Grand Nationals 2015 - Thoughts on Our Attending Bands

[NTXBandFan]

Man I wish Flower Mound was going this year.

[snares]

  On 11/13/2015 at 4:53 PM, NTXBandFan said:

 

Man I wish Flower Mound was going this year.

I felt this was about CTJ last year, Hebron in 2013, and oh my goodness just think about Marcus 2012 going to Grand Nats after the score they put up at BOASA.

[snares]

And to me, I think we will see a cleaner version of all of these bands now that they have experienced using different hash marks and have been inside the LOS once

[Hard Core Band Fan]

Just watched Broken Arrow - Flower Mound would likely have beaten their prelim performance.

[Hard Core Band Fan]

Just watched Broken Arrow - Flower Mound would likely have beaten their prelim performance.

[Hard Core Band Fan]

The semifinal schedule. That last block starts off tough!

 

7:00 AM –  Beechwood H.S., KY

7:15 AM –  Bellbrook H.S., OH

7:30 AM –  Father Ryan H.S., TN

7:45 AM –  Saint James School, AL

8:00 AM –  Kiski Area H.S., PA

8:15 AM –  Larry A. Ryle H.S., KY

8:30 AM –  Jenison H.S., MI

8:45 AM –  Miamisburg H.S., OH

9:00 AM –  Franklin H.S., TN

9:15 AM –  Ben Davis H.S., IN

9:30 AM –  Lawrence Township, IN

9:45 AM –  Harrison H.S., GA

10:00 AM –  Homestead H.S., CA

10:15 AM –  Dobyns-Bennett H.S., TN

 

BREAK

 

11:15 AM –  Homestead H.S., IN

11:30 AM –  Blue Springs H.S., MO

11:45 AM –  Keller H.S., TX

12:00 PM –  The Woodlands H.S., TX

12:15 PM –  Center Grove H.S., IN

12:30 PM –  Keller Central H.S., TX

12:45 PM –  Broken Arrow H.S., OK

1:00 PM –  Centerville H.S., OH

1:15 PM –  William Mason H.S., OH

1:30 PM –  Lake Central H.S., IN

 

BREAK

 

2:15 PM –  Avon H.S., IN

2:30 PM –  Carmel H.S., IN

2:45 PM –  Round Rock H.S., TX

3:00 PM –  Marian Catholic H.S., IL

3:15 PM –  Hebron H.S., TX

3:30 PM –  Bentonville H.S., AR

3:45 PM –  Adair County H.S., KY

4:00 PM –  Milford H.S., OH

4:15 PM –  Goshen H.S., IN

4:30 PM –  Green Hope H.S., NC

[Rubisco]

Congrats to all the TX groups for making semis! I've got my fingers crossed for tomorrow! I think my hope is that at least 1 TX band cracks the top 3 and 4 of them make finals. Doesn't seem unreasonable based on the prelims performances I watched. This is your moment, guys. Enjoy it!

[Bandnerd03]

  On 11/13/2015 at 11:35 PM, Hard Core Band Fan said:

Just watched Broken Arrow - Flower Mound would likely have beaten their prelim performance.

 

I honestly feel like the top 3, maybe 4 (we'll see tomorrow!!) from San Antonio could have beaten Broken Arrow's prelims performance. I thought it was a little rough musically. I'm sure they'll step it up for Finals though.

[Xenon]

From what I have seen and been told, I fully believe that Flower Mound or CTJ could have won this Prelims round and that Hebron had the best single performance of the two days.

[Xenon]

Also, remember, all times are Eastern.

[Rubisco]

I'm not convinced any of the TX bands would have topped Broken Arrow this year. The show is just so well-made. The performance on the other hand... Well, let's just say that I can think of a number of groups that I think sound better than BA. Both Hebron and The Woodlands sound better to my ears, which isn't entirely surprising, I guess. They should both be in the top 5 based on what I've seen.

[justabandkid94]

Keller was outstanding! They sound and look absolutely fantastic. Really pulling for them tonight.

 

The Woodlands was MILES better all around today. I bet that convention center time is helping a lot. Show continues to get better with each viewing. Music much more on lock than Friday morning. But man, their visual has just improved so much over the past few years. Random side thought: mid/late 2000s they were doing pretty darn well even when they were dirty as **** (2006, 2007, 2011). Really makes me wonder what damage they could have done had they looked like this back then. Anyway.. I agree with Rubisco, they should be Top 5 tonight

 

Broken Arrow. Show design is immaculate as usual, although I'm not as much a fan of it as I have been the past few years. Musically its all over the place, some moments they sound good... the rest of the time it's a mess to say the least. I see them winning based off of GE only, but I don't think it will be that big of a margin.

[Xenon]

I mostly agree.

 

That was by far the best run I've seen from Keller. Very clean all around and great centered controlled sounds the entire show.

 

Broken Arrow is an absolute beast in GE and Visual, but a bit of a mixed bag musically. They have some absolutely fantastic moments musically, but also some extreme mud at other times.

[Rubisco]

Ehhh... I don't think TW is as clean here as they were in 2011. 2006 and 2007, maybe. It is true that since Joni Perez took over the program, the level of cleanliness has jumped. Part of that is tackling shows that are a little bit more manageable under the 8-hour rule, which wouldn't include their 2007 production, Sequenza.

 

I agree that BA is a mixed bag musically, but with a show design like they have, you don't have to be great to win a weaker National contest. You just need to be very good, which they are. Still, they'll probably end up winning the music caption over Hebron, which will drive me crazy. I should just complain ahead of time. Hahaha.

[principalagent]

Hebron

Homestead

Round Rock

Marian Catholic

Harrison

William Mason

Blue Springs

Carmel

Avon

Keller

The Woodlands

Broken Arrow

 

would be the finals order, if my ideas on who would make finals is correct. Not looking great for Hebron. I think this order may lose them the music caption, and hopefully TWHS can pick it up instead if that should be the case. Hopefully they can keep that caption and a medal though.

[Rubisco]

Great times for The Woodlands and Keller, if both groups make finals, but a horrible time for Hebron and a not-so-great time for Round Rock. Usually, I don't think it would be that much of an issue, but the groups are too close in quality this year for me not to be a little worried about it. Especially with Broken Arrow performing last.

[Xenon]

What an absolutely incredible performance from Hebron. I am breatheless. Everyone in the crowd around me was gasping the entire show.

[HighToes]

  On 11/14/2015 at 8:30 PM, Xenon said:

What an absolutely incredible performance from Hebron. I am breatheless. Everyone in the crowd around me was gasping the entire show.

You just described me when I saw the show.

[Xenon]

My dark horses to place much higher this year are Mason and Marian. I love every single bit of Mason's WSS show but wish they played a little bit better. Marian is just an absolute musical genius and the MariAnette stuff is straight up brilliant; they aren't used to doing body moves and such, though.

[savannah0716]

  On 11/14/2015 at 8:04 PM, principalagent said:

Hebron

Homestead

Round Rock

Marian Catholic

Harrison

William Mason

Blue Springs

Carmel

Avon

Keller

The Woodlands

Broken Arrow

 

would be the finals order, if my ideas on who would make finals is correct. Not looking great for Hebron. I think this order may lose them the music caption, and hopefully TWHS can pick it up instead if that should be the case. Hopefully they can keep that caption and a medal though.

To me, if a band is good enough at their music, like Hebron is, it doesn't matter what place they go in for a finals performance. It's a long-held belief that that's what happens(a band loses their chances when they go earlier), but I don't think it's accurate and I do think Hebron can for sure still pull that caption and a top spot in the end even going first in finals.

[snares]

I'm not sure if going first is such a bad thing, because f Hebron blows it out of the water, then they are the band to beat, straight off the bat and all of the sudden you have to chase the first band to perform throughout finals. But I do think Broken Arrow will take this because of Visual and GE. They're crazy

[natertater21000]

I can't tell how much effect slotting has, sometimes it seems like none like when leander went second at San Antonio last year and won music or when Marcus went first in 2012 and DESTROYED everyone

[Xenon]

HOLY WCU!

[NTXBandFan]

  On 11/14/2015 at 9:55 PM, natertater21000 said:

I can't tell how much effect slotting has, sometimes it seems like none like when leander went second at San Antonio last year and won music or when Marcus went first in 2012 and DESTROYED everyone

SOmetimes it depends on the kids and their experience level.  Last year FloMo went after Leander in BOASA, then 1st in finals at State.  Then they were 1st in finals at Indy.  In San Antonio, they were too hyped up, and it showed.  In Indy, they were very business-like and ready to roll, and they put on their best show of the year.  In San Antonio, they dropped several spots, while in Indy, they moved up from 9th to 6th.  Several people said it might have been even higher if they had a later draw.

[Rubisco]

Hebron wins out! And 4 TX bands in finals, two of them first-timers. Yay! Hebron's semis win seems like a win for exceptional musicality, which is refreshing.