Back of the Bus: The Last Five Years
It's been a long, long time
It can be a little frustrating being a drum corps fan in Florida.
Every few years, DCI makes a foray into the Sunshine State, puts a pretty decent lineup on the field in a good-sized stadium, and then the heavens above open up, pouring water all over the field and forcing things to a standstill. This is all after the impossible challenge that is finding housing in the state, where school districts are becoming more and more risk-averse. Some of the difficulties are due to worries about litigation, whereas other issues come from previous years of problems arising from corps showing up and not quite treating the facilities as well as they should.
All of that combined makes taking the six-or-so-hour drive each way (in good traffic) down into the state and back out a harder and harder proposition to swallow before things get to the point where show schedulers decide it’s not worth it. The logic is sound. Like in many other ways, Florida just doesn’t make sense.
That really doesn’t make things much easier to swallow for the band kid down in Miami who sees all the amazing things being done by his friends in Boston, in Spirit, or in Colts. The Suncoast Sound alum in Largo who wants to meet up with her friends and the people she marched with who are now designing and teaching some of the most innovative shows in the activity. The band director in Daytona Beach that wants to take their students to be inspired by kids just a couple of years older than them prior to starting band camp in 95° heat with 98% humidity.
It makes all the sense in the world to not make the trip down, but it’s still hard to deal with.
This is also why I, as a Floridian drum corps fan, hadn’t seen a competition live since I aged out in 2019. I’d made it to all three of the DCI At The Movies productions that have happened in the years since at the same theater where I saw Tour Premiere 2011, where my love of the activity was sparked (shoutout to the AMC Woodlands 20 in Oldsmar). Now that’s gone too. Again, this is a decision that makes perfect sense, considering that attendance had been on the decline even before the pandemic. That said, having that as an option satiated my appetite, at least to some extent. Without a trip down the road to the theaters as an option, I resolved to make it out to see a show in person.
When you grow up as a kid in a BOA band who falls deeply in love with the activity, two places capture your attention for the experience and atmosphere they provide for a show. The first, of course, is Indianapolis. The Crossroads of America is a major hub for bandom as a whole, hosting BOA Grand Nationals and DCI Championships. It’s a stellar place to catch a show, especially at the end of the season when all the changes are in and everything is refined to the Nth degree. The other place is the wild and far-off world of Texas. Whether it’s the deluge of amazing high school programs or the buckets of sweet tea that you only hear rumors about, it seems larger than life. It also hosts the only show before DCI Prelims, where you can catch every single World Class corps performing. Even better, you get to see the shows in the middle of the creative process while they still have all of the wild and wacky ideas that the designers came up with in the offseason, but after those ideas have started to mutate a bit into the refinements necessary to leap into the next box, or to eke out that extra tenth.
This means I had precisely two choices of where to experience my first live drum corps show in five years. For various reasons, including, but not limited to, taking less PTO, getting to see more people, and having friends to stay with, I picked Band Antonio. There were absurd travel issues and frustrations galore, and I was six weeks out from a knee injury that had landed me on crutches.
It was all worth it.
From top to bottom, we have some spectacular productions in the world of DCI this year, and that’s not even factoring in all the great Open and All-Age shows that I haven’t had the chance to watch quite yet.
Let’s dive in.
Into the Swamp
Taking things from the top, we may have under two weeks left in the season, but it’s hard to see anyone other than the Bluecoats coming home with the Founders Trophy. Just the right combination of great staff, great design, and members who can make it come to life. They brought in the much-anticipated new ending this past weekend, but I wouldn’t have been shocked if they’d continued to be undefeated without the change; the product is just so good from top to bottom. One thing that they and the Boston Crusaders did combine to do, however, was deny the Blue Devils a single caption win in Murfreesboro, marking the first time that the Devs have failed to win a caption at a show since Semi-Finals in 2018, coincidentally the last season they were unable to capture a title.
Murfreesboro also marked the first time the Boston Crusaders beat the Blue Devils head-to-head since the founding of DCI. On the same note, Boston has now beaten every corps they’ve competed head to head with that is currently active in the activity. This is remarkably impressive for a corps on the brink of falling out of the top twelve less than ten years ago. Speaking of remarkable turnarounds, at the same show, Phantom topped Carolina Crown for the first time since the early season in 2012 and only the second time since 2008 finals.
All down the order, we have eyebrow-raising results almost every night, with the race for finals being one of the strongest we’ve seen in a few years. Depending on the evening, we’ve seen about four or five corps holding the twelfth spot at one point or another. Another stunning result from this past weekend was the Troopers ending up on top of the Cavaliers for the first time in fifty years.
Up I-81
Now it’s time to talk about Allentown. This is always an interesting show, being spread over two evenings. There should be some excellent match-ups, though one corps that has to be delighted about their draw is the Madison Scouts. They jumped into the 10-12 seeding group and then drew the last performance of the three. This will serve to shelter them just a bit, though, with their performance energy, I’m not sure they’ll need it.
One thing that will be certainly concerning is the weather forecast for this weekend. On Friday and Saturday, the lowest rain chance during any performance time is 46%… That feels less than ideal for an activity that is largely outdoors. I imagine we’ll get more than a couple of schedule updates from DCI regarding possible delayed performance times. If delays or outright cancellations are necessary, that just makes everything that much more fun when it comes to seeding for World Prelims a week from this coming Thursday.
Best of the Week
Since about five years have passed in the last 15 or so days since the last Back of the Bus, here are a few more things to check out!
Twisters - Another summer blockbuster/delayed sequel based on a 90s movie, Twisters lives up to the hype. Anyone who’s a fan of weather will love some of the references tossed in and laugh at a couple of other moments, but as great as the storms are, the real star is Glen Powell. He’s got that indescribable “IT” factor, and his performance alone is worth the cost of admission.
Evolution of Rock Music 1920s-2000s - I decided the other day that I needed to familiarize myself with the history of rock music. A friend recommended this playlist, and wow, it does the trick. I’m only halfway through it, but it’s well worth it if you want to catch up on an era you’re not familiar with or just want to go from the beginning.
Juicy Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Citrus Dressing - This is a recipe I’ve had in my back pocket for years, and it never fails to be absolutely delicious. I double or triple the cilantro, try to go for boneless pork loin, and serve with rice. Additionally, I try to always use Boetje’s Mustard. It’s mainly available in the Midwest, but some specialty stores carry it elsewhere. I cannot recommend it enough. Note: Clear your cookies if you’re having issues with a paywall.
The Discworld Series - For those who know me, I love to read. A LOT. As a child, I always had my nose in a book, save for meals, and when I had to clean my room. That started going away as I got older, but I’ve come across a few books that have rekindled that love of reading and stories more than any others. The Discworld books are the latest to do so, and they have a little bit for everyone. Whether you love a classic Western standoff between Death and his replacement, Shakespeare’s Weird Sisters (but in a vaguely Appalachian setting), or the silliest and most clever pun(e)s around, these books are something special. As this is more of a world and less of a linear story, there are many places to begin. The book that made me fall in love with this series was “Mort,” though you can go to the website linked above and find your ideal starting point for the month and a half or so between DCI and the fall marching season getting underway.
Matthew Carstensen is currently GEM’s Managing Editor. He has been involved in the Pageantry Arts for over a decade as a performer at the highest level, an instructor, and a fan. You can find him on Twitter and Threads at @SatNightLites. He currently lives in Florida with his dog.
Great article! That is my AMC theater as well! I’m considered a “second generation Suncoast Sound” since I was taught in the 90’s (marching and percussion) directly by Suncoast sound alum.