Weekly Recap | Week Five

As finals nears closer, we have seen that many corps are starting to make their final adjustments, especially in world class. The question is, will these changes be good enough? Will they be clean enough? Will it even be the last change that is made before Lucas Oil? Only time will tell, but the competition this year is stiff, and at this point in the season, most major change are a gamble.

On the 29th, Legends maintained a solid lead on Spartans, 7th, and Les Stentors, proving their show concept is strong. This doesn’t mean that Spartans won’t give them a run for their money in the long run, as their visual book is very much on par.

At Cedar Rapids, BDB lead Vanguard Cadets by .3. Their rivalry of back and forth is alive and well. Their competition will still be close by open finals. Genesis proved their musical prowess however, knocking on the door of SCVC and BDB.

San Antonio was a big win for the Bluecoats this week, not just to show they are a contender in the top 3, but also because it was the first major regional they’ve won in their history. An accomplishment that solidifies their growing reputation of the last 3 or 4 years that they are hip, fresh, and will take risks. Their drill, at times, may seem simple, but that’s the beauty of it. The use of the props, their visual book, and the shear talent from the members to clean it is what makes their show special. They are giving Crown a run for their money in brass as well. Don’t even get me starting on their percussion…all captions are very strong. They revealed a new ending this week, running up the ramp line by line during a groovy drum beat. It is a solid improvement, however there is still something big missing.

After a second place finish in SA, and a third place finish last night, For Crown, it seems this show is, as the saying goes, “Close but no cigar.” They can easily win this year, just as much as BD and Bluecoats, but as far as the record shows this season, they constantly get 2nd and 3rd when facing both of the Blue’s. They beat Bluecoats before San Antonio I will add, however BD was not present. Their GE seems to be a hit or miss for judges when faced with the Bluecoats concept, however their visual execution rivals BD, including their amazing guard. Their brass is as good as it always is, and their drumline has made some serious moves this season, scraping away the 6th place drumline stereotype they were given after winning 2013. Every caption is strong, it just may not be strong enough this year. Whoever brings it on finals night will win. Some drill changes in the closer has neatened up the staging, however the closer seems to still be a placeholder in my eyes. Perhaps at Atlanta or NightBEAT they will reveal their signature crown? Time will tell.

BD, as always, is squeaky clean in every caption. Unfortunately, like Crown, the GE category is a hit or miss for judges. Some nights they beat bluecoats, some nights they don’t beat crown or coats. Their drumline is competing with Bluecoats, and as always, their color guard is competing with all three if not winning. As far as change go, they added a blue tarp in the opener to aid with the ripple visuals. Unfortunately, to accommodate the members running under the tarp safely, the rest of the corps starts without shakos, leaving the original ripple less poignant. New ending adds GE for sure, but still needs some fine tuning. Music is great, however Crown and Coats seem to still have an edge on them in the brass department. Three-peat is very possible, BD in August is always a dangerous group.

For the rest of the competition, there have been some very interesting things happening in scores and placements. SCV seems to be on an island, approaching crown and beating Cadets by a serious margin. Their GE seems to be their biggest downfall, but visually and musically they are very clean, and have excellent execution as always.

The Cadets seemed to finally have an ending that makes sense, in the 1000 rewrites they have made throughout the season. Debuted last night, it is surprisingly clean, however not quite top 4 clean. It will be solid for finals, however the rest of their show is very challenging. This may prove to be their ultimate downfall with cleaning their drill. Their situation reminds me a lot of Crown 2014. There is a point where there are too many rewrites, and the students simply cannot clean with the time they are given. It’s almost like starting the season over and over again. BD, Crown, and Coats are sitting pretty because they really haven’t made any MAJOR changes to any of their shows at all.

The Cavaliers have quite the fan favorite show, showing political agendas and propaganda and making a mockery of it. Very enjoyable show. Visual in general is solid and their percussion is top notch for sure. GE seems to also be a hit or miss, but the Cadets really need to watch out for them in the long run. After a sickness fiasco last year, they are looking to make a statement this year for sure.

BK is by far the biggest dark horse of the season. Their show is very deep, very visual, and just something special. They have a real chance of getting back to their new favorite spot of 6th if they really bring it. Their closer took a while to get on the field in full, however they are ready to go now, and have been making serious leaps in the last few weeks.

The Academy has been doing exceptionally well, and has a real shot at finals. Their show this year is quirky, enjoyable, and also surprising. With a title like Drum Corpse Bride, I wasn’t sure how cheesy it would be. It simply is not, it’s a great program, and one of their best in recent years I might add.