Go West! (A Review of Westminster, MD)

MP did the Cadets' Music is Cool! event again this year, the shorter (1/2 day) pre-band camp edition. Today is a bit of a sacrifice for them, less than a week before finals with a lot of cleaning to do.

Last year I was a bit of a helicopter parent at the event. This year I had to make myself hang back a bit. However, as before, he seemed to enjoy the experience, although there wasn't as much field time, there were at least more kids ("Twenty mellophones this time, not four").

The show itself featured five corps and a bonus.

The Troopers are America's Corps, and persist at the World Class level. Organizationally, I question if that is the right place for them. I think they need a chance to bring back some of the winning tradition, and creatively what they put on the field was a nice Open Class show. The Troopers displayed some humor, which was unexpected but pleasant to see. This corps faces design challenges just by being, well, the Troopers. There is the iconic image and musical style, and the familiar sunburst and "Ghost Riders", that at least this year they worked into a program about the old west railroads, or "The Iron Horse Express." I guess I lost my senses, though, in scoring. I said 76, MP said 89.65 ("Too generous", he said after the show), and the judges went with a more accurate 81.10.

Although I didn't realize it at the time, I think the Crossmen were the corps that was most "on" tonight. The gentlemen seated next to me - whose story made me appreciate the time with MP even more - remarked on the visual offering of the corps. Even from a few nights ago, the visuals were better, the guard was stronger, and the silks were well used at the end. I thought they improved to an 86, MP said 89.30, and the judges said 85.05 - still better than Thursday but not as good as Saturday. Go figure.

The Blue Stars were our fourth Blue corps this year, having seen the Devils and Knights twice and the 'Coats once already. It looks like 1/3 of the top 12 will be Blue this year, with this one bringing a splash of yellow. I was asked by a friend for an instant impression, and it ws that this was the best band show of the year. Maybe that's a compliment? Although the opening sound and visuals were strong, I don't think the concept was executed as well as envisioned. I could not tell whether it wanted to be literal (which is was too confusing to be) or conceptual (which it was to specific to be). I was actually disappointed in a way, given that the "race" run by the Tarpon Springs HS Band at the Bands of America Grand Nationals several years ago was better executed. Maybe Kevin Ford, who was the designer behind Tarpon Springs (as well as Carolina Crown's "Stormworks" and "Chess ... and the Art of Strategy" that propeled the corps into the top 12), "re-cycled" a bit. My seating neighbor liked it, commenting on the more subtle body movements corps are employing these days. (But he was not a big fan of the Cadets' narration, so sometimes change only goes so far!) I said 89, MP said 91.23 (where he gets the precise fractions is not from me!), and the judges were less impressed: 87.90.

How do you find fault with a 95? How do you find fault when you finally get to see "your kids" win a show outright against top corps? Carolina Crown had a strong Allentown finish, but seemed to try to give this show away tonight. They seemed "off" (was it the lights? was it the sound?) enough that a fan a few seats away commented, "They seemed flat tonight." Maybe they were just tired, and were just getting past releasing some of the pent of tension of the weekend. The sound was clear, but it seemed to me the corps was afraid of the field, as if the corps before them said as they walked on, "Psst - watch out for the divots ... pass it on!"). I marked them down a bit, to 95, MP said 95.2, and the judges went with 95.15. A winner, but not as winning as last week.

The Cadets, as I noted to open this post, made a rehearsal sacrifice for the Music is Cool program. Maybe that had an impact, or maybe, like Carolina Crown, they were just off their game a bit after Allentown and realizing the organization seemed to shift gears to 2009 this past week. Quite frankly, they had a better rehearsal than performance. The impact points the design staff is writing in made better sense - I see even more clearly where they are going - but the timing was off (with another sabre drop that had been hit at every run through I saw that afternoon), and the ending is not quite yet ... "snapping" ... with some lost emotion from before. I suspect they'll get there by Saturday, but "there" is probably not where they really wanted to be. I said 94, MP said 94.50, and the judges said 93.9.

The bonus corps was The Commandant's Own, the U.S. Marines Drum & Bugle Corps. I remember every year they would do a nightly performance at the Texas State Fair, and every year when I went to the fair I would plan to be "on the 50 yard line" of the small performance venue. There were much as I remembered, and with music from Shostakovitch to Souza, from Jersey (Boys) to Malaguena, this corps (also founded in 1934 and celebrating a diamond anniversary next year) reminded us of all of some of the traditions of drum corps.

A quick note about the venue. I must say the Westminster HS Band Boosters were well organized hosts, and this is probably the best high school stadium for watching marching music that I have been to in Maryland!

This is the end of my 2008 live reviews. The corps now go west to Bloomington, but I'll stay home in Maryland. However, I'll get to watch on the big cinema screen on Thursday night, and on Friday at our neighbor's house where they are hosting a big screen webcast. Music is cool - and how cool is that!

A Family Affair (A Review of West Chester)

This is the show the entire family looked forward to attending! "Our" favorite corps, Carolina Crown, was there. We were there when this baby was born, and of course even after 19 years we want to see how our kids are doing!

Also, this show allowed us to see another teenager: Jersey Surf, featuring several teens from the high school band including my neighbor a few doors down. Although the theme of the show is about the "Jersey Surf ... So Far" (in their growth, as they prepare for the 2009 step to World Class), I didn't really get it. But, in this case, that's okay. Whatever they were trying to do, they did it well. The horn line played strongly, and the color guard was engaging with skilled performers. I wrote 87, scratched it and wrote 88, but the judges said 86.35. Whatever the score, if you get the chance, catch the wave!

In 1992 in this stadium on a relative cold and damp July night, this San Antonio, Texas, native boy volunteering on tour with Carolina Crown fell in love again with a group introduced as, "From West Chester, Pennsylvania, The Crossmen"! That year was the first of three exploring planet earth. This year, I came to West Chester to see the San Antonio boys (and girls) take on "Planet X". From the opening notes, it was apparent that the World Class level corps had arrived. The new take on the popular "Planets" of Gustav Holst was unique, and was well performed. The corps seemed a bit compacted in the drill, and until the end it lacked some color. But they ended postiviely (it was evident that was well learned) and the crowd was satisfied. I said 85 and the judges marked 84.60, so no surprises there. Well, maybe one: Bones - guardian of the Crossmen family secrets - did not mysteriously appear backfield in the old home turf ...

The Glassmen then brought their "Carnival" to the field, and for the first time in a long time (probably since the Moody Blues show) I enjoyed what I was seeing from this corps! The show was lighthearted but not done lightly, and the audience (and all my kids) connected with what was going on. (Caveat: The audience also was a good bit of high school band campers.) The show was visually effective, and though the body work did nothing for me, the use of balloons (I won't give it away) was neat and was about as effective as when Suncoast Sound released one (1!) in 1984 without being as cheesy as when the Sky Ryders went over the top with "Over the Rainbow" in 1982. I said 87, and the judges said 87.40. But there was a twist ...

... as tonight, they beat the Blue Knights (given an 85.90 by the judges and an 88.50 by me). I reviewed them nearly a week ago, and nothing much changed except my perspective. Being a bit closer to the field, I saw and heard some really talented kids out there on the field. What they have been subjected to in terms of design, however, really wasted that potential. I thought there were a bit better than the Glassmen because of that, but the judges did not agree.

Now, the feast - Carolina Crown! What was the difference? A week ago they were just staring to hit their stride in performance. Now, they are in it! The kids are clearly enjoying their show and performing it, and they still have room to improve and seem to want to do so to get this show to "Finis" at just the right time - Saturday night, August 9! I am still amazed by the brass line, and look forward to seeing them all over again in just a few days. Yes, I'm partial, but ... if you disagree, at least check them out. A well done classic, with a twist! The judges said 2nd (as did I), and gave a 93.80 (as I nearly did, marking an 93.50). Sentimental favorites, yes - all my kids are Carolinians. But they deserved it tonight!

The Blue Devils performed next, and are clearly in championship mode as well. They are not coasting, but definitely cruising, and expect to knock out a few points here and there. While lacking the audience "wow!" and punch of Carolina Crown, they nonetheless leave you knowing why they are still in the lead to this point. I gave them first with a 1.5 lead over Carolina Crown, but the judges narrowed that gap to 1.05 (scoring 94.85). It will be interesting to see what happens when Phantom Regiment and the Cavaliers rejoin that mix.

The host Cadets (who just announced a "name change" on their website) are better. But they are not their best. The score, 92.90, is closing on Carolina Crown (less than a point) but reflects the relative difference, just as comparing Carolina Crown and the Blue Devils. The impact points are developing, now that the storyline is better told (although someone who had seen an earlier edition in Clifton remarked that it seemed to be "trite" now). There is better use of the guard, and the audience really wants to like the show because of this. (You could tell by the audible "aww" at a dropped sabre - there was a cheer just begging to come out!)

This show is about family, when you get right down to it, but there was a lot of clutter early that is still being refined. I almost would drop the stage (but how can you at this point?) and let the corps and guard (which, as an afterthought, seemed like an afterthought) supplement the narration. I can see and hear elements indicating this show should really kick into gear in about 2 to 2 1/2 weeks.

Unfortunately, they - and we - have only 1.

It was a nice night for families, corps and neighbors and friends! My kids seemed to enjoy the performances, and I am sure tomorrow (I am posting my own thoughts first at 0200 on 8/1/08) I will have some reactions (and maybe a visual image or two) to edit in.

March 2nd

Or, as I call it,
TEXAS INDEPENDENCE DAY !!

The book "American Band" (have you read it yet?) may have been about a band from Indiana (home to Bands of America and DCI, I know - my darling beloved is a Hoosier!) but Texas is where band is celebrated! Texas Monthly has done wonderful stories about bands, a Texas band is the current Bands of America Champion (see two posts back), Texas is where I fell in love with band and drum corps, and Texas is where - like a lot of people across the ages - a drum corps scrawled "GTT"* on the door post and is seeking out new and better days. (Will they make it? We don't know. But they will try!)

Band are big! Bandmasters are big! Stadiums are big! Crowds are big!

Although I haven't lived there in nearly 20 years, "You can take the boy out of Texas, but you can't take the Texas out of the boy!"

* GTT ... Gone to Texas!