GEM's Crystal Ball: 2023 DCI Week 1 Finals Predictions
Power Rankings following the first week of competition!
It has been a wild first week, full of upsets and intrigue. As corps have unveiled their productions, we have seen some shifts in the finals predictions from our voters
BREAKING NEWS: Local Marching Band Finds out Vienna Teng has Written Songs Other than Hymn of Acxiom
Head Band Director Daniel Bandman from The High School was sitting in on the annual Zoom design team spring meeting planning his band program’s fall marching program. “We’re doing a show called Darkness and Light,” he told us, “I’m looking forward to the innovation we can bring to the activity with this production.”
GEM writers and contributors were asked to give their final rankings of the top 15 competing corps, regardless of class, based on where they predicted the corps would end up Saturday night, August 12, 2023.
1. Blue Devils - 340 points (78.3% first-place votes)
Preseason Ranking: 1 ↔
After three competitive performances, last year’s champions seem to be on track to finally complete that elusive three-peat with their 2023 show, The Cut-Outs. The Blue Devils were also the first corps to break 80 this year, doing so Monday in Arizona with an 80.1. They will not, however, see another corps in their competitive tier until next week’s Drums Along The Rockies in Fort Collins, CO, where they will go head-to-head with Boston.
2. Bluecoats - 315 points (13% first-place votes)
Preseason Ranking: 3 ↑
The Canton, OH-based corps will have their first competition tonight in Mason, OH, and expectations are high after a streamed performance on FloMarching last weekend, marking the public debut of The Garden of Love. Tonight’s show will also be a pivotal matchup with the Boston Crusaders and Carolina Crown, the last time those corps will be in the same lineup prior to the 7/18 show in Broken Arrow, OK, as the Bluecoats and Crown will be doing the southeast swing into OK, with Boston coming in from out west.
3. Boston Crusaders - 302 points (8.7% first-place votes)
Preseason Ranking: 2 ↓
Boston came into this season with championship hopes after last season’s (shared) silver medalist performance. They have not lost a caption yet, however, they have, similar to the rest of the top 4, not met up with anyone in their competitive tier yet. If White Whale comes out on top in Mason, BAC will expect to be the strongest challenger to a BD threepeat. If they don’t, they will have some time to recalibrate prior to Drums Along The Rockies, where they will meet BD for the first time.
Back of the Bus: Start Your Engines
The 2023 DCI Season has started with a bang, as we’ve finally got all of the world class show reveals out of the way, as well as the first five competitive shows of the season. It has already proven to have intrigue and shake-ups, as well as a premiere show that, by many reports, came close to flat-out cancellation.
4. Carolina Crown - 285 points
Preseason Ranking: 4 ↔
After premiering at Muncie on the 30th, Carolina Crown jumped almost 3 points just two days later in Lisle, IL. They’re hoping for a similar jump to join the Blue Devils in the list of corps that have broken 80 this year and also establish where they are in the top tier of corps this competitive season. After the Mason show, their next performance will be at one of their two home shows, with CrownBEAT in Lexington, SC.
5. The Cadets - 237 points
Preseason Ranking: 5 ↔
The Cadets are looking strong off of their move to Erie, with Atlas Rising doing well at shows in MA. Their show heavily features their excellent drumline, and the addition of Lee Beddis is paying dividends already. There has been much conversation though about their non-traditional uniforms, and it has sparked many a debate online about the merits of the very athletic-inspired uniforms they have gone with, as opposed to the various avenues other corps have taken.
6. Phantom Regiment - 232 points
Preseason Ranking: 8 ↑
EXOGENESIS has impressed audiences and judges so far, with Phantom currently placing 4th in overall score this season. Will this early season advantage carry over toward the end of the season, propelling the Regiment toward their highest placement since 2012’s Turandot? Or will they see stiffer competition from their competitive peers? Only time will tell, though Phans are extremely excited about what this year holds.
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7. Blue Stars - 196 points
Preseason Ranking: 6 ↓
The Blue Stars have had a bit of a slow start, however, they seem to be picking up steam as the corps gets their feet under them. One section that has impressed so far is their always stellar guard, with repertoire numbers not far off from Carolina Crown at their only meeting to date. In ABSINTHEia will look to grow and develop over the coming weeks, and it would not be surprising in the slightest to see the Blue Stars make one of their patented late-season pushes and peak at just the right time.
8. Mandarins - 192 points
Preseason Ranking: 9 ↑
Sinnerman has impressed many over on the West Coast, with the Mandarins looking to secure their highest placement in corps history. They have stayed competitive score-wise with their peers in the Midwest and on the east coast, despite some positing that the west coast is being underscored slightly.
9. The Cavaliers - 166 points
Preseason Ranking: 7 ↓
The Cavaliers have had a less-than-optimal start to the season, and they look to get it back on track with their production of …Where You’ll Find Me. With a design team studded with huge names and some time to clean, the Green Machine will look to regain their footing after a challenging week to start and lost rehearsal time due to air quality issues. The audience reception to their show has been fantastic, with much love for Rutter’s Gloria (used in their 1989 production), especially.
10. Troopers - 135 points
Preseason Ranking: 10 ↔
The last time the Troopers beat the Cavaliers head-to-head was the 1974 DCI Finals. They closed the gap to less than a point at Cedarburg, WI. Do with that information what you will.
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11. Colts - 101 points
Preseason Ranking: 12 ↑
The Colts seem to be solid finalists as of right now, though they have been consistently behind the Troopers head-to-head. This design team has impressed though, and we will see what they have in their back pockets.
12. Blue Knights - 90 points
Preseason Ranking: 11 ↓
The Blue Knights have yet to perform, so their premier on Friday in Fresno is much anticipated. Unharnessed has been getting a lot of hype, especially with the design team additions. Will they regain their consistent finalist status? Seeing where BK stacks up between Mandarins and Pacific Crest will be very telling.
13. Crossmen - 70 points
Preseason Ranking: 13 ↔
14. Madison Scouts - 42 points
Preseason Ranking: 14 ↔
15. The Academy - 28 points
Preseason Ranking: 15 ↔
Donald Angelica Best General Effect Award
Blue Devils - 69.5% first-place votes
John Brazale Best Visual Performance Award
Blue Devils - 87.0% first-place votes
Jim Ott Best Brass Performance Award
Blue Devils - 34.8% first-place votes
Fred Sanford Best Percussion Performance Award
Bluecoats - 47.8% first-place votes
George Zingali Best Color Guard Performance Award
Boston Crusaders - 60.9% first-place votes