DCI show in Oxford, AL Monday July 18

From The Facebook:

So, Madison Scouts came in first, followed by Bluecoats, then Boston, followed by Spirit from JSU. Southwind was fifth followed by Magic. Corps Vets got the gold in the senior division. w00t. Div II: Teal Sound followed by Memphis Sound.

I only got a chance to see Magic before the intermission. All I really paid attention to was their cymbol line. Because Spirit dropped a cymbol line, they all went down to Orlando (which incidentally is closer to home). However, I saw no stunning visuals I expected from the two time I&E champions.

Southwind: What's that on their heads? That was the prevailing question for the performance. Their strange hats fit with the strange show, but it distracted the crowd. I really enjoyed their performance, especially the wicked drum solo where the basses put down their drums and played between the tenors. Fourteen hands to 4 tenors. It's been too long for me to recall smaller details. Added: Oh yeah, they had neat-o visuals like creeping around low to the ground. I know its been done before, but they did it well.

Boston was really enjoyable too. They had their audience laughing at times, especially at the end of the opener and the closer where they after taking their horns to carry, all on the field tilt to their left as a xylophone chimes the last note of the song (and show). They weren't clean, drillwise, but I could read what was going on. They too have a drum speak section, like Cadets I belive, but they execute it at a higher level. It feels more pertinant to the show than the other corps's attempt. The pit is amplified for this effect, but then a dialog develops between the pit and the battery. Eventually it becomes a group discussion as I think the hornline joins in. It's a great effect.

Bluecoats blew me away. They owned the show last night by being far cleaner than Madison, louder, more coherant, and more exciting. The drill was very clean from what I could tell, but white pants help in that aspect. I don't really remember their show, come to think about it. When they got loud, it would echo off nearby buildings and sound would reverberate in the stands for the next few seconds. Attacks were together and confident and the releases were even better. Musically they were crisp. (I just looked up their show: Caravan. So that's why the song has been stuck in my head the past few days.) I think it was also this corps that gave me the first "whoa" moment of the night due to the unified guard work in the first big hit. Bluecoats did an excellent job with staging and handing off features from one section to the next. As an example, after peeling my face off, the brass plie-ed (sp?) and angled their horns to the right from side 2, pointing towards the center of the field. That drew my eyes to the guard, who in the silence proceded to execute their work beautifully. The sound of thirty some flags ripping through the air is impressive. Their drumline was on fire, but I can't remember specifics.

Madison Scouts: Really cool guard uniforms. Black pants with either a green or blue adidas look-alike jacket. Baseball caps of the appropriate color turned backwards or off to the side (if my memory serves me correctly, they might not have had baseball caps, or they may have been black). The oposing side feel was definitely there, but I stopped being intimidated when they took off their jackets and returned to normal guard guy personalities. Of course, through the intro, everyone in the crowd is wondering where the girl is. "I wonder when Carmen is coming out?"

The crowd wasn't disappointed. She came out in a short red dress. It contrasted all the red and blues in the guard. She stole everyone's attention from the less than clean drill. She didn't really give anyone's attention back until after she danced excessively (although very well, and very sexily in the beginning) and the guard guys, no longer punks at this point, with chains and knives killed her and carried her off the field. I applauded. I don't like ballads that make you feel like you're mourning someone's death. So, I guess they did a good job with that. Overall, this show had a lot more theme in it than Bluecoats. Drill was dirtier, and music didn't stand out that much. Of course everyone applauded in anticipation of the Scouts' sinature trio. I don't have much else to say.

Spirit failed to please me. Somehow this always seems to happen at home shows. I think too many people get the jitters. Drill was pretty dirty at times, and I'm not really a fan of the show concept. After talking with my brother later that night, I found out that they learned 13 new drill sets that day and put them in for the show. Their score went up from the previous show, so they are doing something right.

Erin is on vacation in Helen. Yey. She gets out of the house and I get some rest from her.
I still want to know what people think I should do about Susie, if there is even anything to do. (read my last entry)