LKendrick

The back part of that is a not at all watered down Cadets 2007 opener. That show is gonna be killer in its final form. Can't tell a lot visually besides the fact that guard can toss for DAYS and the drill is incredibly high velocity.

Yup, topped Sundown last week at the Lubbock festival. UIL style judging, Sundown had a rank sum of 5 and New Deal had 4. They also scored above some of the 5A/6A schools when I saw the recap breakdown with the 1 - 1000 composite score. Very impressive. Incredibly well tailored and well performed program for them. Guess if there's one thing we have up here in the Panhandle, it's some really strong smaller schools. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uEEaDCzOpY White Deer in 1A should do really well, always a very solid school with around 20 - 40 kids.

New Deal is VERY impressive in 2A. Incredibly mature sounds and clean drill for such a small town. Large too. I think they're on their way to a state finals appearance.

So feeling like this is A LOT easier to predict than SA. My first nationals prediction, sure it might change. UPPER TIER: 1) Broken Arrow - Honestly, they've been SO CLOSE the last two times. Last years score would have won Nationals most other years. I don't see them changing any. Saw a poster of their show, called "Wild Blue Orchid". No idea what it's about. But it'll be fantastic no doubt. 2) Hebron - Mmmmmmk. This might be bold. However, what I've seen of them is SO GOOD. If Arlington is indication, they've cleaned up visually this year. Music GE will be huge at nationals. Performance is strong. Can't wait to see this show finished in late season form. We haven't seen them compete this late and on that stage, so this could be very interesting. 3) Avon - Ok. What I have seen seems reaaaaly strong. Another INCREDIBLY taxing show visually. Musically they always flourish in late October/Early November. GE they'll be typical Avon. Definitely a contender. 4) The Woodlands - Haven't seen anything. But it's a Nats year. And you can bet that anything before then is not what they'll reach in Indy. Not even close. 5) Round Rock - Bold you might say? I say not. They could probably even potentially place a spot or two higher. Or lower. Ya never know. They seem stronger out the gate this year, and in 2013 they EXPLODED between San Antonio and Nationals. Absolutely transformed. You can bet like The Woodlands, San Antonio won't even be close to their final form. 6) Carmel - Should probably put them higher, but that might be my inner Texas homer showing. Visually fantastic, not sure musically. We'll see. Not a lot to go off of yet. SECOND TIER: 7) William Mason - Feel like there will be a break off here. Very strong program every year in recent years. Just all around solid. 8) Blue Springs - I feel with all my heart they should have been in 2013. They're a fantastic program. This years "Sublimenal Messages" seems incredibly exciting. Using the tune Bluecoats made famous in the band world, Hymn of Axiom, but using it in the context of the lyrics for their show. Go read them, they're quite chilling. 9) Homestead - Seen nothing. But an incredibly strong program from Indiana. Kinda like Duncanville in that they're a band that doesn't do a lot of BOA (or hasn't since the 1990s). Fantastic band no doubt. THIRD TIER: 10) Lawrence Township - Strong first year after the Lawrence North/Central merger. Sure they'll improve upon that. 11) Marian Catholic - Was shocked they were in 10th/11th last year. Think they could be higher, just a lot of strong bands. 12) Keller - Yes Keller. I think beating Coppell/Jenks/Aledo/KC/ect. Saturday was incredibly impressive with an incomplete show. They seem really solid........and they still have a lot of time to grow even more. If they can be in or in shooting range of finals at San Antonio, that will only affirm this. My first one, will likely change and evolve after St. Louis/Indy/Atlanta/and San Antonio.

Soooooooooo a thought. Does anyone else think those red things are a curtain that's going to hide a surprise to be added in at the end or at some point? Was trying to think about how they go with the theme of 360, and was brainstorming. Just some thoughts.

All I can think about is Napoleon Dynamite at the beginning. I need to watch that again..............lol. But seriously, they sound fantastic! Guard's looking strong, percussion is killer as expected. Front ensemble is fantastic. Can't get a good read visually. Director change hasn't slighted them in the least.

I'm well aware. However that goes with one of the points I was making. A performance time is another factor that in a regional so competitive, can be another factor when it is so close. In a perfect world it shouldnt be, but unfortunately it can be. If there had been 4 more bands at the level of the top groups performing at the level or higher than Friendswood and performed well later they woulda potentially been out. Vista was probably the better band in prelims or maybe wasn't as strong in their first run. But that's another factor. Hence why I include them in the same grouping. Also, Friendswood is a band that I wouldn't be ashamed of being beat by. They're very good every year. Wasn't bringing it up in a negative way to Vista......

I was actually upset they missed GN finals in 2013, had them well in. That was fun when they came down. They're definitely welcome back. Seem said videos, that show looks INCREDIBLY interesting. They topped Union by around a point and a half yesterday. Fantastic program.

Well that helps I guess.......lol. Awesome band.

This is his first job out of COLLEGE?! Oh my GOD. Geez, couldn't imagine doing that when I get out in around a year. Good for him.

Lots of UIL over the next two weeks, we're not going to get much more in terms of scores to go off of any more. I think I have some early groupings PERSONALLY! Not for anyone but me. I got it down to 21. LOCKS (all these are alphabetical): Cedar Park Claudia Taylor Johnson Flower Mound Hebron James Bowie Leander Marcus Ronald Reagan The Woodlands Round Rock Those 10, I would be shocked if any of them missed finals. Not saying they couldn't potentially place any lower. But I feel like they've shown they're competitive enough to make the cut. Cedar Park because they are going to be freakin clean and they sound AMAZING. Have not seen anything out of CT Johnson, but they've competed very well so far. Flower Mound because of their huge GE show and obvious music growth taking music over two huge powerhouses in that caption. Hebron because I think their show is a potential GE Music monster, and they have done some work visually to take that caption yesterday. James Bowie, because it seems they showed some great growth in their finish yesterday at the TMC. Leander because I think they are a GE powerhouse, and have some truly magnificent HUGE moments throughout their amazing show. Marcus always sounds amazing and is amazingly polished visually. Ronald Reagan continues to sit on top in Southern Texas, they're an obvious powerhouse at the moment. Round Rock finished well yesterday, and sounds like they have a very fantastic visual show, can't wait to have a chance to watch the show! Have not seen anything but tidbits from The Woodlands. It's a nationals year, would be shocked to see them do any less than amazing. HIGH BUBBLE: Cedar Ridge Coppell Dripping Springs Friendswood Hendrickson Keller Owasso Vandegrift Vista Ridge Wakeland Westlake Go ahead. Pick 4. That's insanely difficult. Ridiculously difficult. There are a few bands on there that I was SO close to putting as locks, but wasn't sure. (Vandegrift, Wakeland, ect.). All it takes is one bad show, one judge, ect. It's out of your control. They have to be on their A game in prelims. People who don't think this is the most competitive Super of the year are kidding themselves. And that's not including bands like LD Bell, Westwood, Churchill, ect. that are off competing somewhere else. Cedar Ridge seems to be handling the director change extremely well this year. Coppell sounds like they have a pretty dang awesome musical show. Dripping Springs had a VERY impressive showing this weekend last year in Atlanta tying for 5th with 2013 BOA SAs 6th place band Blue Springs. Friendswood beat Vista Ridge in TMC prelims yesterday. Hendrickson has had a very impressive showing, coming off of 1st at Westlake yesterday. Their show is fantastic, with an absolutely KILLER color guard. Keller showed some very impressive growth with their 7th finish in Arlington yesterday, it's nationals, so they'll be pushing til the end. Owasso is a VERY good band that has multiple GN finals finishes under its belt, and 13th last year. Vista Ridge has an incredibly intense, high velocity show. Wakeland as well, that closer is insane. And Westlake always really cleans up late on. That's leaving off 4 (Aledo, Keller Central, Oak Ridge, and Plano East) that I think have competed well early on, and more that are FANTASTIC bands in an insanely deep regional.

I think Keller is starting to make a case to be a finalist contender. I was a little worried about this regional after their 14th place finish last year, up to 7th this year. Seems like the improved quite a bit from last week to this week. I think they might have a shot, interested to see their show finished.

1st - Ronald Reagan - 86.15 2nd - James Bowie - 85.23 3rd - Leander - 85.05 4th - Cedar Park - 82.98 5th - Vandegrift - 80.73 6th - Vista Ridge - 79.25 7th - Friendswood - 76.53 8th - Lake Travis - 73.05 9th - McNeil - 72.55 10th - Georgetown - 70.5 Music - Ronald Reagan Visual - Ronald Reagan General Effect - James Bowie Color Guard - James Bowie Percussion - Vandegrift From the live blog. Wow, Reagan's for real this year.

I said they had a shot about a week ago and predicted it on here as well. There was something about their show that just had *it*.

CONGRATS FLO MO! Very cool. Very very cool. Wow, very close up at the top.

That field coverage tho. Have to say, it's pretty cool that they did the combined Dance Team/Color Guard for their show. Has anyone else done that before?

I knew it. Knew they had a chance. That'd be amazing for them to win their first regional. Congrats to the three from LISD on sweeping the top 3.

Sounds like FloMo might have one this year with their box again based on the Live Blog. I cannot wait to see their show.

Two stick out right now, still have a bunch of shows to see Leander's opener and Hebrons ballad.

Assuming there's probably a tad more at the end, but wow. Reagan's one of the biggest surprises of the year for me. That's a pretty killer show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPD5Vgen25o

Personal opinion time on Hebron's visual program. Not trying to discount anyone else or convince anyone else, just my thoughts. I've been a fan since 2012. I don't think they take the usual approach that a lot of BOA/modern groups do. AKA, lots of lightning quick stuff into big impact moments, staging difficult moments halted with other high velocity stuff counter balancing it, ect. ect. I'm not talking down on that kind of stuff, it's smart, fools you, guides you where to look, ect. So on and so forth. Hebron does A LOT in the simultaneous difficulty/staging difficulties department. More so than most groups I watch. They definitely don't take the conventional high velocity approach, but what they do on the move ALWAYS blows my mind, opener this year, and I remember 2012 having the woodwinds spread out 80+ yards doing some pretty insane technical passages almost perfectly despite their insane staging. I think what they do in terms of their listening environments, staging, and simultaneous demand is crazy difficult in its own way. As far as the design, I like it. Clean, gets the theme across, and has plenty of difficulty in itself. All the circles like stated is going to be crazy hard to get cleaned. I have a ton of respect for them taking that approach, last year it didn't get championship caliber polished, but I think it got there in 2013 and similar in 2012. Regardless. That show cleaned at nationals. Compared to vids I've seen of other bands attending, Texas or not, they're well on their way to a High Music caption. I cannot wait to see this show fully fleshed out. That ballad is already one of THE moments of the year in my eyes.

Am I the only one who think Flower Mound has an outside shot at winning as well? The video early on and then the one two weeks ago were VERY promising, as well as their scoring at Birdville. I think they have a GE edge, we'll see. IMO there's 4 bands that have some kind of chance at taking it, no matter how small or larger it is.

Yeah, the ballad is absolutely stunning, and that's based off of that pretty bare bones vid that's since been taken down. I cannot wait to see it fully fleshed out. That's going to be one of the talked about moments at Nationals this year.

Honestly with each passing week it's getting harder for me to predict, not easier.

Is the James Bowie attending "THE" James Bowie? I remember last year in the predictions I predicted a James Bowie that wasn't the Austin one and it kinda tanked me.