2015 BOA San Antonio Comments Thread

[natertater21000]

First time seeing Hebron at all and i was very very impressed some amazing moments and much cleaner and better designed visually than I've seen from them thus far. My favorite of the day

[bandperson1997]

I assume Hendrickson is not going to perform their exhibition due to them signed up for Usbands Austin tonight along with Anderson who dropped out last night. I wouldn't be surprised if Dripping Springs or another band that drops out won't attend US bands later tonight.

[LKendrick]

From Atlanta, sounds like they all did really well! On the live blog, sounds like Cypress Falls was their favorite of them. Some pretty rave reviews. Best of luck to them, awards are coming up here in a bit!

[LKendrick]

LD Bell swept 4A in Atlanta.  

[LKendrick]

4A Placements in Atlanta, Texas clean sweep!  

 

1st - LD Bell

2nd - Winston Churchill

3rd - Cypress Falls 

[bandperson1997]

All 5 Texas bands made it. Congrats Texas!!

[LKendrick]

Atlanta Finalists:

 

Fort Mill (SC)

Dobyns Bennett (TN)

Harrison (GA)

Cypress Falls (TX)

Centerville (OH)

LD Bell (TX)

Winston Churchill (TX)

Wando (SC)

Tarpon Springs (FL)

Westwood (TX)

Walton (GA)

Clements (TX)

 

Wow, all 5 in!  Good for them!  And now back to your San Antonio programming.  

[LKendrick]

Two shows I did a complete 360 today that I didn't like in my previous viewing:

 

Claudia Taylor Johnson - WOW.  The power they bring is just awesome, their mellophone section is especially piercing, GEEZ.  The end of the ballad with them was just woof.  Really fun show overall. 

 

James Bowie - It's a subtle show, but in a completely beautiful way.  Absolutely beautiful.  From the color scheme, to the completely mesmerizing and elegant drill, to the technique filled, not as in you face musical package I'm a big fan.  

[LKendrick]

So anyone wanna try and pick 14 of those bands for finals?  

[FloMoParent]

  On 10/31/2015 at 10:04 PM, LKendrick said:

So anyone wanna try and pick 14 of those bands for finals?  

Cedar Park

Claudia Taylor Johnson

Coppell

Flower Mound

Hebron

James Bowie

Marcus

Owasso

Ronald Reagan

Round Rock

The Woodlands

Vandegrift

Vista Ridge

Westlake

[principalagent]

Wait, Wando didn't place in class 4A?!

[LKendrick]

Nope, Churchill and CY Falls must be GOOD.  

[LKendrick]

So excited to watch the cast tonight!  Thankful our football game was at noon.  

[LKendrick]

I'll do some personal play by play.  

 

Hendrickson - "Lost"

 

Wow, if they hadn't been in exhibition, they would have been a SERIOUS contender for finals!  The setting for this show is incredibly effective, particularly the NSEW surrounding the field.  The "Music for Prague" first hit is HUGE.  Guard is decked out in some fantastic period type explorer garb in shades of brown/maroon/cream.  And they sell this show, what an amazing guard!  Really clear brass sound, you can hear every instrument coming through.  Woodwinds have lots of technical moments that are also executed with some great clarity, and they project really well.  Definitely don't get lost in the texture like some bands do.  Lots of neat waves in the drill tying into the theme.  Incredibly somber and emotional ballad.  Absolutely gorgeous bassoon soloist as the guard surrounds the compass on the field, and they can spin for days.  Fantastic moment for them, guard really sells this show well.  Drums take the stage next as the band does some incredibly cool ripple drill and the guard is tossing away all on rifles!  Brass comes in with some incredibly articulate hits.  We can hear bits of "Amazing Grace" as the woodwinds rip away and the brass has some more stabs.  Big moment as it seems they have found their way, and we can hear Amazing Grace come full on.  Guard rips away a cover on the gray flags to reveal a bright yellow and white silk.  The band ends the show surrounding the globe, as it seems they are no longer lost.  One of my favorite shows of the year, HUGE crowd reaction!  Well done Hendrickson.  

[LKendrick]

Cedar Ridge - "Forever Young"

 

The director change didn't phase them at all.  They sound fantastic, lush brass sound, really warm woodwinds, and a percussion section that few high schools could top.  Love the various introductions of "Forever Young" throughout the show.  Opening flute soloist is very pretty, nice build into the first "Forever Young" impact.  Lots of great woodwind technique in "Pegasus", love hearing that piece on the field!  Such a lighthearted and fun selection.  Percussion rams away in their feature.  Lots of playing on the move, they definitely don't park and bark their hard spots!  Our flute soloist is back in the ballad with another gorgeous solo, followed by what sounds like a baritone soloist.  Absolutely beautiful build to the impact in the ballad, and the arrival is just fantastic.  Mellos!  I LOVE a great mello section, and Cedar Ridge certainly has one.  "Death Hunt" comes in next, drums have another fantastic feature.  Show comes to a close with Whitacre's "Fly to Paradise", guard with beautiful blue silks to end the show as we hear another quote of "Forever Young".  Absolutely love the way this band plays, they sound fantastic.  

[LKendrick]

Hebron - "360"

 

This show is just a masterclass on technicality, brass and woodwinds.  Gorgeous preshow oboe soloist.  The "Pegasus" opening showcases the dexterity of the woodwinds, lushness of their brass, and the uniformity of their guard.  What an intro!  Next section is just filled with an insane amount of technical passes, some done as they spin on platforms, some on the move, just fun stuff.  The ballad is my favorite thing on the field this year.  That tenor soloist is just fan freakin tastic.   Bravo, the build with the brass under him is just awesome, what a HUGE moment.  The crowd erupts at the end of the ballad as he hits that altissimo note!  That moment is going to be one of the most remembered things this year.  Closer is another showcase of this bands insane musical ability, woodwinds are absolutely ripping away in the lead up to the final moment.  Circles are everywhere in this show.  Not much else to say besides it's simple in concept, executed fantastically, and performed at an incredibly high level.  Definitely still some room to grow for nationals, they haven't peaked yet!  

[LKendrick]

Claudia Taylor Johnson - "White Rabbit"

 

They are amazing performers, they sell this show SO well.  Incredibly ambitious visual program, they start out the show absolutely booking it.  Absolutely love the preshow music and the choreography.  This show is full of familiar melodies done in so many new ways.  Impact moments are huge in this show!  Seems like this show focuses more on the mood of Alice in Wonderland rather than outright telling the story, which is a smart move for them, it works incredibly well.   Their forte-pianos throughout this show are definitely one of their trademarks, they do them SO well.  All sorts of soloist introductions of themes from the Holst pieces.  Boy their mellos can PLAY!   Really fun and quirky section as we have some tea, some really fun synth stuff as the band introduces the blacksmith melody from the Holst Suite.  Really enjoy this ballad, the mellos are absolutely piercing, WOW!  Really quirky drum break as we hear lots of guitar and a distorted Trombone?  Haha.  The band is absolutely BOOKING it here.  The final push is just absolutely fantastic, music GE explosion.  They sound HUGE in a way that few high school groups can.  This show is growing hugely on me every time I see it.  This is EASILY one of the hardest shows in the field this summer, and they conquered it.  Well done!  

[LKendrick]

James Bowie - "Deep"

 

This show is subtle, quaint, and just gorgeous.  They didn't go with the cliche's for an ocean show, that's for sure!  And they still capture the nautical mood perfectly.  I've always been a huge fan of Bowie's drill, and this year is no different.  "Short Ride in a Fast Machine" has always been one of my favorites to hear on the field, and their trumpets and brass in general perform it FANTASTICALLY!  Crisp, articulate, and with great tone.  Well done.  Love the guards silks here!  Love how the Shostakovich gradually creeps into and melds with the Adams, and then fully takes over!  Clever!  Woodwinds are absolutely ripping here.  Guard hits their sabre tosses a lot better in finals, good for them!  End of this section is really intense.  Ballad has some REALLY cool morphing drill, we see an octopus, some waves, and an anchor!  Absolutely beautiful and eerie backfield playing as a gorgeous woodwind quintet is introduced.  Guard costuming is fantastic in this show, really cool diving helmets and beautiful DEEP blue silks!  Fantastic rifle toss in the closer!  I LOVE the moods in this show.  Great stuff.  Great "Short Ride" reprise.  We see some more waves in the drill as we begin to close out the show.  Really great drill.  Last statement is glorious!  Wow, this show might be one of my favorites of the year now, I found it stale early on, but in its final form it's nuances and mood just sell it SO well!  Bravo!  

[LKendrick]

Wakeland - "Forever"

 

Taking art movments/pieces seems to be a popular show method these past few years, and it works.  It provides a broad canvas for you to work with, and Wakeland takes this "Pointillism" show and does just that.  This Jeff Sacktig visual program is INSANE!  Gorgeous lush opening as the guard covers the field in gold with the double flags.  Wakeland's guard is great.  La Vie en Rose is just a perfect ballad for this all french show.  Absolutely beautiful.  "Farandole" is the absolute highlight of this show.  Musically and visually it's just enthralling.  They area HAULING it at the end of it!  WOW, that's Sacktig drill that's for dang sure.  After that breathtaking close, we see a incredibly contrasting finale, new since I've seen the show last.  Guard in all white and shades of purple.  Guard closes out the show on a subtle ending with some great work as the band plays a beautiful chord backfield.  Fantastic job Wakeland!  It's been tons of fun watching this band progress in the recent years.  Bravo, big crowd reaction.  

[LKendrick]

Vandegrift - "Proxima Centauri"

This show takes every preconceived notion of a "Planets" show and turns it on its head. HUGE chords in "Uranus" to start the show, what an introduction. Lots of planet/star symbolism in the drill. Lots of interplay between the brass and woodwinds, great layering. Drums are absolutely ripping it up underneath all this, they've won lots of awards over the years and it's easy to see why. Dance teams are really different, and Vandegrifts is very solid. "Jupiter" is next, and of course it is absolute beautiful, I don't think the worst band could change that. Always makes a fantastic ballad. This is probably my favorite "Mars" impact I've seen in the high school world. Guard is decked out head to toe in read, as the band turns around they do some work with the skirts/wings as some red banners are flown back field while the band just slams you with it. Drums have a FANTASTIC feature next, wow, they can play! This is some of the best guard costuming I've seen in awhile, you cannot miss the dance team. "Mars" continues to plow away, and then suddenly we're hit with a beautiful "Jupiter" reprise to end the show, as the band ends in a really neat shooting star set. Great job Vandegrift!

[LKendrick]

Cedar Park - "What's Opera Doc?"

 

This show is SO much fun!  So many melodies we all know from those cartoons when we were growing up, making me feel old.  Wonder if today's kids even know what Tom and Jerry/Loony Toons are.........anyways.  Woodwinds are just insane in the "Marrige of Figaro" intro, followed by a HUGE drum corps-esque impact, they hold that chord for DAYS.  Well done!  "Barber of Seville" is just incredibly fun, lots of fantastic woodwind moments here.  Some really cool block meshes that constantly change direction and accelerates at the same time!  Very impressive.  We hear Mountain King introduced by the Tubas, who sound fantastic!  "Egmont" might be my favorite part of this show, the musicality and tone of the brass is just absolutely outstanding, it's not the most in your face ballad, but it's subtlety is what I love about it.  They might not have the largest guard, but they are staged incredibly well and their design makes them standout.  "In the Hall of the Mountain King" is just downright fun, some great simultaneous demand here.  And of course "Nessun Dorma" is just beautiful, the Trombone quartet is just spot on and beautiful and the woodwinds after are just incredibly warm and luscious, and the the band sounds absolutely gorgeous and powerful finishing out this show.   Well done.  They get right to the point and just ram it in.  

[LKendrick]

Flower Mound - "Surreal"

 

Favorite show of the year.  Surreal indeed............their presence is just fantastic in every regard.  From the uniforms to their sound, they just fill this stadium up.  The intro is just huge, "Epiphanies/Ecstatic Waters" sets the tone perfectly.  Woodwinds really take charge in the next movement.  Brass comes back in HUGE with a fanfare type section, really stately.  The Glass sax concerto is just downright fun.  They're just chilling in the eggs ripping away.  That's definitely a saxaphone if my eyes don't mistake me.    Incredibly quirky music to match the distorted pocket watch depicted here.  Some really intricate body work that the white just shows off perfectly!  The ballad is beautiful in every sense of the word.  The woodwind quartet, the brass, just wow, absolutely brethtaking.  It's just unbelievably pretty as the ear becomes the artistic centerpiece.  This closer..........is just unreal.  The opening of the box to introduce the choir on top of the already eerie music just takes the mood of this to a whole other level.  The closing just builds and builds, the field's full of color both visually and musically, and we see the banner revealed "this is NOT a marching band" as the band hits the final chord with the choir on top is just heavenly.  Bravo Flower Mound, complete goosebumps!  This band took whatever they learned at GN last year and just RAN with it!  After seeing them shockingly miss finals two years ago, it's so cool to see them contending.  Great job.  

[LKendrick]

Round Rock - "This is My Letter to the World"

 

I'm familiar with Round Rock as HUGE power and unrelenting.  So when I heard they were doing a Copland show, I was a little bit puzzled.  But they sell it SO well, I love seeing their more polished side!  This show is a visual feast, beautiful guard costuming/design, fantastic drill, and some really great backdrops really set the tone for the musical tapestry they explore.  Beautiful double reed/woodwind opening, after which their historically amazing drumline takes the reigns.  The first big moment is a complete marriage musically and visually of what is going on, beautiful moment.  Things get busy in the next section, leading into another absolutely beautiful moment.  Our oboe soloist takes over again as the brass is playing some beautiful phrases backfield.  Woodwinds take charge next with beautiful tone, leading into my favorite drum feature of the year.  This drumline and front ensemble can play for days, there are few as good as they are.  The drill here is absolutely INSANE, the FTL as the drums ram away is just awesome!  Simple Gifts gets introduced, and is just really fun and lighthearted.  Another great ensemble section as there is a FTL with the guard interspersed.  Here comes the big "Simple Gifts" moment we know is coming.  First played backfield, it is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!  The groom comes to meet his bride as the incredibly emotional strains we all know are SOARING over the field, guard on beautiful double flags.  Wow, Round Rock.  That was beautiful.  

[LKendrick]

Keller - "Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night"

 

This is such a pretty show.  Their guard is absolutely massive, and gets featured right off the bat at the first impact moment.  Love all the moon symbolism in this show, we see lots of it in the drill throughout.  Great balanced brass sound in that opening as well.  Nice trumpet feature as the mood turns a little bit more serious.  Love the guard costuming in this show.  Great front ensemble!  Some great woodwind moments, they're strong.  The field coverage they're able to achieve with this guard is outstanding.  We hear the band chant "Do Not Go Gentle" among other things as the ballad goes absolutely creepy and eerie.  Beautiful arrival with the guard all over the place with some pretty tree inspired silks.  Our tree props move forward some as well, which look great by the way.  Drum feature is still very eerie, some really nice drill during this section, with the guard staged very well.  Great line!  Brass re enters with some stabs and great technical passages.  A fantastic woodwind ensemble takes center stage as the band reenters.  We hear some of the words from earlier reprise, and then the band reenters with the melody from the intro.  Finishing off the show with a bang.  Well done Keller!  

[LKendrick]

The Woodlands - "Time Benders"

 

What a hard show, definitely going to peak at GN.  Love the time distortion narration before the show, really sets the mood/theme for the show.  Love the juxtaposition of the linear/curves on either side of the field, and it goes PERFECTLY with the narration that's going on.  The Mahler intro is just downright majestic.  Love the guard silks!  What a statement.  Some great drill which is to be expected of The Woodlands.  Fantastic woodwind feature up front.  Tons of REALLY cool ripples, one side is fast, and one side is slow, ending at the same time.  Really neat detailed stuff.  This concept didn't make sense the first time I saw it, but it's clicking now and it's a COOL idea!  Love the guard costuming, they really stand out and get the vibe across.  Lots of neat time distortion synth effects.  Their low brass if fantastic!  Love the W at the end of this segment.  Like the string quartet connecting each movement.  Fantastic sabre soloist as the time arm rotates.  The narration in this show doesn't get in the way, and explains what is going on to a T!  That's how you do it.  Really eerie stuff being played backfield as we begin to reach the climax of the ballad.  Loving the design of the guard equipment, really stands out.  Drums take center stage next, great feature with some really interesting body movement stuff going on.  Love the subtle leg movement in the drums in their feature, gives it some attitude!  Things get really creepy next as we head into the closer.  Order is talked about in the narration, but it's absolute chaos on the field (in a good way).  Brass comes back in HUGE!  Mellos center stage, sounding absolutely majestic.  The props spin around with spirals to absolutely entrance us.  Wow Woodlands.  That show has really started to develop, at Nationals it's going to be fantastic.  Some of the best use of narration I've seen in awhile, it ties the theme of this show together PERFECTLY.