craiga

Thank you, Boston! An a incredible season, topped off with your best performance of finals night! I am so proud of each and every one of you! We're on to year 84! Love, Craig and Max

Ok, here is my final REVISED prediction for tonight's top 5: 1. Boston Crusaders 2. Blue Devils 3. Carolina Crown 4. Bluecoats 5. Cadets Enjoy the show, everyone!

I'm not convinced that your stats tell the whole story. I know of several brass players from Texas and Florida who, after being given contracts by BD in December, MOVED to CA in January. While I do not believe this was any kind of requirement, it would obviously make them CA residents by summer, would it not?

Last night was the best performance of the year for the Boston Crusaders....according members and staff I have spoken with, and my own eyes and ears. I think they have one more great performance in them. Tonight is your night to climb, Boston!

To the members of the Boston Crusaders: Your performance last night in semifinals was arguably the best performance ever given by this drum corps. It defied description! Having said that, we could not possibly have survived 83 years without looking at the big picture. Yes, it is mathematically still possible to win, but regardless of that final result take a moment to appreciate everyone around you. As you stand together tonight and sing GIANT-some of you for the last time-honor yourselves and each other. You have 83 years of alumni who love and support you. Tonight, make your final statement. Eat'em Up, Boston!

I have no idea.

Rumor is the delay was caused by a DCI generator shutting itself down due to some kind of overheating so that wouldn't be a baby powder moment...we hope.

What do you have against the percussion feature?

Solid Job tonight, Boston!

So, am I the only one who noticed repeated quasi-bondage imagery from several corps last night? Or am I being a typical old New b Englandah prude?

Furthermore, there was nothing "easy" about any aspect of Boston's growth, or for that matter, its survival over a span of 83 years. Any suggestion to the contrary is disingenuous and ignores historical facts.

Just in terms of historical accuracy, while a group of Crown guard members did follow Michael and Heather over to BAC, that was not the case with brass players and drummers coming over from Cadets...it may have been a handful, but I was around alot in 2017 and do not remember any kind of a large influx. Lest we forget, as of the audition season in December 2016, BAC was still a 12th place corps. AND, NONE of those 2017 members would have been still of marching age in 2022 when Boston tied for second. Ultimately, the reason for their success has been extremely high level of teaching, agile, intelligent corps management, and a BOD and alumni base committed to doing whatever it takes to support the members.

There is nothing inherently "dated" about J. Birney Crum Stadium. Quite the opposite, in fact. There is literally no venue of which I am aware which provides the spectator opportunities that you find in Allentown. I have been there more than two dozen times, and the ability to stroll through the park and listen to drum lines and brass lines warm up, talk with friends old and new, and simply enjoy the two nights of the event are unparalleled. Is there a nostalgic element to this venue for older fans? Of course....but earlier in my career I used to bring some of my high school band kids to Allentown, many of whom eventually marched drum corps and now in their 40s, they frequently speak about how the Allentown experience changed the trajectory of their lives. A quick story: one year, sometime in the mid 90s, I brought a van full of my students to this event in what was their first show. We found ourselves at BD's rehearsal across town. Of the six kids I brought, the youngest of the group was 12. This kid could not stop watching BD drum major James Gulke. During the 7 hour trip back to Maine at the end of the weekend, he said "I'm going to be HIM someday". Years later, this same kid marched 5 years in BAC (including 2000) and aged out....you guessed it, on the podium for Boston. My work here is done.

And, we had Boston only .3 behind BD...

If SCV did come back some day, would they be on first every show? Or maybe the rotation of the first three?

How did they sound?

Just a reaction to all the comments last night about Boston and Crown numbers not be legit because we weren't on the same night as BD....

BOSTON CRUSADERS.....the door is wide open!

I don't understand. Wasn't BD supposed to open up a big spread tonight because they were on the same night?

Yes....and it happened way back in early June.

Unfortunately, and I say this as someone who owns dozens of drum corps cds, Blue Ray's, dvds, and yup, vhs tapes, dci is no longer in that business....another victim of modern technology. Fun fact: I recently retired from a Ford Dealership....did you know that Ford hasn't even offered a cd player in any of its new vehicles since 2018? *sigh*

Chief Guns is a class act.

Actually, if you read today's article on dci.org regarding Boston, DCI IS in fact saying just that, and prominently brings up the fact that Boston is now 3 tenths behind BD. Their words...not mine.

For BAC fans....just got a call from "SuperSaderFan"....he was with them at the show last night and will remain with them through Finals night. Forty five years of passion and fire which he alone is able to share with the members. THE Giant is in the house! Iykyk....

Some serious East Coast drum corps badassery happening in that town over the next few days...