FINALS RECAP: BOA St. Louis Super Regional
FINALS RECAP: BOA St. Louis Super Regional
The 2018 version of the BOA St. Louis Super Regional has finally come to a close after two days, and I've got about 15,000 characters describing it all.
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If you didn't know it already, this year's BOA St. Louis Super Regional is one for the memories—and we're just not gonna talk about the fact that it was my first time watching the finals in St. Louis from start to finish.
The 2018 version of the BOA St. Louis Super Regional has finally come to a close after two days, and I've written about 15,000 characters describing it all.
Just to summarize what this area of the country's marching bands are bringing to the activity: I've never seen such wild, fun, and thought-provoking shows. The design teams of a number of these bands are prioritizing the performers having fun through accessible music and playful aesthetics—O'Fallon Township, Blue Springs, and Bentonville come to mind first.
Blue Springs South (MO) - "One Step Closer"
First, staircases—galore. Five sets of two staircases face one another, adorned with the guard wearing their all-gold uniforms complete with skirts and sequins. As the band's sound fills the dome, a woodwind trio calmly builds the energy. In the meantime, the brass and percussion are in the background driving up the tension. Softly at first, only to lead into a big gap of silence... and then a wall of pure sound.
By the way, who does a bass clarinet choir? Blue Springs South does. That's who. Shoutout for actually marching a full section of them.
As the show progresses, the drill gets even more difficult and the air is filled with motifs of "Angels in the Architecture" before fully revealing itself in the percussion section.
After another high volume moment, a piano solo takes us straight into "Stairway to Heaven," then into a flute sextet. While your eyes are drawn to the front sideline, the stairs are moved across the field and separated.
Balance is a big strong suit for this winds section, especially in the exposed sustains.
The ending is filled with moments for the guard to shine, despite their position in the backfield. It's almost like they suddenly doubled in size once the large white/gold swing flags come out.
Weiss (TX) - "NOIR"
Welcome to BOA Super Regional Finals for the first time ever, Weiss (TX)! The school opened in the fall of 2017 and made the trip up to St. Louis all the way from Pflugerville, TX—right outside of Austin.
After a wonderful horn solo, the woodwinds pick up the melody of "On The Waterfront" before the focus transitions onto the percussion. The tempo picks up all the way into the first hit with a rather tame volume coming out—leaving themselves more room to grow for a later impact, no doubt.
Drill seems to be on Weiss's side considering their size. Lots of clarity.
As "Along the Waterfront" wraps up, we get hit with that full volume impact that I suspected they held back for before. The guard goes through a uniform change from their all-black to mostly-white with black accents. The welcome color change hints at the softness coming from the trombone soloist and long-tones in the background from the rest of the winds. Finally, the ballad closes out with a nice tight, unresolved chord accompanied by a lyrical flute solo.
That's the end of the softness though because we're immediately thrown into isolated hits from the winds and the battery playing in the open space—plus an immediate tempo change.
Love this half-time walk across the field from the winds—show off that technique! Lots of volume coming on the hit right after as well, impressive considering the relatively small size of Weiss. Another standing-O, and we're right onto the next!
Clovis (NM) - "Dia De Los Muertos"
What better way to open up the pre-show than hiding your entire color guard in graves and letting them come out to the tune of "Bad to the Bone." All dressed in a very "Dia De Los Muertos" look—makes sense, right?
The percussion section takes us straight out of the name announcement and some very nice flag work builds the excitement into a huge brass-heavy portion. Oh, by the way, they can make the crowd "oooh" just from their volume.
As a trumpet player myself, I have to commend this arranging and talent of the performers after listening to this trumpet section perform tonight.
A horn duet takes us into their "La Cucaracha" ballad—yes, ballad—while the guard grabs bright orange and red silks. It's hard not to laugh to yourself while a band is playing "the cockroach" very lyrically, especially while slowly swaying from left to right.
A quick transition from the battery/flute solo and we're onto the next movement. The trumpets take their position on the raised platform right behind the pit and show off exactly why they can carry that melody through the opener. Some upper range players in there, for sure.
As the show transitions into the end, the guard finds their final resting place across the field and the winds/percussion return to their place next to the coffins—bringing it right back to the idea that started the show, just in different places on the field.
Bentonville (AR) - "Modern Marie"
Well, that's a lot of cake.
Some pretty complicated stuff from Bentonville (AR) right out of the gate from the woodwinds—not to mention the rest of the band behind them entirely facing the side one end zone while that's happening. And playing along with a bassoon-heavy woodwind group on the stage.
All thirty of the rifles (it's not actually thirty, but there were too many to count) smack dab on the 50 doing ensemble tosses in front of the center cake. It's clear they have some confidence in their talent.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention that the ENTIRE band has pink-frosted hair. Okay back to the show.
A beautiful baritone solo transitions the show into "La Vie En Rose." As woodwinds fill out the background with long-tones, the brass does choreography on the turf. The ballad hit is everything I could have wanted it to be. Pretty sure the echo in the dome lasted 3 whole seconds after the cutoff.
Diamonds are a girl's best friend, aren't they? It's really hard to describe the closer other than sultry, jazzy, and fun. Plus, there's a kneeling kick-out at the end, making their own mark on the classic Phantom Regiment staple.
Grain Valley (MO) - "WaterColors"
The scene begins with large, blank white canvases along the back-left half of the field. The right half is filled with long, multi-colored paint roller brush strokes, which are continued by the band's similarly colored plumes along each yard-line.
The entire aesthetic of the winds' choreography is very fluid and flowing. A lot of swaying fills the faster moments while the guard shows off on the blank canvases in the back.
As the blank canvases turn around, the words "the world is your canvas" are revealed. A soft and gentle ballad passage is followed by the oboist working his magic as the cherry on top on the left side of the field.
Now it's the battery's turn to show off what they've got. And even as a trumpet player, I know this percussion section is something special. They can make the crowd go crazy without going overboard on their playing—as you know drummers can often do when they're featured.
Some tight, fast-paced drill takes the winds into the end of the show as the guard fills the rest of the field with brightly multi-colored silks.
Morton (IL) - "Through The Eternal Spring"
Love this opening with the tribal-style singing and some organic body-work that seems to be controlled by the guard member at the top of the main prop (the "eternal spring") on the side one 30 yard-line.
A powerful opener is followed up by a very technical second movement. Even the brass are out there playing runs while doing some crazy upper body movement—such as leaning on the 45 while side-stepping in a block at the same time.
Some pretty difficult timing things happening on the field with the soprano saxophone atop the prop and the rest of the woodwinds entirely on side two of the 50, even as far as the 15-yard line.
Much of this show's staging is actually fairly difficult considering how much of the field the winds actually fill. They're often spread from 15 to 15 or at the very least, 30 to 30—a spread of 70 yards is inexplicably difficult to nail the timing.
A sense of resolution washes over the stadium as the djembe and woodwinds transport us to some hypothetical tribal land filled with water with the beginning of the final movement.
Owasso (OK) - "Clara"
Does anyone smell Christmas?
The pit opens with a little "Nutcracker" only to be smacked in the face by Owasso's massive sound in the first impact. Much like Bentonville, this color guard is not afraid to be out front with some pretty exposed ensemble moments—especially in the rifles.
A little bit of a modern take on a dance break with some hype-man vocals thrown overtop a nasty brass feature. The fireplace scene turns 180 degrees into a black, carnival tent-looking curtain topped with gold and white reflective decorations. Atop the curtain is one performer seemingly controlling the band into the ballad.
This story of the Nutcracker from Owasso is a bit of a wacky ride but they keep you entertained with their character work from the feature soloists and an awesomely loud sound.
Broken Arrow (OK) - "THE United States of America"
I saw Broken Arrow from the field-level in prelims and I was able to SEE the energy more than I was able to hear it, now that I'm up a few rows, I'm so ready to hear this Broken Arrow band play their butts off.
First off, that brass opening is glorious—isolated rhythms, difficult syncopation, a few unisons, capped off with a huge impact that you can feel to your core.
The show is almost like a journey through vignettes of America as the members spell different words in the drill and create the recognizable symbols of America. The music quickly moves from one recognizable melody to another. Throughout most of the show, the brass and woodwinds are constantly tossing the melody back and forth with ease while splitting the field.
Also, the Broken Arrow color guard is gigantic, and they have the talent to match their size. I swear they never stop moving, too.
Once the trombones and saxophone choirs get going, it's like a party on the field. Pure Americana in jazz with melodies from "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy."
The transition right afterward is quickly sobering however once the monuments are brought out to symbolize fallen soldiers. All you hear are the sound of flags filling the air, accompanied by a beautifully soft woodwind feature far on side one. The brass coming in just seals the deal. Tears.
We'll leave the ending for Grand Nats. But it's good.
Dripping Springs (TX) - "2181: Adventures In Time And Space"
Best sound effects of the day. And that was just the preshow.
The show opens with small melodies from Holst's "The Planets" and a hint of 1812 overture as the props shift from spelling "1812" to "2181" in the backfield. Again with the bright colored air-rifles, this color guard has quite the confidence in their abilities and it shows in the performers' faces. It's hard to find a color guard member that isn't projecting.
Also, as someone who focuses mostly on the visual aspect—drill and marching technique more than anything—I have fallen in love with these uniforms. The neon green streak down the right leg highlights straight legs and punishes bent legs since the strap won't be taut if their legs aren't straight. Pretty cool.
Dripping Springs also puts an emphasis on utilizing the black versus white contrast on their jackets, which can quickly darken or lighten the scene with a single step forward or backward.
Huge props to the flugelhorn soloist on the 45 yard-line in front of the infinity sign. It was beautiful.
O'Fallon Township (IL) - "Stretching The Canvas"
Revolutionary. Is that too much? I don't care. This show has got to be one of the most fun shows I have ever watched—while also being incredibly demanding.
A typical basics block for any band includes some 8-5s, some 6-5s, backward marching, and slides. Well, for O'Fallon, it's a little different. It's not too often you'll find them moving at an 8-5 forwards or backward on this tarp. They cover ground through some fairly unnatural-looking body movement and very organic choreography.
Basically, the entire opening just draws out the goosebumps.
If you can manage to take your eyes off of the giant neon green pillowcases dancing everywhere, you'll find a pretty talented rifle line amidst all of the craziness.
From pink to green, to now purple. The mood shifts from silly to more lyrical while the band crab-steps themselves into the next hit. The different instrument sections literally attach themselves to one another through purple straps on their wrists and the back of their uniform.
As the next movement begins, a groove quickly starts to emerge only to conclude with a full-out breakdown with the battery section. Next, the trombones start giving it to the crowd on the front sideline while the upper brass is filling in the spaces near the back hash—not easy.
Looking forward to getting another look at this program in Indianapolis in two weeks for BOA Grand Nationals!
Marian Catholic (IL) - "Triptych"
Time for one of the most interesting and confusing shows I have ever seen. After speaking with Marian Catholic's director Greg Bimm, I've come to the conclusion that I was overthinking it. It's actually fairly simple.
It's like three different band shows thrown into one. The transitions are exactly that—transitions.
Part one opens with the battery and with that, quite a bit of tension. Strong low brass sound right out of the gate. As always, this color guard is so talented. Love the "yetis" and the "Twilight Zone" reference as they wrap up part one.
What's most fascinating about this is part two, by far. The group plays "Adagio for Strings" backwards. The mirrored clocks on the props symbolize the reversal of time and the music matches perfectly. It has a hint of familiarity that you can't quite place. The guard member with the baby carriage moves backwards through time as the winds seranade across the field.
The final part is still fresh for Marian Catholic due to some weather holding the band back from learning it sooner. Definitely going to need a second look at the third portion of "Triptych" in Indianapolis during Grand Nats.
Blue Springs (MO) - "From A Different Angle"
This show is at the top of my list of must-sees for 2018. If you don't get a chance to watch it live, I feel for you.
From the opening brass hit through to the final sustain, this show is just unforgettable.
Right in the opener, the complexity of having nearly your entire woodwinds section march towards the back corner, while playing, while the brass is the focal point (and also playing) over on side one is incredibly risky and it paid off. Great baritone feature with all of those tight chords and pure confidence from the performers behind the mouthpiece.
Goosebump-inducing soprano saxophone solo, only to be followed up by an amazing flag feature from the color guard on side one. And out comes the vocalist. What a powerful performer. Captivating from the first note. (Also, the front ensemble accompaniment is literally 45 yards away.)
Oh yeah and then he picks up the violin. Heck yeah, mellos! Can I say heck?
It just looks like these kids are having fun out there. Plain and simple, this show is a marching band member's dream—or maybe it's just mine.
Can't wait to see where this show gets in the next two weeks as they make they final push to Grand National Championships.
Jenks (OK)
Time to take a trip to the local mechanic, Jenks High School!
Kicking things off with some flashy impacts matched by the guard's choreography. It's honestly pretty difficult to take your eyes off of this color guard. It seems like there's not a second that they aren't performing—projecting their energy far past the audience in the stands. Pair that with some exciting brass arranging and you've got quite the power in your loud impact moments, Jenks.
The crowd was also not afraid to give it up for Jenks with all of these general effect-heavy moments.
With the band getting rid of their shakos this year, the demand falls on them as well to raise that performance level and sell the characters that they're trying to embody on the field.
Obviously the main characters in the story, the two male color guard feature performers were just hitting everything. Any men interested in joining a color guard but might be afraid, check out this show. It'll push you to take the leap, I'm sure.
Can't wait to see this group in Indianapolis two weeks from now for the 2018 BOA Grand National Championships.
Lincoln-Way Community (IL) - "Las Rosas"
In my opinion, Lincoln-Way's "Las Rosas" is a display of the power of their woodwind sections. The show begins sprinkled with small group features from the flutes and a soprano saxophone. With a taste of jazz, they hint at what's to come in the final movement of their show.
The ballad is splashed with red from the color guard and a very satisfying balance between the woodwinds and brass stretched from 5 yard-line to 5 yard-line.
As the music transitions into a personal favorite, a Chuck Mangione piece, the band loses their white tops and unveils their rose-petaled undershirts. The classic ostinato of the tubas set the foundation under the melody coming from the clarinets and flutes. With the trumpets fitting in the rest of the countermelody in the open spaces, and you've got a whole "Land of Make Believe."
I definitely had to reveal a smirk when I heard the brass pick up the same feature as the woodwinds right before the final impact—those are some quick fingers.