Tim K

The shows won’t be back. Cadets are no more. Bristol’s stadium was too small and the Cranston location did not have the charm of the sea coast town where July 4th was first celebrated. BAC took over Beanpot but when the season was cut back, both shows were gone. The August BAC show has great attendance, and I’m glad it is still held in Lawrence, MA. Lawrence has its challenges and events like East Coast Classic are viewed positively.

I found this video interesting and agreed with many points. It was the first time I heard someone his age criticize the uniforms pointing out why today’s uniforms are practical but often lack anything that connects the corps to its heritage. We “dinosaurs” or as I like to refer to myself as “old school at heart” critique them all the time, but younger people generally do not. However, the point he made about designers creating shows they want without considering if the young people on the field want to perform it I believe is spot on. I’m not talking about plateauing here, but I have noticed with some corps the energy level, or perhaps the better word is enthusiasm, decreases a bit between Allentown and Indy. The show may be technically a better performance at prelims and semi’s, but is missing something. I know this is just a personal hunch, and sometimes it may be due to a discouraging season that has nothing to do with design, but there are times you hear of kids disliking a show and growing tired of it, and often it’s a show with a bizarre concept.

My understanding is that Crown enjoyed coming to Boston when there were more shows in the early season. There would be a Cadets show as they were heading to Boston, then to the Boston area for Beanpot, Bristol, and one of the BAC shows, a Cadets show after. There would be July 4th parades, Bristol and sometimes Wakefield, a free day in Boston, and where there was not a great distance from the housing site to the shows, lots of rehearsal time. It’s understandable that cost is a factor, but that’s the reality. It’s too bad. In the past Crown has been a crowd favorite.

I just looked at the lineup and it is impressive. I noticed both Blue Devils and Blue Saints are listed. It’s great Blue Daintsare back but I think it is humorous when Blue Devils and Blue Saints are in the same show even though they are not competing with each other. When Blue Saints competed in Open Class, they were often the first corps at prelims and the last would be Blue Devils, so we started with saints and left with devils.

First of all, I want to say Blue Stars was a class act that day in 2012 or at least you were when I was talking to some of your staff and volunteers after the parade. i enjoyed the parade and would love to see it return but that’s not likely to happen. In 2013 SoundSport and DrumLINE Battle were introduced. Though SoundSport had drawbacks that year due more to the location (the front steps of Lucas Oil on a hot day with no relief from the sun), DrumLINE Battle at the downtown mall had an enthusiastic crowd. I believe a big reason both events were added in place of the parade was so corps, particularly Open Class corps, could head home.

I’ve been attending Indy regularly since 2012 with a few years off not counting Covid cancelling 2020. Overall I find Indy and LOS a good place for finals. There have been a few LOS glitches and the variety of concessions is minimal but in general it works well. I will say while I enjoy myself and am always surprised by the shows, there is also a feeling it’s the same thing every year. A different venue might fix that, but I’d wonder if DCI has the personnel to promote new venues every year. If the date for finals is not set in stone with Lucas Oil, if Indy and Houston alternated, one year the early regional was in either Indy or Houston and finals be in the other city, that might work. It would change the tour a bit but it might be interesting. The only problem I could think of is the West Coast contests. They would still have to be early season and heading east rather than to Texas might be costly.

I believe Les Stentors still uses a school bus or at least they did until recently, but let’s face it folks from Quebec are a bit more rugged than most of us! 🙂

I think the writing was on the wall of a Boston Crusaders/Bluecoats rivalry in 2021 in the celebration shows. I heard some of the shows before Indy were secretly judged and I’d love to know scores. Though 2024 was clearly Bloo’s year, BAC was nipping at their heals. I thought the finals performance for BAC in 2025 had a real confidence that couldn’t be denied and after the performance you knew you just witnessed a championship show. Still Bloo did not give away the title. Boston Crusaders deserved to win but Bloo had an incredible show too. I think the goal being not just to beat Blue Devils is good for the activity. I’d like to see BD and Crown stronger and I like SCV being a threat. For a hot take, I have a feeling Spartans are going to be stronger than some predict, near or in the top 15. I know of a young man who looked into the corps and when he shared his experiences, it sounded like they are pretty ambitious. Could be interesting.

My understanding is Spartans has had a good fall as far as interest is concerned. Of course interest is different from qualified talent. I haven’t heard much about winter camps. I know they are aiming at placing higher than last year and there is enthusiasm, but we hear that with most corps. The key for Spartans will be being ready when the season begins. There are years when Spartans has begun the season with only about half of their show complete. That was fine in OC but it won’t work for WC.

The 2016 show was particularly strong and it was still the time BDB and SCVC dominated Open Class.

I’m usually in rows 14-16 in the midsection, so I usually avoid the hill and walk along the track. I haven’t walked the climbed the hill in a while, especially now that the souvenir booths have been moved. I do believe I’ve seen golf carts and folks who can’t make it up the hill can get rides to their seats.

I’ve sat in a block not organized by a corps since 2016. Prior to that I purchased tickets through the corps. The blocks through the corps were hit or miss. Sometimes I was in the same section though not the same seat each night, other years different sections. The block I am in now is the same section, same seat for all three nights. In the past the traditional blocks often had extra seats, usually when someone who purchased a ticket could not go and the tickets went up for sale. That may not be the case this year. I know at least some of the blocks lost some of their seats to Friends of DCI and have waiting lists. I’m thinking it’s only a matter of a year or two where blocks will no longer be available.

We (DCP contributors) may not be the demographic the NFL was aiming towards, but we could very well be the demographic that is most likely to watch the Super Bowl.

In general, the more something is hyped, usually the less impressed I am. I did not find the Super Bowl half time show as controversial as I expected. I also did not find it non stop entertainment. There were some impressive moments, but I did not know what was being sung, so I didn’t know if the lyrics and show worked together. For me that’s key. I’m a huge opera fan, so much of what I listen to is performed in Italian, German, French, Russian, or Czech, but translations are available and the music fits the action. I’m thinking subtitles would have been helpful. I do think Bad Bunny performed in a way that it was more about the show and not about him, which is a huge plus in my books. When it comes to drum corps and pageantry, I agree that the opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics to be much closer to what we might see on a drum corps field than Bad Bunny’s show. The colorful segments reminded me a bit of Blue Devils 2023, “The Cutouts.” Whether Bad Bunny’s music makes it into a drum corps show, only time will tell, though the use of the national flags in the half time show which I did find impressive, could be incorporated into a show.WGI might be more of where we see elements of Bad Bunny’s show.

I used to say I was a Blue Saints to Blue Devils drum corps fan because I would be in my seats when Blue Saints took the field at prelims and wouldn’t leave until Blue Devils finished, at least that was the case in 2012 and 2013, but each time I attend I want to see each corps in prelims, semi’s, and of course finals. There is always something you miss if you don’t see each show.