Leaderboard

I guess it had to be no other way for the Boston Crusaders, but to do it this way..: During the course of the season, you have not 1, but 2 snares go down to injuries at practice... but you close ranks, tighten up, and keep going. You're so looking forward to coming home to the Boston region after being out west, south, midwest since June to perform the first and only field show in uniform and in competition in New England this summer... with Bluecoats in the show lineup too. But the show is cancelled in the pouring rain... Such a bummer... but you keep on going. You go to Bluecoats home show, gate entry for Boston is a mistaken snafu, gate entry that is mistakenly locked gets blowtorched open, just in time for Boston to run inside and rush to get ready. Boston performs, but its not the best run in the rush. Bloo lights it up in performance for the 11.000 in attendance in the show there there and earns a win.... Boston gets back to practice, keeps focused. In Indy, Boston wins the Quarters, but Bluecoats wins the Semis. Its not all that difficult then to find out in a quick research how many Corps that lost the Semi Finals win the title 24 hours later on Finals Night. So now its onto Finals Night. In order to win, Boston will need to put on its best performance run of the season in order to have a chance to win. Boston's show for 2025 is chock full of exposure.. lots of very difficult rifle tosses, lots of demand in the percussion writing. Lots of exposure on the tuba; rifle toss and catch segment. Brass solo exposure in the ballad too. Lots of exposure with the 2 baton twirlers spinning, tossing, catching. Trumpet high note exposures as well,. Its no time for jitters or nerves. You need to execute with confidence in your ability, work, and training that provided you this shot. And oh my gosh... you nail it in performance. Best run in the season. When its most needed... because Bluecoats follow and as defending Champion, they are confident as well. Bluecoats likewise have a great run for themselves. Their score goes up as result almost 5 tenths. You'll need 7 tenths at least. It would great then if Guard, Brass, Percussion judges saw/ heard an appropriate read on your Finals Night performance, so filled with verve, precision, emotion. They do. Boston jumps 8.5 tenths... just enough to come back from Semi's to win on Finals Night in a squeaker.. But a well deserved squeaker win. Boston Crusaders 2025... it was never going to be easy, was it ?. I guess you probably knew that all along. Look at the names of the Corps up and down the top 12. That alone tells you how daunting it is to win. But thats what makes this win so glorious. You kept plugging along. Not just this year, but with Giants that went before you in previous years. You kept going, until finally critical mass was attained, and then on Finals Night 2025, the Drum Corps world watched you become undeniable. Congratulations, Boston Crusaders. The 2025 DCI World Class Division Champions !

Reflecting on last night … I’m a decent human being … but not good enough to deserve the finals I had the privilege of watching last night. These young adults that do this … and all who support them … because they LOVE the marching arts … should be saluted. While the season was short … it was amazing.

can we really not do this? I don't think this should represent who we are as a community. Its completely fine to have opinions, but to bring another corps down to do so is in bad taste. And once again, the perc caption is combined, there wasn't much room left at the top and the judges thought that BAC was 3 tenth better overall. That's how a 20 happens. We should be taking this time to celebrate what bloo has done on the field and be thankful that another season has ended safely. I can't police you to share your opinions, but I would personally like for the bloo community to be seen with grace and humility. Six Words

The Bluecoats are NOT Star of Indiana. They are never entitled. They don't get caught up in the trap of thinking that they deserve something from this extremely subjective activity. Bluecoats are entertainers to the core. You have to remember that the 6 words mantra was developed at a time when the Bluecoats had absolutely zero interest in winning any rank in the finals lineup. It's a code that is simply true, devoid of any scores. At the Bluecoats, there are never pieces to pick up or recoveries to be made. There's just the next show. For me, I am extremely happy for the Boston Crusaders. I believe that their achievement is very good for the activity... and good for the Bluecoats.

bloo gave it everything they had tonight. watching their drum major cry at the end of their show really touched me. that's what this is about. these kids will forget about a number, a placement, whatever it may be. they'll remember the moments spent with each other, learning and growing as a unit, deepening connections and creating new ones. it takes a lot to be this vulnerable in front of this many people. what i saw from many bloo fans tonight was pure class. every one of the 10 people in my house watching with me tonight, was pulling hard for bloo, but there was no disappointment, no anger, no vitriol or pain in the numbers. we are all so proud of what the crusaders have created. they truly earned it, and i would hope everyone will go into the future remembering that perseverance and fight. tonight, of all nights, was for the kids. i hope everyone remembers that.

The quest to recapture the DCI throne begins today! 2025 is in the books and Bloo put on an historic show. I’ve called the design staff the Mad Scientists of drum corps in prior years, and in 2025 they literally were. So what are these mad scientist going to come up with next? Discuss!

What a FINALS show last night. Finally got to bed around midnight. A few thoughts on the show. A big congratulations to the Boston Crusaders on your World Championship in World Class drum and bugle corps. All season we knew it would come down to Boston or Bluecoats. Even with SCV sneaking up on the top 2 (and what a greatr show SCV had) it was clear that the top 2 competitors were Boston and Bluecoats. The two corps did not disappoint. Boston went undefeated out West and Bloo was undefeated early season as well. The only corps to beat Bloo or Boston were themselves. I believe the two corps went 3-3 against each other with Boston winning the last one...the BIG ONE! It's always great and satisfying when you can win a World Championship on a year when your closest competitor is equally worthy of Gold. This reminded me of Garfield v. SCV in 1987, Star v. Cadets in 1993, SCV v. BD in 1999 perhaps. I, myself, was ready for the tie. I am glad someone won outright. Typically when Bluecoats are in the running I am rooting for them, but I loved Boston's show all season (and Bloo) and was thrilled Boston pulled it out for their first title ever. This is such a great thing for the activity. This win on your 85 Anniversary should be celebrated by all in this activity. As for scores and placements from 3rd place down to 12th, and beyond, I think the judges got it right. I loved Spirit of Atlanta and really wanted them in Finals. They came close and what a fantastic show. Blue Knights also delivered a great show this summer and deserved that 12th spot. The Colts were incredibly good last night. I wasn't a fan of the uniforms but have to admit that when you see their show from a higher stadium perspective it just works. Colts were very consistent in performance in all captions. This corps can really perform and sell their show, as they always do, and this summer was no different. Troopers, Cavaliers and Blue Stars were amazing last night. Troopers gave us the emotional feels and some haunting moments -- and some brilliant percussion, brass and guard. That cello soloist...OH MY! You get my award for best soloist of the night, Period! Cavaliers gave us one of the most improved corps of the summer with an excellent music book, great guard, nice visual program and the killer percussion section. They seemingly did all the right things to give the members a show they could clean and enjoy. Finally, Blue Stars gave us a fun show with some killer whiplash drill. Nice use of props and a killer brass line made this show go...along with a wonderful guard and some effective use of color. There were years in DCI's past that Blue Stars brass would have been top 5. Control, balance, blend, intonation, and great musical achievement. Loved the music. Phantom Regiment and Carolina Crown were amazing last night. Both received in-show standing ovations at various moments. These 5th and 6th place shows almost felt like they were competing for 1st and 2nd. Both received MASSIVE ovations at the end and deserved. If Finals had ended after Phantom and Crown the crowd would have got their money's worth. In fairness both corps had to do plenty of tweaking and rewrites to make these shows pop. The scores were likely not what they were hoping for. Everyone would love to knock out a 99. 🙂 In the end these two corps know how to engage a crowd, especially musically. Phantom and Crown almost never disappoint when it comes to powerful music, emotion, and long sustained builds that cause goosebumps to emerge. It's why they are so loved and their fans are passionate. Blue Devils and Santa Clara are friends, rivals, and they were THE trend setters and performance masters of DCI's early period. From DCI's inception in 1972 to 1982 all the championships were won by California corps except for 1975 Madison Scouts. Anaheim Kingsmen were the first and then it was either SCV or BD. Here they are today and still in the top 4. Certainly there have been ups and downs but the Bay Area of California still has two of the finest around. I enjoyed BD's show this year more than last year. I still find much of their creative process very captivating and their performers seem to love it and always perform so well. Taking 4th should not be seen as losing. Yes...Blue Devils had a run like no other...ever. To have 15 years (minus the 2 pandemic years) where you finish top 2 is something that will likely never be done again. A run like that is bound to end and it's not always because BD suddenly got bad. This was just a year where SCV, Bloo, and Boston had amazing shows. To be fair I thought Blue Devils never gave up on the show. They made some changes but mostly dug in on cleaning and learning how to perform. The ballad got a standing O from the crowd and it was one of my favorite moments this summer. So even if this wasn't the squeaky clean Blue Devils we are used to they were still dang good and I am excited to see what they come up with next. Santa Clara returned to glory this summer, matching their Bronze Medal finish in 2019 with a show that I often called a contemporary cardio fest. The amount of movement and difficult body work combined with intricate music and daring contemporary design gave fans a stunning showcase of minimalist, impressionistic and rhythmically challenging ideas to feast on. After having to take a year off in 2023 it was great to see them on the field in 2024. Many of us feared the worst. I am sure many fans did not expect a top 3 show from them this soon after returning, but kudos and congrats to this corps for being so daring and putting in the hard work to master this most difficult production. It was jaw dropping every time I saw them. Boston Crusaders and Bluecoats came out early season and set the tone immediately, picking up where they left off from last season. It was clear early on that they were the corps to beat. They went undefeated against all other challengers except each other. Bluecoats once again stunned us with new ideas on visual and musical design. They seem to never disappoint. You never know what Bluecoats are going to bring out each season but I am always amazed by their creativity and their incredible performance abilities. This year's show was Gold worthy and only .175 from that Gold. They crushed it finals night and the crowd loved it. Congratulations, Bluecoats! I can't wait to see what you come up with next season. Boston gave us some old school and new school music with perhaps the best use of dynamics and a musical book that moved seamlessly from style and genre. The visual program was a combination of well-conceived block drill to whiplash fast-paced excitement to superb staging and even some fantastic gags (thinking of the Tuba solo and rifle toss and catch). Boston's ballad was incredible. They managed to make this show fresh and fun and used their marvelous performance captions to drive home impact. When that company front hit in the opener the crowd shot to their feet and at that moment I had a feeling it was their night. Heck, their guard alone had me jump out of my chair on 2 or 3 instances. Winning guard, percussion, and brass is amazing (though I do think Bluecoats won brass on Finals night). Beating the Bluecoats at their best is difficult and Boston had to earn it. They did! As I said earlier we should all celebrate the win by Boston on their 85th. Anytime DCI has a new, first-time champion it's a time to celebrate.

Well, that’s a nice take, but I’d say the groundwork started a few years earlier when the G7 push made it clear we had to bet on ourselves. We wrote a plan, raised the money, rebuilt staff and systems, and tonight is the culmination of those efforts.

Just finished watching the rebroadcast. A lot of this was said in the finals thread, but still. All the corps brought their A-game, but it was the Troopers that gave us the first inclination of just good finals would be. They grabbed you by the heartstrings and just didn't let go. And it is delighful that they anounced their 2026 show the MINUTE their 2025 show ended. We give the judges a lot of crap, but I think they nailed the top 6. I'm a longtime Phantom honk, and I loved their show, but the needed something more to kick it over the edge, to crank it up to twelve, so to speak. The opening statement, the euph-flugel duet--simply gorgeous. The design team just needs to kick things up a notch. Crown's show has been growing on me for the past few weeks. A lot of medieval imagery, coupled with a truly ominous presentation of Fate (What does the person under the hood DO while they're just standing there on the back sideline?)--the cycle of fate from the start of the show to the end was perfect. I have not been a fan of BD's recent shows, but this one won me over. Last year's show was not a particularly well-designed show (IMO) but they performed it with the precision we're used to seeing from them. This year's show was much more cohesive, even if the talent was not up to the usual BD standard. They cleaned up a lot of the mess from prelims and semis, and the final set was mesmerizing. SVC has dethroned BD for the "They play it incredibly well, but what the hell is it?!?!?" trophy. OK, yeah Avant garde. So edgy. There was such a gap between the top two and everyone else, even with the lower corps REALLY stepping things up. The Observer Effect didn't quite click for me the way that Change is Everything did. The performance was great, but for much of the show the horn line was over processed or too supported by goo. Hell of an ending, though. BC looked to have the stuff to win right out of the gate. This show was just FUN--from the jamming, to the antics between the horns and the guard. Final observation--Corps members were a LOT more animated during the score announcements in previous years. The director did a great job of letting us see the all-too-human moments that were often overlooked in previous years. So...is it May 2026 yet?

I landed at Logan about an hour ago, an American Airlines direct flight from Indianapolis to Boston. Lots of drum corps alums, especially Boston Crusaders alums, along with fans were on the plane. When the flight attendant thanks us for choosing American Airlines she said “and to all the Boston Crusaders friends and fans BOOM!” American will probably become the official airline of the Boston Crusaders.

Hello all! Crown '25 brass member here. Starting around the second week of spring training I enjoyed reading all your predictions and guesses about the season. Now that I don't have to worry about performing to the max anymore, I thought it might be fun if I could answer any questions you may have about the season from our perspective. I have a pretty long bus ride so it's open season from now until the wee hours. Please note that I will be doing my best to remain anonymous, so don't ask too many particularly revealing questions! Other than that, go for it :)

And this is why The Bluecoats is The Bluecoats. One of my favorite moments of the season was the home field meetup with Blue Devils, with a cake that showed both logos on the top. This represents the best of this activity and I for one do not wish for the previous caustic attitudes to return.

to your second point, i think it's just time for us to get a new announcer for finals week. brandt is historic, he's the voice of dci. but he struggled pretty good this weekend. that man deserves a gorgeous retirement and to be revered as the gem that he is. i hate hearing him struggle, forgetting parts of scripts, mispronouncing things, and his energy just isn't there anymore. i don't blame the guy at all, he's been doing this for longer than anyone in these corps has been alive. he has made his mark. i just think that it's time for the torch to be passed to someone new.

Tonight the word BAC means… BEING A CHAMPION !! ! !!! To the members… you wore “Crusaders” like a badge of honor and won. To the staff and volunteers… you forged a season into a title. To the alumni and friends who refused to let the name fade, this is yours. We felt the last note drop. The field collapsed into the final picture. The stadium held its breath. A winner never quits, and a quitter never wins… tonight proved it. Wear the name. Carry the Founders Trophy home where it belongs. Ad gloriam et triumphum, Bostonia. This corps is made of GIANTS. We will never die.

I did a different approach this year to DCI, I did not watch anything until Finals week. My general comments: Quality is amazing from the performers. Shows are now racing to be the most obscure just like shows in the late 90s tried so hard to play the most obscure music ever. Welcome back BK! Loved the show. Spirit was also amazing. If there were to be a tie, I would have wanted to see Spirit again. Placements were right from my perspective. Just loved Mandarins and Vanguard most this year. Mandarins took a big step up in sophistication (imho) and it will pay off next year. Vanguard was somehow very different and yet old school all at once. That is tough to pull off. Loved it. Bloo and BAC were great and will likely be great next year. BD will be back. And I can't wait to see what is next. And I am not a BD honk. But, I know something is coming. It always does! Until next year! Best of luck to all of the corps trying to keep it going until next year!

1. There needs to be a music specific award for finals. If music caption includes brass, (2) music analysis and percussion scores, then we need to acknowledge the culmination of those efforts. There can be a scenario were a corps can win brass (Ott) and another corps wins percussion (Sanford) and a different corps wins the culmination of that caption but never acknowledge for its efforts. You already do that for Visual (guard is sub caption) of that caption. 🤔 2. Can we get someone to help the announcer of the DCI championship week announce the drum major names better. A diction coach or someone who can phonetically pronounce names better without butchering them. The reactions of some of these drum majors as their names were being announced is comical, I felt bad for them. Be better DCI!

It’s about respect. If you’re going to say their name, learn how to pronounce it. There’s no excuse.

Bloo defended their 2024 championship with another championship caliber show and performance. I still see the Bluecoats as the tip of the spear for the activity and leading the way for what's possible on the field. That's not changing. That's why when the dust settles and the season is in the rearview mirror, my heart is with this organization no matter the competitive outcome. Bloo inspires me like no other corps ever has.

Of all the finals performances last night ..I was most impressed with the Blue Stars. The crowd response was as loud as anyone else. I remember watching a video before the season of a staff member , think the brass caption head, saying they were stepping up their game this season, and they did just that. Great job Blue Stars ! ..and congrats to your DM for winning an award last night

My wants for 2026: Focus on WOW Moments: Every part of the show needs both a visual and musical WOW moment….like BDs closer this year or Bloos guard feature last year. Crown needs to build their show around WOW moments. Overhaul Drill: Crown needs to go hyper visual drill throughout every minute of the show like SCV or BAC. Amplified Choreography: SCV is the master of choreography, and BAC was very good too. Crown needs to push more on creative choreo. Modern Ballad: Let’s take a break from concert and orchestra, and pick something like BD or BACs ballads this year. Sound Experimental: Bloo is onto something with soundscaping. There’s tons of music in Crowns wheelhouse with experimental sounds or using uncommon musical elements like water and air as something distinctive sound wise. Percussion Forward: Crown percussion showed potential this year. Let’s give them a Rhythm’s at the Edge of Time type show to showcase their skills Up Guard Gimmicks: Let’s see tumbling and more innovative tosses. And most importantly, I want to see Crown guard in a box all together and not spread across the field the entire show. Change Timelines: Final big changes in by San Antonio.

Unity, infinity, and wholeness: if we take the simple circle for its symbolism, then its ubiquitousness in drum corps this season just might speak to what the line-up of fine units was striving for. Well that, and the big fat circular zeroes that follow sevens, eights, and nines on the score sheets. On that front, well done! Fifty-six years in with the activity, I gave up scoring long ago. Drum corps is an essential entertainment pleasure in my life. I like what I like , no matter placement. Take the Crossmen. Sure, “Crosswalking” never strolled up the sheets, but it did for me! Good on them. But let’s take it from the top, my five biggest pleasures, then five more, and a couple of others. “The aVANt GUARD,” as performed by the resurgent Santa Clara Vanguard, is precisely why I fell in love with drum corps in the first place. The activity zigged, Vanguard zagged. There are so many ways to brand an organization; so this infinity moment for the Vanguard — Ouroboros, if you will — hypnotized me from its first showing through finals night. On our feet is often the rallying cry from the stands, but this year I stood in silence, and awe, that was the mesmerizing beauty of Phantom Regiment. Other worldly, for me (not trying to tell anyone else what to take away from the performance), I said it on first glance, the diaphanous curtains were as musical, and mesmerizing, as was the horn and percussion book. How many times over five-plus decades have I heard “performance of the performers,” when classifying a unit. Slap it squarely on the Boston Crusaders, if you will, please. My mind went BOOM every time I watched them. Turns out, so did the judges, offering the corps its first championship in its 85th anniversary year, including an Oscar-like night of awards for percussion, horns, music, and color guard. A drum corps fan’s pure nirvana was the final 90 seconds of the Blue Devils gathering. Not that the preceding eleven minutes weren’t filled with Concord-isms that, mixed together here, made for some lively conversation! It was Madison, Wisconsin, 1985, and a very VERY small corps with the abbreviated name Boston began to line up in Camp Randall Stadium. I was on the sidelines, it happened; likely trying to find someone to talk to a media outlet. The arrival of: an electric keyboard, small speaker, car battery, and wiring stopped me cold in my tracks. Just as it did the crowd when the percussion feature was a pretty great transcription of “Axel-F,” the theme song from “Beverly Hills Cops. And just as it did at score time, when a penalty was assessed. Not in drum corps. Just yet. And yet, in 2025, it was the soundscape the Bluecoats engineered that stopped the activity cold in its tracks. Who can imagine where we go from here? I can hardly wait. The next five corps I loved, start with another multi World Champion on the way back up, The Cavaliers, with arguably the handsomest production (think esthetics, I always do) on the field. Mandarins grew on me, and by mid-season both the corps and I saw the potential in “If I Should Fall.” You caught me. The musical book of The Troopers was the most spectacular in the corps history! There, I’ve said it, because I think it. With the trilogy melodrama complete, tears included (I’m old), I’m ready for the next (new) phase from Caspar. Musical books were really important to my enjoyment this season, so add Carolina Crown’s glorious “Carmina Burana,” and the Blue Stars extended opening to Aaron Copland’s fine “Outdoor Overture.” The Blue Knights found what all new-to-finals corps, or returning corps in this case, have: a theme to fully extricate, and practice, practice, practice. My last mentions are hard ones, but for me they are important, because they deal with corps I have loved in as many iterations as I have freckles. Colts surged back into finals four years ago with the exotic “Silk Road,” a look, sound, and feel that refreshened the corps as a perennial finalist. And then they returned to themes like the ones I thought they had left behind: 14-16th place, albeit performed at finalist level. I really do want more out of Iowa, only because the organization has given it to us. I think we all want a big, brassy dose of Madison Scouts again. The current performers are up to the task, clearly; is the organization? Okay, so this Alabama born and bred fellow (long retired to Florida) must give a shout-out to the Spirits of Atlanta, this year; both the competitive and alumni units. Thank you, both. I’ll circle back to the top, and say that at 71, I have not enjoyed drum corps more than I do now. I still shake my head; how do they come up with, and do, THAT? Oh, I get it! For MY infinite pleasure.

i don't know, it's one thing to mispronounce drum major names (he did this all three nights for the troopers. can't feel good), it's another to forget to ask the troopers if their corps is ready, or announce the blue knights show name. he's been having a hard time for a few years. i absolutely love brandt, i love his voice, i love his delivery, and i love his humorous moments too, like finals 2019, just saying "blue....." i don't want brandt to have to retire, if we could, he'd announce every show for the rest of time. i just don't think it's fully fair to these corps for these mistakes to happen nightly, especially on championships weekend. it's one thing for a hired gun radio host to call you the blue colts from iowa. it's another to have brandt forget to ask if your corps is ready, leaving dead air during championship weekend, or have him really mess up your name on finals night. it's not his fault, it's not against him. we all get old. i am not against corps giving phonetic spellings for drum major names, however. as a standard i am honestly very surprised that isn't part of the script. especially when the drum majors name is very difficult to pronounce just by reading it. including a pronunciation guide to the announcer should be the standard.

I feel that this moment is very well deserved for BAC. I still look back to the 2016 (I think) show the Quixotic show as the starting point for all of this. They fought to keep the top 12 position and began a truly Quixotic quest that has now resulted in a title. Imagine if they did not make Finals in 2016. But, they did, and now they are champions. Congratulations to all involved in reaching this milestone!

can't overstate how great i feel for boston this year! this is more than just a long time coming. boston has had to truly rip and tear to get to this place and this will go down in drum corps history as a story not just of hard work and dedication, but perseverance and an unwillingness to let anything hold you back. this is the most valiant win i've ever watched, it didn't come easy. congrats to everyone, members, alumni, and staff. the amount of class and composure exuded on the field by this corps is inspirational. never forget this feeling. it is with you now.

This was an amazing show performed by pros. So the judges didn’t award a gold … honestly, who cares? You are champions in my eyes. This show pushed the boundaries of what drum corps can be and that means you made history. Congratulations on that!

Thank you Boston! As a 65 year-old alum, I just can't find the words.

Boston popped a perfect 20.0 in percussion

Gotta get ahead of the curve! What are our thoughts on how next season goes given this (now past) season? They were much more aggressive at making changes this season, I want to see even more of that next year!

As a true BD honk, and someone who absolutely loved the Gathering, i agree we need to evolve a bit. I watch guard, almost to the exclusion of everything else, and there wasn’t enough guard work. What was there was stellar, but too much emphasis on dancing and acrobatics, for my taste. I love all of the body work in the MM, but it shouldn’t replace the big marching moments BD usually fields. I LOVE Chandler’s stuff, but too much of a good thing will kill ya.

Respectfully, that’s not how they said it. Statements made about one corps’ process are not implicitly shade toward anyone else’s process. Arguing otherwise is - I’m sorry - immature and bad faith, even a bit self-centered: How do you hear BD staff talking about BD and make it about you? BD literally sat in the stands and rooted BAC on earlier in the summer during their West Coast tour. BD fans on DCP, including myself, have been extremely supportive of other corps all summer, including and especially Bloo and BAC. This is the kind of willful misinterpretation that I’m talking about. Meanwhile, if a BD fan were to point out that the last 2 seasons of BD losing to BAC doesn’t nullify the previous 70-whatever years of the reverse, it’d be considered “mean.”

On topic #1 - the award isn't for the overall visual caption. It's for visual proficiency only. There is no double dipping with the guard caption. On topic #2 - someone else already mentioned it, but most corps do submit information with phonetic spellings. People need to stop giving the man grace just because he's a legend and occasionally growls a certain corps' name. It's unprofessional, it messes with the timing and flow of shows, and it clearly affects the members based on the reactions we were seeing on the field. The bare minimum of reading through the sheet and preparing is clearly not happening. I saw an interview with Chuck Henson once where he talked through his preparation for BOA, showing us that he would read through and practice the script while troubleshooting drum major names while the prior corps was on the field. Brandt is clearly not doing that, especially given there was NO improvement in certain names all three nights. Hell, on the third night he completely dismissed a corps' director's name and said "anyway..." as he trailed off at the end. The irony of that one is that the director's name was "Bastante," as in "enough." At this point I can't help but feel that it's ego getting in the way, and it kills me to say that given what he has meant to the activity. Yes, he's a legend, he's an icon, but at this point he isn't the moment.

Boston was ###### near perfect in three major captions. That has been judged by literally dozens of judges for nearly a month. The style of show is prototypical east coast and that doesn’t really suit my tastes, but I cannot deny Boston put on one hell of a show with 155 members who gave it everything they had. Bluecoats also gave them everything they had and no doubt their competition pushed Boston to the level we saw this weekend. There were seasons in which I felt the wrong corps was awarded the gold medal for reasons that went outside the field. Yes Boston was the emotional favorite but they flat out earned this medal fair and square.

It means that the adjudicator has no critical analysis to offer. It only means that. Someone else, from some other perspective might have a critique to offer, but the score is up to this person, in this moment. Fans constantly get caught up in the trap of thinking that scores have broad/actual meaning. But the scores exclusively have narrow/subjective meaning. All competitors agree to that system.

Was actually more of a dig at someone else! Ultimately you’re in the family whether you want to be or not, because you’re so associated with BD now that just yesterday someone else with a Crossmen avatar caught strays because they were mistaken for you. 😅 So maybe you’re the Joker, but there’s a reason the Joker is in so many of the movies. Anyway see you on Thanksgiving I guess. Bring cranberry juice in a CAN, please.

A stir the pot post.

BD 2026: Return of Those Naughty Little Devils?

Well then. Great season BAC. Well deserved.

As someone who was with the organization then and now, I can tell you it feels nothing like 2019. Much respect to Boston. Two corps gave amazing performances tonight and the chips fell where they may.

The 2025 DCI WORLD CHAMPION Boston Crusaders and the DCI OPEN CLASS CHAMPION Spartans home bases are 45 miles apart.

Boston finally defeated the G7

Thank you Boston Crusaders - to those who started the legacy, those who fought to preserve it, those who rebuilt it, and those who have taken it to new heights. "Boom" was a delight all year, combining old school drum corps fundamentals with a fresh bravado in a retrofuturistic package. Visually and musically packed, it felt impossible to take it all in but we tried - oh how we tried. I could never take my eyes away when BAC took the field. And then Boston took a big artistic and competitive risk with the ending - and added a level of profundity that took the show into legend. The Boston Crusaders were Giants last night, as they have been all along. Congratulations!

I genuinely laughed at this-honestly-props man! I guess I have some work to do to emulate humility and respect with my posts. Just proves how hard that can be…hehe

Agree completely. I’ll admit Boston’s show never hit with me personally, but I’m not going to deny that they performed the heck out of it and that crowd and judges alike loved it. They won by a tight margin even with the perfect score in percussion. Came down to a judge who loved Crown and scored them ahead of Bloo in Music Analysis and Bloo not pulling away enough in GE to overcome Boston’s caption advantages. Give it up to Boston’s Guard too who had been slightly behind the Bloo guard all season but managed a strong score all 3 nights. We knew it was going to be close, different judges probably lead to different results. Both corps were at championship levels. Boston won over the judges they needed too to take the Founders. Just tip your cap to a magnificent performance and look forward to next year.

I just want to put my thank you note to Troopers here. Troopers, your show touched me so deeply, this will be in my permanent replay list. I love drum corps for being fun and loud and entertaining and emotional, but this is another level. For those of us who lave lost loved ones, you gave us a way to reflect on memories and mortality and carrying on. Your show is up there with the best of art. Thank you for giving the resurrection symphony the time and care it deserves, and thank you for the epilogue with Once Upon Another Time. What a beautiful pairing. I loved the show, and to all the staff, design team and performers, I am beyond grateful for what you have done.

My problem through the years hasn’t been BD. I admit, their shows don’t do much for me. And I’ve said through the years there have been many years where they’ve won that I didn’t think they should have. My problem is with SOME of their fans and alum who mercilessly attack, mock and belittle anyone who implies BD isn’t gods gift to drum corps. It gets old for people who want to have genuine discussions on the activity.

Bloo is now the only corps to medal every season in the post-covid era.

Keep the music team together for sure. They've finally got a brass and percussion team that fits each other it seems. I can't wait to see what they cook up after a year together tweaking their first collaboration.

Congrats to the corps. So proud

Congratulations Mandarins for a summer of excellence, entertainment and undeniable competitiveness! As family and a fan I couldn’t be more proud! You guys truly made a statement this year with a show that won hearts and respect! See you next summer…. can’t wait!

Great season, Bloo! Keep pushing the activity farther.