BlueCircle

Obviously I’m not a judge, but I thought they were quite good, maybe lacking GE but... Also I didn’t anticipate Wakeland beating Waxahachie but it makes sense based on the captions. The finalists were really spread out over the day so I could see finals playing out much differently than prelims.

Owasso made finals but opted out.

Thanks for the clarification! I did notice some intentional dissonance right at the beginning but it was unclear to me if everything was intentional, but now I know!

Also for captions Hebron EASILY wins music in my opinion. GE could be Hebron or FloMo. Visual could be Hebron or FloMo.

These are my (probably very wrong) opinions on who the finalist contenders are. I separated them into tiers because there’s no way I’m trying to predict placements. Also, I was switching back and forth between DFW and Houston so I only put down bands that I actually watched. The order in any tier could go any way. Medalist locks: Hebron FloMo Top Half locks: Keller Marcus Locks: LD Bell Waxahachie Prosper Wakeland Fighting for last few spots Coppell Timber Creek Keller Central Would not be surprised to steal a spot: Owasso Forney Trinity Aledo Carroll Senior

Maybe I have way too high of an expectation for FloMo but I really wasn’t feeling most of the show. The closer was insanely good but the brass sound in the beginning was often raucous?? I just feel like it took a long time for me to find something I really loved but that closer was absolutely phenomenal! They did seem to have the whole show on the field which is different for them??? The guard was fantastic as usual but thematically not my favorite. Hebron is my favorite to win this one definitely.

The safety of the performers is the most important thing. They’re not going to lose points for looking out for the students.

Seven Lakes has some really interesting and fun music. I think I like the squid show thematically more but they sound and look really good. They’ll be in finals tonight I think. The guard was pretty messy in some spots but nothing they can’t fix! It totally caught me off guard when those props opened up! The ballad impact was great. if they make finals I think they have a much better run in them. The Wine Dark sea part was awesome!

Westlake has such a cool and well designed show. Easy top half finalist. Only complaint is the brass often gets uncontrolled but they’ll fix that and they still sound fantastic overall. The drill reminds me of FloMo for some reason.

Timber Creek was good! I was very pleasantly surprised with their guard! There are definitely some brass individuals overplaying but the overall sound is very impressive and passionate! There is also some demanding music and drill. The drill needed more cleaning (especially foot timing) but I think they have a good chance of performing tonight.

Coppell - love the huge field presence at the beginning. Those guard flags look so cool in the opening hit. Good sounds! What are they wearing??? Great brass technique after they reveal what is underneath the hoods! Wow they sound really really good as an ensemble and the percussion adds perfectly on top! The musical Mood In the ballad is so cool but visually I’m not drawn in as much. Love the drill at the end though! This show has such a cool tone to it.

Holy sax solo Cy-Fair! The show has some awesome moments but needs more cleaning and consistency.

LD Bell - Bell has a very recognizable visual design style, definitely very Cartwright. There’s always a eccentric visual pattern that defines the show. The guard also always wears the same pattern on the dress. The opener reminds me of Prosper, similar colors and field coverage. They do have the same designer. Great sounds in the opener Bell!!! Their quality of sound does suffer when on the move, but it is extremely hot outside. I really like How the tarp came apart to create other props! Nice clean drill! The opener had SO much amazing energy and I feel like as the show continues, some of that is lost. The ending is a change in tone and is very triumphant! Nice job Bell!!!

It seems like most Houston bands took a hit on cleanliness for obvious reasons.

It’s hot out! 94 degrees! The stands are pretty sparse so if the audience can’t bear the heat, imagine what these performers are going through. Keep that in mind with these prelim performances. I feel bad for these kids but they are fighting the heat.

Owasso - opening guard stuff is great. There are some great fast paced drill moments in here! I don’t know if the ensemble sound holds up enough to all these great Texas bands to guarantee a finals spot. Their soloists are so talented. I love their drill. Good job Owasso, very brave to come to Texas regional! Glad that I was wrong about them having a short show, no penalties! Brass sounding nice as woodwinds go crazy with the drill at the end!

Clear Brook was awesome. Well rounded show.

Fundamentally, Pearland is very strong. Tons of playing on the move and awesome field coverage. However, I personally want more thematic development, I don’t have any clue what this show is about!

Prosper - Love the intensity at the beginning pre show. Weird not seeing them with a ton of extravagant props. Great field coverage. Cool exposed playing and this trumpet Requiem arrangement is very true to concert. They sound really nice! They are really all out on the red! They convey a lot of emotion without any props at all! The ballad sounds great and looks so cool with those fast moving flags, definitely my favorite part of the show. Great field coverage the whole show!

I said that it was “safe” visually. Meaning that most of the difficulty is in the music rather than the marching. The bodywork does add difficulty but I was mainly referring to the drill. The marching and drill was impeccable however. Also, the amazing color guard carries a lot of visual difficulty. It’s just a design choice is to feature easier drill because the level of execution will be higher.

The music is SO catchy! I can’t get it out of my head after the first watch!

TWHS is so fresh this year, I’m so glad they are switching it up. Still have a ton of cleaning to do to make everything mesh. I love the stark contrast between band and guard.

Omg the sailor outfits. SO weird seeing TWHS not in black and green!!! But I think I like it!

Marcus - love how they stick to the playful yet regal themes! Whimsical yet sophisticated. Marcus is just so clean and elegant. Ethereal opener. The show is really safe visually. Some great playing in that fast section and the music is really well written but the visual demand doesn’t match the music. The percussion is definitely a strength, wow. The show is nice and clean but I personally think it lacks the difficulty (ESPECIALLY visually) to fight for a medal. Idk, I’m probably wrong. They have a gorgeous, nice, full, and balanced sound even if they don’t have the volume contrasts of others.

Aledo - they are playing Ostinato, we also heard that from Keller earlier! I’m excited based on the musical selections already. Loved the brass feature through the bars at the front of the field. This is gonna be a real threat at 5A State!