DCI World Championship Finals - August 9, 2025

[mrk]

Lineup & Times
All times ET and subject to change

4:00 PM – Gates Open
5:40 PM – INpact Band
6:00 PM – U.S. Marine Drum & Bugle Corps
6:20 PM – National Anthem
6:30 PM – Blue Knights
6:47 PM – Colts
7:04 PM – Troopers
7:21 PM – Blue Stars
7:38 PM – The Cavaliers
7:55 PM – Mandarins
8:12 PM – Intermission
8:32 PM – Phantom Regiment
8:54 PM – Carolina Crown
9:16 PM – Blue Devils
9:33 PM – Santa Clara Vanguard
9:50 PM – Boston Crusaders
10:07 PM – Bluecoats
10:20 PM – Retreat

Judging Panel
General Effect 1: Don Deems & Damon Padilla
General Effect 2: Gerry Miller & Caleb Rothe
Visual Proficiency: Robert Solomon
Visual Analysis: Tom Slaughter
Color Guard: Beverly Brahan
Music Brass: Paul McGarr
Music Analysis: Chris Romanowski & Jeff Harper
Music Percussion: Jeff Brooks
Chief Judge: Julia Davila & John Phillips

Edited August 9, 2025 by mrk

[erroneous]

I’m going to predict a Boston win. And noone breaks 98 this year. Also Boston has already won the ott and the Sanford. Unless they die on the field. 

Edited August 9, 2025 by erroneous

[mfrontz]

3 hours ago, erroneous said:

I’m going to predict a Boston win. And noone breaks 98 this year. Also Boston has already won the ott and the Sanford. Unless they die on the field. 

But they do...

 

 

boom

[mcjordansc]

Possible placement shuffling tonight is between BK/Colts, Troopers/Cavaliers/Blue Stars, PR/Crown, and most importantly, BAC/Blue. It’s always nice to have a little intrigue on Saturday night. 

[JReese7990]

It’s hard to predict how the judges will see this tonight.  Assuming both corps perform their best.  I still don’t know who wins.  With both corps performing great shows at such a high level it comes down to how the judge jives with these shows.  Not so much if they like it, but if they get it.  Both BC and BAC use gimmicks (I’m not saying that’s a negative thing) but those gimmicks are widely different from each other. Bluecoats play with the soundscape and complex counter rhythms, and tricky maneuvering of their props.   While Boston takes a more physical approach to the gimmicks: guard and brass interactions, lots of physical feats, cartwheels, splits, marching on knees etc.  Both corps have had judges just not connect and knock them down in comparison to other panel members.  
 

My conclusion is neither corps should hang their head with a 2nd place finish.  A simple shuffle of the judges would likely have a different result.  If Finals was 5 more nights.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see different winners every night.  Both corps are a championship level corps.  
 

Let’s not fall into fan tribalism and just celebrate a great year with tons of talent. C

[Tailgate88]

11 minutes ago, JReese7990 said:

It’s hard to predict how the judges will see this tonight.  Assuming both corps perform their best.  I still don’t know who wins.  With both corps performing great shows at such a high level it comes down to how the judge jives with these shows.  Not so much if they like it, but if they get it.  Both BC and BAC use gimmicks (I’m not saying that’s a negative thing) but those gimmicks are widely different from each other. Bluecoats play with the soundscape and complex counter rhythms, and tricky maneuvering of their props.   While Boston takes a more physical approach to the gimmicks: guard and brass interactions, lots of physical feats, cartwheels, splits, marching on knees etc.  Both corps have had judges just not connect and knock them down in comparison to other panel members.  
 

My conclusion is neither corps should hang their head with a 2nd place finish.  A simple shuffle of the judges would likely have a different result.  If Finals was 5 more nights.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see different winners every night.  Both corps are a championship level corps.  
 

Let’s not fall into fan tribalism and just celebrate a great year with tons of talent. C

That is a great analysis. I’m a Bloo fan but would not be disappointed in a BC win. They have a terrific show and are leaving it all in the field - as is Bloo and honestly a bunch of other corps too. It’s good for DCI to have more corps in the running. Honestly would. Be a great year for a tie for first. Either way, we the fans win. What a great year!

[lawdn]

20 minutes ago, JReese7990 said:

It’s hard to predict how the judges will see this tonight.  Assuming both corps perform their best.  I still don’t know who wins.  With both corps performing great shows at such a high level it comes down to how the judge jives with these shows.  Not so much if they like it, but if they get it.  Both BC and BAC use gimmicks (I’m not saying that’s a negative thing) but those gimmicks are widely different from each other. Bluecoats play with the soundscape and complex counter rhythms, and tricky maneuvering of their props.   While Boston takes a more physical approach to the gimmicks: guard and brass interactions, lots of physical feats, cartwheels, splits, marching on knees etc.  Both corps have had judges just not connect and knock them down in comparison to other panel members.  
 

My conclusion is neither corps should hang their head with a 2nd place finish.  A simple shuffle of the judges would likely have a different result.  If Finals was 5 more nights.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see different winners every night.  Both corps are a championship level corps.  
 

Let’s not fall into fan tribalism and just celebrate a great year with tons of talent. C

We all know that some years are basically a coin toss. Even if there is not an actual tie, the unavoidable element of subjectiveness in judging and the vagaries of subcaption placements (and no shade here to the judges) means that sometimes the scoring system can't truly differentiate between two outstanding corps.

All the same, usually only one name goes on the Founders Trophy. I will salute and applaud the deserving winner(s), do the same for 2nd place (and all finalists) and  always remember the epic battles between BAC and Bloo this season.

Thank you, all corps, for a great season!

[JReese7990]

Crown has been on fire since Allentown.  Is there a scenario where they catch BD tonight?  Maybe.  I think the BD guard keeps them in front.  But can’t help but consider this.  maybe it’s not as close as it appeared last night.  BD brass was not at their best last evening.  But they also had a judge who loved em in Visual and did not like Crown in Visual.  So who knows. 

[MarkHornGA]

 

 

[corps8294]

Troopers are going to leap frog the Blue Stars and Cavaliers, tonight. Gut feeling.