July 20, Killeen, TX

Thanks to Paul D. Herzog on RAMD for this review!

Leaving Dallas late, after some serious traffic problems (you never allow enough
time for those sorts of things), I arrived at Leo Buckley Stadium in Killeen at
about 7:25.  It was a warm night, full stands, and not once did a train run by on
the nearby tracks like it has in previous years.  My seats were 25 rows up (two
rows under the press box), on the 40, stage left.

I missed Lone Star completely.  From talking to various people, it sounds like
I would not have been particularly entertained.  The consensus opinion is that
the staff has selected a show that is far beyond the corps members, both in
concept and design.  If the average age of the corps is still in high school,
they won't have the musical talent or endurance to pull off a Holsinger show.
Nor will they have the maturity to truly get anything meaningful out of
performing such a piece of music.  I've often heard criticism of Cadets & Star's
staffs with these kinds of shows, accusations of egotism and self-indulgence.
I've disagreed with them before, but I might agree now.  Then again, you do have
to remember that I personally didn't see it.  Sixth, 50.1

I saw Southwind from the tunnel, since I didn't arrive in time to be in my seat
at the start of the show (the show staff was VERY adamant about not letting
people in once the show started, a decision I applaud).  So I didn't get much of
the drill, but a good low location for the music.  I was impressed with what I
heard.  Mature, warm sound, entertaining show.  People are calling them the
"new Spirit", and I could picture mid-80s Spirit performing this show of gospel
music.  I hope Southwind sticks with this identity.  Fourth, 65.5

Pioneer's slogan is "better everyday", but it could also be "bigger every year",
because they are close to 40 members larger than when I was on their staff just
five years ago.  There is a ton of demand in this show, and the kids aren't quite
at that level yet.  They play the show, they don't perform it.  This is most
apparent in "Shades of the Emerald", their opener.  The closing drill involves
a lot of zig-zagging drill, as the members move from vertical line to vertical
line.  However, the kids don't finish the move, knowing that they have to haul
ass the other way in the next eight counts, so the lines never click into place,
and everything feels mushy because of it.  The corps gets stronger as the show
goes on, but that feeling that the opener gave me never left.  I love the Irish
motif (still), and Enya works very nicely (I've been waiting for a corps to play
"On Your Shore" since the Watermark album came out).  Very ambitious, but not
there yet.  Before their show, Brent Unger, a photographer for Drum Corps World,
had a big group from our section yell for PJ, a Pioneer member from Holland.
Fifth, 61.6

This is NOT the Colts that I marched with in the mid-80s, and Thank God for
that.  I am so proud of the organization from top to bottom, and the image that
the entire corps projects is top-notch.  I didn't like Sunday in the Park with
George when it comprised the last 27th Lancers junior corps' show, but Chuck
Naffier's arrangements are great.  The visual program is OK, but not at the
level of the brass & percussion.  The drum feature "Color & Light" brought the
first Standing O of the show, and will probably be one of my favorites pieces
from this season in years to come.  One problem lies in the low brass, baritones
especially; they seem to be dragging throughout most of the show.  Whether it's
a staging problem (the drill often has them way off on one side, or far away
from a pulse-center) or just plain laziness, I don't know, but they need to be
more aggressive.  Their presence (or lack thereof) is made up for by a great
contra line, playing on 4-valve tubas converted to "G".  The show has a down
ending to it, and it's nice, but probably not what they wanted, since the crowd
really didn't know the show was over.  For sure, it's another top-12 appearance,
and should be a few more steps up the ladder.  Third, 76.9

Here are my direct notes from Madison (warning for the faint of heart or humor):
   Bolero warmup!  ****!  Devs have a brass title contender.  Concierto de
   Aranjuez (Corea's Spain from this??) is gorgeous, and they don't have to
   play backfield to get it that way.  Drum solo!  Sops!  Uh, you
   in front of me, sorry about the mess I just splooged.
This is my favorite Madison show since 1985, possibly my favorite Madison show
period, and is in my all-time top-10 favorite shows after just one viewing.
There is so much excitement here, it's like a roller-coaster ride.  The
weakest caption, IMO, is their feet, a rarity for Madison.  I'm not sure this
show will get them any higher than third at DCI, but it might, if they can get
the drill and marching technique to Madison standards.  A color guard member
twisted his ankle on one of the last moves, and ended up being carried off the
field, but even this couldn't get the buzz out of the crowd, energy that could
have drowned the Cavaliers.  First, 86.7.

Fortunately, "Mars" is such a strong OTL for the Cavaliers that the crowd
soon put Madison in the back of their minds and got into the Planets show.
Their low brass is awesome, and their feet are keeping them in the running
with Scouts right now.  The ending drill to "Mars" really has to be seen to be
described or believed, but the thing I can best compare it to is the "cross drill"
from Star 91.  OK, enough gushing, time for my patented stuff.  To follow-up
on the "Cavies can only play backfield" thread, they turn and play soft & pretty
three times, and I can't think of a show section where the whole horn plays
together, softly, to the front of the field.  The show kind of goes downhill from
"Mars", and I think "Jupiter", the closer, needs both a rewrite and some serious
cleaning.  The arrangement in 1985 generated a lot more power.  The eight-note
-triplet runs in the mellophones is back, but not at the same volume level and
lower in pitch, so it blends into the horn line, instead of being a lick to remember.
If they can fix Jupiter, they will be on Madison's heels until Buffalo.  Second, 86.5.


I got to see some old Colt friends after the show, and meet some CyberCorpsers.
Brooke Phelps is on Colts' visual staff again, Jack Dostal & Mark Schilling from
Colts' baritone line, Andy Combites took time from his internship to come from
Dallas & check it out.  And my old Colt buddy, Scott Amman (who also marched
Cavies) is teaching and gigging in Waco.  Didja get the AOL->UseNet thing figured
out, Scott?

My last show of the year.... 

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