Variations on a Gathering

Visually this program checks most of your typical top tier show boxes, but still somehow falls short with seemingly less inspired drill and staging than we're used to from the Blue Devils of years past. The musical arrangements for this show are excellent but seem to lack direction and energy in many moments. The theming and basis behind this show are second to none but it feels the design staff was never able to make it over the hump per se. I personally didn't hate the inclusion of the Soprano sax, especially in the introduction. I think it possibly could have gotten shoehorned into the musical program after the rule changes, but I'd like to think that isn't the case. The way the chairs transform to become stages and their use in the show is quite genius. The closer drill was fantastic and tight (matching with the final gathering moment) which was a refreshing dynamic moment in the staging era. special shoutout to the snareline for powering through the season and cleaning up their add in feature and making it great. The amount of dogpiling from the internet they received was so unnecessary and disrespectful of the work these performers put into these shows.

I gathered to watch this

wow what a step in innovation dci made with woodwind soloists! surely the blue devils utilized the rule change well right?

Epic

Derivative midness

mid

Ass