Saturday, August 6, 2016

July 6, 2016 Allentown, PA DCI Eastern Regional

Round 2 tonight - after an exciting night last night where a couple corps made a significant jump in scores including The Troopers and The Academy.  The fight between the Blue Devils and the Bluecoats seems to be an exciting one.  Tonight could also see some interesting finishes.  Boston, Phantom Regiment, and Blue Stars have not been scoring all that great.  Of late we have to put the Crossmen into that group too along with a couple from last night.  The real fight for position is really going to be from about 12th up to 4th.  Nothing in those spots are set in stone.  There could even be al little movement in the bottom up to 13th place because many of these corps that are not going to make the top 12 are moving up and getting better.  After the dust settles tonight - it will be interesting to see who ends up where going into Indy.


Jersey Surf - Ebb and Flow - Really nice opening statement - impressed!  Really nice show from them - probably the best this season - loads of improvement - color guard is so much better - really starting to really look like a World Class guard - Good for them!!
Score :  70.75       Place:  12th

Pacific Crest - The Union -    Nice train sound before the beginning of Fix You - I think Fix you makes an awesome ballad for drum corps - glad two groups are using it.   Wow - the blow section of Fix You is giving me goose bumps - so very pretty!  Nice job color guard - with the  flags!  Here comes the crossing love this!  Really nice ending drill from the corps as well - Again this is so exciting to see the students have their best tonight - shows so much growth!  They had some really amazing moments tonight!!!
Score:  75.925       Place: 11th

The Mandarin - The Forbidden Forest -  Nice opening with the burst of color from the guard - - still don't envy the girl in white running around the field the entire show!   Love how the drum heads match the design on the flags - Rifles need some work on there feature - a lot on the ground and a lot of work not really being completed - Man just watching how hard these students work on the field is just so impressive - another really good show tonight -  I have always wanted them to do better - than they normally do -
Score:  78.038    Place:  10th

Oregon Crusaders - The Hunt -   There trees don't look so good LOL - I hope they get through the season - no they will but they are pretty crazy looking trees - Love the choir in the beginning - that is one of the highlights of the show - I get that the guard are the hunters - Flag section is a bit of a mess - still - like the violin - nice drama created - but I still don't know why they kill the guy - very confusing still and as I was not on high cam - can't really say much about their proficiency in movement - it has been not too good in the past.  Hopefully is was better tonight.  I know there is a lot of work that needs to be done still with the color guard.  There is clearly a lot of work that has been done!
Score: 78.113     Place: 9th

Boston Crusaders - Quixotic   I don't know if this show plays better live - but on live stream - it just looks like total chaos and I know part of that is the idea - but it isn't good chaos it is just sloppy and messy - They really are fighting for their lives to make the top 12.  I felt last year was not a very strong show, but this year - I think is worse - visually - between the stacked drill moves and the windmills that suck up most of the field - there just always seems to be so much going on that it just makes for kind of a mess.    
Score:  84.2      Place: 8th

Crossmen - Continuum -   They announced that they were formerly from Delaware County, PA - this is to drum corps what the Colts were to football - They left Baltimore and the Crossmen left PA to go to Texas.  It has been a blessing for the Crossmen - They are having electrical issues - which is not good - if they don't hurry they will be penalized and they maybe already - this is not good - Wow this is not going to help them in their performance - all this waiting - they have to be in a panic - They have no sound in the beginning - no electronics at all - they are gone - this is old style - I think they just caught fire - They have some sound back - Love the 2 - sided flags they use Wow - great show - despite the problems it ended up being really really good!!!
Score:  86.15     Place: 7th

Intermission 

Blue Stars - Le Reve'I  I really do like their opening Well that was a typical Blue Stars show - That is to say it was good - there were forms that were kind of messy and their was a good deal of color guard equipment (particularly weapons) hitting the ground.  That happens because they are doing so much stuff- I don't think some of the students have time breathe.  I love weapon - but I am glad I am not marching in that weapon line.  Kudos because it could be way worse than it was - I hope they can get it cleaner before next week - I am sure they will be working their butts off!!
Score:  88.45       Place: 6th

Phantom Regiment -  Voice of Promise - Nice saber toss on the bell in the beginning - first ballad is really beautiful as only Phantom can play a ballad - Nice Nice Nice solo rifle toss - nice and straight - Second ballad was absolutely beautiful - The show was good tonight - probably the best it has been for a bit - no question this is going to be an interesting out come tonight - they interviewed their conductor and he was throwing off so much heat that the interviewer's glasses got fogged up!
Score:  88.513          Place: 5th

Santa Clara Vanguard - Force of Nature   - I know the guard has new uniforms so I am anxious to see how they look on the field -  Guard is already playing acting - So the guard had a couple costume changes tonight - one for spring (that was new) then the one they had been wearing for the storm - they had the beautiful skirt for the land (I guess ) or fall or whatever doesn't really matter - and they added these sleeveless jackets with either something that looked like fur or was fur and also new ending flags - The guard also had some rough patches tonight - The soloist in the beginning of the snow sequence who comes out with the nifty "rifle" type thing - she has been super solid all season - whenever they have been on and their was a live stream - tonight she caught it but she was shaken - now ordinarily it would not be worth mentioning - but I have been sooooooooo impressed with this young woman all season - it just shows that we all have those moments!  I like the show a lot - because I really like the music -
Score:  92.338   Place: 2nd

The Cadets - Awakening  There are more statues - Easily the best performance the guard has had all season - at least when they have been on live stream.  Kudos to them for putting on one heckuva show tonight.  Still not a fan of the show- and I really think the black hurts more than it helps.  I have no idea how they will do tonight - not a clue how they will do tonight - they interviewed - Adonis - the statue in the show - it was fun - and now I get that the tan uniforms are humans - who left the stone side - where was this guy at the first show?  
Score:  91.888      Place: 4th


The Cavaliers - Propaganda     Wow - that was one helluva show tonight - yep some rifle drops- but who would not drop every so often in that show??!!  I'm saying it again - that show is going to be a classic in years to come because it also takes drum corps to a very different place.  Kudos to the students and staff of the Cavaliers for being brave enough to throw our lives in our faces - truly a cautionary tale about life in the US today!!!
Score: 91.925         Place: 3rd


Carolina Crown - Relentless   -They did not kill him tonight - they left him live!  Of all the show this season - I think this is the one that has grown on me the most - Once it seemed like they figured out their story - it really started to sore - and as they made the tweaks to it along the way the show just kept getting better - Clearly - they are not satisfied with being #3 - this was an amazing show! Mercy is the answer - I think that is what changed everything for the show - not killing the guy at the end.    
Score:  94.263        Place: 1st

Bridgemen Alumni - It is a fairly large group actually - They have 5 drum majors!  Oh how I miss these guys - man they made drum corps fun - so far it is greatest hits!  I don't recall them playing My Favorite Things before - Saw a little of the Bridgeton shuffle - They played little from the William Tell Overture and then Jersey Surf joined them and they are playing In the Stone.  They even brought out old Bridgeton Rainbow flags - and they even did a little of the routine.  Gosh that made me teary - This is what this activity should be about -

As I was getting ready to walk the dog I heard them say that going into next week the Coats, Devils, and Crown are 1,2, and 3.  What I am anxious to see is the recap.  Did the Crossmen get penalized for the delay - it happened or nearly happened last year in Indy.  They literally squeaked by the Troopers to get into 12th.  If they were penalized - what was the difference between them and the Blue Stars.  And we can see that there is very little keeping the Blue Stars ahead of Phantom.   Likewise there is very little between the Cavies and the Vanguard.  Most of the real drama lies in the lower 12 - 6 group - but the top 1-6 could end up being very interesting as well.  All the corps this year are actually really good.  Shame on me for nit-picking things.  I have not spent weeks sleeping on gym floors and practicing in the hot sun for hours each day and then having to perform flawless each evening or so.  Kudos to the entire lot of Drum Corps - You provide so many such a great way to spend their summer.

I will blog as much as I can next week.  I have band camp next week - so I will miss some of the competition.  I should not miss Saturday night, but will only catch pieces throughout the week.  Thanks for following me.  I will be posting some pictures (close ups mostly) - I don't know who reads this but if anyone from a corps would see it - maybe they will see themselves and that would be cool!
Thanks again!  Cheers.










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