Thanks to Christina Mavroudis on r.a.m.d for this review! One More Sac/Concord Review...Part I Good morning; Can you stand one more review? This will be a little more personable since I tend to enjoy the ambiance of a show just as much as the shows themselves. Sacramento was perfect weather-wise. I road up on the SCV Cadets horn bus and the kids had a great time practicing their book, listening to old (95? ;) tapes, and learning lyrics to their ballad, "Elegy". The staff is great and the respect given to both staff and members is really something special. While the kids rehearsed, Jean and Chuck (incredible parents who - get this - woke up early to be at the bakers when they opened so the corps would have fresh bread!) coordinated the rest of us moms & dads for dinner setup. Spirit of Sunnyvale Youth Band joined us - and then recipicated hosting duties the following day. The taco salad seemed to be a great hit and Jean also had freshly cubed fruit to round out the meal. (Fresh strawberries that were near perfection.) After a quick clean-up, I joined the groups of fans who wandered from corps to corps checking out the lines. Met up with Pacific Crest first and was most impressed with their DM uniform. Very slick - all black with silver trim and shiny patent leather shoes. They have a great logo design based on teal/yellow and waves. They definitely need a souvie table - the gear would be a hit. BDB was big - and upon closer look - much older than most of the Division II/III corps. Their guard is especially impressive. They have a co-ed guard (2 guys?) which are utilized in a love ballad. Alert: STOP HERE if you want to be surprised this weekend in L.A. ------------------------------------------------------------- VK was practicing on the big field adjacent to the stands. Much of the drill looked new, but when they started to belt out "Bottle Dance" and then change the tune mid-way to "Darth Vader's Theme" - I thought all the folks around me (including me) were going to lose it. Yes - I know they did it a few years ago, but it's still funny. A man in the stands at Concord literally got out of his seat laughing so hard. What no one has mentioned yet are the Klingon warrior swords - in hot orange no less - the guard uses during a major portion of the show. I spoke with Tom Hixon after the Concord show and he knows they have much more to add. I was looking forward to the Monster he promised would be making an appearance. It's coming he says and that strange, non-funny middle section will all make sense this coming weekend in L.A. I ran into Tom Matthews and his wife Susan, but lost them in the stands. Ended up near the top with DCW judge Chuck King. Nice guy who was quick to give me info on the Mandarins' count. 9/8 with a multi-tempo change in the finale' if you're dying to know. ;) No program - just a sheet with not even times, but just a listing of order. No refreshments and no visable restrooms. (I think most of the kids used either the construction porta-potty or on-campus police station room which were quite antiquated.) You're right - the Freelancers were sorely missed. We checked out the souvies and I picked up the BD/Cadets CD. As someone mentioned - it's defintely a must buy. One note - the Kid and I were listening to the CD getting ready for the Concord show and we met in the living room totally by accident, our mouths open in disbelief when we heard BD playing "Stars & Stripes Forever." The tune was played perfect, but it just didn't sound right: BD playing a patriotic tune. We both met up again when we heard Cadets groovin' on "Zippity Doo Dah". Some songs just don't seem to work. Now - BD's selection of "When A Man Loves a Woman" was a wonderful inclusion as was "Cadillac Skies." I wonder what the force was behind those two strange-to-the-corps selections? Other new stuff - both BK and SCV have the same 'surfer' pants. BK's tour shirt features the painting by Brenda Vang which their show is based on. Vanguard's shirt is white with aqua washing over the Vanguard logo and the words "La Mer." Did I actually see the outline of SONIC! As a Sony PlayStation employee - I protest!!! :) VK hasn't got their new stuff in. Missing? Mandarins gear! Pretty elite stuff if you can get your hands on it. Hey - can we at least get a pin, guys? Nice new shirts focusing on the BD 25th anniversary. Finally in the stands - I was getting ready to write up notes for my DCWorld report, when a tiny screw slipped inbetween the papers. It was from my glasses (which I will vainly remove in the next week). Seconds before the show and I was completely blind! Luckily, Chuck, what a guy, saved the day and as Spirit began their show, lens and frame found each other and I was gifted with 20/20 again. whew. Spirit of Sunnyvale's show is to Bela Bartok and features a bass guitar and very gifted musicians. There were no guard, but with the complex drill they march to, the line was hardly missed. Interesting opener with the show beginning without the DM. Later in the number, he shows up from the front of the stands playing a soprano sax solo. Director Dave Gary and staff have done a great job. Little bias here, but I really loved SCV Cadets show. They use music from Russian composers, and while a challenge, are getting a handle on it as seen by their rise from fourth to third the next day. It was a surprise to hear all the toys in the pit during "Dance of the Comedians" - enjoyable to discover something new everytime you watch a show. From the bright book of last year, Pacific Crest is delving into a darker feel with Jeckyll and Hyde. They lost a few horn players to open corps, but the staff seems to be doing a great job churning out a top notch line. The guard is smaller, but that seems to be the norm now-a-days with the obvious exception of Blue Devils. Ak - it's 7 PM. I'm going home and will finish this later tomorrow. Take care and catch ya in part II.
Thanks to Christina Mavroudis on r.a.m.d for this review! Sac/Concord Review...Part II Good morning, Ok----where did we leave off before my mind shut down for the night? Oh - Pacific Crest. Great bunch of staff, nice organization, LOVE the music. Comes from being such a musical fanatic, but it's so dramatic. Shades of Phantom. The guard is small and has a tough time keeping the interest, but I think that'll change with time. The brass really steals the show. Soloists seemed a bit shakey, but first show and all - they weren't the only ones. Even BD's usually sturdy crop of screamers were a little less than strong this opening night. Their breakdown was 4 bass & tenors/5 cymbals/6 snare & guard/10 pit/19 horns/1 DM = 55 Reminds me - no props. No where. Nada. Every single corps either is not fielding props or they haven't build them yet. Kinda like it. The purity. The simplicity. The focus on music and the members' raw talent. -- Hi- I'm back. Would have finished this off, but our building had a little scare and we had to evacutate. The adventure never ends... -- BDB has new uniforms and unfortunately, they don't work. Fortunately however, their show does work and appears good enough for the open division. Here's what the new jackets look like (at least from my far vantage point. Anyone with better eyes on it, please clear up any mis-identied items.) The white jacket now has black across the shoulders, and comes down to a point in the back. The front has the same open BD look, but with black coming from the shoulders and edging the outside of the blue trim. Finally, black gauntlets are sewn into the cuff. The one major problem I think they could solve is switching from black gloves - which makes them look like they have no hands from far away- back to white gloves. Also the cut is way to big on many of the members and needs a bit more tailoring for that leaner look. (sorry - the costumer hat just magically appeared). There are 22 guard - by far the biggest in this division - and they all must have just missed getting into World guard/BDA or just opted not to join. They're that good. Uniform is the same as last year: sleeveless black body suite with deep red inseam inlay, and a brocade/lace-type vest. "From this Moment On" - a tune from "Kiss Me Kate" I believe- received a jazzed/salsa'd remix and is a great opener. "Tower of Power" Rick loves their TOP tune - a love ballad from their new album. Break downs include: 5 cymbals/11 pit/5 snare/4 bass/ 3 tenor/25 horns/1 DM = 76 Brassline is awesome. Mandarins were next up. The members seemed much more assured on drill and music. Weren't they all? ;) It just astounds me that they produce such an incredible sound with only 30+ folks. Their break down is 6 guard (much smaller this year), 4 bass, 3 snare, 2 tenor, 7 pit and X horns. (I think there's between 10 and 13). The guard wears the costumes from winterguard last year (Vietnam Wall show) black leggings, tunic and grey (don't know what it's called) loin cloth. Have to stress that there is no drum major and the center snare handles all the starts except for the bass drum opener. Sincopated rythmns, 9/8 counts, and difficult tempos - the show has it all. There's plus' and minus' for horn members: the good news is almost everyone gets a solo or feature part. The bad news is the whole show is practically a feature and every member must hold their own. Overheard: not only are they each excellent musicians, but they're in tune! As our lone Western Division III corps to Finals this year, we with them the best. end part II - I'll tackle the open corps in part III...
Thanks to Christina Mavroudis on r.a.m.d for this review! Sac/Concord Review....Part III Good morning, all... Ghads are we still in Sacramento? ;) In exhibition after the break (Why a break, I don't know - there were no concession stands) the BDC kids performed. What a treat every time. They opened with a mini gates drill move that had the crowd going crazy from cute-ness overload, but also by the talent. The tiny cymbal player we've been following for the past three years is now on snare and holds his own. During the drum feature, the snares play tenors on the front side - just like the 'big guys' during last years 'heart attack'. Mr. Cymbal- Turned-Snare is barely seen over the huge riggings. Just the top of his black cap. It was just too cute and the audience gave them a standing O. They have three little cyms sequestored in the back - good thing. Did anyone notice the fight that broke out between those little tykes? yeow! They have a lot more movement this year thanks to BD alum Janet Phillips, and the brass talent, down to what appears to be a six or seven year old, is amazing. Back into competition were Blue Knights. While this years Div. II/III seem to be using gold and burgandy in most of their color schemes, the open corps are using blue blue blue. With that said - the BK guard uniform is wonderfully refreshing and I'm sure much easer to wear than last year's tummy exposed gowns. They are wearing earthy green (sage or Aspen?) pants, and a darker shade of green in a vest, tied with a gold sash. I counted three guys in the line. (?) The rest of the break down is 3 tenors/7 snare/5 bass/12 pit/39 horns/ and 30 guard/1 DM dressed in all grey (matching the musician's pants). I think I'm missing cymbals, but total is around 97. Rocky Point Holiday is a little stale as music goes (Mandarins did it here two years ago), but visuals help perk it up. Flags are a succession of color moods: beginning with grey/blue swirls (based on an artist design - she actually hand panted all the silks) and progressing as the music changes to softer/hotter colors. During what appears to be "thunderstorm" music, the guard brings out long shimmering grey fabric panels and create a visual "storm" on the field. Nice effect. The music changed to Sonoran Desert Holiday - Ron Nelson's latest piece - and took on a southwest motif with half wagon-wheels, and flag trims. During the lovely ballad a fast moving, but very long train rolled behind the stadium. Lousy luck 'cause it kept going and going through virtually their entire show! Could barely hear a thing since the tracks were so close to the stands. With audio out of the picture- we concentrated ON the picture. One of the best was a triangle (got to get that in there someplace!) into a company front. Funny that toward the end - after Mr. Train had finally said good-bye - the corps picked up a train rythmn. Some drill pattern problems and a few shakey horns (young?), but they had some camp rain-outs and will have all this week, between Concord and Clovis, to work on smoothing it out. Anybody know how their free day in San Francisco went? (It sprinkled here in Foster City - just south of SF. Bummer.) Ah - what can we say about VK - THEY'RE BACK! You couldn't tell by the way they entered the field in a blue block formation - very solomn and strict. But part way through - they lept in the air and did high-fives, wolf barks, etc. The uniform is a royal blue flight suit with matching caps and red high- tops. The ladies in the small guard (only 11) wore a tight silver lame' body suit/hood with a cute tutu making them either 60's go-go dancers or space stewardesses. There was no warm-ups, and upon introduction, the drum major (a wild man!) started doing pelvic uh...well, you know. They do a silent explosion to formation and burst into Magic Mystery Tour music. The guard uses flags with a Saturn design in hot peach and teal. Music turns in rapid succession to "2001" where the guard shakes their booty on the timpani part, "Lost in Space" and finally "Jetsons". There's even a dixi- land band feature. Percussion break down is 3 cyms, 10 pit, 6 snare, and only 3 tenors. They're good, but we miss the Magnificent Seven. During the moonwalk, they form a triangle (tribute to BK?) and the low brass peals off the bottom point like a life line extension. Love the Klingon swords (no - they're not bananas ;>) but the battle bogs down a little and then into Ilea's Theme, it really stalls. I know the funnies are on their way - maybe even a creature or two - so no worry here. The last part starts with the Trek theme, goes into a military- esque "Right Stuff" and then builds into that Star Wars/Bottle Dance bit. The added Air Force theme and E.T. bit were nice along with the stereophonic horns. At retreat, Mr. DM gave a Vulcan salute. Cathy Doser wants to add vocals "Live Long and Prosper VK!" and I think they should do a take-off of "Live Loose and Perspire." Well....too much again. I think we'll have to save the last two for part IV. And we're STILL in Sac. :p
Thanks to Christina Mavroudis on r.a.m.d for this review! Sac/Concord Review....Part IV Good morning, The final installment of our review begins with Vanguard who have a great new look. You'll excuse me if I get Sacramento a little mixed up. I just came off tour down south and the memory is already leaving me on that specific show. SO..let me just talk about how their show looks now. Daemon Williams, their veteren DM, has a new matching uniform. Trim and sleek - the sash of copper is like a sheet of metal and glistens nicely under lights. The guard's regal bearing fits well with their new blue gowns. The aqua carries from the sleeveless body suit to the slightly darker chiffon layers in the skirt. Underneath the top layers are purple layers. All their hair is swept up and it's gives them all a tall look. Hard to believe they're all not the same height - the costumes are deceptively brilliant creating the illusion of height. The opener begins with the percussion line up the 50, horns on the front sideline and guard in circles on either side. Opening notes are just the faint sound of crashing waves. The sound builds as the horns, faintly moving as if like plants on the bottom of a seabed, twirl more furiously and turn back field suddenly. In the meantime, the drums create a visual wave on the 50 and the guard seemed to bend with the "tide". Horns turn and we get a huge company front. Got to hand it to the Vanguard - they do several fronts including one exaggerated high step with white shoes and dark green pants. Very exposed and getting better each show. The wave motif is very prominent in the drill: rip tides, ripples, wavelets - they're all incorporated. At the end of the nautical 2nd piece, the horns on the front line again, create a ripple with their instruments. The percussion line is non-stop GE and visuals twisting and rippling as if a current is dragging the drums. It's definitely a step up in maturity, with a new look and sound while combining the traditions of bearing and class traditional to the organization. The guard's opening flags on 12 foot poles are now a watercolor silk of reds oranges yellows and blues blending together in a vertical swatches. These flags are traded for white ones with copper tips. Later they use a setting-sun- on-the-water flag and finally a gorgeous gold, silver, and transparent cloth flag that sewn in geometric shapes. The latter is akin to Phantom's Clair de Lune white on white moon flags - more modern though equally lovely. The nautical song goes into the gorgeous ballad featuring one of my favorite horn duets of the season. The drum feature uses those black tubes in a fast patter and gives nod to the members - they really deserved first in percussion that night. And the finale' is huge, and beautiful with the corps in a diamond and the cymbals in a "V". The overall feel to the show is classy. Even in the turmulent portion, the control is there. The Blue Devils are also classy, but instead of the soft power of Vanguard's show, their power is intensity from start to finish. They open with a sustained chord and drum roll accented with powerful inner attacks. The guard was dressed in black tops and colorful silk pants at Sacramento but the next day at their home show, wore coordinating silk vests with ties playing off the gangster theme. There are two outfits in each color, but there are so many guard, the color range is huge. The paired members are all co-ed, accept for one female/female and one male/ male couple. In the opener, they line the back except for a few mingling with musicians, and slink around (sorry- best word to describe it) like underworld spies being tracked. The music for the 2nd number, "Desi", is playful with a psychotic tint. Very fast and features the guard in a wild ride of high velocity tosses. The rifles never seem to stop throwing those 6's and, dare I remember, 7's! The dance special is like the Latin portion of a ballroom competition. Speaking of dancing - my only critisism of the show is the 'sex machine.' I'm sorry if I'm being a prude here, but it really is unnecessary. Yes we're in Club Blue, but there are ways of sensual dancing without the physical contact and porno antics. For example, moves incorporated in tango, cha-cha, etc. I know *they're* in college, but half the audience watching are middle school and high school kids. OK - I'll get off the pulpit now. ;) That aside, Desi is easily the audience favorite. After the energy of Desi, they take a small break with (ironicly) "Breathless" from Dick Tracy.The show ends with a bit of Mission Impossible that has the crowd clapping in appreciation. Inevidably, people leave the stadium humming the familiar M.I. phrase. The percussion line not only has an awesome mallet line, but snare/tenor/bass drill maniacs. The lines do internal gates, 'chess' moves, and virtual non-stop GE. The keyboards have several sections of rapid playing that leave us "breathless". During a drum feature, tenors & snares play "car parts" (metal blocks) with taped metal sticks while two pit folk perform stereo sledge hammer exchanges. By far the biggest eye grabber though is the cymbal rigging with three tiers of cyms the snares have a field day on during the end of Desi.The splashes of light off the rims are dazzling. The ender is a reprise of the opener and has the brass line literally running to the front side lines. The guard throws their flags away as they run to the back line and the final guy shoots his flag away turning to face the audience a la Bond. DM James Gulke is back - and told of his 'bonus' that gives him two years more. He's feeling the pinch of burnout, but didn't say straight out if he'd take a break anytime soon. He won Best Drum Major that night. The two shows are extremely polar: different moods, presentations, and intensities, but both cook and have audience appreciation. Well - got in from tour this morning at 4:30 AM. I'll try and get some info out tomorrow regarding the three new corps, and the shows in Clovis, Fullerton, and Glendora. 107 degrees in Fullerton. 'Nuf said. :p Catch ya tomorrow with Part V and what happened in Concord, too. Later....
Thanks to Christina Mavroudis on r.a.m.d for this review! Concord Show....Part V Good morning: Well....we're finally into Concord! Yeah. When the SCV Cadets arrived, we were greeted to the wonderful smells of Mr. Quon's fried rice. Mr. Quon had kids in both Spirit of Sunnyvale and SCV Cadets, and even though they're taking a break, they came back to serve up this one meal. What a great family. It was a very pleasant evening weather wise - not like the 104+ degrees last year when the astro-turf was 120 and kids dropped like flies. Bought the DCI yearbook. Great stuff - lots o pics - info - and a place to write in all the scores from the shows I'm attending. BD had their Amigos area tented off with a small combo entertaining the diners. I needed to get a spoon to help out a friend and, since I paid my dues as an alumni-ish person, decided to make a quick trip down there, thinking I'd flash my BD Booster card if I got stopped. Low and behold - there were every kind of corps jackets on the back of chairs and very few BD ones, so I didn't feel so bad about infiltrating the area. With such a nice pre-show event, seat cushion, and prime seats going with the Amigos package, I may just look into it next year. BTW - my card did get me a free hotdog which was a cool perk. The show went great - I won't get into details since I just posted it all - but of course the highlight was BDC who just steal the show every time. Drills were much better, we could hear Blue Knights this time, and BD gave a victory concert that knocked your socks off. Stood with Cathy and Caryn in the back and couldn't believe the talking. I mean it's one thing to talk between shows - and we did a lot of that ;) - but it's another to gab throughout entire shows IN the stands. Another problem is the constant movement up /down the aisles. If you happen to have an aisle seat on the wrong side - watch out. You may only get to see half a show. At the show in Fullerton - we had to tell youth band members to sit down (as a group they stood in the aisle and were prepared to just camp out there), and several folks to either find a seat or keep moving. "You'd make a better door than window" cliche kept running through my head. Found Francesca, Randy, that Cadet guy (:-), Martha and Rich. We talked about California Gold Alumni Corps (gotta do it Ms. Leeson! And don't give me any of that "too-old-gotta-have-a-life" crap. If we make it a weekend thing, no drill, and charts every one knows already -it's a no brainer.) Also finally met Mac MacIntyre - the BD guy in charge of the Alumni 25th Anniversary bash that was held at a microbrewery after the show. Any body have details? Rich? I wanted to go, but my ride home was with the SCV bus. Stranded in Walnut Creek was not an appetizing thought. It seems they were planning around 50 folks - by the time I caught up with them they had approx. 200 alumni signed up to attend. Must have been an incredible event. Someone please post details! Finally, one new rule that has been handed down to DCI shows (though not nessecarily to the regional shows) was the "no sheets passed out until after critique." Nice idea. Lousy if you're with the press. It's good because the directors go into the critique without an idea about scores. The emotions stay level and the talk with judges are more focused on the show instead of the numbers. Lousy because DCW writers have to wait over an hour before the sheets are released. Also, I believe directors are only getting sheets in their division. Ghads - I remember when they use to sell the sheets to the public for a buck. Now you have to scramble around like idiots just to find out how the other guys did. Enough complaining --- the weekend was awesome and the tight scores between the paired corps (BD/Vanguard, VK/BK, BDB/Mandarins, PC/SCVC) makes for an interesting instead of lopsided season. I think the rest of the country is going to be in for a pleasant surprise. Catch ya later...
Thanks to Munson Chan on r.a.m.d for this review! Blue Devils Win At Home!!! Both the Blue Devils "A" and "B" Corps won last night (6/22/96) at "Precision West" in Concord. Here's my brief review of last night's performances: Division II 56.5 - Pacific Crest (20 horns, 24 percussion, 6 guard) This Black & White uniformed corps presented their "Jeckyll and Hyde" themed show in a very entertaining manner. Their powerful horn and drum line brought the "classical" music to life. Nice work and use of different colored flags by the guard added to their show. 57.6 - SCV Cadets (21 horns, 17 percussion, 15 guard) This year's edition of the "Cadet" corps appears younger than previous years. Their "classical" themed show didn't have the punch of Pacific Crest's but the show was still entertaining. The peasant look of the guard in their burgundy and tan outfits matched nicely with their flags. 64.1 - Mandarins (13 horns, 16 percussion, 6 guard) The Mandarins won high horns with their "jazzy" mix of music. A nice smooth performance by the Mandarins. There are now four taiko drums used in the opener. 65.9 - Blue Devils "B" (25 horns, 28 percussion, 21 guard) The "B" stands for BIG!!!. The "B" corps is much larger this year than in the past. The music is traditional BD - loud, fast and gutsy. A nice job by the corps for the home town crowd. DIVISION 1 54.2 - Velvet Knights (47 horns, 28 percussion, 11 guard) The VK's magical mystery tour in space kept the fans in anticipation for more craziness from the blue jumped-suited VKs. The small guard were dazzling in their silver body suits. The "Bottle Dance" or the "Vader Dance" must be seen to be appreciated. 56.9 - Blue Knights (41 horns, 27 percussion, 28 guard) The Blue Knights seem to have improved over last year. However, the horns sounded a little weak to me at this show. I like the different use of colors by the guard. Nice flags. 73.4 - SC Vanguard (57 horns, 29 percussion, 28 guard) The Vanguard's "La Mer" program is coming together nicely. The overall show is a pleasant surprise to the eyes and ear. The drill flows and the drum line is sharp!!! No props yet. 78.9 - Blue Devils A (66 horns, 24 percussion, 34 guard) BD wakes everyone up with a loud blast from the first note and the show never stops from that point on.. The music changes through various moods, but always intense like last year. Look out for the Blue Devils - They're HOT!!! P.S. - Saw an interesting mix of corps jackets at the Blue Devils' show. My favorite was the St. Kevins Emerald Knights. The jacket must be a collector's item, Loved St. Kevins' french horns in those old days. See you later in Santa Clara, Munson Chan Cathay D&B Corps Pinole Princemen
Thanks to Scott Gordon on r.a.m.d for this review! Div 1 - Blue Devils: Scary good, again. Personally, I like the music they played last year better. This music sounds choppy frenetic to me by comparison. However, "Tess" is nice indeed. The guard is very impressive, although their outfits are too drab to be seen. Terrific rifle work. There are some interesting percussion instruments, in particular a row of anvils that they hit with long metal poles...very effective. Drums are fast and furious, the low brass is loud, and intonation is spot on. The sops actually seem a touch weaker to me this year. Mighty clean tho. Last years' horn book was harder, but the rest of this years' show is harder (guard, drill, and drums). Their victory concerts were staggering (friday it was in the parking lot). They've removed Pat Williams' "Threshold" from the show (darn!). Vanguard: A truly beautiful show. I much prefer this music to the stuff they've done the past couple of years. LaMer transfers well to the field, and they accent it well with a wonderful guard book almost entirely in blue. There are some great highstep drill moves, and the OTL is great too. The brass is dark, rich, with excellent intonation. They seem very clean too. I personally don't care much for the new uniforms; they look too much like the Xmen. But the guard uniforms are great! Musically I think I enjoy SCV over BD, but they don't play quite as well and the show seems easier. Blue Knights OTL of Rocky Point Holiday sounds like the same arrangement as 1983 Cadets. Nice drill which needs a LOT of work. Drums are excellent, and surely will be placing high. However, the brass has a long way to go. Unlikely to challenge for finals. Nice ending, shades of Garfield Z-pulls. VelvetKnights OTL of "Magical Mystery Tour" is awesome! Echos of 87/88, but from that point on they need a lot of work. Unlike BK, they don't seem to have one strong section and one weak section... they have three so-so sections. Drums, horns, guard, all need a lot of cleaning. The hornline seems talented though, so I'd expect them to be sounding pretty good in a month or so. Some very ugly chords that I think should be rewritten. There is one truly hilarious moment in the middle of the show that I won't spoil for y'all. New uni's make them look stubby... should have gone for a closer fitting, Star Trek look, IMO. Unlikely to challenge for finals, but are sure to entertain! Come back Freelancers! Div 2 - BD-B Their strongest unit in many years; brass very strong with good power and intonation. Would place well if they toured. SCV-C Weak hornline but strong everywhere else. IMO, their best musical selections in many years, but troubles playing it. Mandarin Very small but quite a powerhouse! Nice musical arrangements and impressive horns/guard. I'd like to see them use the taiko drums more often; they have a nice sound. Pac.Crest In their 3rd year, they are coming along nicely. Nice big sound and clean drumming. When they finally decide that they are ready to tour, they should do very well. They beat SCV-C on friday, but narrowly lost on Saturday. Misc - Sacramento: CSUS stadium is a poor venue. No acoustics, no drinks for sale, no programs, and no encore (well, it was in the parking lot). I hope next year Freelancers can return and with it bring back a more fully run show. But then, there's no way I'd miss it because I can walk from my mom's house :) So I guess I should shut up and quit complaining. Concord: This is one of my favorite shows, because the stadium has such fabulous acoustics. A previous poster had stated that SCV won drums, but BD was announced as high percussion, rightly or wrongly. Scott
Thanks to Martha Leeson on r.a.m.d for this review! Hi y'all! Well, it's drum corps season again! I went to both the Sackatomatos and the Concord show this past weekend, and really enjoyed both SCV and BD. Here's my impressions on the division 1 corps: VK: No offense to any VK people out there, but they were really awful. I don't like to see this happening. I'd just like to know what happened? This corps was terrific not a few years ago and they've really slid in the past couple of seasons. The only good part of their show was the bottle dance to "Darth Vader's Theme" from Empire Strikes Back, and even that wasn't funny any more the second time I saw it. Oh well, maybe they'll make it back next year, but I'd slot them in about 15-20th place this year. Bummer!! Blue Knights: Another disappointment. I've always liked this corps too, but it seems as though the membership is down and the horn book was written a bit over their heads. Drum line is great, very a la Ralph! I hope they can water the horn parts a bit and clean it up. It seems like a very nice show otherwise. SCV: I know you're wondering "what does this alumni think of the new unis?" and the honest truth is I love them! Hard to get used to such a change for an alum, but they really are sharp! My only question to JWK is why substitute the red for copper? Oh well, I love them anyway! At least the aussie, star, and white bucks are still intact!! Their Oceans show is gorgeous! Don't be dismayed by the large spread between BD and SCV. Hey all you alums out there.....(especially Mike and Ty) THE CORPS IS BACK!!!!!!!! One listen, ONE LOOK and it's obvious. I disagree with Jay; the spread between them and BD is NOT real. 6 points on Friday, YES, but on Saturday the improvement was so drastic that I say 3-4 points MAX due to BD's incredible horn volume (which tends to bowl-over and influence people at the very beginning of the season). I've only seen SCV get a standing O from a BD audience once....1987 and only because SCV won and deservedly so. Even the BD crowd was wowed at SCV's improvement this year. SCV's horn line has a beautiful balanced tone (albeit still a few stickouts here and there) that I haven't heard since the 80's. The drum line is tight, and Jim Casella's arranging is really topnotch (first time I heard it I knew I loved it!!). IMHO, SCV has a much stronger GE show than BD. Give them some time, and again - don't be dismayed by the spread. I think (hope) this will go away in a month's time. BD: Wow! All weekend long I kept on saying "I don't understand? How do they get so loud and so good and so clean so long before ANY other corps?" I still don't know the answer, but who cares? The others will catch up and it'll be a fun race! It's a really cool show - this Gangster theme. Much lighter and more enjoyable than last year's dark show. Horn line is super loud and tight, but as musical as SCV's? I doubt it. Drum line. Woooof, they ARE tight!!!! The pit rams, they are really flying on those mallets! Oh, cool part of the show - the entire drum line comes to the sidelines and plays different toned breakdrums for a while. I loved that! James Gulke is STILL drum major! He's been DM since like 1937 or something like that and he STILL has two years left. Yikes!!!!! That's the scoop. What's the word on the east and midwest??? Martha Leeson SCV pit 84-87
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