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August 04, 2008

3 Shows in 4 Days

With 3 shows in 4 days, 3 states and over 750 miles of asphalt...we saw just about every Top 12 corp minus SCV, Phantom Regiment, and Carolina Crown - one corp we even saw at all three shows (Blue Knights). So instead of doing three seperate posts about each show I decided to combine them into one giant review - corp by corp. We'll tell you where we saw them, what we saw, and then give out a little video from the lot of each group. Granted we couldn't get to all of them, but we sure tried!

So on to the review:

Boston Crusaders
Denton, TX

Boston comes out again with a strong line and snare tuning that sounds crisp and well balanced with the other sections. Their rolls are strong, and exercises seemed utilitarian (nothing wrong with that), but I didn't have time to sample the book as there were quite a few other corps to run around and check out.

Blue Knights

Denton, Broken Arrow, and Van Buren

This was the corp that I saw at all three shows, and I saw them at three different stages in their warm up. In Denton, it was sub sectionals working on breaks or tuning drums. I decided to check out the tenor line as they were working on what looked like their break in the show. I later learned at the Van Buren show that there is not a vet on the tenor line this year, all new cats...that's impressive. In Broken Arrow, they were tuning drums when I walked up so I checked out other corps and didn't get back to them. In Van Buren, all the drumlines were scattered throughout a neighborhood in different directions, this made it very hard to get footage. What I did get in Van Buren is very cool and worth a listen.

Bluecoats
Denton, TX and Van Buren, AR

I have heard great things about this drumline and they did not disappoint. The bassline is VERY strong and their parts prove it by the solos and splits throughout the book. The snare and tenor lines are strong as well and as a whole they still have some ground to make up, but the book's complexity gives the drumline the greatest room for growth in the Top 6.

I also happened to run into the Bluecoats front ensemble at both shows and thought I would cover a little of them as well. I was pleasantly surprised to find some difficult runs and some singles that would rival the best snarelines in the business.

Blue Devils
Denton, TX

Meaty parts, lots of movement, and tons of showmanship are what you come away with after watching the Blue Devils drumline warm up in the lot. At times, there are clarity issues, but they clear up the longer they go into their warm-up set. Snare tuning was a nice thick midrange tone that can only be had from a mylar bottom head. The tenors have a lot of notes but their roll quality is top notch and come through very strong - section of the day in my book. Not in the posted videos at this point, but maybe posted later, is a lot of body movement practice. It is integral in their show and almost seems to be a must to run through it during warmup. (Editor's Note: if you want to become a future Blue Devil, you better start taking some dance and movement classes)

The Cavaliers
Denton, TX and Broken Arrow, OK

While not the hardest book when compared to just watching Bluecoats and the Blue Devils, they are very clean and very polished. This group started with 9 snares but lost two players early in the season for various reasons. So with 7 snares, 5 tenors, and 5 basses you would think that you would get an unbalanced sound, but the seven man snareline puts out a level of sound that matches snarelines with 8 or 9 players. Something to note with the tenors is that they are using one 8" drum instead of the typical 6" spock drum(s).

Blue Stars
Broken Arrow, OK

Let me be honest, I thought the Blue Stars' tuning and approach to playing LAST year was abrasive. I could only stand in front of the group for about five minutes and then the sound of the drums got on my nerves. I like more of an open, organic ensemble sound and I would describe last year as metallic. That said, THIS year's group is great. The tuning is much more enjoyable and they are playing some nice licks. There are still some moments where the playing gets thick, but I'm sure the staff is on it. The corp as a whole is on the way up and the drumline is obviously making a positive contribution to that movement.

Madison Scouts
Van Buren, AR

There are always trade offs when it comes to many things...one of those is when the last corp of the show goes on, they are pretty much playing in the dark unless they find a street light or a parking lot light to stand under. Unfortunately they were under neither, the closest was a light across the street in the neighborhood and it just wasn't enough for the camera to pick up - you can barely see the tenor line. I had a great shot and the staff even invited me to get closer, but my camera just couldn't pick it up. Still, there are some things that need to be said, so I'm uploading it anyway so people can hear what I heard.

First off, bravo to the drum staff for bringing back the cymbal line! It is a tradition that needed to be resurrected - Roger Carter has brought about many positive decisions that is putting this group on the right track. You can tell by the attitude and approach of the staff and the reponse from the members that they are enjoying what they do.

As for the playing, they are improved from last year and have some great sections of the show to really display the ability of the group. While it does get hard to read in a few sections, rolls are crisp and all sections balance equally across the board. The addition of the cymbal line really adds to the ensemble and helps get back to that signature Madison sound.

Posted by Ryan on August 4, 2008 12:40 AM