Phantom Regiment.........85.4 Cavaliers................84.5 Glassmen.................79.1 Magic of Orlando.........78.9 Kiwanis Kavaliers........75.1 Southwind................63.0 Lone Star................49.8 Thanks to Jeffrey Budd for emailing us these scores!
Cadets of Bergen County..88.5 Madison Scouts...........87.5 Crossmen.................79.4 Bluecoats................79.2 Boston Crusaders.........69.9 Pioneer..................66.2 Blue Stars...............56.9 Thanks to Jennifer Zlimen for emailing us these scores!
Hi All - just some quick notes and comments from night one of Stillwater...It finally stopped raining so we got to see a full show!!!!!!!
7th Place - Blue Stars - 56.9 - Dante's Inferno still isn't really growing on me, but I was slightly distracted this evening. Just about anyone in section D could hear the press box judges better than they could hear the Blue Stars....never had this problem at Stillwater before. It was really distracting, especially the soft parts! Beyond the distractions, the Stars have improved some since DCM, their horns finally sounded like they were together during Inferno. However, I still get no real energy from this show....they are executing better, but it really lacks the emotional connection. Still a good show, and a great warm-up for what was to come later.
6th Place - Pioneer - 66.2 - I think they added even more dance since the last time I saw them!!!!!!!!! And it still didn't look good!!!!!!! Beyond that, the hornline is still improving, especially once you get beyond the opener. They are now familiar enough with the music that it flows more cleanly, and it makes a difference. With this show they definitely will not challenge for the top 12, but it does fit their style extremely well.....just lose the dancing!!!!!!!! I even heard one of the loud obnoxious judges say that during one of the quieter parts......
5th Place - Boston Crusaders - 69.9 - Definitely a better show than last year, except for the wooden frames in the back. I know they are a part of the whole portraits theme, but could we at least paint them?????? Hornline sounded great through the whole show, especially during Lincoln Portrait. I wish I could tell you about Eternal Father, but with the Crusaders facing the backfield and the loud obnoxious judges above me you couldn't hear much. (I'm curious.....did everyone in section D hear the judges, or was it only those of us in rows 4, 5, 6, and 7? Just curious.) The one thing that confused me was the guard unis.....what is the story behind the aprons? They didn't seem to click with the theme of the show.....anyone out there know what they are supposed to represent? Oh well, overall a big improvement over last years show, and much more enjoyable to watch.
4th Place - Bluecoats - 79.2 - Or shall I say the Blue Knights.....little boo-boo by the announcer here. (Sorry Joe, I really had to mention this!) It was announced that the Coats were from Denver, and were playing music from Ben Hur.....After the crowd got the announcer straightened out, on with the show. Definitely Jazz after dark....there were dark tones running throughout the whole show. Loved Harlem.........Loved the Drum sets they had on the elevated black platform. Good guard this year, good overall show this year. I don't think it's a top 6 caliber this year, the show seemed a little too dark for that. Seemed to be lacking in energy at the end. Still a great show, and they should be up challenging for that 7 spot again this year.
3rd Place - Crossmen - 79.4 - This show is HOT!!!!!!!!! Almost stole the title of crowd favorite away from the Scouts. Birdland takes a bit to get going, but once it does, watch out......Brass sound much better than they did last year, and the guard is amazing....don't think I saw one drop all night. Great sop solo near the end of Birdland, man can that guy wail! Sunshine is equally as fun, the gospel singer take-off had me in stitches! More great guard work, percussion didn't look as clean here. Ended with Niner-two, still fabulous......park and blow at the end was tremendous, had the crowd on its feet 15 seconds before the show ended. I was blown away by this group, and I think they have a realistic shot at cracking into the top 6, and if they did they certainly deserve it. Can't wait to see it again tomorrow night.
2nd Place - Madison Scouts - 87.5 - I still love this show, and I always will. Guard looked much better tonight than they did in DeKalb, and they really got the crowd into the show. The show as a whole seemed to have more energy than it did in Dekalb. The sword fight on the cymbal rack still takes the cake for me....overall a great visual show, and if you ever have the chance to see the scouts I would strongly encourage it!
1st Place - Cadets - 88.5 - OK, bring on the flames, but I really don't see what all the hype is about.....yes, they play tons of notes, yes they manage to execute them rather well, yes all of their guard can work with rifles, but to me the show seemed unbalanced. Either the corps was running around the field at 100 mph, or they were at a standstill....where is the variety in this? By far the best sounds they got were when they were standing in place, the hornline sounded absolutely spectacular then, but it still sounded really choppy when they were on their tears. The drumline was hot tonight, clean as a whistle. Guard had some problems, a few big obvious drops, but nothing that can't be fixed. Maybe I was expecting more from all that I have seen on RAMD, but I really wasn't all that impressed with this show. Like Phantom, it seems to lack that emotional pull with the music, it is all too cut and dried. They didn't get the audience reaction I have heard of on here before, except for the z-pull at the end, which looked great. It is an extremely difficult and challenging show, but in going in that direction they have lost some of the emotional connection with the crowd, and in that case it is not as enjoyable to watch. You have to look and listen so hard to catch everything that you are drained by the end. I know some people enjoy this type of drum corps, but I guess I am not one of them. Contrary to what many have said on here, I do think the Cadets can be beat come August, they are not untouchable at this point. It is an excellent show, but I'm not sure it will take them to the championship yet again.
Performing in exhibition were the Minnesota Brass, and as usual a fun show. They got much more audience reaction this evening than they have in past shows, and this seemed to elevate their performance level. Every time I see the show I hear a new kind of noise during I've been working on the Railroad....works to get the crowd every time. Caravan is still my favorite part of their show, and it showcases their jazz style better than the rest of their show. Now if only their hot baris would wear kilts.......but anyways.....A fun show, great sound, and great entertainment.
So there is night 1 of 2 in Stillwater.....be back tomorrow with the second half!
Jeni Zlimen
Message: Before I start, allow me to apologize to any of the performers that I may have offended in an earlier review (see Hastings, July 1). I was very upset with the 'old' adults and the sloppy way they ran that contest. I have nothing but admiration for the 'young' adults who give their all night in and night out to put on the best show they know how. I salute you! Any criticism that I offer here is first of all only 'one man's opinion' and it is directed at the corps creative team, not at the performers.
And finally, before I receive bunches of e-mail and other posted comments calling me a "Div. II & III hater" and worse; let me once again state that in my opinion, mixed shows do not benefit the future of drum corps. Div. II and III corps should compete against "their own kind" on weekends prior to a year-end trip to the national finals. More on this later in an opinion piece I am writing which I hope will be widely published and read. Now on to the show...
A great night. After 3+ days of rain, the sky was clear, the temperature and humidity perfect and a near sellout crowd on hand.
But, the show started late, the announcer is a bore, the 'rake' of the stands poor and my friends who had the tickets for the two adjacent seats were held back from entering because they arrived late (due to problems finding parking). The first two problems are minor and could be easily fixed, the last two are a little more serious.
I know this show has a long history steeped in tradition at the Stillwater location and I'm not suggesting that it be pulled from a community that has sponsored drum corps for so many years. However, one night of this show needs to be moved back to Blaine where the crowd could really experience the M & M part of drum corps. This element is all but lost at the Stillwater site because of the low, tapered bleachers. I remember that the show promoter in the past, staged one night of the show at Blaine and I remember big crowds. What happened? This show is so good, it deserves to be staged at the best outdoor venue in the Twin Cities. If DCI is looking for someone to step in and stage a Top 10 show in Blaine, contact me, I'm willing.
And what is the policy of holding back patrons during the corps performances... especially at the beginning during the Blue Stars (or similar)? My friends were told it was 'because the incoming fans interfered with the judging and it was at the judges request that they be held back.' First of all the three judges on the field would not be bothered in the slightest and the other judges were way atop the press box, so there goes that excuse. What's the real story? After all, it's not like you're entering a clean room while brain surgery is ongoing! And the style of bleachers at Stillwater allowed most of the horizontal movement of the 'incoming' to happen at ground level, below and out of site of the seated audience. This is another small example of how out of touch the show managers and sponsors are with their audience. It serves no purpose to alienate the ticket buyer at a time when the corps' need every dollar they can raise to survive.
Now really, as I promised, ON TO THE SHOW!
1. Blue Stars - I'm a Blue Star Alum but haven't seen them in over 10 years, so you can appreciate that it was bittersweet. I know that they are now a formidable competitor in Div. III and they are still very much admired in their community, but they have scaled down to become a 'local youth activity' as compared to an international competitor. It was sad to see for me, but their show was clean and interesting once you get over their lack of size and power. Again, I don't think they gained anything by getting beat by 30+ points on a Wednesday night, but I understand that they were fodder for the show promoter to fill out the program and from an expense standpoint, they were the closest. The 'drill' was the best part of the show. The music seemed a little too difficult but they played with intensity and desire. Here's another wacky comment that will drive the drum corps elitists over the edge... As the musical selections of the Top 12 Div. I corps becomes more 'original and esoteric', wouldn't it be nice if some phase of drum corps made a serious effort at playing good arrangements of recognizable tunes with solid melodies? Too much symphonic influence in the music selections these days, not just with the Blue Stars, but with most corps at all levels. I understand why Madison or Garfield or Blue Devils try something new. It is part of their charter to 'stretch the envelope', but I heard more than one person sitting near me trying to 'guess the songs' as all the corps performed. Just a suggestion from a consumer, please don't start name-calling. To the Blue Stars I say Finis Coronet Opus and Our Day Will Come for a job well done.
2. Pioneer - Tough move to Div. I this year and they seemed a little flat tonight in their performance. I've made comments in previous reviews about how their creative team has made a huge blunder with their Riverdance tribute, so I won't beat this to death. If they vow to stay with this 'all-Irish music' show, they further constrict their options. And take it from someone who knows of what he speaks when I say most Irish music sounds better when you're drunk. To the corps I say congratulations, you have arrived in Div. I and to the staff I say, the only way to look is up for next season. Good luck to St. Patrick's Imperials!
3. The Boston Crusaders - I was very impressed with this show. Thematic in concept, patriotic in nature and well executed. Very clean from a group their size. Nice horn sound, good pit and above average guard(3rd best of the night!) combined to make this a very enjoyable show. 20 more members and they are Top 12 without a doubt. I thought their score should be 5 points higher. Any merger possibilities in your area of the country? I'd like to see BC do well. Of all the 'shako' acts still remaining, they are my new favorites.
4. EXHIBITION by Minnesota Brass, Inc. - A better show than they performed when I saw them earlier in the year, although their numbers seemed to be down a few -- even from a month ago, especially in hornline. I hope it is due to work commitments, vacations and the like and not defection as a result of loss to revived Kilties at DeKalb. Again, as with most Senior Corps, hornline plays half notes, quarters and occasional eighth notes while soloists play the tough stuff. And MN BRASS has fine soloists. The guard could use more costume changes and other variations but they do an admirable job with what they have. Best part of their show is watching the snare line. Macho Machismo! These guys not only can play (they would hold their own against most Junior Corps at all levels) but they have lots of little visual "bits" that are hilarious. Fun to watch them throughout. Still suggest a merger with "Govies" and then big push to win it all! Good luck, my check is in the mail!
OBLIGATORY INTERMISSION
5.& 6. Crossman and Bluecoats - Not at all inseparable. Although both play similar 'jazz program' they have completely different styles. Crossmen show was in your face jazz while Bluecoats was a long, tedious exhibition of 'scat singing'. Crossmen were surprise of the night. A well travelled drum corps fan sitting near me, half-jokingly said the Crossmen were Garfield's 'feeder corps'. When I said they don't look or sound anything alike CBC, he said that was because anyone who shows rhythm, emotion, personality or color at the audition, goes to the Crossmen, the robots become Cadets of Bergen County. How true this statement proved to be. The Crossmen play with fire! Great arrangements, solid execution and easily the second-best guard of the evening. At first I thought the various hues of cobalt blue/purple on the guard members looked visually disconcerting when combined with the musicians color-scheme. But then as the show unfolded, I realized that they wisely had featured their best asset (i.e., the guard) and provided solid support to show them off in the best way possible. Lest you think their show is all guard/dance with musical accompaniment, the horn and drumline can hold their own. A very solid show and one I'd like to see again and again. I'll say it one more time -- great flagwork. One suggestion, the drum major looks like a robot that escaped from Garfield. They need someone with jazz in their blood & bones to lead this show.
I was totally shocked that Bluecoats came so close to Crossmen. I would call their jazz show "Crossmen-LITE". The only part of their show I found entertaining was the snares playing kick-bass drum and cymbals, but this short effect took up way too much space for the payoff. The set, the score, the drill and the asymmetry of the entire presentation get high marks for effort, but low marks for concept and execution. It could be that they had a flat night, but nothing they did seemed to have substance or 'meat on it's bones'. The Blucoats show is Bobby McFerrin to the Crossmen's Count Basie... or Kenny G to Arturo Sandoval; both can blow, but one can play and on this night, it was the Crossmen.
7. Madison Scouts - From the 50-yard company front entrance to collecting and carrying off the dead at the field clean-up, this is a concept, fully realized. While this happens only once every 5-10 years, I think we must all bow down to the MS creative team, they had a vision, they were of like minds, they didn't let anyone tamper with the idea, they set about finding the right people to put it together and then, they actually pull it off. My sincere congratulations and admiration. Sure your hornline can't play as many 16th notes as Garfield's... but as you know, it simply doesn't matter. Keep cleaning and tweaking guys and my money is on you. In fact in Orlando, it might be one of those rare times when we toss out the recorders, clipboards and adding machines and acknowledge that we're not worthy! If this were a 90-minute show, you'd tour for million$$$!
8. Cadets of Bergen County - Well what can I say, if you've read this far, you pretty much know where I stand. Garfield won the show by a full point over Madison and frankly I just don't get it. I admit that I have been removed from the drum corps activity for over 20 years and much has changed. I understand from reading the internet that times are tough for drum corps and I must ask myself what has happened to the activity to get to this point. I now view myself as an outsider with a better than average understanding of the "concept" of a drum corps show, but when it comes to the competitive portion of the activity, I don't have a clue. So you can imagine the feelings of those thousands of people in the stands who don't live and breath drum corps like most of you who are reading this review. The cute answer would be, "Well then if you admit you don't have a clue, what are you doing attempting to write a review? Leave that to the professionals who now run the 'activity' and "competitions" you silly geezer! Well my answer would be, "I write this because 'the professionals' have 18 of my dollars in their pockets, and I want an answer, that's why!"
Let's give Garfield their due. They have one of the best sounding hornlines of all time. Proficient beyond anything I've ever heard. And when you combine this with the fact that they are moving at dangerous speeds while simultaneously playing the really tough score you must acknowledge that it is a remarkable site that deserves to be rewarded. They should be winning every caption that has anything to do with buglin' by 2+ points. In addition, their pit group is the best in all of drum corps. They play with true musicality, tone, dynamics, expression. They fill every gap with a delightfully tasty sound and their battery of precision mallet players provides the complimentary edge to every sixteenth note and every trill played by the hornline. It is a genious combination and they have set the bar higher for everyone. Third, their drill is certainly among the most difficult ever devised. At times it looks more like synchronized floor gymnastics the way they move and the speed at which they do it. It's a beautiful thing to behold. Without question the difficulty with which they approach the activity and the precision with which they pull it off is unmatched and definitely for the betterment of drum corps everywhere. The fact that no one fell down last night is a sincere testament to what they have accomplished. I'm not kidding or teasing or being sarcastic when I say that if you want to cheer and applaud the finest purveyors of the true 'cadet-style' of traditional drum corps, their is only one champion and it is the CBC.
But, their excellence and proficiency in the above areas does not a TOTAL show make. For the naysayers amongst you, I want to make clear that I am not in favor of a popularity contest format where the crowd response picks the winners. If we went to that the Velvet Knights would be the undefeated World Champions and while I miss them this season, no one wants that. But if Garfield wins every buglin', pit and M & M category by a full point, Madison should still win the General Effect Visual caption by 5+ points and they're not that far behind the Cadets in all the other areas.
Garfield's guard is flawless in execution, but they don't enhance the show in any MEANINGFUL way. In fact more often then not, they detract from the overall performance. The colors of their costumes and flags must be an afterthought. Their movements are not integrated into the other movements by the musicians. They are more like an accessory than a part of the team. This climaxes in the blue shako sequence that is embarrassingly silly. For every incredible crisscross manuveur at lightning speed by the hornline, there is an equally lame positioning, styling or prop toss by the guard. It's as if they are two units on the field at the same time; each performing a separate show. Again, they are accomplished, flawless and yes ROBOTIC but at the same time, it opens up the entire Garfield show to criticism which, --judging by the scores they have received-- has not dawned on the judging corps as of yet.
If any of them read this review and begin to think about the overall impression left by Garfield, it is my hope that they will begin to rethink the scores given to all corps. And lest anyone think I am anti-CBC, I'd say this, you've got three weeks until the finals, it is not too late to rethink the guard's portion of your show. Changes could still be made that will make your overall presentation more synchronous and less 'left brain/right brain'. You've clearly got a group of smart, talented performers in you guard who must be flexible and could respond to change. You obviously have the other parts of your show covered. Don't rest on your accomplishments while looking over your shoulder, because my guess is you can and will get caught with the show you've got as it now stands. You have an excellent concept; it's just not fully flushed out like Madison or even the Boston Crusaders are. Good luck to all.
Lights out, go to bed.
Blue Devils..............89.8 Santa Clara Vanguard.....87.3 Carolina Crown...........77.5 Blue Knights.............76.5 Colts....................75.0 Academie Musicale........74.8 Spirit of Atlanta........68.5 Thanks to Jon Anderson for emailing us these scores! Thanks to Ed Harvey for emailing us these scores!
Seattle Web Factory
CyberCorps Web Page Designers.
CyberWebMistress Caryn RobertsWeb and Page design ©1995-97 Seattle Web Factory