Back of the Bus: The Home Stretch
Over ~29 hours, I’ve seen every World Class corps perform. This has been my 3rd, 4th, or 18th read for most of these ensembles. For a couple of these groups, this was my first or second read. It’s been an exceptional season, just like so many others, and one many will remember. Let’s dive into what happened in Allentown.
Ride the Wave
First and foremost, let’s talk about Jersey Surf. This year is the third time I’ve seen them explore the legacy of one of their New Jersey predecessors in garnering inspiration from the Bridgemen. This show is one of my favorites from a strict entertainment perspective this year. I LOVE it. Express Yourself is one of the strongest and most cohesive products on the field this year, and I’d love to see more corps in their competitive echelon take notes from this production.
This is an engaging and entertaining show that this corps should be proud of. Let’s discuss why this production is the best option for this group this year.
Thoughts on the Developing Group
Any group looking to grow their engagement and potential membership base can take a hint from the Surf. They’re doing a fun, enjoyable, easily accessible show. They’re performing it well. They’re playing recognizable music. For corps looking to move into finalist contention, this is the formula to follow! You don’t need to do the safest show imaginable. You don’t need to outsmart every other corps in front of you. You must ENGAGE your potential members and sell them on marching YOUR corps! This is how you get the membership in the door to perform all the wild and lofty ideas your Program Coordinator has!
Identity has been something that it seems Surf has had difficulty with at points over the last decade-ish or so. Take 2012’s Bridgemania. I don’t want to put words into the mouth of anyone associated with the organization. Still, there had to have been concerns about making the fun, goofy, almost silly show their identity. What happened, though? Surf made an amazing, delightful, and iconic production that, despite placing 20th overall, is the most beloved show of theirs ever. They followed that up with Soul Surfin’, a show that didn’t quite reach the heights of its predecessor but was a delightful one regardless. After these two crowd favorites, the Surf went with the safe route with 2014’s Pay It Forward. This production completely shifted the corps' approach, turning to a nice and generally safe design, as opposed to the crowd-pleasing, high-flying Bridgemen tribute shows.
Don’t get me wrong. Surf isn’t the only group to do this. We’ve seen this whiplash from Madison and Music City in recent years, among many others. Surf is easily the one to stick with me the most, though, whether because of my age, disposition, or what have you.
Seeing them return to an iconic identity this year is a delight. Will this get them the talent to propel into the conversation with Madison, Crossmen, and friends next year? I really have no idea, though, if we’re being realistic, probably not. Does this show make me want to perform with them, even though I’m far too old? It absolutely does, and that’s way more important than an outside shot at 16th.
Do your thing Surf. I love it. The fans love it. Your potential members love it, and they matter most of all. Just go out there and show this activity what fun looks like.
Big, Loud, and Live
We have schedules for the Theater show on Thursday. Yes, this coming Thursday, the end of the competitive season is this close. One of the most exciting races to me is always who makes it on to the broadcast, even if they’re not the group that ends up in the 15th spot when all is said and done. After a couple of years of hardship, trial, and tribulation, the first corps on in theaters will be the Spirit of Atlanta. All the love in the world to this group, as they have dealt with significant challenges throughout the season, with very few members from 2021 returning, a very young average age, and the specter of having taken a year off hanging over them.
A Generally Effective Announcement
We have two very exciting announcements to share with you! It’s our second season covering DCI, and as the season rushes toward its conclusion, we decided to explore different ways of sharing incredible experiences with you, our lovely subscribers. First,
Quite frankly, I was down pretty significantly on this group at the beginning of the season. After reviewing some videos of them during their move-ins, I said they’d likely get 20th overall. Safe to say that is not going to be the case. They have thoroughly proven me and many others wrong. I wouldn’t be surprised if they keep doing so and make a couple of the corps currently ahead of them not feel very confident with where their final placement will end up. I think this corps can do crazy things after the season they’ve just had, and I can’t wait to see what Finals week brings.
9-to-5
The hunt for fifth and who ends up in ninth are probably the most intriguing battles for this coming Saturday for me. We know who’s in the top 4, even if 2-4 is a little chaotic right now. We have a pretty good idea on the top 11 overall if we don’t know the order, and I firmly believe that 12 will come down to whoever pops a big number on Friday more than anything else.
If anyone tells you they’re sure who 5-7 are, especially if they have a specific order down, they’re misguided. For much of the season, it seemed to be a two-horse race for 5th, with Mandarins doing amazing things on the field and Phantom putting out some incredible sounds. Cadets forced their way into the conversation before ATL, and Cavies seem to be trying to make an argument for themselves there. That should be an absolute mess and a delightful one to watch.
My guess for 5th? Phantom
Back of the Bus: In Traffic
Swamp Tour has hit. Corps are dealing with all the heat and humidity that the Deep South has to offer, and a few of them have also been hit with a stomach bug that kept the Cavaliers and Bluecoats from doing their full productions at one point or another. Even beyond that, more and more holes are showing up as Corps medical teams are doing all they can …
When it comes down to who’ll be getting 9th out of the three corps in competition for it, Blue Stars have had the upper hand for so much of the season, and with that comes a fairly optimal performance order. They get the luxury of going on directly after the Intermission. Troopers and Colts? Not so much. It’s not an insurmountable obstacle, but it certainly makes things more interesting than they looked to be just a few weeks ago. Their main competition seems to be the Troopers, who do many things well but struggle at moments with transitions. This group has undergone massive changes since 2019, and all the credit to this year’s staff. This is a damn good show. We’ll see how it fares against Stars and the Colts, one of the big nostalgia corps this year.
Fortunately for Colts, Minuano is one of the more beloved tunes in DCI, and they have very effective and well-put-together impacts throughout. Toss in some Cinematic Orchestra and a cute show idea? Great stuff all around.
My guess for 9th? Troopers
Quick Hits
We did our first couple of shows of Cocktails & Critique this weekend for Allentown! It was a blast, and we are also growing a great little community on the new GEM Discord. We’re finalizing the schedule for Championship Week, so join us!
Boston feels even more like Crown 15 with the new additions at the end of the show.
OC Prelims and Finals are upon us, and every group will be performing both nights, so if you can’t check them out during prelims, don’t worry because Finals is the same lineup.
Our yearly Visitors Guide to Indy (pt. 1) has been posted!
We’d love to know your thoughts and perspective on this season for a fun little wrap-up we’ll be doing at the end of the year. Feel free to email any thoughts to matthew@generaleffect.media
Matthew Carstensen is currently GEM’s Managing Editor. He has been involved in the Pageantry Arts for over a decade as a performer at the highest level, an instructor, and a fan. You can find him on Twitter, Threads, and Instagram at @SatNightLites. He currently lives in Florida with his dog.