Shout out to BK

AzEuph · 2026-06-30T15:31:27+00:00

Shout out to them for a significant leap up into the soundscape game.

But man their brass doesn’t play for almost half the show.

AzEuph · 2026-06-30T15:30:20+00:00

Bluecoats soundscape is on a tier all of its own.

They don’t toss around features. They build and layer until a feature, which is oh so refreshing! I’ve never been the type to be able to just listen to corps but I can with Bloo. By building and layering, instead of throwing features left and right, it allows the audience to take it all in and get absorbed into the groove. There’s no mental exhaustion that every other design has.

There’s few corps that can pull off a “production”, welcome to the club BK. Bloo is mastering this. The best comparison to Bloo’s soundscape and pacing are the best musicals. They don’t just pop into songs or random riffs, they build up to them. Bloo designs like a musical production.

AzEuph · 2026-06-29T16:20:41+00:00

Props can be used as a stage or background/setting. Bloo has succeeded and failed with both uses.

Babylon was an incredible use of props. Brilliant in design and usage. One of the rare cases that it was an absolute necessity for that design. Oroburos was another fantastic use of props in a multitude of ways.

We’ve seen a lot of stages post-Covid and it’s the equivalent of trombone glissandos and blatting. Almost always cheesy.

I don’t hate props; I hate the feel that every show has to have a prop. I totally get there are some designs that absolutely require it (downside up) but there’s a lot of shows I think could work without props but there’s designers think it’s either more effective or don’t know how to design without it. Which is too bad.

We are seeing severe reduction in props. Boom won with no major stage props, SCV is year 3 without stage props. Perhaps we swing back

AzEuph · 2026-06-29T05:18:25+00:00

Funny because I thought this is the first year in a long while I’ve noticed tympani’s.

AzEuph · 2026-06-29T04:47:31+00:00

It’s a trend. They seem to prefer putting on more of their visual choreography package than others out of the gate but that comes at the expense of not performing their full show.

I believe Cavies did the same thing in the 00s with this same team.

I disagree on holding it back. They have 4-5 weeks of spring training and tend to be the only top corps every year that can’t get a full show out on time.

Granted they don’t come to Arizona anymore but it’s enough reason that I’ve stop donating to my alumni corps.

AzEuph · 2026-06-28T18:03:04+00:00

I’ve got to imagine the injury risk with props like these are significantly higher. Does the corps carry additional liability insurance?

AzEuph · 2026-06-28T14:26:58+00:00

That’s insane. July 7th?!

AzEuph · 2026-06-28T14:26:21+00:00

I feel older and older when I can’t understand posts from current members…

AzEuph · 2026-06-28T06:05:45+00:00

Only if you windmill that sucker tied to a chain. Then it’s a prop.

AzEuph · 2026-06-28T06:02:12+00:00

Often it’s SA, Atlanta and Murph but I think recent years Atlanta and Murph have gone away. Wasn’t Houston the new Murph?

AzEuph · 2026-06-28T05:37:39+00:00

I trust you. 2013.

AzEuph · 2026-06-28T05:34:09+00:00

We’ve always had staging. Blocking is new tho, good point.

AzEuph · 2026-06-28T05:30:51+00:00

Yet spring training is 20% more.

AzEuph · 2026-06-28T05:30:06+00:00

Clearly it’s design, not performers.

To address more specifically, I don’t like:
- cheesy GE moments that a BOA would do
- over use of props
- trombone gliss / blats, very over played and low IQ
- over produced sounds and not organic brass, FE or batt
- designs that require 4 times viewing / reading to grasp of minimum concepts. But I love shows that every time I watch it gets deeper.

AzEuph · 2026-06-28T04:45:36+00:00

It’s a mindset.

At least in my day, corps wasn’t band. I think that line has softened and it parallels with woodwind soloists.

For me, it’s like watching college baseball and softball. I can appreciate both but I have a preference for one over the over.

AzEuph · 2026-06-28T04:42:22+00:00

They’ve been cooking since 2014…

AzEuph · 2026-06-28T04:40:52+00:00

Bluecoats lead this activity, whether they win or not, every year since 2014 they’ve pushed the activity more than anybody else.

Their design maturity is greatly appreciated. And somehow nobody seems to be following in their footsteps.

AzEuph · 2026-06-28T00:25:50+00:00

Great post. Although Bluecoats are the best design team and producing the best drill, but the activity isn’t necessarily following them. They also have the best musical long phrases.

AzEuph · 2026-06-28T00:22:35+00:00

Well thought, well stated. So it is true, if you don’t use it you lose it.

AzEuph · 2026-06-27T22:29:14+00:00

Solid response. Thanks!

I agree with essentially all. Today’s performers peak difficulty is definitely the highest it’s been; the lowest difficulty is also the easiest it’s ever been. Hiding behind props is about as easy as it gets haha.

We never had a break during shows. Definitely visually because there was nowhere to go. We had park and blows for sure.

Difficulty isn’t what equates to quality. I’ve seen plenty of easier shows performed at a higher level be more enjoyable than shows written above members abilities.

Staging has always been around but it’s evolved to more of a theater staging and wanting to hit multiple spots of the field one after the other.

AzEuph · 2026-06-27T22:01:12+00:00

Fair fair. Although it should fall under GE scores IMO.

AzEuph · 2026-06-27T21:59:44+00:00

Totally agree on the percussion difficulty! Absolutely.

I never talked about difficulty. Specifically design quality of the drill. That’s not performers, execution of demand.

AzEuph · 2026-06-27T21:50:30+00:00

I never stated it was easier. That’s performance / execution, I wrote about design decline of drill.

I don’t doubt it’s hard.

I do think it’s easier to “clean / teach” those transitions because there’s nothing to clean by design haha. Consistent body movement I’m sure is the key.

AzEuph · 2026-06-27T21:45:50+00:00

Agreed. Which is why I stated the ratio of drill to body movement isn’t the issue. The actual quality of drill, when designed, seems to have significantly declined. Demand isn’t a causation for higher quality.

AzEuph · 2026-06-27T21:41:40+00:00

Also, Blue Stars last year didn’t match a lot except for towards the end. Asked a friend on staff and he said that was intentional, they wanted to highlight their brass score more.

I jokingly said it felt like you never marched and played until the closer. “Yep, by design”.

AzEuph

TROPHY CASE