As someone who marched this show, you nailed it! I'm actually incredibly relieved you understood, because I sometimes talk to people who just do not understand. What's even more impressive is that you got the "entropy" idea. Fun Fact: We didn't put in the uniform change until about halfway through the season. The entire season, we ended up making small or big changes from show to show. I'm really glad you reacted to this show. I actually checked your channel earlier today to see if you saw it, and you hadn't posted it yet, so I'm so happy you did!
I just want to say that this show is up there with Star 93 for me. Every choice is correct. And I really respect how your designers have found different ways to show demand. It’s so hard in ways that other most people do not credit you for. Doing the Reich piece so spread out and on the move gives me hives just thinking of cleaning that. And the guard was undervalued in its orchestration and achievement in my humble opinion.
@@keenanglimpsemusic5918 as a former Bluecoat alum and tech, I’m freaking happy for you guys and proud of you. You achieved everything we ever dreamed the corps would someday become. 6 words! 💙 🍂
So glad you enjoyed it! You were spot on with all of your predictions and analysis! The end is about accepting the change that we all went through over the course of the show, and embracing the beautiful changes of life. We end in the same set that we began in, looking out at the beautiful mess we’ve made
This show is the best designed show I have ever had the opportunity to witness live. Everything makes sense. I will readily admit that it’s not my favorite musically. However, I had this pointed out to me on the Drum Corps Planet forum; it’s more about feeling the music than trying to put it into a box of “this is what I think a drum corps show should sound like”. Once I watched it with that in mind, honestly it changed the way I saw the show. You are 100% correct on everything that you commented on. The show is about entropy and the move from order to chaos. The show description from the corps itself is as follows: "Wood turns to sawdust, ice melts, your coffee gets cold. A star explodes into supernova and then collapses into a black hole. Accelerating rhythm becomes tone and creates harmony before descending into cacophony. Entropy is the arrow of time, moving us relentlessly from order to disorder. How do we create human moments even as everything devolves around us? I. We search for shapes and patterns, arranging moments of sonorous melody before noise takes over. Brick by brick we build and rebuild even when we know every solid structure will eventually melt away. II. Ordering and reordering our thoughts, we drift through a sea of emotional disarray, seeking to understand our existence when change is the only certainty. III. Can we find a way to create meaning in the beautiful mess of our own lived experience? The forward progress of time is measured in seconds, but it is the moments we create in time that measure our humanity. We are nothing but matter, but in this moment, we matter." This moment changes everything. Change Is Everything. Now onto a few questions that you had: The guard uniforms are all completely different. They are the entropy. The hornline and percussion are the rigid lines of order. Then when we reach the ballad, they start to unzip it to reveal the chaos underneath. Once they reach the chaotic jazz piece(aptly named Dymaxion, short for dynamic maximum tension), they reveal more, taking a sleeve off. Once they reach the end, it’s all the way off. Which is a great segue into what the ending means. I don’t think there’s necessarily a “correct” reading of what it’s supposed to be, but I’ll give my two cents as a show designer myself(not DCI but aspiring to create on that level). What the last minute and 30 seconds is saying is - to me - that everything is chaos. Everything breaks down into unbelievably small parts. We are made of cells made up of atoms made up of quarks. We make up our world, which is part of the solar system, which is part of a galaxy, which is part of a universe, which could be just one among an infinite number of universes. But despite all the chaos spinning around us, here we are, defying chaos to create our lives and meaning within our lives even though one day it will all break apart and blow away into nothing. It all still means something because, quite simply, we are here. We with our small amount of time can still make it all worth it. We can matter in this moment that we have. And something about that is so human, like you said. That’s what we do. Maybe thats why we’re here. To make moments. That’s why the show won. Not because it was groundbreaking or because it didn’t have competition, but because it took this incredibly deep concept and made it accessible to people; so accessible that you understood it immediately without any information at all. It made you feel for a moment. And that was the point of it all. Aaaand philosophy rant over. This is hands down the best reaction I’ve seen to a drum corps simply because you got it. You understood. And that was what the Bluecoats set out to achieve.
Great Analysis! I think that the ending represents a celebration and recognition of change as an inevitability. The enclosing of the corps inside a perimeter of red brick blocks really solidifies this for me. By letting the chaos surround them, they embrace it. I agree with your claim of this show's value being primarily in its accessibility. This show takes a simple premise and places it in every facet of the design. The uniforms, props, drill, choreo, music, etc. Each part conveys the theme of entropy better than any show has presented their theme to me in all my time as a drum corps fan.
I'm a little late but I also like to think this plays into how our world was made. A big explosion out of nothingness spreading everything into chaos. Gasses and the like strewn about only for it to eventually become the universe we know now. Chaos that creates something beautiful. The circle in the end almost being like our planet or the stars, roughly spherical yes, but not perfect, still rough around the edges, and yet it contains so much wonder within it. It's not just how as humans we can learn to adapt the chaos into meaning and work with it, but the story of how we and every living being came to be. Chaos can be scary but it's always been there and we've come about not despite it, but because of it. I don't know, there's just something I find so beautiful about that idea! Of all the things that could've been it ended up being us. :>
This guy is a literal genius. The whole show is about entropy and he gets it in the first minute based off solely the uniforms. (The directors used entropy as the word that pretty much defined their show).
They haven't even started the show and you got what its about. major props! The tall mics at the front are for the stream audio, not from the corps. Fun fact, the silver flag feature, the noise you are hearing are from the flags themselves.
No Way! I did think I'd got it but it was almost fluke that I got it from the costumes haha. it was just what popped into my head. To be honest, the title did give a fairly good clue in my mind. 'Change is Everything', to me, does point towards change at the most fundamental level. But that might just be my scientific brain helping me out 😂
@@TheCharlieSmithChannel The yellow and red suits are the color guard. and against yes you got it, they are all different. I highly recommend looking at their youtube channel because they do short vidoes that explain the show and honestly, it has made me love this show so much more! They explain the costumes(that you already picked up on) and the music even more. Suggestions: 'Inside look at ouor set'. 'Inside look at Our Costumes.' and just for fun because I love it so much 'Helenas - Bloo Brass' Anyways, I love your reactions and analysis. makes my day when a new drum corps video of yours shows up!!!
to add, they mic individuals for solos, but individuals within each section have mics as well. it’s usually the lead players for each part being played i.e. 1-2 mics for trumpet 1, trumpet 2, trumpet 3, tuba etc
Fun fact: We do mic up individual instruments for each part. For example, the trumpet section has 6 trumpets mic’ed up for the 3 trumpet parts, 2 for every part. However, none of that is for the reverb effect and the mics are only turned on for certain parts of the show. We have a professional audio team and they are truly the best in the world.
Charlie, we drum corps nuts love it when we watch someone relatively new to the function react the way you do. You're a musician and totally get it. You appreciate the musicianship, the execution of the drill, the color guard and visual effects, and of course how one becomes enthralled when seeing it performed at a very high level of perfection. Welcome to the family, my good man!
Fun fact! When they're spinning the the shiny flags at 10:00 the field level mics you saw were actually picking up that audio making for the "whooshing" sounds whilst they're spinning
@@laurelhamrick2398 And they're Mylar material instead of the standard fabric to get that extra crackle and whoosh sound. One of the most well thought out effects of the show, and that's saying something.
I picked up on this and pointed it out to others watching finals. I think that was one of the coolest segments about the show, making the flash work into music. I was very impressed by that
I was in a Drum Corps playing percs in the Philippines doing competition back in Highschool, I just stumbled upon memory lane and searched for one of the Corps we studied Blooo and BD that we and the bois looked up to, and this performance brought me to tears. I showed this to my wife and I told her I was in tears watching this performance its about changes, and the things we continuously experience everyday. She said that she didn't get it at first, maybe because she has no idea the effort, sweat and passion we put so a show like this. I looked to her and told her that I appreciate all of her hard work and dedication on our family the changes we faces everyday and she cried. I felt every note and emotion of this performance, it brought me back. Worthy of being champs again.
Since 1977 I've either marched in a corps or been in the audience for them. I've seen thousands of Drum Corps shows and this Bluecoats show is my favorite of all time. They had me from the first note. I became overwhelmed during the ballad and cried. I used to hate the addition of electronics and amplification in DCI, but the mastery in which they are used by Bluecoats made me a believer.
Same. I've been watching for decades and my favorite show has always been the Cavalier's 2002 show "Frameworks". This is the first time since then that I believe a corps has truly achieved something original, beautiful, and powerful. We'll see if it's recency bias but I think I might have a new favorite 22 years later.
I was so happy to see your reaction to this one because you always seem eager to connect to the art that these shows are and like many others have said this is the current pinnacle of what this medium can be as Art. I actually appreciate that you stop the playback a lot to share your thoughts because we're here to listen to you obviously, and if you kept it playing while speaking you might miss the next cool part and then we wouldn't get to hear your take on it. Thanks for the awesome content and I really hope you make it to Indy next year!
Dude! What a phenomenal interpretation of the show! You pretty much got it spot on! You have quickly become my absolute favorite youtuber when it comes to breaking down and interpreting DCI shows. Drum corps is an art form, and a very abstract one at that, and I love watching you give your own personal interpretation of the shows (that you get right almost all the time)! PLEASE keep it up and I will donate all that I can for you to make it to DCI finals in 2025. You are killing it man!
I just love watching these reactions and seeing what people actually think about the color guard. I was in guard in high school and did winterguard as well, and at one point I wanted to do drum corps. The only reason I didn't was money and mental health. In school, a lot of the band undervalued us and absolutely hated the guard. And we were a decently sized band--like anywhere from 150-200 students, and the guard made up around 10-15 students. One year we only had 8. We were treated like shit by even a lot of band parents and some of the staff. But go outside of band, and people thought it was cool. Winter guard was an incredible experience. But there was still that "I'm better than you" mentality from a lot of the older people (especially the ones about to age out). From what I've seen, every member of corps is valued and appreciated for their contribution. There's a respect there that I so wish I could have experienced before ageing out.
Another one of the shows from this year that'll hook you with sheer intensity is Mynd from the Phantom Regiment. That show has raw emotion and power in it. Voted the fan favorite from a huge survey. They placed 4th.
Oh, that's so exciting to hear that it's next! The crowd cheered for phantom the loudest (I was there), think someone measured it at 107 decibels. As much as I love bloo's show, I love Mynd just as much or more.
Hi! My name is Navier I marched bass 2 this season at the Bluecoats this past summer, and can I just say wow you hit this right on the nail! The uniform change is to signify that even in chaos you can find the beauty!
You understood more about this show in the first 30 seconds than most fans did the entire season. Really cool to see how your eye has become “fined tuned” to picking up stuff like this from doing these reaction videos. Bravo!
W E . L O V E . Y O U . your excitement attentiveness and appreciation for what we collectively have worked so hard to create is so satisfying and beautiful to witness - i marched in the 90s and aged out in 2000 - but even if i hadnt participated in drum corps i still would thank you SO very much for championing and illuminating the activity and its members (as i see you doing for other artists and art forms) and thank you for allowing us to revisit explore discover and marvel with you - again… W E . L O V E . Y O U .
Had my first in person DCI experience at semi finals and finals. Honestly, from the seats, it isn’t as much the volume that amazes me, it’s the perfect and orchestral sound of the ensembles. Videos just can’t capture the true sound. This show was amazing to see in person, it’s been stuck in my head all season
So happy you love our drum corp world . I have been out of drum corp for many years and I still goto drum corp shows . And have many friends from drum corp to this day. Once in drum corp you will always be in drum corp. No one works harder than a corp. Thanks for loving our love drum corp world.
My thoughts on the yellow uniforms: The entire idea of the show from the beginning, as you said, was entropy. Literally “change is everything”. So, in changing the uniform, they were both staying true to the theme of the show, and I believe it was a testament to individual uniqueness. That’s why you see so much choreography that’s seemingly random movement. I see it as a “shout from the rooftops” moment of individuality while still being a part of something bigger and incredible. If this makes sense. This show, like so many other bluecoats shows, really makes you think about what you’re watching.
Another thought on the idea of individuality, I believe the show designers intentionally left the message up to be interpreted by each person individually.
Charlie, I am so excited that you were sent the 2024 Championship Show from the Bluecoats….I saw them live at their first show of the summer in Cincinnati and i knew they were going to win the Championship Thu were undefeated and for great reason! I love the journey you are on because you are seeing a lot of the newer shows first so you will get to see where the activity has evolved as i know you have a tom of requests for shows from over 30 years ago. One of the things i love most about the activity is 10 people can watch this 2024 production of “Change is Everything” and get 10 different well thought out themes of the show. For me, I looked at it as an homage to how much the activity has changed over the years (It is often looked at negatively by those that marched back in the 70s and 80s ) by doing a masterful job at incorporating the props all over the field, the electronics that used to not be permitted, the use of trombones and not wearing a traditional uniform and making it all work flawlessly to an ending where the corp is all in the center of the field on yellow with their arms outstretched as if to say, even after all of the change, in the end we are simply The Bliecoats. the family aspect of the activity which has always been their no matter what changes on the field. i am so excited to see more reactions from you🙏😁👍 This is such a fun ride with you
Charlie, you are a gem of a human being and thank you for helping advocate and advance our art form further! I’m a band director, and teach students band instruments for a living. While I never marched Drum Corps myself (I play trombone and they didn’t allow those back the ) I have sent plenty of students into the activity after high school! What you’re doing is special and I can’t wait for you to get the star treatment next year in Indianapolis! Take care!
🥹 thank you so much. It's been one of the greatest joys of my career on youtube. I cannot wait to go and see in person. Thank you for such a nice comment 🌟
You hit it on the mark again. You noticed how the uniforms symbolized change and you nailed it with “entropy”. The whole concept of the show had to do with order turning to disorder
You show a remarkable depth in your analysis and your ability to see how the various diverse parts complement and create the whole. Very impressive - congratulations!
In 10 or 15 years people will finally (hopefully) begin to realize how ahead of the times this show and Bluecoats are. This... Bluecoats...they just...its everything....literally they just told us what existence of everything is or what it looks like - The pureness and uniformity of Time ushered in by a big bang - a slow degradation of uniformity to chaos and white noise. At the end of Time we find ourselves and the manifesting chaos and white noise become maximally disordered....which is a Time of perfect uniformity...but this time is a (red) level down in energy. You guys feel that? This reaction/video may be the best video on youtube or of all time! Its beyond captivating, its unfathomly fathomable and relatable. If you're my elbow its relatable. If you are a banana nut bread, its relatable. If you're a hostile alien from a random star system in the Large Magellanic Cloud....its relatable. I would also echo some of my words I made on another DCI video, a ways back... you Charlie are scary perceptive and smart haha! I will say, Bloos demonstration of Poincare Recurrence is the sparknote (notice the lack of "s" at the end...had to cleverly throw in a "singularity" somewhere!) of sparknotes version lol.
Insane guess at the beginning about what the show was about. I'm not gonna try to pretend to be an expert on this show, but I did watch a video from the Bluecoats about the uniform design. The white and red uniforms that the musicians are wearing in the beginning are meant to represent order and evenness, they are all parallel and everything while the color guard (the ones in yellow with the flags) have uniforms that are specifically designed to be uneven and not parallel at all. As the show goes on, the entropy increases and the musicians take off the white parts and reveal the uniform underneath that is not parallel and all chaotic. Again, I didn't march the show, I just watched one random youtube video so if I'm wrong please correct me. Also, the way I interpreted the big red tarps on the side was that they represented a closed system like how entropy always increases in a closed system. That part I made up completely in my head so that could be totally wrong but that's how I saw it.
I love watching how this art form affects you. Love you sharing your observations and interpretations as the show progressed. It was a masterful show, and I enjoyed watching you react to it.
You did great job with it until the very end. The final 30 seconds actually bring things back together. The brass go back to the middle of the field, and the final chord ends with the reverberant brass sound in synthesizer like the beginning. And yes! It was a truly amazing performance.
I've been a fan for nearly 20 years and this is near the top of my list of truly inspired shows. The first show that really blew me away was Frameworks. I felt like I was watching something completely revolutionary--a culmination of years of small innovations pushed to the next level. That show set a new standard. This is a show that can stand alongside Frameworks as a show that truly pushes the activity to a new level. The crazy thing is, they are pushing the bar up consistently in show design and production nearly every year while making their shows fun and accessible. This is also a culmination of everything from Tilt and beyond. If I were to select 5 shows to put in The Smithsonian for people to watch, this would be one of them.
Also, although not explicitly mentioned why the BLUEcoats are red, some theorize red as the central theme due to the fact that the universe is expanding (i.e increasing in entropy) and to the observer, cosmological bodies would appear "red-shifted". but simpler answer: because Change.
Saw it live. The reverb is coming from the speakers next to the 2 conductors. You have to come see a bluecoats show live. The one thing missing from a recording is how they use polyphony to give a full 3D audio effect. They pioneered the concept in 2015 and has been a Hallmark of their shows since
Ah, I saw them last year and that show has been stuck in my head ever since. I was absolutely mesmerized. Your explanation clears up my questions of what I experienced. I liked it way more than the blue devils; who won last year.
This is my favorite DCI show ever. I love that you nailed the meaning of the show and even said entropy before it got started. You HAVE to go see a DCI show live before you die. You will not regret it. The way it hits as an empath to music is just unmatched. All over body experience. Inside and out. It’s phenomenal truly. Thank you for making these reaction vids. Love them and love who your passion for music! Keep doing your thing. Much love ✌️🫶🏼🎶
The rifles at the beginning are called "arc spinning props." They spin very similarly to rifles but are made mainly for schools that have strict policies on gun and weapon depictions. Of course they can also just be used for effect since they look pretty distinct, which is what the bluecoats did with this show. There's a similar product called the airblade that was actually used as a part of Lady Gaga's super bowl performance in 2017. Edit: I finished the rest of the video and I just want to appreciate how insightful these reactions are, especially for a DCI newbie. There are lifelong DCI fans who can't even provide half as meaningful discussion of this activity as you. I really hope you can catch a show next year, as I'm looking to march then.
One aspect of this show that a single viewing doesn't do justice to is: the literal metamorphosis of the ENTIRE show from the first performance in June to their final runthrough!!!
The fact that you were able to discern the theme of the show from the costumes is no doubt because of two things: 1. You seem like a pretty sharp guy. 2. This show was just that well designed, right down to the most minute details. Now, as far as the costuming is concerned, the corps proper (in the red and white suits) were very symmetrical, representing order. The color guard (in yellow) are adorned with haphazard red lines representing chaos, perhaps even the inevitable force of entropy itself. The corps eventually sheds their white, symmetrical uniforms to reveal yellow, mismatched garb. The final semblance of any order in this production succumbs to entropy. At the end, it all comes full circle, ending exactly as it began. I think you were on the right track. There is some human explanation for this, and I think it represents the eternal dance we, as human beings have with entropy. Constantly making order out of chaos, only to have it gradually descend into chaos again. That’s how I read it, anyway. Regardless, I love your channel. Your commentary is insightful, and watching you fall in love with this activity that I and so many others dearly love has been a delight. It allows me to see these shows for the first time again, if only through your eyes.
Well done, you nailed the show concept. Regarding the costumes- The red and white suits represent order and rigidity. The yellow and red represent the “entropy”. The colorguard goes as far as having one leg fitted and one leg loose to further the theme of entropy.
OMG, I'm so glad I found your page, Mr. Charlie Smith. I LOVE watching these "Brit Reacts to Drum Corps" with you! I was away from DCI interest for 30 years but I'm back as of this year and am on fire about it. AND it was this show, Change is Everything that absolutely blew my mind (I loved Boston and several others, too) but this one ... I ended up seeing it twice live and then on the tele for the finals. I get something new out of it every time I see it. It's truly inspired, I agree with you! And, as for trying to figure it out ... Change is Everything !!! let it go, experience it changing over and over ... there's nothing to figure out! (that's my conclusion, anyway) You say in the afterthought ... "chaos" Yes!! That's it. It doesn't have to come back together in some ordered construction.
Ha! It was really fun hearing you talk through your reactions to this show. I saw it live, and the sound design is amazing. One of the best designed shows, top to bottom. And i think you hit on it at the end (it's all up to us the viewers what it means to us anyways), making something out of the change, the chaos, etc. Glad you're having fun! We all get as emotional as you do listening to this music❤
I can tell you we are fine with your feedback and talking! After all we are here for the reaction aspect more than the show I would say. I’ve seen this show a million times but love to see others fresh reactions.
The final movement is about accepting the chaos, embracing the change, and finding a new normal. The horns and drums changing to the chaotic yellow uniforms of the guard also reflects this - they’ve embraced the chaos and are regaining some semblance of order.
Only the soloist horns were mic'ed up. The very beginning single note hits have reverb, but it's not from the brass. The brass and the synthesizer hit at the same time, and the synthesizer has that reverb you were hearing. Really cool effect!
We mic’d up only some of the hornline and used those in combination with the shorter field mics Charlie observed at the beginning to create the reverb in real time! It was a live effect! The synth players were not hitting notes in time with the brass at the start
I got to see this show on the 26th of July and it was truly one of the most incredible productions I've ever since since I started seeing live shows in 2016. This reminds me a lot of their 2016 show, which also won gold. This show *IS* about Entropy! The fact you nailed that almost before the show even started, your critical thinking and context clue skills are admirable. This show truly is next level. It was such a surreal experience seeing it live. So much raw power from top to bottom. So much creativity. Im genuinely still speechless from seeing it nearly a month ago. I have a video of their run from my seat that night and it was incredible. Thank you Charlie for watching this show. I knew youd absolutely love it
If u come to DCI in 2025. Make sure u set one of the 3 days to hang out in Military Park in downtown Indianapolis to go to watch all 12 world class finalists warm up. Semi-finals (Friday) is a good day to do this. It’s free. Then watch the indoor finals on Saturday. U will get a close up view. It’s increadible and as good as the finals performance and as good as the stadium show. Also. Buy tickets early (months in advance). They sell out early. Also make sure u check out Phantom Regiment’s finals performance. Based on applause, they were 100% the crowd favorite. The Boston Crusaders were a close second crowd favorite, also. Bluecoats was liked by all and were “technically “ the best. Phantom Regiment has the crowd in a roar!!!
Love watching your DCI reactions! Bluecoats is one of my favorite corps and I wouldn't be doing my duty as a fan if I didn't suggest that you check out my favorite show of theirs, 2016's Downside Up! I loved Tilt, but Downside Up is the show that made me realize how innovative they truly were, just stretching beyond the established "formula" and really doing things that no other corps was at the time. Also - side note - every year after finals, the winning corps gets to do an encore run, and pretty much all of them do so while wearing go pros on their heads. Pick your favorite winning show and check out their encore head-cam videos, it's a really eye opening experience as to what's actually happening down on the field during their performances and just how hard they're working to put it together. It's such a unique perspective to see your favorite shows from that I think you in particular would really get a lot out of.
21:30 I sort of see the change from white and red to yellow and red as a change in a person as they go through various experiences, struggles, hear new viewpoints, etc. Although they change because of the things they go through (the white becoming yellow), they’re always the same human being (like us all) simply living life (the red). SO many beautiful, unique ideas in this show that really hit an emotional side for me
I've watched this show at least a dozen times, but an idea popped into my head for the first time watching your video. Maybe the circular form at the end is supposed to represent an abstract cell? So the show ends with the creation of life out of chaos? IDK ... maybe I'm off base, but it's an interesting idea. Thanks for the video! Definitely enriched the show for me, which I already loved.
It's likely be mentioned already, but just in case..... the items on the stands at the front that you were puzzling about at the beginning of your viewing are a huge number of trombones which are played starting around the 16:30 mark. The larger black towers are the mics for the Flomarching broadcast. The sound in person is SO much better than what you hear from the broadcast.
I put it down to nothing more than a lucky guess to be honest. I could have used any number of other analogies but that just happened to be what popped into my head at that moment. It's absolutely bonkers that it turned out to be the theme of the show haha 🤯
As a Bluecoat alum (2011-2016, 2022), I love the deep dive you’ve been on! I gotta shout out my faves - 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019. I am very Bloo-biased after spending 8+ years with and around the organization 😅
@@booker9816 2022 was the alumni year so maybe like 6.5 😂 but I did do six years for sure. My knees are definitely done and always know when the weather is about to act up
I really do hope you get to go to the DCI Championships next year! I can only imagine the sound produced in the stadium! I did marching band back in high school, and DCI were the guys we looked up to. Thanksgiving was my favorite holiday, because of the feast (of course) and because DCI Finals was showing on TV. It's one of a few things still on my bucket list! God Bless!
Change, as you noticed, is fucking everything in this show. The music writing, the design of the field, the design of the performers, the performers drill. Everything that this show can change from one thing to another it did. One thing thats hard to point out is that even some of the players had to change instruments for the third movement of the show. The mid voice mellophones went onto the sopranos with trumpets and the big, full sound of the entire baritone euphonium section went onto the blasting sound of the trombones.
Change. The theme is change. So as they go through the change as uniform strips off. They end with the formation from the beginning with the same chord they started with. As the show starts it shows the change of breaking things apart to make it better.
@@TheCharlieSmithChannel 😲😲😲😲😄😆😄 It’s great to watch with headphones, but it’s a totally different experience to be there live and feel it (literally😳). Can’t wait! 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼
I think it was more fluke than anything haha. It just happened to be what popped into my head at that moment. It could have been any one of the bazillion things flying around my brain at any given moment but I just got lucky this time I think. Pretty wild! Thank you though ☺️
You were spot on about the theme of the show. There were also some underlying themes that go along with it such as the last 3 years they have done these “acid trippy” style shows so this is a far change from that. Also, the Blue Devils have won the last 3 seasons so crowning a new champion is the change we all needed.
The change from the ornate props and uniforms and spoken word/explicit story line over the last two years to the simple red-and-white uniforms, unadorned red rectangle props and music alone telling the story, was striking - the 2022, 2023 and this 2024 shows, taken together form a rich progression. Bluecoats amaze me with their artistry.
Thank you so much for reacting to this show! I’m a new viewer, but I’m really enjoying the content! Just a suggestion (I’m pretty sure you have to pay for this, but I’ll say it anyway) you should do the Boston Crusaders this from this year. It doesn’t disappoint! Keep it up❤
It sounds like the short notes followed by rests at the beginning morph into a keyboard part that "changes" the sound of the brass into a new sound with reverb. They did something similar in their 2014 show, "Tilt" with keyboard and brass. There are some awesome keyboard sounds throughout this show as well (wind, string glissandos', etc.) It's fun to listen to your perspective. The uniforms and chaos? It's about continuous change. In a sense, it feels like that we're to expect ongoing change.
The tall mics are for DCI recording the audio not for the Bluecoats. The reverb is an electronic recording that they prerecorded at the start of the season
Charlie, someone may have answered you already, but the guard equipment you asked about are called Air Blades. Structurally, it's a rifle but in a smoother, more curved shape.
In short yes the reverb is mostly manipulated by their sound system and electronic instruments. Most notably during the opening segment then during the Guards mettalic silver flag feature. When DCI moved the Championships to Indianapolis they had negotiated with Lucas Oil Stadium and the City of Indianapolis. One of the major stipulations the stadium agreed to was to mitigate the reverb that naturally occurs in an enclosed stadium. The Banner on the the opposite side of the field is actually part of a fabric curtain that is just above the bottom section of seats. It goes from Goal Line to Goal Line and is just above the lower seats up into the roof support beams and it soaks up a crap load of sound.......
If you are curious there is a video on the Bluecoats youtube channel where the costume designer goes through the meaning of the costumes. You pretty much hit the nail on the head but you might find it interesting to hear it from the man himself.
So some of the musicians are mic’d up, most of them being people who have either a solo or are screamers (which is usually for trumpets who just play the really high note in a cord). The stands at the front that are silver are for the trombones that are used during the ballad.
As someone who marched this show, you nailed it! I'm actually incredibly relieved you understood, because I sometimes talk to people who just do not understand. What's even more impressive is that you got the "entropy" idea.
Fun Fact:
We didn't put in the uniform change until about halfway through the season.
The entire season, we ended up making small or big changes from show to show.
I'm really glad you reacted to this show. I actually checked your channel earlier today to see if you saw it, and you hadn't posted it yet, so I'm so happy you did!
I'm so pleased you enjoyed the reaction. Thanks for the extra info, and massive congratulations to you guys 🌟
LOVED your show!!!
I just want to say that this show is up there with Star 93 for me. Every choice is correct. And I really respect how your designers have found different ways to show demand. It’s so hard in ways that other most people do not credit you for. Doing the Reich piece so spread out and on the move gives me hives just thinking of cleaning that. And the guard was undervalued in its orchestration and achievement in my humble opinion.
@@kennydreadfuls861 Fun fact: our head designer, Jon Vanderkolf, marched Star '93! Lots of similarities in our show
@@keenanglimpsemusic5918 as a former Bluecoat alum and tech, I’m freaking happy for you guys and proud of you. You achieved everything we ever dreamed the corps would someday become. 6 words! 💙 🍂
So glad you enjoyed it! You were spot on with all of your predictions and analysis!
The end is about accepting the change that we all went through over the course of the show, and embracing the beautiful changes of life. We end in the same set that we began in, looking out at the beautiful mess we’ve made
Wow that is beautiful. Thank you so much for explaining the meaning of the end.
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Saw you at NightBeat. LOVED your show!!!
U r literally the best DCI reaction channel. Please don't stop! Love u man
Thank you so much. That means so much to me. Love you back
This show is the best designed show I have ever had the opportunity to witness live. Everything makes sense. I will readily admit that it’s not my favorite musically. However, I had this pointed out to me on the Drum Corps Planet forum; it’s more about feeling the music than trying to put it into a box of “this is what I think a drum corps show should sound like”. Once I watched it with that in mind, honestly it changed the way I saw the show.
You are 100% correct on everything that you commented on. The show is about entropy and the move from order to chaos. The show description from the corps itself is as follows:
"Wood turns to sawdust, ice melts, your coffee gets cold. A star explodes into supernova and then collapses into a black hole. Accelerating rhythm becomes tone and creates harmony before descending into cacophony.
Entropy is the arrow of time, moving us relentlessly from order to disorder. How do we create human moments even as everything devolves around us?
I. We search for shapes and patterns, arranging moments of sonorous melody before noise takes over. Brick by brick we build and rebuild even when we know every solid structure will eventually melt away.
II. Ordering and reordering our thoughts, we drift through a sea of emotional disarray, seeking to understand our existence when change is the only certainty.
III. Can we find a way to create meaning in the beautiful mess of our own lived experience?
The forward progress of time is measured in seconds, but it is the moments we create in time that measure our humanity. We are nothing but matter, but in this moment, we matter."
This moment changes everything. Change Is Everything.
Now onto a few questions that you had:
The guard uniforms are all completely different. They are the entropy. The hornline and percussion are the rigid lines of order. Then when we reach the ballad, they start to unzip it to reveal the chaos underneath. Once they reach the chaotic jazz piece(aptly named Dymaxion, short for dynamic maximum tension), they reveal more, taking a sleeve off. Once they reach the end, it’s all the way off.
Which is a great segue into what the ending means. I don’t think there’s necessarily a “correct” reading of what it’s supposed to be, but I’ll give my two cents as a show designer myself(not DCI but aspiring to create on that level). What the last minute and 30 seconds is saying is - to me - that everything is chaos. Everything breaks down into unbelievably small parts. We are made of cells made up of atoms made up of quarks. We make up our world, which is part of the solar system, which is part of a galaxy, which is part of a universe, which could be just one among an infinite number of universes. But despite all the chaos spinning around us, here we are, defying chaos to create our lives and meaning within our lives even though one day it will all break apart and blow away into nothing. It all still means something because, quite simply, we are here. We with our small amount of time can still make it all worth it. We can matter in this moment that we have. And something about that is so human, like you said. That’s what we do. Maybe thats why we’re here. To make moments. That’s why the show won. Not because it was groundbreaking or because it didn’t have competition, but because it took this incredibly deep concept and made it accessible to people; so accessible that you understood it immediately without any information at all. It made you feel for a moment. And that was the point of it all.
Aaaand philosophy rant over. This is hands down the best reaction I’ve seen to a drum corps simply because you got it. You understood. And that was what the Bluecoats set out to achieve.
Amazing
Great Analysis! I think that the ending represents a celebration and recognition of change as an inevitability. The enclosing of the corps inside a perimeter of red brick blocks really solidifies this for me. By letting the chaos surround them, they embrace it. I agree with your claim of this show's value being primarily in its accessibility. This show takes a simple premise and places it in every facet of the design. The uniforms, props, drill, choreo, music, etc. Each part conveys the theme of entropy better than any show has presented their theme to me in all my time as a drum corps fan.
This is the top comment - wonderful context and it made my day!
I'm a little late but I also like to think this plays into how our world was made. A big explosion out of nothingness spreading everything into chaos. Gasses and the like strewn about only for it to eventually become the universe we know now. Chaos that creates something beautiful. The circle in the end almost being like our planet or the stars, roughly spherical yes, but not perfect, still rough around the edges, and yet it contains so much wonder within it. It's not just how as humans we can learn to adapt the chaos into meaning and work with it, but the story of how we and every living being came to be. Chaos can be scary but it's always been there and we've come about not despite it, but because of it. I don't know, there's just something I find so beautiful about that idea! Of all the things that could've been it ended up being us. :>
This guy is a literal genius. The whole show is about entropy and he gets it in the first minute based off solely the uniforms. (The directors used entropy as the word that pretty much defined their show).
Haha thanks man. I don't know about genius. I feel like I just got lucky. The entropy thing just sort of popped into my head 😂
@@TheCharlieSmithChannel Love your videos!
They haven't even started the show and you got what its about. major props!
The tall mics at the front are for the stream audio, not from the corps.
Fun fact, the silver flag feature, the noise you are hearing are from the flags themselves.
No Way! I did think I'd got it but it was almost fluke that I got it from the costumes haha. it was just what popped into my head.
To be honest, the title did give a fairly good clue in my mind. 'Change is Everything', to me, does point towards change at the most fundamental level. But that might just be my scientific brain helping me out 😂
Thanks man
@@TheCharlieSmithChannel
The yellow and red suits are the color guard. and against yes you got it, they are all different. I highly recommend looking at their youtube channel because they do short vidoes that explain the show and honestly, it has made me love this show so much more! They explain the costumes(that you already picked up on) and the music even more.
Suggestions: 'Inside look at ouor set'. 'Inside look at Our Costumes.' and just for fun because I love it so much 'Helenas - Bloo Brass'
Anyways, I love your reactions and analysis. makes my day when a new drum corps video of yours shows up!!!
major props… I see what you did there!
to add, they mic individuals for solos, but individuals within each section have mics as well. it’s usually the lead players for each part being played i.e. 1-2 mics for trumpet 1, trumpet 2, trumpet 3, tuba etc
Fun fact: We do mic up individual instruments for each part. For example, the trumpet section has 6 trumpets mic’ed up for the 3 trumpet parts, 2 for every part. However, none of that is for the reverb effect and the mics are only turned on for certain parts of the show. We have a professional audio team and they are truly the best in the world.
Amazing! Thanks for the info, Brandon. Appreciate you brother 🌟
@@TheCharlieSmithChannellucas oil stadium is pretty damn huge
Charlie, we drum corps nuts love it when we watch someone relatively new to the function react the way you do. You're a musician and totally get it. You appreciate the musicianship, the execution of the drill, the color guard and visual effects, and of course how one becomes enthralled when seeing it performed at a very high level of perfection.
Welcome to the family, my good man!
Fun fact! When they're spinning the the shiny flags at 10:00 the field level mics you saw were actually picking up that audio making for the "whooshing" sounds whilst they're spinning
The flags that are silver are miked and feeds into the sound system! Super cool!
you could hear it very clearly live in the stands too, they weren’t quiet
@@laurelhamrick2398 And they're Mylar material instead of the standard fabric to get that extra crackle and whoosh sound. One of the most well thought out effects of the show, and that's saying something.
The first time I saw/heard this I thought, so cool! A flag solo!
I picked up on this and pointed it out to others watching finals. I think that was one of the coolest segments about the show, making the flash work into music. I was very impressed by that
I was in a Drum Corps playing percs in the Philippines doing competition back in Highschool, I just stumbled upon memory lane and searched for one of the Corps we studied Blooo and BD that we and the bois looked up to, and this performance brought me to tears. I showed this to my wife and I told her I was in tears watching this performance its about changes, and the things we continuously experience everyday. She said that she didn't get it at first, maybe because she has no idea the effort, sweat and passion we put so a show like this. I looked to her and told her that I appreciate all of her hard work and dedication on our family the changes we faces everyday and she cried. I felt every note and emotion of this performance, it brought me back. Worthy of being champs again.
“Their entropy suits”, I absolutely love that❤
“Again” with the finger wave needs to be your catch phrase brotha!!!
Thank You for making this video! My favorite show i have ever marched
Since 1977 I've either marched in a corps or been in the audience for them. I've seen thousands of Drum Corps shows and this Bluecoats show is my favorite of all time. They had me from the first note. I became overwhelmed during the ballad and cried. I used to hate the addition of electronics and amplification in DCI, but the mastery in which they are used by Bluecoats made me a believer.
Same. I've been watching for decades and my favorite show has always been the Cavalier's 2002 show "Frameworks".
This is the first time since then that I believe a corps has truly achieved something original, beautiful, and powerful.
We'll see if it's recency bias but I think I might have a new favorite 22 years later.
Totally agree! We've been DCI fans since 1987 (my wife grew up in Canton, OH), and when we first saw this show, we knew it was special.
I was so happy to see your reaction to this one because you always seem eager to connect to the art that these shows are and like many others have said this is the current pinnacle of what this medium can be as Art. I actually appreciate that you stop the playback a lot to share your thoughts because we're here to listen to you obviously, and if you kept it playing while speaking you might miss the next cool part and then we wouldn't get to hear your take on it.
Thanks for the awesome content and I really hope you make it to Indy next year!
Dude! What a phenomenal interpretation of the show! You pretty much got it spot on! You have quickly become my absolute favorite youtuber when it comes to breaking down and interpreting DCI shows. Drum corps is an art form, and a very abstract one at that, and I love watching you give your own personal interpretation of the shows (that you get right almost all the time)! PLEASE keep it up and I will donate all that I can for you to make it to DCI finals in 2025. You are killing it man!
I just love watching these reactions and seeing what people actually think about the color guard. I was in guard in high school and did winterguard as well, and at one point I wanted to do drum corps. The only reason I didn't was money and mental health. In school, a lot of the band undervalued us and absolutely hated the guard. And we were a decently sized band--like anywhere from 150-200 students, and the guard made up around 10-15 students. One year we only had 8. We were treated like shit by even a lot of band parents and some of the staff. But go outside of band, and people thought it was cool. Winter guard was an incredible experience. But there was still that "I'm better than you" mentality from a lot of the older people (especially the ones about to age out). From what I've seen, every member of corps is valued and appreciated for their contribution. There's a respect there that I so wish I could have experienced before ageing out.
Another one of the shows from this year that'll hook you with sheer intensity is Mynd from the Phantom Regiment. That show has raw emotion and power in it. Voted the fan favorite from a huge survey. They placed 4th.
Yeah I actually filmed it today as well. That'll be the next one 😉
@@TheCharlieSmithChannel Sick!
Oh, that's so exciting to hear that it's next! The crowd cheered for phantom the loudest (I was there), think someone measured it at 107 decibels. As much as I love bloo's show, I love Mynd just as much or more.
Hi! My name is Navier I marched bass 2 this season at the Bluecoats this past summer, and can I just say wow you hit this right on the nail!
The uniform change is to signify that even in chaos you can find the beauty!
You understood more about this show in the first 30 seconds than most fans did the entire season. Really cool to see how your eye has become “fined tuned” to picking up stuff like this from doing these reaction videos. Bravo!
W E . L O V E . Y O U .
your excitement attentiveness and appreciation for what we collectively have worked so hard to create is so satisfying and beautiful to witness - i marched in the 90s and aged out in 2000 - but even if i hadnt participated in drum corps i still would thank you SO very much for championing and illuminating the activity and its members (as i see you doing for other artists and art forms) and thank you for allowing us to revisit explore discover and marvel with you - again…
W E . L O V E . Y O U .
Thank you so much. This is such a beautiful comment. I love you all too ☺️
@@TheCharlieSmithChannel
🥰😘😍
Had my first in person DCI experience at semi finals and finals. Honestly, from the seats, it isn’t as much the volume that amazes me, it’s the perfect and orchestral sound of the ensembles. Videos just can’t capture the true sound. This show was amazing to see in person, it’s been stuck in my head all season
So happy you love our drum corp world . I have been out of drum corp for many years and I still goto drum corp shows . And have many friends from drum corp to this day. Once in drum corp you will always be in drum corp. No one works harder than a corp. Thanks for loving our love drum corp world.
My thoughts on the yellow uniforms: The entire idea of the show from the beginning, as you said, was entropy. Literally “change is everything”. So, in changing the uniform, they were both staying true to the theme of the show, and I believe it was a testament to individual uniqueness. That’s why you see so much choreography that’s seemingly random movement. I see it as a “shout from the rooftops” moment of individuality while still being a part of something bigger and incredible. If this makes sense. This show, like so many other bluecoats shows, really makes you think about what you’re watching.
Another thought on the idea of individuality, I believe the show designers intentionally left the message up to be interpreted by each person individually.
I've been around Drum Corps a long time and you just got way more on your first read than I did... You're one of us now.
Charlie, I am so excited that you were sent the 2024 Championship Show from the Bluecoats….I saw them live at their first show of the summer in Cincinnati and i knew they were going to win the Championship Thu were undefeated and for great reason! I love the journey you are on because you are seeing a lot of the newer shows first so you will get to see where the activity has evolved as i know you have a tom of requests for shows from over 30 years ago. One of the things i love most about the activity is 10 people can watch this 2024 production of “Change is Everything” and get 10 different well thought out themes of the show. For me, I looked at it as an homage to how much the activity has changed over the years (It is often looked at negatively by those that marched back in the 70s and 80s ) by doing a masterful job at incorporating the props all over the field, the electronics that used to not be permitted, the use of trombones and not wearing a traditional uniform and making it all work flawlessly to an ending where the corp is all in the center of the field on yellow with their arms outstretched as if to say, even after all of the change, in the end we are simply The Bliecoats. the family aspect of the activity which has always been their no matter what changes on the field. i am so excited to see more reactions from you🙏😁👍 This is such a fun ride with you
Charlie, you are a gem of a human being and thank you for helping advocate and advance our art form further! I’m a band director, and teach students band instruments for a living. While I never marched Drum Corps myself (I play trombone and they didn’t allow those back the ) I have sent plenty of students into the activity after high school! What you’re doing is special and I can’t wait for you to get the star treatment next year in Indianapolis! Take care!
🥹 thank you so much. It's been one of the greatest joys of my career on youtube. I cannot wait to go and see in person. Thank you for such a nice comment 🌟
WOOOOOO MORE DCI!!!!!!!!
You hit it on the mark again. You noticed how the uniforms symbolized change and you nailed it with “entropy”. The whole concept of the show had to do with order turning to disorder
You show a remarkable depth in your analysis and your ability to see how the various diverse parts complement and create the whole. Very impressive - congratulations!
In 10 or 15 years people will finally (hopefully) begin to realize how ahead of the times this show and Bluecoats are. This... Bluecoats...they just...its everything....literally they just told us what existence of everything is or what it looks like - The pureness and uniformity of Time ushered in by a big bang - a slow degradation of uniformity to chaos and white noise. At the end of Time we find ourselves and the manifesting chaos and white noise become maximally disordered....which is a Time of perfect uniformity...but this time is a (red) level down in energy.
You guys feel that? This reaction/video may be the best video on youtube or of all time! Its beyond captivating, its unfathomly fathomable and relatable. If you're my elbow its relatable. If you are a banana nut bread, its relatable. If you're a hostile alien from a random star system in the Large Magellanic Cloud....its relatable.
I would also echo some of my words I made on another DCI video, a ways back... you Charlie are scary perceptive and smart haha! I will say, Bloos demonstration of Poincare Recurrence is the sparknote (notice the lack of "s" at the end...had to cleverly throw in a "singularity" somewhere!) of sparknotes version lol.
Awesome to see comments here from several of the Bluecoats members. And great analysis, making it even MORE enjoyable the fourth time around!!
Insane guess at the beginning about what the show was about. I'm not gonna try to pretend to be an expert on this show, but I did watch a video from the Bluecoats about the uniform design. The white and red uniforms that the musicians are wearing in the beginning are meant to represent order and evenness, they are all parallel and everything while the color guard (the ones in yellow with the flags) have uniforms that are specifically designed to be uneven and not parallel at all. As the show goes on, the entropy increases and the musicians take off the white parts and reveal the uniform underneath that is not parallel and all chaotic. Again, I didn't march the show, I just watched one random youtube video so if I'm wrong please correct me.
Also, the way I interpreted the big red tarps on the side was that they represented a closed system like how entropy always increases in a closed system. That part I made up completely in my head so that could be totally wrong but that's how I saw it.
RIGHT! 🤯 That makes so much sense.....
I absolutely love your interpretation of the red tarps. It makes sense to me 🤷🏻♂️
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Such great insight! The corps is actually selling a t-shirt with the quote "Only entropy comes easy." -- Anton Checkhov
I love watching how this art form affects you. Love you sharing your observations and interpretations as the show progressed. It was a masterful show, and I enjoyed watching you react to it.
You did great job with it until the very end. The final 30 seconds actually bring things back together. The brass go back to the middle of the field, and the final chord ends with the reverberant brass sound in synthesizer like the beginning. And yes! It was a truly amazing performance.
I've been a fan for nearly 20 years and this is near the top of my list of truly inspired shows. The first show that really blew me away was Frameworks. I felt like I was watching something completely revolutionary--a culmination of years of small innovations pushed to the next level. That show set a new standard. This is a show that can stand alongside Frameworks as a show that truly pushes the activity to a new level. The crazy thing is, they are pushing the bar up consistently in show design and production nearly every year while making their shows fun and accessible. This is also a culmination of everything from Tilt and beyond. If I were to select 5 shows to put in The Smithsonian for people to watch, this would be one of them.
Also, although not explicitly mentioned why the BLUEcoats are red, some theorize red as the central theme due to the fact that the universe is expanding (i.e increasing in entropy) and to the observer, cosmological bodies would appear "red-shifted". but simpler answer: because Change.
Oooooooo I'm practically aroused by the red-shift explanation 😂😂
Saw it live. The reverb is coming from the speakers next to the 2 conductors.
You have to come see a bluecoats show live. The one thing missing from a recording is how they use polyphony to give a full 3D audio effect. They pioneered the concept in 2015 and has been a Hallmark of their shows since
Ah, I saw them last year and that show has been stuck in my head ever since. I was absolutely mesmerized. Your explanation clears up my questions of what I experienced. I liked it way more than the blue devils; who won last year.
This is my favorite DCI show ever. I love that you nailed the meaning of the show and even said entropy before it got started. You HAVE to go see a DCI show live before you die. You will not regret it. The way it hits as an empath to music is just unmatched. All over body experience. Inside and out. It’s phenomenal truly. Thank you for making these reaction vids. Love them and love who your passion for music! Keep doing your thing. Much love ✌️🫶🏼🎶
Thank you for doing this one!!! I’m hyped to watch later
Have I watched the show 20x? Yes. Did I still listen to the full commentary? Also yes. Good stuff
It’s one of the most difficult and impressive shows I’ve ever seen.
I like to think they broke things apart to build something new, representing their effect on the drum corps activity with their constant innovation.
The rifles at the beginning are called "arc spinning props." They spin very similarly to rifles but are made mainly for schools that have strict policies on gun and weapon depictions. Of course they can also just be used for effect since they look pretty distinct, which is what the bluecoats did with this show. There's a similar product called the airblade that was actually used as a part of Lady Gaga's super bowl performance in 2017.
Edit: I finished the rest of the video and I just want to appreciate how insightful these reactions are, especially for a DCI newbie. There are lifelong DCI fans who can't even provide half as meaningful discussion of this activity as you. I really hope you can catch a show next year, as I'm looking to march then.
They were a creation of Blast! Which this design team were responsible for as well. They represented blades of grass for Appalachian Spring.
@@kennydreadfuls861 Oh that is so cool. I guess Star of Indiana continues to influence DCI in a way lol.
One aspect of this show that a single viewing doesn't do justice to is: the literal metamorphosis of the ENTIRE show from the first performance in June to their final runthrough!!!
The fact that you were able to discern the theme of the show from the costumes is no doubt because of two things:
1. You seem like a pretty sharp guy.
2. This show was just that well designed, right down to the most minute details.
Now, as far as the costuming is concerned, the corps proper (in the red and white suits) were very symmetrical, representing order. The color guard (in yellow) are adorned with haphazard red lines representing chaos, perhaps even the inevitable force of entropy itself.
The corps eventually sheds their white, symmetrical uniforms to reveal yellow, mismatched garb. The final semblance of any order in this production succumbs to entropy.
At the end, it all comes full circle, ending exactly as it began. I think you were on the right track. There is some human explanation for this, and I think it represents the eternal dance we, as human beings have with entropy. Constantly making order out of chaos, only to have it gradually descend into chaos again. That’s how I read it, anyway.
Regardless, I love your channel. Your commentary is insightful, and watching you fall in love with this activity that I and so many others dearly love has been a delight. It allows me to see these shows for the first time again, if only through your eyes.
Thank you. And yes, this was an incredibly well designed show. One of the best I've seen so far
if somebody hasn’t said this, the first piece of equipment is called an Arch, it’s a type of rifle-like weapon just no bolt or strap!
Well done, you nailed the show concept.
Regarding the costumes-
The red and white suits represent order and rigidity. The yellow and red represent the “entropy”.
The colorguard goes as far as having one leg fitted and one leg loose to further the theme of entropy.
Thanks so much for the info. I've been so eager to get in the comments with you guys and fill in the missing peices.
I appreciate you 🌟
OMG, I'm so glad I found your page, Mr. Charlie Smith. I LOVE watching these "Brit Reacts to Drum Corps" with you! I was away from DCI interest for 30 years but I'm back as of this year and am on fire about it. AND it was this show, Change is Everything that absolutely blew my mind (I loved Boston and several others, too) but this one ... I ended up seeing it twice live and then on the tele for the finals. I get something new out of it every time I see it. It's truly inspired, I agree with you!
And, as for trying to figure it out ... Change is Everything !!! let it go, experience it changing over and over ... there's nothing to figure out! (that's my conclusion, anyway)
You say in the afterthought ... "chaos" Yes!! That's it. It doesn't have to come back together in some ordered construction.
Ha! It was really fun hearing you talk through your reactions to this show. I saw it live, and the sound design is amazing. One of the best designed shows, top to bottom. And i think you hit on it at the end (it's all up to us the viewers what it means to us anyways), making something out of the change, the chaos, etc. Glad you're having fun! We all get as emotional as you do listening to this music❤
Absolutely love your videos, literally cant even explain how much it makes me feel good that there are more eyes on the dci community
I can tell you we are fine with your feedback and talking! After all we are here for the reaction aspect more than the show I would say. I’ve seen this show a million times but love to see others fresh reactions.
100%!
It was such a great show to see in person, especially front and center for their victory run! Looking forward to having you here next summer!
The final movement is about accepting the chaos, embracing the change, and finding a new normal. The horns and drums changing to the chaotic yellow uniforms of the guard also reflects this
- they’ve embraced the chaos and are regaining some semblance of order.
Only the soloist horns were mic'ed up. The very beginning single note hits have reverb, but it's not from the brass. The brass and the synthesizer hit at the same time, and the synthesizer has that reverb you were hearing. Really cool effect!
Ahhh got you. Yeah it was a super cool effect. Seemed other worldly in my headphones.
Thanks for the info 😁
We mic’d up only some of the hornline and used those in combination with the shorter field mics Charlie observed at the beginning to create the reverb in real time!
It was a live effect! The synth players were not hitting notes in time with the brass at the start
Can we please get this man as general public interpreter at DCI finals week live!!
I got to see this show on the 26th of July and it was truly one of the most incredible productions I've ever since since I started seeing live shows in 2016. This reminds me a lot of their 2016 show, which also won gold.
This show *IS* about Entropy! The fact you nailed that almost before the show even started, your critical thinking and context clue skills are admirable. This show truly is next level. It was such a surreal experience seeing it live. So much raw power from top to bottom. So much creativity. Im genuinely still speechless from seeing it nearly a month ago. I have a video of their run from my seat that night and it was incredible. Thank you Charlie for watching this show. I knew youd absolutely love it
If u come to DCI in 2025. Make sure u set one of the 3 days to hang out in Military Park in downtown Indianapolis to go to watch all 12 world class finalists warm up. Semi-finals (Friday) is a good day to do this. It’s free. Then watch the indoor finals on Saturday. U will get a close up view. It’s increadible and as good as the finals performance and as good as the stadium show. Also. Buy tickets early (months in advance). They sell out early.
Also make sure u check out Phantom Regiment’s finals performance. Based on applause, they were 100% the crowd favorite. The Boston Crusaders were a close second crowd favorite, also. Bluecoats was liked by all and were “technically “ the best. Phantom Regiment has the crowd in a roar!!!
I knew I had heard that opener before. It is Long Time/More than a feeling by Boston.
Yasssss so excited you did this one! They are SO amazing!
So many great shows this year. Troopers, SCV, Phantom Regiment, Boston Crusaders...all a must.
Love watching your DCI reactions! Bluecoats is one of my favorite corps and I wouldn't be doing my duty as a fan if I didn't suggest that you check out my favorite show of theirs, 2016's Downside Up! I loved Tilt, but Downside Up is the show that made me realize how innovative they truly were, just stretching beyond the established "formula" and really doing things that no other corps was at the time.
Also - side note - every year after finals, the winning corps gets to do an encore run, and pretty much all of them do so while wearing go pros on their heads. Pick your favorite winning show and check out their encore head-cam videos, it's a really eye opening experience as to what's actually happening down on the field during their performances and just how hard they're working to put it together. It's such a unique perspective to see your favorite shows from that I think you in particular would really get a lot out of.
Love your coverage dude! And such a good show from Bluecoats! 🎉🎉🔥🔥
Watching this live was amazing! I was front row on the 50 yard line ☺️ love your reactions! You have got to come experience it in real life in 2025.
LET'S GOOO!!!! YESSSS!!!! I'm glad you got this one 😭😭
Fantastic show and win! Fun fact, the last Blue Coats championship show had the same color scheme.
21:30 I sort of see the change from white and red to yellow and red as a change in a person as they go through various experiences, struggles, hear new viewpoints, etc.
Although they change because of the things they go through (the white becoming yellow), they’re always the same human being (like us all) simply living life (the red).
SO many beautiful, unique ideas in this show that really hit an emotional side for me
I watched them warm up on semi finals and finals night and it was incredible. They're amazing.
3 other big highlights from this year. Phantom Regiment (Mynd), Boston Crusaders (Glitch), The Troopers (Dance With the Devil)
One of my favorite shows from this (now) last season! So glad they got their second championship, it's been a long time coming!
1:56 wow, it's impressive how you instantly understood the entropy theme of the show. even I didn't get it at first!
I loved this show from the first time I saw it in June. Fun reaction! 😊💙🍁
Very smart analyst coming from someone who is outside of dci, really enjoy your analyst
Spot on! Thanks for sharing your joy! (A Blue Mom)
Great show, great reaction.
I've watched this show at least a dozen times, but an idea popped into my head for the first time watching your video. Maybe the circular form at the end is supposed to represent an abstract cell? So the show ends with the creation of life out of chaos? IDK ... maybe I'm off base, but it's an interesting idea. Thanks for the video! Definitely enriched the show for me, which I already loved.
It's likely be mentioned already, but just in case..... the items on the stands at the front that you were puzzling about at the beginning of your viewing are a huge number of trombones which are played starting around the 16:30 mark. The larger black towers are the mics for the Flomarching broadcast. The sound in person is SO much better than what you hear from the broadcast.
You've hit the nail on the head with your analysis.
I was there in person for this show, that final hit was deafening haha
Amazing that you figured out the show was about entropy from just the uniforms
I put it down to nothing more than a lucky guess to be honest. I could have used any number of other analogies but that just happened to be what popped into my head at that moment. It's absolutely bonkers that it turned out to be the theme of the show haha 🤯
As a Bluecoat alum (2011-2016, 2022), I love the deep dive you’ve been on! I gotta shout out my faves - 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019. I am very Bloo-biased after spending 8+ years with and around the organization 😅
You marched 7 years? that's insane my body could never
Tilt was amazing. I learned it on snare lol
@@booker9816 2022 was the alumni year so maybe like 6.5 😂 but I did do six years for sure. My knees are definitely done and always know when the weather is about to act up
@@booker9816 no, they didn’t march that whole time they worked with the corps after they aged out
@@leveragability yooo the alumni corps stayed at the same hotel as the colts in 22! It was always fun being cheered on by you guys!
I really do hope you get to go to the DCI Championships next year! I can only imagine the sound produced in the stadium! I did marching band back in high school, and DCI were the guys we looked up to. Thanksgiving was my favorite holiday, because of the feast (of course) and because DCI Finals was showing on TV. It's one of a few things still on my bucket list! God Bless!
Change, as you noticed, is fucking everything in this show. The music writing, the design of the field, the design of the performers, the performers drill. Everything that this show can change from one thing to another it did. One thing thats hard to point out is that even some of the players had to change instruments for the third movement of the show. The mid voice mellophones went onto the sopranos with trumpets and the big, full sound of the entire baritone euphonium section went onto the blasting sound of the trombones.
Change. The theme is change. So as they go through the change as uniform strips off. They end with the formation from the beginning with the same chord they started with. As the show starts it shows the change of breaking things apart to make it better.
Maaaan you’ve GOTTA go next year! Would watch a vlog and reaction video SO fast it’s not even funny. 😭👏🏼
Well there may be something exciting in the pipeline but I can't say anything yet 😉 stay tuned
@@TheCharlieSmithChannel 😲😲😲😲😄😆😄
It’s great to watch with headphones, but it’s a totally different experience to be there live and feel it (literally😳). Can’t wait! 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼
getting entropy from JUST the uniforms is absolutely crazy
genius
I think it was more fluke than anything haha. It just happened to be what popped into my head at that moment. It could have been any one of the bazillion things flying around my brain at any given moment but I just got lucky this time I think. Pretty wild!
Thank you though ☺️
You were spot on about the theme of the show. There were also some underlying themes that go along with it such as the last 3 years they have done these “acid trippy” style shows so this is a far change from that. Also, the Blue Devils have won the last 3 seasons so crowning a new champion is the change we all needed.
The change from the ornate props and uniforms and spoken word/explicit story line over the last two years to the simple red-and-white uniforms, unadorned red rectangle props and music alone telling the story, was striking - the 2022, 2023 and this 2024 shows, taken together form a rich progression. Bluecoats amaze me with their artistry.
Thank you so much for reacting to this show! I’m a new viewer, but I’m really enjoying the content! Just a suggestion (I’m pretty sure you have to pay for this, but I’ll say it anyway) you should do the Boston Crusaders this from this year. It doesn’t disappoint! Keep it up❤
"Babe wake up, Charlie Smith posted"
It sounds like the short notes followed by rests at the beginning morph into a keyboard part that "changes" the sound of the brass into a new sound with reverb. They did something similar in their 2014 show, "Tilt" with keyboard and brass. There are some awesome keyboard sounds throughout this show as well (wind, string glissandos', etc.) It's fun to listen to your perspective. The uniforms and chaos? It's about continuous change. In a sense, it feels like that we're to expect ongoing change.
The tall mics are for DCI recording the audio not for the Bluecoats. The reverb is an electronic recording that they prerecorded at the start of the season
Charlie, someone may have answered you already, but the guard equipment you asked about are called Air Blades. Structurally, it's a rifle but in a smoother, more curved shape.
Yessss, thank you!
Love your reactions man
You've got to watch SCV's show from this year!
For what it's worth, the electronics didn't sound that loud in person. The Flomarching mics were right in front of the speakers.
In short yes the reverb is mostly manipulated by their sound system and electronic instruments. Most notably during the opening segment then during the Guards mettalic silver flag feature. When DCI moved the Championships to Indianapolis they had negotiated with Lucas Oil Stadium and the City of Indianapolis. One of the major stipulations the stadium agreed to was to mitigate the reverb that naturally occurs in an enclosed stadium. The Banner on the the opposite side of the field is actually part of a fabric curtain that is just above the bottom section of seats. It goes from Goal Line to Goal Line and is just above the lower seats up into the roof support beams and it soaks up a crap load of sound.......
If you are curious there is a video on the Bluecoats youtube channel where the costume designer goes through the meaning of the costumes. You pretty much hit the nail on the head but you might find it interesting to hear it from the man himself.
So some of the musicians are mic’d up, most of them being people who have either a solo or are screamers (which is usually for trumpets who just play the really high note in a cord). The stands at the front that are silver are for the trombones that are used during the ballad.