopers' guard often doesn't seem to have clear instructions, and this seems like an example of that. Also the movement of the amazing prop is too obvious. Too much amplification in the big hits, but this is immediately of more aesthetic interest than the previous two shows. This one feels like a genuine Finalist. I like the drill where they drop to their knees. Lots of slop in the guard though. The design though continues to work: bringing the rope over the corps to the hauling machines and then the huge hit and then the sun prop doing its things. Can't really understand all the details of the prop from this height. That rope in the start of the ballad is just so messy. I get that want to make it clear that's it's a rope, so you don't want it to be straight lines, but I feel like a top corps would plan out every inch of it's placement, every bight and coil, and then would make use of those bends to show it's deliberate. Bit of a bobble in the trumpet part of the duet with the harmonica. Speaking of which, I really don't get why a reed instrument is permitted, but I don't much care either. I like the shape of the flags but I'm not sure white is the right color. Too much bass synth. The guard is too obviously working hard in the rope sequence. Love all the gold instruments. Nice footwork while playing in the big block. Some cool drill playing to the backfield. Very effective. Nice company front. The sunburst is not clean. I don't have an emotional attachment to the Troopers classic uniform, except that I think it looks cool. Apparently their prop failed at the end. On Thursday he was hoisted up, wasn't he? My score: 89.
Colts, "Where the Heart Is"
Every corps needs to come up with its own response to "is your corps ready" so that we don't hear "they're always ready" or "they were born ready" so many times. As always, I wish all narration was live. You wouldn't prerecord your brass or percussion, so why this? Anyway, nice clean imagery and good brass sound. And I don't care for the prerecorded "I'm on my way ... home sweet home" that's sung. The climax of the build musically and visually seems cliche, until they get to the house formation. Please use a tuba for the bass synth here -- instead of having them all put their instrument down! Nice trombone solo. In its musical quality, this show reminds me of some early 2010s Blue Stars shows. The muted trumpet and gentle percussion is really fine. And the trombones too. Troopers have the more interesting design by far but arguably Colts have the clarity. And I prefer a walking synth bass to a synth bass chord. The drill here is fine but a bit simple. At least it's drill. The phone cord props almost make the show seem like a period piece. More lousy prerecorded vocals: "This is the place where I feel at home." Trumpet and concert euphonium duet. Do we really need the phone dialogue? I think there are better ways of doing it. Also while I appreciate the gentleness of the pit work here, it does feel a bit like random tinkling. And the drill has been pretty but not terribly interesting. I think I want more full-corps playing that's mezzo forte and goes someplace rather than just building to a big chord. And the samples of DCI announcers emphasize that this is yet another show about drum corps, which isn't a very interesting subject. But hey, "Classical Gas"! Crossmen did this years ago, and I didn't think it worked (but their take on "Radar Love" in the same show was excellent). This is fine even if the brass showoff part feels forced into it. Carolina Crown has a lot to answer for since 2011. The random sounds after that are a poor but mercifully short transition. See here's what you do with tubas! More vocals we don't need. Also Indianapolis is not "home sweet home" for most corps members. Did Dan Potter pay you to program this show to mark DCI's decision to extend through 2033? Some good fast drill here, too much bass synth, and "Dome Sweet Dome" is cute -- but I think they should have saved that last bit for tonight. My score: 90.
The Cavaliers, "...Where You'll Find Me"
Yes, two shows in a row whose title starts with "where." The props don't do much for me but mostly don't get in the way. I like the opening poses but then they don't move from them effectively. Beautiful widely spread playing to the backfield. Still haven't gotten the drill in the hit entirely clean. A little too much enhancement here also. I like the tight drill in the first percussion break but want it to be more, somewhow. Their 1989 version of "Gloria" is a favorite of mine. It didn't have a bass synth underneath. This does. Despite all of that, this is the first corps with a "top half of finals" feel, even though they're going to finish lower. We really don't need the vocal samples from "Over the Rainbow." Yes, that's the source of their title, but it would be brass solos. There are better ways of getting that information to us. I don't like how the tuba sounds in the quartet. Was the show always written to give so many opportunities to the percussion or did that develop once they realized the talent they could showcase? The drill in that break is meh. I think it could have been much more without being distracting. And following that so much bass synth. And more recorded vocals. I do like seeing a corps spread out across a whole field. But it's a bit of an awkward transition until the small ensemble goes into "Somewhere," which is lovely. And here, the synth doesn't overwhelm as it was doing before. However, the mashing up of so many tunes starts to wear, even if they are nice tunes. And ugh the bass synth in the diagonal company front is pretty awful. The step over the guard is a fair homage to the past. Not sure the transition into the brief "Niagara Falls" section works. And the show ends pretty quickly. It feels like a short show. My score: 91.5.
Phantom Regiment, "Exogenesis"
The tarps are striking. (A distant echo of William Mason's tarps last year, perhaps.) I don't feel they use them in a consistent manner. The props quickly look a bit random. And the stuff does constrain the field use unpleasantly. Beavercreek performed this Muse tune in 2017. Every time I've heard this show it sounds like there balance issues in the opening duet. I feel like the corps is yelling at us. They're planted right up front and I want more dynamic variety. Visually it is effective when they're all around the "egg" or whatever the tarp surrounding the pit is supposed to be. I can't tell what's supposed to be going on in the tuba feature. Why are they all playing to the ground? Just to be our noses in the fact that they're amplified? The nasty trombones are much more interesting. Too much of the show thus far feels like mere posing. And they sound like they're trying to be someone else. I don't much care for instruments-down dance breaks even when done expertly by the likes of Blue Devils, but Phantom's felt particularly lame. OK, in the ballad a decent transition on the piano to start and then a solo to duet to trio, but notice how some of the brass and battery follow the curve of the tarps and others do not. So if the tarps are meant to represent something, they're being half ignored. The ballad goes too quickly from trio to full sound and needs more development between those points. And also visually it's rather dull staging. I hadn't previously noticed that they spell out "EXO" during the next battery break. The visual feels very constrained here. Ouch, more nasty synth. The props have been used but not in a consistent fashion and now a few chords and they're done. Save the kickout for when you're assured of a top five finish. It's big and loud but really not appealing to me. My score: 92.
Mandarins, "Sinnerman"
The props are intriguing from the start although those on the sideline are a bit of a jumble and the opening drill set is random and I wish it weren't. Not a fan of the use of a prerecorded vocal on the lyrics of "Sinnerman." The white outfits are really hard to judge visual clarity on. The synth is a bit heavy. The chords here sound like some Cavaliers shows of recent vintage. The fact that half the corps doffs their white for red is confusing: why did they decide to sin? Or whatever it is they're supposed to be doing? (I totally don't buy the explanation of their designer. Trust the tale not the teller.) The open legged stance in the red X is hard to judge. The red does pop. But maybe now is my time to reiterate that I really dislike bare arms on uniforms. The division of the field and the running drill works pretty well and suggests Bluecoats' 2017 show, while the mix of red and white outfits suggests Cadets' 2011 show. The spinning props are neat. Now they're all in red. It's a moment, but it feels forced. I do not like the quote of "Smile," which no one should do unless they can match Cavaliers' 2010 show. Nice work in the tubas. Hats are good. The color is wrong but I wonder if The Thomas Crown Affair is being evoked there. The miscellaneous noise mixed in is just junk. The transition, well not sure. Is that Billy Graham? In any case, I want a live speaker and a live singer if you're going to have vocals. Philosophically, I'm not sure what to make of this section. They have this great sound just before the final section and then they pour on the amplification and suck it up a bit. My score: 93.
The Cadets, "Atlas Rising"
In the movie theater, I couldn't hear the opening narration. It was better that way. Not a fan of the uniforms. (And I think the cinema announcer who said they were necessary for the show is wrong. Cavaliers managed to roll all over the place in 2007 wearing their classic uniforms and they placed and scored higher than Cadets will tonight.) The opening set is sharp and uses the props well. Not sure calisthenics is visually of enough interest. Too much extra stuff in the opening big hit. in the "indomitable will" trumpet double-tonguing feature the look is cluttered. Some whiny narration. I suppose "we are immortal," if applied to everyone hearing it, could be a theological statement and thus this show might be seen as being conversation with Mandarins. At least there's less narration (so far) than Cadets' show last year. The backwards marching should be cleaner. The dance moves are even rougher. The "weight of the world" transition is visual and musical sludge. I do feel like a lot of corps and band themes are like bad therapy sessions. That's some fast trumpet work. The drill is less formidable than their past shows, even last year's. The bass synth here is less objectionable than in most other groups, but still: why do you have your tubas in the back if you want that sound? It's more challenging than Mandarins' show, I think. My score: 93.5.
Boston Crusaders, "White Whale"
I've a whale of a tale to tell you, lads. This show reminds me of Stanley Kauffmann's comments on the first Harry Potter movie. Not sure we need even this limited narration. The solo is lovely and the various pods playing to the backfield is wonderful. Then a great sound (but a little feedback?) from midfield. The whale's tail set is nice. The mallet transition is perhaps routine. Gorgeous restrained brass sound from the circles on the left. Nice tenor drums and rifle work. Trumpets showing off from the right. The whole opening set is what you might call pure drum corps. The flowing move that immediately follows is very nice too. Musically, the percussion work here is a bit like Carolina Crown's 2014 show. filmmaker Jean Cocteau once wrote that mankind needed to get past the childish need to be told a story. Love the tuba feature even if the final note is overamplified. Piccolo trumpet was clean tonight. What was the white whale doing before? Was he (she?) tasking us? What's the rattling sound in the drum break? Love the call out to Jaws by having a trio play "Show Me the Way to Go Home." But "Shipping Up to Boston" probably needs to be bit more raucous. And much of the drill staging in the middle of the show has been forward. Ah, there's the soloist. The high camera doesn't make the location clear: on the pier left of the pit. Lots of subtle things going on out there. and the return of the whale tail works. But oh, every time the Moby Dick character has failed to cleanly catch that harpoon and this time he dropped it. I wish the narrator was live. Nicely emphatic though. Not sure how to interpret the action here. The flying tarps are OK. Oh, new ending. That should have been obvious, but I do like it. My score: 97.5.
Carolina Crown, "The Round Table: Echoes of Camelot"
Not a fan of subtitles: that suggests you don't think the audience will understand the title. Not a fan of the prerecorded (one stroke, one note?) vocals here. Can't really understand what she's saying either. Concert French horn soloist is good. Weird extra note in there from someone though. What was that? I do think the hooded (faux chain mail) uniforms work well. Does this show even need characters? More vocals. The brass feature here feels like pure show off without a clear connection to the whole. The dance section works better than most. Not sure about all the stuff blended together here, but the backward marching and playing and the high step stuff works. Some minor interval issues with the sword drill. Again a bit much bass synth. The round table didn't start to come apart early tonight. It did on Thursday. It didn't last night. night. The duet at the start of the ballad is just perfect. Oh wait a little bit of spit or microphone issues from the concert euphonium. The separated table is decent symbolism. Maybe a trifle sharp for a moment on the euphonium? But quickly adjusted. The kneel step is like Troopers but slower. They could move more on the ballad, I think. And the return of the vocal seems sudden with no chance to breathe. Cool muted trumpets and then herald trumpets. And the props help with the mood. Tubas perhaps a bit too soft against the battery? Another brass show-off section. Arthur's wound seems likely to be too grave for him to live. Maybe the balance on the quartet is off? Meh to the chorus. A little feedback there. Anyway, Arthur's recovery seems sudden. That circle is still not perfect, but better than the preious two nights. My score: 98.
Bluecoats, "The Garden of Love"
I find this show less weird than many others do, even though I'm a teetotaler. High camera is not a good vantage part for the opening, which happens way at the back. But all the sound effects are fun. Plus the lilting trumpet. if you're going to do electronics, Bluecoats (and to a lesser degree Blue Devils) have shown you the way. There's really not all that much to the opener, but I think it's enough. While I wish the narrator was live, this is still the best use of poetry ever in drum corps, and I can accept that they're using it rhythmically as they did with "Mr. Maps" in 2015. Love the audible clap from the corps on the word "shut". This dance sequence nearly works: it carries the show forward. The uniforms however blend somewhat with the field. As with Phantom, the stuff on the field could cut down on the useable space, but Bluecoats use more of it. Wow, the mellophone part when they're collapsing into the block is tremendous. Tubas facing backfield are clearly coming through a microphone: are they all separately miked? Another nifty aural effect here to start the ballad. Does anyone else thinks this sounds a little bit like "Down to the River to Pray"? I do like the versatility of the props. Not sure about the body work here. In general, I oppose it. The horns on the ground are an almost perfect arc tonight. The swaying mass of brass is probably too like Blue Devils in 2017. The figures in black do contrast well. Gotta be careful in "Bump" not to have their circle break apart too quickly. As with the opener: is there enough to this piece, fun as it is? Are the actions of the "priests" up front to random? The dark butterfly props are great. I'm quibbling, because they all nailed that. The very fast moving arc to line on the back right 20 yard line was a smidge off. Hadn't noticed the chimes there. Musically this part sounds rather like Blue Devils. And overall, maybe the closer closes too quickly? My score: 98.5.
Blue Devils, "The Cut-Outs"
As with Crown, I don't care for the prerecorded vocal to start -- and again I can't understand it. And like Crown, Blue Devils match it with a solo (trumpet). And I don't care for the cluttered look to start, no matter how deliberate it may be or that everyone is where they're supposed to be. Until all the props come together later, I don't feel enough is done with them. But OK, a bunch of squares in the drill is supposed to be the cut-outs, and the squiggle is meant to be the other props and this is oh so very smooth. Don't care for the "really don't know life at all" vocal. A very confident mix of sounds just maybe a bit less interesting than Bluecoats. Nice rifles. Don't care for the walking bass, but at least it is moving. The music is pretty classic blue devils. The overall look is a bit messy with the four quadrants and the crossed guard. The parallelogram form is tremendous and the way it rotates is fantastic, and it's a darn good transition. This is where the show starts to come together for me. Lots of corps with sound effects that sound distorted like maybe it's a mistake. Not sure what's going on in the five yards between the 50 and side two 45 here but it's pretty cool. Is it cleaner than other corps? Maybe, maybe not. Someone elsewhere said the percussion on the 50 are separating the "both sides" of the ballad: brass to left, guard to right, but of couse the idea is that Matisse is changing from paint to collage -- notice how the corps goes right and the guard goes left. But not entirely. Duet sounds great. Didn't Colts play "Both Sides Now" a few years ago? (On the high school side, Dublin Jerome did well by it in 2017.) What's the double sidewise teardrop form supposed to represent? Again with the weird distortion in the prerecorded vocals. Half a drop in the rifles during the battery break. I'm not a fan of the BD pit aesthetic during the muted trumpet solo. Digging that tuba feature. There was a time about ten years ago when you seldom heard BD's tubas. Now the corps demonstrates how they can play on the move with some large forms moving quickly. The jam session that follows is perhaps a trifle routine by their standards. The quartet from the cutouts shows off nicely. And some more fast, albeit mostly gate-type drill getting to the start and then breaking it and then reforming it while the flags do their fancy work in The Snail. My score: 99.
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Post by aiden on Aug 12, 2023 20:56:35 GMT -6
Here are some thoughts of the the 2023 DCI Finals, as viewed on the high camera live stream. There are lots of opinions in what follows. I welcome all responses. The Commandant's Own, U.S. Marine Drum & Bugle Corps, "Music in Motion 2023" (exhibition)People who follow the news will know that right now there is no Commandant (although there is someone acting in that role), which perhaps explains why the corps' website still says that the repertoire of their 2023 program is "coming soon." (The show title is the same as past years.) Their pit is on the field (at the numbers and centered on the side one 40-yard line), and they use some amplification and have a keyboard. The rest of the corps came on field to a cadence and set up to start in a three-sided framing drill from the 30-yard lines to the back hash. The mallets quoted "Stars & Stripes Forever" in the opener, which is a march. They had amplified solos. They have no guard, 13 in the battery (5/3/5), 6 in the pit, 38 brass, 1 drum major and an assitant who sometimes conducted backfield. Their ballad was vaguely familir to me, like a movie theme from the late 1990s or early 2000s. This was followed by a very lively Latin number, with six tubas at a microphone laying down a groove. (That's disappointing. I first saw this group in 1989. They were then sending out smaller ensembles to play at different events, so what I saw was a corps of about 20 with just one tuba who blew the house down all by himself and with no mics.) This included a rather stately drum break. Their visuals here were clean but not challenging: many high schools could do as well. But when the brass resumed, they were big and great with a crisp trumpet trio. All in all, this felt like a step back from some of their past years, even recent years. As often, they closed with an arrangement of "The Stars & Stripes Forever." The drum major led a big company front (with the mallets taking the famous piccolo part). The Marines then played the national anthem, and they marched out to the Marines' Hymn. Blue Knights, "Unharnessed"I could do without the various sound effects and samples between the opening strains of Verdi's "Requiem." And "I want to get away" reminds me too much of Greta Garbo's "I vant to be alone." Get away from what or whom? What are the constrains from which you wish to break free? Some of the drill in "Break on Through" while the tubas are playing the bass line was good. And I guess they broke on through the angled line marked by their obelisks. And then they were right up front but sounding rather muddled in their big hit. Why isn't the show over? They've broken though! Why are we hearing the line "set me free" repeated? (I'm kind of wishing for a show about how there's value in subsuming your individuality to a greater good.) A boring piano interlude felt like filler to get to the ballad. The guard work with the rope feels like even more of a copy of the Reading Buccaneers' 2014 show. (But because of the thematic and musical similarities, I'm grateful to BK for programming this. A very useful way to compare.) This ballad felt like a few motifs in search of a melody. What "weight" have you been pulling? The repeated narration is annoying in the way that Boston Crusaders' was in 2017. "With every step I sink further down into my own darkness" -- there's a weird jumpy quality to this narration, as if each syllable were being individually generated. But it's not rhythmic, so it could just play smoother (naturally it should be live). Well, while I think this seems far less enjoyable than Dutch Boy's 1989 show or Trooper's 2013 show (which didn't even make Finals), they did, and congratulations to them on being able to say, "We reclaim what is ours." They started and ended in triangle sets that evoke their classic logo. My score: 84. Blue Stars, "In ABSINTHEia"I appreciate the very clean opening look with just the three prop elements and one performer on the field. That said, the white boxes looked a bit shabby. Another slowly building opener full of random noise. But once the solo and mello ensemble work began, it was more interesting and visually it built cleanly and very readable. Too much bass from the synthesizer. (I would ban that utterly if I could.) If we need to hear the bass, move those tubas up from the middle of the field to where the rest of the brass are. (Of course, this has been aproblem with many corps since 2009.) The mellophone feature is fine. The tuba feature likewise. I don't care for the mallet part that followed. I think this show's theme is pretty dumb (yes, I have seen it explained), and thus it doesn't matter to me that they really aren't making it very clear what's going on. Some people are in purple. Later they're in green. Fine, whatever. I mean, are the tubas and mellos supposed to more freethinking now than the rest of the corps? The overall use of the field is generally pleasant. Again in the big chorus, there's too much bass synth. It takes away from the quality of the brass and percussion. (And it's a problem from there to the end of the show.) Some spacing issues in the big drill that follows, but I like the drill there, and the fact that they play through much of it. My score: 87. Troopers, "To Lasso the Sun"If you've never seen the amazing opening sequence to Once Upon a Time in the West, go look it up on Youtube. The sounds of a fly buzzing and water dripping and so forth that you hear in Troopers' preshow comes from that source. It was a bold move by Sergio Leone to spend so much time setting up three well known Western actors only to kill them off. The rope action in the Troopers' opening is a bit unclean. I have repeatedly noted over the past decade that Troopers' guard often doesn't seem to have clear instructions, and this seems like an example of that. Also the movement of the amazing prop is too obvious. Too much amplification in the big hits, but this is immediately of more aesthetic interest than the previous two shows. This one feels like a genuine Finalist. I like the drill where they drop to their knees. Lots of slop in the guard though. The design though continues to work: bringing the rope over the corps to the hauling machines and then the huge hit and then the sun prop doing its things. Can't really understand all the details of the prop from this height. That rope in the start of the ballad is just so messy. I get that want to make it clear that's it's a rope, so you don't want it to be straight lines, but I feel like a top corps would plan out every inch of it's placement, every bight and coil, and then would make use of those bends to show it's deliberate. Bit of a bobble in the trumpet part of the duet with the harmonica. Speaking of which, I really don't get why a reed instrument is permitted, but I don't much care either. I like the shape of the flags but I'm not sure white is the right color. Too much bass synth. The guard is too obviously working hard in the rope sequence. Love all the gold instruments. Nice footwork while playing in the big block. Some cool drill playing to the backfield. Very effective. Nice company front. The sunburst is not clean. I don't have an emotional attachment to the Troopers classic uniform, except that I think it looks cool. Apparently their prop failed at the end. On Thursday he was hoisted up, wasn't he? My score: 89. Colts, "Where the Heart Is"Every corps needs to come up with its own response to "is your corps ready" so that we don't hear "they're always ready" or "they were born ready" so many times. As always, I wish all narration was live. You wouldn't prerecord your brass or percussion, so why this? Anyway, nice clean imagery and good brass sound. And I don't care for the prerecorded "I'm on my way ... home sweet home" that's sung. The climax of the build musically and visually seems cliche, until they get to the house formation. Please use a tuba for the bass synth here -- instead of having them all put their instrument down! Nice trombone solo. In its musical quality, this show reminds me of some early 2010s Blue Stars shows. The muted trumpet and gentle percussion is really fine. And the trombones too. Troopers have the more interesting design by far but arguably Colts have the clarity. And I prefer a walking synth bass to a synth bass chord. The drill here is fine but a bit simple. At least it's drill. The phone cord props almost make the show seem like a period piece. More lousy prerecorded vocals: "This is the place where I feel at home." Trumpet and concert euphonium duet. Do we really need the phone dialogue? I think there are better ways of doing it. Also while I appreciate the gentleness of the pit work here, it does feel a bit like random tinkling. And the drill has been pretty but not terribly interesting. I think I want more full-corps playing that's mezzo forte and goes someplace rather than just building to a big chord. And the samples of DCI announcers emphasize that this is yet another show about drum corps, which isn't a very interesting subject. But hey, "Classical Gas"! Crossmen did this years ago, and I didn't think it worked (but their take on "Radar Love" in the same show was excellent). This is fine even if the brass showoff part feels forced into it. Carolina Crown has a lot to answer for since 2011. The random sounds after that are a poor but mercifully short transition. See here's what you do with tubas! More vocals we don't need. Also Indianapolis is not "home sweet home" for most corps members. Did Dan Potter pay you to program this show to mark DCI's decision to extend through 2033? Some good fast drill here, too much bass synth, and "Dome Sweet Dome" is cute -- but I think they should have saved that last bit for tonight. My score: 90. The Cavaliers, "...Where You'll Find Me"Yes, two shows in a row whose title starts with "where." The props don't do much for me but mostly don't get in the way. I like the opening poses but then they don't move from them effectively. Beautiful widely spread playing to the backfield. Still haven't gotten the drill in the hit entirely clean. A little too much enhancement here also. I like the tight drill in the first percussion break but want it to be more, somewhow. Their 1989 version of "Gloria" is a favorite of mine. It didn't have a bass synth underneath. This does. Despite all of that, this is the first corps with a "top half of finals" feel, even though they're going to finish lower. We really don't need the vocal samples from "Over the Rainbow." Yes, that's the source of their title, but it would be brass solos. There are better ways of getting that information to us. I don't like how the tuba sounds in the quartet. Was the show always written to give so many opportunities to the percussion or did that develop once they realized the talent they could showcase? The drill in that break is meh. I think it could have been much more without being distracting. And following that so much bass synth. And more recorded vocals. I do like seeing a corps spread out across a whole field. But it's a bit of an awkward transition until the small ensemble goes into "Somewhere," which is lovely. And here, the synth doesn't overwhelm as it was doing before. However, the mashing up of so many tunes starts to wear, even if they are nice tunes. And ugh the bass synth in the diagonal company front is pretty awful. The step over the guard is a fair homage to the past. Not sure the transition into the brief "Niagara Falls" section works. And the show ends pretty quickly. It feels like a short show. My score: 91.5. Phantom Regiment, "Exogenesis"The tarps are striking. (A distant echo of William Mason's tarps last year, perhaps.) I don't feel they use them in a consistent manner. The props quickly look a bit random. And the stuff does constrain the field use unpleasantly. Beavercreek performed this Muse tune in 2017. Every time I've heard this show it sounds like there balance issues in the opening duet. I feel like the corps is yelling at us. They're planted right up front and I want more dynamic variety. Visually it is effective when they're all around the "egg" or whatever the tarp surrounding the pit is supposed to be. I can't tell what's supposed to be going on in the tuba feature. Why are they all playing to the ground? Just to be our noses in the fact that they're amplified? The nasty trombones are much more interesting. Too much of the show thus far feels like mere posing. And they sound like they're trying to be someone else. I don't much care for instruments-down dance breaks even when done expertly by the likes of Blue Devils, but Phantom's felt particularly lame. OK, in the ballad a decent transition on the piano to start and then a solo to duet to trio, but notice how some of the brass and battery follow the curve of the tarps and others do not. So if the tarps are meant to represent something, they're being half ignored. The ballad goes too quickly from trio to full sound and needs more development between those points. And also visually it's rather dull staging. I hadn't previously noticed that they spell out "EXO" during the next battery break. The visual feels very constrained here. Ouch, more nasty synth. The props have been used but not in a consistent fashion and now a few chords and they're done. Save the kickout for when you're assured of a top five finish. It's big and loud but really not appealing to me. My score: 92. Mandarins, "Sinnerman"The props are intriguing from the start although those on the sideline are a bit of a jumble and the opening drill set is random and I wish it weren't. Not a fan of the use of a prerecorded vocal on the lyrics of "Sinnerman." The white outfits are really hard to judge visual clarity on. The synth is a bit heavy. The chords here sound like some Cavaliers shows of recent vintage. The fact that half the corps doffs their white for red is confusing: why did they decide to sin? Or whatever it is they're supposed to be doing? (I totally don't buy the explanation of their designer. Trust the tale not the teller.) The open legged stance in the red X is hard to judge. The red does pop. But maybe now is my time to reiterate that I really dislike bare arms on uniforms. The division of the field and the running drill works pretty well and suggests Bluecoats' 2017 show, while the mix of red and white outfits suggests Cadets' 2011 show. The spinning props are neat. Now they're all in red. It's a moment, but it feels forced. I do not like the quote of "Smile," which no one should do unless they can match Cavaliers' 2010 show. Nice work in the tubas. Hats are good. The color is wrong but I wonder if The Thomas Crown Affair is being evoked there. The miscellaneous noise mixed in is just junk. The transition, well not sure. Is that Billy Graham? In any case, I want a live speaker and a live singer if you're going to have vocals. Philosophically, I'm not sure what to make of this section. They have this great sound just before the final section and then they pour on the amplification and suck it up a bit. My score: 93. The Cadets, "Atlas Rising"In the movie theater, I couldn't hear the opening narration. It was better that way. Not a fan of the uniforms. (And I think the cinema announcer who said they were necessary for the show is wrong. Cavaliers managed to roll all over the place in 2007 wearing their classic uniforms and they placed and scored higher than Cadets will tonight.) The opening set is sharp and uses the props well. Not sure calisthenics is visually of enough interest. Too much extra stuff in the opening big hit. in the "indomitable will" trumpet double-tonguing feature the look is cluttered. Some whiny narration. I suppose "we are immortal," if applied to everyone hearing it, could be a theological statement and thus this show might be seen as being conversation with Mandarins. At least there's less narration (so far) than Cadets' show last year. The backwards marching should be cleaner. The dance moves are even rougher. The "weight of the world" transition is visual and musical sludge. I do feel like a lot of corps and band themes are like bad therapy sessions. That's some fast trumpet work. The drill is less formidable than their past shows, even last year's. The bass synth here is less objectionable than in most other groups, but still: why do you have your tubas in the back if you want that sound? It's more challenging than Mandarins' show, I think. My score: 93.5. Boston Crusaders, "White Whale"I've a whale of a tale to tell you, lads. This show reminds me of Stanley Kauffmann's comments on the first Harry Potter movie. Not sure we need even this limited narration. The solo is lovely and the various pods playing to the backfield is wonderful. Then a great sound (but a little feedback?) from midfield. The whale's tail set is nice. The mallet transition is perhaps routine. Gorgeous restrained brass sound from the circles on the left. Nice tenor drums and rifle work. Trumpets showing off from the right. The whole opening set is what you might call pure drum corps. The flowing move that immediately follows is very nice too. Musically, the percussion work here is a bit like Carolina Crown's 2014 show. filmmaker Jean Cocteau once wrote that mankind needed to get past the childish need to be told a story. Love the tuba feature even if the final note is overamplified. Piccolo trumpet was clean tonight. What was the white whale doing before? Was he (she?) tasking us? What's the rattling sound in the drum break? Love the call out to Jaws by having a trio play "Show Me the Way to Go Home." But "Shipping Up to Boston" probably needs to be bit more raucous. And much of the drill staging in the middle of the show has been forward. Ah, there's the soloist. The high camera doesn't make the location clear: on the pier left of the pit. Lots of subtle things going on out there. and the return of the whale tail works. But oh, every time the Moby Dick character has failed to cleanly catch that harpoon and this time he dropped it. I wish the narrator was live. Nicely emphatic though. Not sure how to interpret the action here. The flying tarps are OK. Oh, new ending. That should have been obvious, but I do like it. My score: 97.5. Carolina Crown, "The Round Table: Echoes of Camelot"Not a fan of subtitles: that suggests you don't think the audience will understand the title. Not a fan of the prerecorded (one stroke, one note?) vocals here. Can't really understand what she's saying either. Concert French horn soloist is good. Weird extra note in there from someone though. What was that? I do think the hooded (faux chain mail) uniforms work well. Does this show even need characters? More vocals. The brass feature here feels like pure show off without a clear connection to the whole. The dance section works better than most. Not sure about all the stuff blended together here, but the backward marching and playing and the high step stuff works. Some minor interval issues with the sword drill. Again a bit much bass synth. The round table didn't start to come apart early tonight. It did on Thursday. It didn't last night. night. The duet at the start of the ballad is just perfect. Oh wait a little bit of spit or microphone issues from the concert euphonium. The separated table is decent symbolism. Maybe a trifle sharp for a moment on the euphonium? But quickly adjusted. The kneel step is like Troopers but slower. They could move more on the ballad, I think. And the return of the vocal seems sudden with no chance to breathe. Cool muted trumpets and then herald trumpets. And the props help with the mood. Tubas perhaps a bit too soft against the battery? Another brass show-off section. Arthur's wound seems likely to be too grave for him to live. Maybe the balance on the quartet is off? Meh to the chorus. A little feedback there. Anyway, Arthur's recovery seems sudden. That circle is still not perfect, but better than the preious two nights. My score: 98. Bluecoats, "The Garden of Love"I find this show less weird than many others do, even though I'm a teetotaler. High camera is not a good vantage part for the opening, which happens way at the back. But all the sound effects are fun. Plus the lilting trumpet. if you're going to do electronics, Bluecoats (and to a lesser degree Blue Devils) have shown you the way. There's really not all that much to the opener, but I think it's enough. While I wish the narrator was live, this is still the best use of poetry ever in drum corps, and I can accept that they're using it rhythmically as they did with "Mr. Maps" in 2015. Love the audible clap from the corps on the word "shut". This dance sequence nearly works: it carries the show forward. The uniforms however blend somewhat with the field. As with Phantom, the stuff on the field could cut down on the useable space, but Bluecoats use more of it. Wow, the mellophone part when they're collapsing into the block is tremendous. Tubas facing backfield are clearly coming through a microphone: are they all separately miked? Another nifty aural effect here to start the ballad. Does anyone else thinks this sounds a little bit like "Down to the River to Pray"? I do like the versatility of the props. Not sure about the body work here. In general, I oppose it. The horns on the ground are an almost perfect arc tonight. The swaying mass of brass is probably too like Blue Devils in 2017. The figures in black do contrast well. Gotta be careful in "Bump" not to have their circle break apart too quickly. As with the opener: is there enough to this piece, fun as it is? Are the actions of the "priests" up front to random? The dark butterfly props are great. I'm quibbling, because they all nailed that. The very fast moving arc to line on the back right 20 yard line was a smidge off. Hadn't noticed the chimes there. Musically this part sounds rather like Blue Devils. And overall, maybe the closer closes too quickly? My score: 98.5. Blue Devils, "The Cut-Outs"As with Crown, I don't care for the prerecorded vocal to start -- and again I can't understand it. And like Crown, Blue Devils match it with a solo (trumpet). And I don't care for the cluttered look to start, no matter how deliberate it may be or that everyone is where they're supposed to be. Until all the props come together later, I don't feel enough is done with them. But OK, a bunch of squares in the drill is supposed to be the cut-outs, and the squiggle is meant to be the other props and this is oh so very smooth. Don't care for the "really don't know life at all" vocal. A very confident mix of sounds just maybe a bit less interesting than Bluecoats. Nice rifles. Don't care for the walking bass, but at least it is moving. The music is pretty classic blue devils. The overall look is a bit messy with the four quadrants and the crossed guard. The parallelogram form is tremendous and the way it rotates is fantastic, and it's a darn good transition. This is where the show starts to come together for me. Lots of corps with sound effects that sound distorted like maybe it's a mistake. Not sure what's going on in the five yards between the 50 and side two 45 here but it's pretty cool. Is it cleaner than other corps? Maybe, maybe not. Someone elsewhere said the percussion on the 50 are separating the "both sides" of the ballad: brass to left, guard to right, but of couse the idea is that Matisse is changing from paint to collage -- notice how the corps goes right and the guard goes left. But not entirely. Duet sounds great. Didn't Colts play "Both Sides Now" a few years ago? (On the high school side, Dublin Jerome did well by it in 2017.) What's the double sidewise teardrop form supposed to represent? Again with the weird distortion in the prerecorded vocals. Half a drop in the rifles during the battery break. I'm not a fan of the BD pit aesthetic during the muted trumpet solo. Digging that tuba feature. There was a time about ten years ago when you seldom heard BD's tubas. Now the corps demonstrates how they can play on the move with some large forms moving quickly. The jam session that follows is perhaps a trifle routine by their standards. The quartet from the cutouts shows off nicely. And some more fast, albeit mostly gate-type drill getting to the start and then breaking it and then reforming it while the flags do their fancy work in The Snail. My score: 99. I see a mention of an Ohio band in the section about the Blue Devils |
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Post by bigtrombone on Aug 12, 2023 21:04:55 GMT -6
DCI World Championship Finals Scores1. Blue Devils 98.975 (Visual, Guard, GE) 2. Bluecoats 97.738 3. Carolina Crown 97.663 (Brass) 4. Boston Crusaders 96.925 5. The Cadets 94.313 6. Mandarins 93.775 7. Phantom Regiment 92.988 (Jim Jones Award) 8. The Cavaliers 92.125 (Percussion) 9. Colts 90.263 10. Troopers 89.475 11. Blue Stars 88.625 12. Blue Knights 86.375 Recaps can be found here: dci.org/scores/recap/2023-dci-world-championship-finals
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