World of Pageantry

Back when this was a Carolina Crown post, I would have replied with a recent score. Cadets have closed the gap to less than half a point!! Cadets have made their big chnage, now small fix-its. Blue Devils added their closer and are refining every day as they tend to do (espeically with the chairs). I don't know anything about Cavies or Phantom excpet their score. I might get out there and say we could be looking at a Blue Devils, Crown, Cavies dogfight with a Phantom, SCV fight for tier two. SCV is scoring well right now too, albeit with no real competition. Mark your calendars, July 11 in Denver...pretty big show and we could know a lot more about placements then (with almost a WHOLE month to go)

But I know it's about Pre-SHow now so...

If the judges aren't really paying attention, then it's for the fans right? It's a little something extra to set the stage, intended for the kids to connect with the audience. How can that be a bad thing? If the announcer can't remember when to talk after someone points at them, well, I call that human error. I'm a fan of Joh Cage so I say even that is beautiful. Adds a tension in the air. Cool.

ANd wouldn't it have been in great in the 2007 QUarterfinals if, when Hopkins was out complaining about yardlines and hashes, the announcer just lept going and asked if the corps was ready? See, announcers can and should be a part of the show. That would have been EPIC! Just like the guy who yelled "Go Tell OPRAH!" during their "This I Believe SHow"...hahaha

Cadetsnare wrote:

Hostrauser wrote:Staff didn't like the visual look, saving them for later, etc. ??

They sounded BAD. Hung with Beddis several times over the past 2 weeks. They simply don't sound good, althought the vis team is still pushing the issue. Lee won't back down. Good for him! Not like there's not enough green out there in the show.

The green bass drum heads made an appearance in Atlanta. See pictures 13, 19, and others in this gallery...

http://www.corpsreps.com/pics2009/Atlan ... index.html

Loks like the Vis staff won out....same as it ever was.
I'm sure Lee B. is thrilled....not! He asked me to come in and help out next year....It'll be interesting to hear the post-season scuttlebut.

Jesus...a topic about green drum heads. How about not dressing the guard up like they're in a bad acid trip from Alice in Wonderland. Now THAT would be worth conversation!

Hostrauser wrote:

Cadetsnare wrote:

Hostrauser wrote:Staff didn't like the visual look, saving them for later, etc. ??

They sounded BAD. Hung with Beddis several times over the past 2 weeks. They simply don't sound good, althought the vis team is still pushing the issue. Lee won't back down. Good for him! Not like there's not enough green out there in the show.

The green bass drum heads made an appearance in Atlanta. See pictures 13, 19, and others in this gallery...

http://www.corpsreps.com/pics2009/Atlan ... index.html

Ick. In this case, the turf is greener than those heads.

Well.... I find the green drums and drum heads OK. However, the green plumes and the green guard uniforms reminds me of marching asparagus without the hollandaise sauce.

vore

I was told by a genius a few years back when all the new turf fields were popping up, that it's important to remember that when deciding on a color scheme, the primary color is always...GREEN! A designer should never forget that our shows are not on a black stage with beautiful scenery behind us. We are on a Dang GREEN field with WHITE stripes. Can't really get away from that. I sort question their color scheme when you consider it will always be on a true green field. Sorta gets mucky...

But of course, the design staff at Crown is awesome so I'm sure they designed with that in mind...but still!

BD94Euph wrote:I was told by a genius a few years back when all the new turf fields were popping up, that it's important to remember that when deciding on a color scheme, the primary color is always...GREEN!

Yup... you have no idea how many times I have mentioned that to various bands in Southern California and throughout various regions of the west coast.

Bands that have a visual advantage on today's green synthetic turf field are those with either a neutral color (basic black and/or white) or the opposite side of the color wheel from green.... red and/or orange.

vore

BD94Euph wrote:I was told by a genius a few years back when all the new turf fields were popping up, that it's important to remember that when deciding on a color scheme, the primary color is always...GREEN! A designer should never forget that our shows are not on a black stage with beautiful scenery behind us. We are on a Dang GREEN field with WHITE stripes. Can't really get away from that. I sort question their color scheme when you consider it will always be on a true green field. Sorta gets mucky...

But of course, the design staff at Crown is awesome so I'm sure they designed with that in mind...but still!

Maybe they had camp at Boise State University?

ouch...hahaha! UGLY!

On a side note, remember that kid from Boise State who played running back, had that AWESOME game against Oklahoma, then proposed to his girlfriend on TV? He went to my school, DAMIEN HS! Ian Johnson...funny kid.

BD94Euph wrote:On a side note, remember that kid from Boise State who played running back, had that AWESOME game against Oklahoma, then proposed to his girlfriend on TV? He went to my school, DAMIEN HS! Ian Johnson...funny kid.

Not just "any" game, either, but the BCS Fiesta Bowl. The best finish to a football game I have ever seen. Boise State pulled out three trick plays to tie the game in regulation, score a TD in overtime, and complete a two-point conversion in overtime to win the game.

Ian and his beau Chrissy are now married.

but worth it.

Ian was a trombone player in his "better" (HA) days. By the time I got to Damien he was a studly football kid, but he sang in our Liturgy choir.

Sorry, no more Boise State talk for now!

So, what's it like to march this show?

People like to compare Crown to Star, and there are some similarities. Star's last drum major, Matt Harloff, is on the brass staff at Crown (caption head, I believe). Both corps rose to power on the strength of their music, with visual lagging behind (believe it or not: in Star's existence they never won a High Visual trophy at finals).

But I stumbled across a factoid that I couldn't believe.

With a 97.50 this summer, Carolina Crown has achieved a higher Finals score than Star of Indiana ever did in their existence.

Mind: blown.

In fact, Star never broke 98. Their highest score ever was a 97.8 at the 1993 Quarterfinals.

I believe the DCI judging sheets have changed since then...

vore

You know, I heard "Star of Carolina" severl times this year, but I just don't get it. I mean, they wear cream uniforms like Star in '93...okay. They have a staff guy that marched...ok. The score in their best year was similar, and they didn't in visual...ok. But that's not a whole lot to hang a hat on.

Star was just different man. They were subtle, refined, understated, avant garde, classy, gorgeous. While Crown is more like a bull in a china closet. The Star 93 show was about "less is more" minimalism of Bartok, and Barber. Crown was about "more is more" and fster and louder. I love them both, but it's like loving the Angels and the Dodgers.

Crown is about as understated as Metallica in a church choir. Star was beautifully crafted, Crown was a giant fireball. Not close, no comparison. I like Crown like a high speed chase in a movie. But Star was an Oscar nominee.