July 6, 2025 – Sacramento, California
After a necessary reset, I am back on my 2025 DCI tour. Yesterday was a long day of travel that began when the alarm rang at 3:30 AM to catch the early bird special out of BTV. I flew the friendly skies to San Fransico from our humble little airport in Burlington, Vermont. Thankfully, the connection from Newark was on time, and the trip went very smoothly. Upon arrival, I met up with other fans of the Boston Crusaders who had flown in from Boston, MA, and Savannah, GA. Jeff, John, Marcia, and I hit the high side of the left lane on Interstate 80 to Sacramento for the DCI Capital Classic, home show of the Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps. If you want to get somewhere by car, have a Boston driver take you there. Thanks, John and Marcia, for navigating California’s intricate, confusing, and crowded roads. Our first stop after checking into the mid-century modern Aloft Hotel was the rehearsal of the Boston Crusaders. Toiling away in the hot California sun, 165 motivated kids pushed through each take and reset with dedication and focus, refining the music and moves they will bring to the field later in the evening. I had the opportunity to meet up with staff members who are pushing through the rigors of the touring entourage, so far from home.
The Capital Classic was a sellout. I have found that no matter where in the country I am to see a DCI show, the drum corps family is alive and well, and welcoming. My seat neighbors here in the Golden State were no exception. We all enjoyed the spectacles unfolding before us, seasoned fans and newbies. This was the first show of the year for me since the finals night in Indianapolis last August. My visits to spring training allowed me to become familiar with the music of the Boston Crusaders and appreciate how far they have come since mid-June. Jeff and I got caught up in the lot to experience the drum line and brass warm-up. This can be very entertaining to be up close and personal as the waves of rhythm and harmony wash over us with intensity. Finally deciding to go into the stadium, we arrived at our seats just in time for the Blue Nights (not blue) from Denver, CO. This year’s 2025 show – “DRiP” repertoire includes: Flying 101, DRiP, the main title from ‘Castaway’, and Water. The members move fluidly through the show that represents the elemental life ingredient – water. This year will be particularly hard to explain the themes of the shows because many of them are concept shows. Rather than telling a story, the shows seem to be pure expressions of music and motion with dynamism.
Next up, the Santa Clara Vanguard (SCV) launched their 2025 program: “The aVANt GUARD”, another concept show that freatures and robust repertoire: Fratres, Three Hallucinations, Bartok – String Quartet #4, Epitaph for Moonlight, Home With You, View from Olympus, and their theme song, Send in the Clowns. I look forward to this music and show growing in my mind as I have another opportunity tonight to enjoy this venerable championship corps. Last year, SCV eked out first place in percussion, topping the undefeated Boston Crusaders (BAC) percussion at the World Championships. According to the recap, this trend continues. You can bet that Colin will be working BAC even harder to obtain the caption title this year. There is a lot of season left.
To this observer, BAC clearly had the show of the evening, as backed up by those around me and the scores, with the exception of percussion. That remains SCV’s domain. The Bad A__ Crusaders are firing on all cylinders as they bring their well-rehearsed show “Boom” to the West Coast. This repertoire is probably the most diverse that I have heard this year, so far: The Kingdom and Red, White, and Black Worlds by Tigran Hamasyan; Whatchamacallit by Juan Garcia Esquivel; Malambo No 1 by Moises Vivanco; The Commuter and Shooting Star by Les Baxter, Once Upon Another Time, by Sara Bareilles; No Time for Caution by Hans Zimmer; and Now, Then, and Beyond by the BAC staff of Ryan George, Colin McNutt, Ian Moyer, and Mike Zellers. This show moves and entertains us consistently from start to finish, never letting us down. The ending comes too quickly, but we know that this show is not really finished yet. I am sure there will be at least two surprise changes to the closer before finals. This is the third adjudicated show of the season for BAC as they begin an undefeated streak in 2025.
Being the home show for the Mandarins, they were last to perform. The local crowd was thoroughly entertained by “If I must Fall…. the one I am becoming will catch me.”, with the music of Passages, by Will Healy; When the Party’s Over by Finneas Baird O’Connell; and Who Cares 2 by Louis Cole. The all white uniforms of the marching musicians were in contrast to the beautiful blue iridescence of the color guard uniforms. These kids stand out and will continue to elevate this rising corps. Later in the evening, while enjoying a post-show beer at the local restaurant, we met some committed board and advisory committee members of the Manderins. Ron and Marty shared stories of the Mandarins’ history. and their recent rise into the DCI finalists. Ron said that they expanded their outreach beyond their Asian-American community to enrich the corps with talented kids from around the country and the world.
The show in Sacramento was a great warm-up for my California tour. One particular corps was not present, the Blue Devils. They are hosting DCI West tonight in Stanford. My entourage will be heading to the early festivities, including the reception hosted and barbecue hosted by the Blue Devils. The Santa Clara Vanguard, Blue Devils, and Boston Crusaders will be present to perform a standstill performance for the attendees. Time to pack and load for the next phase. I’ll keep you posted.
July 7, 2025 – San Fransico, California
DCI West 2025 is history. And history was made by the Boston Crusaders, extending their streak of wins with another head-to-head competition with the finest California drum corps. The day began with another 3-hour drive along the California Freeways from Sacramento to Palo Alto. Thanks again to John’s great East Coast driving skills and Marcia’s navigating, we arrived safely and in time for the festivities on the campus of Stanford University. East Coast/West Coast drum corps relations were fostered by the welcoming reception for the leaders of the Boston Crusaders hosted by the Blue Devils. Donna, our hostess, was very gracious indeed. She works in a winery in addition to being the glue that holds the BD organization together, providing a delicious white and a scrumptious red for the guests. Leaders from all of the competing Western corps present enjoyed the camaraderie along with those of us from the other side of the continent. I was indeed a long way from my humble home on the Mill Brook in Vermont as an unaffiliated interloper.
Following the reception and networking, we all repaired to the shaded quad for a great barbecue and some standstill performances by some of the best kids in America. This very up-close and personal experience really gives one a chance to appreciate their youthful prowess. The intensity of the show music is pounded into every receiving organ of the body during the run-through. I was directly in front of the Santa Clara Vanguard (SCV) pit, where I observed some very interesting instruments such as the theremin, originally known as the aetherphone, and the apprehension engine mounted to the marimbas. I noticed a weird-looking box and asked Brad, the marimba player, “What the heck is that?” He explained that the apprehension engine was invented to produce eerie sounds for horror movies. I was familiar with the theremin, invented by a Russian scientist while researching proximity sensors. These cool additions provide unique sounds that set SCV apart.
Having been satiated with food and sound, it was time to check out the Stanford Stadium. Originally carved out of the hillside in 1921, the stadium was reconstructed in 2005. This is a high and early stadium, meaning the seats are right up to the field with no track around it and rise high early for excellent viewing. I joined Jeff and his fellow board members on the box level 2, the highest I have been at a drum corps show since the Rose Bowl in 2022, the last time I was in California. This is a great opportunity to observe the drills and take in the entire field. The only drawback was that the vertical bars that hold the window were in view and not great for photographs. We arrived after the first intermission to watch the California DCI Open Class corps Impulse, Golden Empire, Gold, Blue Devils B, and Blue Devils C. Each of these corps performed interesting programs with talented emerging members. A fine warm-up of our senses for the World Class corps to come.
After a pause for some snacks and networking in the clubroom during a second intermission, we returned to the cushy seats for some high-end drum corps down below. Starting out the World Class corps was The Academy performing their program, “London Fog.” This repertoire-rich program captures the atmosphere of London and features the Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar, a popular piece that many corps have performed over the years and one of my favorite orchestral classics. Next came Seattle Cascades. I had to check the listing to confirm, as their new look in uniform and regalia was not the identifiable blues and grays of the past, but rather black with highlights of silver. Through the show, colors highlighted the guard uniforms, and a colorful repertoire was performed as they portrayed the thematic program “Primary.” The Blue Knights (BK) followed with “DRiP.” This show is slowly seeping into my brain after experiencing it three times now. Seeing it from up high was a treat to watch the intricate drills that portray the theme. Sitting to my right were members of the BK brass staff, enhancing my enjoyment of the show vicariously through their reactions.
Mandarins brought their iridescent blue tubular props to the field for another fine performance of “If I Must Fall.” From above, the rising and falling of the cylinders arrayed in patterns was pleasing and satisfying to observe. The guard uniforms emulated the shine and hue of the props while the marching performers in all whites contrasted. My second viewing was like seeing it for the first time, due to the elevated view, though the music is beginning to sink in and become familiar. This corps, with its dedicated leaders, will continue to rise.
Now it was time for the Boston Crusaders to take the field with “Boom.” So as not to be too punny with explosive terms, I will say that this membership of musical marchers and color guard will continue to refine their drills and movements for atomic precision. BAC has clearly made an impact on the minds of those around me, as they received a very enthusiastic welcome upon being announced. Throughout the program, the wow moments were greeted with reactions of astonishment and applause. Again, the high and early view was a great vantage point to see the atomic particles disassembled and arrayed in expanding patterns. Rifles, sabers, and flags, a plethora of well-timed punctuations that dominated the sky above the marchers. This show is hot to the core. Standing to applaud the performance was unanimous all around.
Not to be left out of the party, the Santa Clara Vanguard brought their gear and their California pride to this field of dreams. The literation of the title is fitting as this complex program, “aVANt GUARD”, evokes the free expression of art and puts it in motion. One of several all white uniforms this season, the SVC visuals were highlighted in contrast by the color guard. Interesting how the color guard has evolved from being the guardians of the colors (American, and other patriotic and military flags), to being the guardians of colour in this unique pageantry art form.
Pageantry is the middle name of the Blue Devils. BPD’s arrival on the field was highly anticipated and acknowledged by the local Mid-California fans with a standing ovation when announced. The semi-circle array of props and members evokes the power of a standstill performance. Upon the command of the drum major, this corps did not stand still much at all. In fact, the fluidity and precision of the drills and movements were fast-paced and widespread across the 1.32 acres of Sanford Field. Blue Devils’ style of music and movement reveals a unique BD design that has won this venerable corps the most DCI World Championship titles of all. You can be certain that this organization, along with its team of instructors, designers, and talented members, will continue to push toward that goal.
My team of friends in the rental car departed the stadium before the scores were announced. Not long ago, I was not that interested in the scores, sometimes quite perplexed at why my favorite show was not the winner. Over those years, I have become more in tune with the judging and accept the results, knowing that the minutiae of the criteria are far beyond my understanding. My travel companions constantly refreshed the DCI score page on their cell phones while we slowly moved out of the parking lot to head back to the hotel. Finally, we learned of another win for BAC with a score of 82.800, followed closely (one point) by the Blue Devils with 81.800, and then SCV with an 81.000. Rankings are not set yet as many corps have yet to have three competitions, but it looks like the Bluecoats have posted the highest score of 83.300 earlier in the evening at River City Rhapsody in La Crosse, WI.
So, I will leave it here for now and clam up this computer here in the San Fansisco airport where I have whiled away my time with words waiting for my flight to San Diego. Earlier, I said goodbye to John, Marcia, and Jeff, my BAC tourmates. I really enjoyed the companionship, the morning walks to breakfast, and the thrilling rides along the way to the shows. Now it’s time for some necessary R&R with friends at the Hacienda del Olyenick. I’ll keep you posted when I resume my tour this Saturday at the Rose Bowl. Peace out for now.