Is your corps ready?

You are not machines! You are MEN!

PROPAGANDA ! I adore this show. I've got a severe soft spot for this, mostly because I am just... so amused by it. There is so much weird shit with this finals performance. The trombonist kicking the 30 yard marker, the soloists hitting the Whip and Nae Nae ??? Why? Were they told to do that?? IS HE ALLOWED TO JUST KICK THAT THING??? I'm linking to the trombonist because it's so fucking funny. Love it. So so much!

Repertoire

Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary by Henry Purcell
Symphony for Band “West Point” by Morton Gould
Elegy for Dunkirk by Dario Marianelli
Lollapalooza by John Adams

I feel like from the standpoint of narration, this show gets waaayy too much hate. The voiceovers are few and far between, and they really add to the show! Even the section in the middle with all the ads makes so much sense in context. The "you are not machines, you are men" at the beginning and end really does get a lot of emotion out of me! Also, from a repertoire section, we do NOT talk enough about how funny it is to have the Meow Mix ad in your repertoire. Only show to do that!

Music

These marchers really did put their heart into the show. The soloists / solis feel genuine, the runs feel fresh!! It's unlike any other Cavaliers show that I've seen. Not to say that they don't always have this much passion, but it's the only one that really drew me in like that. And that goddamn closer . So much suspense in it, it's a little unnerving! Just really, really pretty.

Visuals

Please follow protocol, and GET IN LINE! It makes me lose my mind, the drill in this show. It's highly technical, but you can tell the marchers are having so much fun with the show. That's one of my favorite things in any show, when you're able to feel the energy the marchers have. The uniforms work in the show's favor as well- the all-black suits them well!

Controversy

I've seen a few people (mainly on Reddit and Drum Corps Planet) say that this show is "too political", or "openly democratic". Now, I've got zero stakes in the reputation of the Cavaliers (I'm a girl, they wouldn't even let me in!), but this allegation is wildly wrong. Simply overlaying the voices of Reagan and Trump says nothing to the politics of the corps itself, but the hypocrisy of how America has evolved. It's a sensical show, and who gives a shit if the corps is political? In this day and age, there's little to no way to exclude politics from art, so we should learn to embrace it.

Images

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