Boom, Sweat, and Tears

Midnight – August 10, 2025 – Lucas Oil Stadium

BOOM! The drum corps world was rocked by the impact left by the Boston Crusaders tonight in Lucas Oil Stadium. I’m sitting in my seat at Row 13, 50-yard line. I just witnessed the most exciting event since I started following Drum Corps International (DCI) competitions back in 2012. The Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps (BAC) just won the 2025 DCI World Championships for the first time with a score of 98.425. After four head-to-head meetings, BAC eked out the Bluecoats (98.250) by a mere .175. A slim but conclusive margin to set history. The oldest DCI corps just won its first DCI title. That would be a 53-year drought, given that DCI is 53 years old. BAC is 85. Founded by a Catholic parish as an activity to get the rough and tumble kids off the street, this is the corps that will never die. The members proved they were alive to the adoring audience, who proved they were still alive with their exuberant response to the top score announcement. The Boston show was a solid crowd favorite.

The Saturday evening began as usual, with the top twelve corps beginning from bottom to top, from the semi-finals order of finish. Blue Knights (87.450) began with “DRiP.” I had the pleasure of seeing this program nine times, beginning with my first show early in the season in California. Creative use of drills, uniform contrasts, fabric, and music depicted the ebb and flow right to the last drop. Bravo! Next came Colts (88.050) with “In Relentless Dreams.” Only four live viewings left me wanting more of this fun, imaginative, quirky display of iconography presented with sound and motion. The familiar “Sound of Silence “ by Paul Simon permeates the program. It is stuck in the silent singing in my head.

Troopers came on one last time with “The Final Sunset.” In addition to great music and movement by the horns and drums evoking the Western theme, the color guard and characters brought the story to life with artful, dignified movements and aplomb. The cellist plays the sad lament with perfect accompaniment by the brass as the Trooper fades slowly into the sunset, receding into the stadium tunnel at the rear of side two. This is the program that brought tears to my eyes each night. I am still affected by the previous three years’ programs, beginning with “Voracious”, still my favorite drum corps show, which caused the first deluge of my cheeks from the Troopers. Tears were dripping off my chin after the drum major turned and screamed at us, hands and face smudged, “Come on!” admonishing us for our voracious appetite for the black gold. I digress.

The next two corps to come on were the Blue Stars (91.175) and The Cavaliers (90.800). These two corps swapped placement for 8th and 9th in the rankings six times this season, but in the end, Blue Stars pulled ahead by .375 of a point. Cavies were strong and impactful, shaping the field by methodically shifting the props and themselves through the fitting repertoire. Standing tall in the end, the traditional Aussie hats appeared on the mellophone players. Tradition, style, power, and poignancy were on display. The Blue Stars kept the ball in the air. The marching musicians, clad in soft blue, combined with the imaginative guard uniforms representing various spectator sports, created a pleasing palette. The brass spoke clearly and with presence as the members portrayed athletically on the field of action. Earning a 6th place in Brass Achievement despite the 8th place finish puts Blue Stars in the upper echelon of DCI sound.

The Mandarins (92.825) remained in 7th place all season long, on their own island. Over the past decade, this corps has evolved into a respectable, world-class drum and bugle corps, participating in finals night since 2018, with a strong organizational structure and a talented team. The program title “If I Must Fall, the one I am becoming will catch me” is a fitting description of life’s ups and downs. Visually displaying these moments in life with the creative use of tubular props and drills that included falling and rising, the corps busily maneuvered around the field while ripping through an amazing repertoire of music. I think of Ron and Marty, two of the organization’s leaders that we met in California, who were very gracious hosts at the Capital Classic, their home show in Sacramento. Congratulations to them for building a great drum corps. My prediction is that they will escape from that island next year and move up.

Another two corps that had been neck-and-neck all year were Carolina Crown (94.800) and Phantom Regiment (94.300). As a Phan, I was disappointed not to have attended any shows in the Midwest this year and to have missed the opportunity to attend a Phantom Regiment rehearsal. My first live viewing was in Allentown, but by Finals night, I had assimilated this program into my psyche. The all-white uniform and imaginative curtains depicted the ethereal nature of this phantom drum corps, which appears, makes a strong and profound impact, then disappears into thin air, returning each year. Bravo! Next up, Carolina Crown crossed the final Rubicon. This was clearly the best performance of the evening, with perhaps the exception of the BAC victory run. Rarely does a corps take the field and perform as well as these kids did tonight. Speed, precision, power, and intimacy were all portrayed with that certain collective energy that is magical and profoundly affects everyone present. The people around me were on their feet, shouting and applauding this performance entirely through the closer. No soft ending here. Pure intense passion to the end.

Fortunately, the oxygen returned to the stadium in time for the next two prominent California corps, Blue Devils (95.788) and Santa Clara Vanguard (96.700). Blue Devils assembled one more time with the avid drum corps fans in the audience for “Variations on a Gathering,” a display of humankind’s tendency to come together in social groups. We all celebrated with them as they displayed drum corps prowess, BD style, fast, loud, and that precise togetherness. I loved the color guard, especially the flag work. Experiencing this show early in California, I was present at their gathering for eight total performances, the most ever in one year for me.

Santa Clara Vanguard’s “avVANt-GUARD” was a show that did not necessarily tell a story but presented a visual and audio experience that pushed the envelope and challenged the listener/viewer. Artistically innovative in white uniforms and minor handheld props that popped with fluorescent pink and green, the corps flashed and dazzled us with a musical score of like. Utilizing innovative and unusual musical instruments in the pit gave the unique sounds that accompanied the brass and drum battery. This artistic experiment was executed with great performance quality, evident in the members’ virtuosity. Kudos to this corps that paused in 2023, came back strong in 2024, and is now back in the top three. Watch them continue to push that envelope.

Not completely spent yet, I managed to be fully present for the next two, and final performances of the season by the Boston Crusaders and the Bluecoats. Everyone in the drum corps world hung in suspense on the fandom’s too-close-to-call precipice. BAC (98.425) came on next, having been squeaked out of their first-place finish at the preliminary finals on Thursday, taking second place in the semi-finals last night. That put a pause on the enthusiastic celebratory nature of my BAC friends. But it did not shake the kids from Boston, who sent the stadium into delirium for twelve and a half minutes. 

“Boom” was a crowd favorite, fully expressed tonight. This fun, energetic, and entertaining show blew us away with constant blips registering on our internal seismographs. As the Mahler hammers pounded in sync with the explosive moments, the drum battery buttered our ears and basted us rhythmically as they moved crab-like, backward, and forward, around the scene. The entire program was rife with highly intricate movements by the marching members and the awe-inspiring color guard. The BAC horn line had absolute control and quality in performing the highly diverse repertoire. Like a good show, we were on an emotional journey. The retro, mid-century modern concept repertoire took us on such a journey from the fun and jazzy to the apocalyptic. The closer was a hair-raising rendition of Interstellar, the theme by Hans Zimmer. The chord progressions, played powerfully and diminishing as the members dispersed in a slow-motion explosion/implosion, produced such an emotional lament in me. Bravo!

Bluecoats (98.250) took the field with the same 50/50 odds that Boston had coming into tonight. They were dressed in their lab coats and ready to experiment with the audience once again. They moved, played, and pounded out another championship performance. “The Observer Effect” had tantalized and challenged this observer since my early viewings on Flo. Finally, in experiencing this program live for the first time at NightBEAT and then six other opportunities, I understand. We observed and experienced this show with individual glasses, so to speak. Each one in the audience affected the event on the field simply by being an observer. Not obvious but present was a two-way magical connection. What will these designers and technical engineers, who bathe us in sound and delight us with such satisfying visuals, think of next? The door to Pandora’s box is opened, and the genie is out of the bottle. Will the observers and the judges affect the direction of drum corps design going forward? The final scores may be the telling of that. No one can deny that the kids from Canton pushed just as hard and performed with undeniable purpose. Musical virtuosity abounds within the grasp of the engineer’s fingers. General effect and visual performance were their strengths, a level only matched by the poise and dignity they showed at retreat. Bloo, sweat, and tears!

My seat neighbors have been so much fun to be with, putting up with my exuberance. Some are people whom I have seen for several years now, others are new friends. To my right, Chris is a renowned composer and piano teacher from Chicago. I am very grateful to Judy, whose seat became available at the last minute, allowing me to join my fellow colleagues. To my left was a revolving cast of new faces and serious fans each night: Don, a Cavaliers alumnus; Bob, a Phantom Regiment phamily member; and Jayne, a Boston Crusaders alumnus. As things happen, Jayne is coincidentally the sister of John, the BAC board member and tour mate in California, and on the auto tour from the Boston show all the way here to Indy. One missing person was the DCW publisher, Steve. He was missed by all and will be back in the stands in 2026. Nearby sat Ron Wyatt, DCW photographer, whose photos capture up-close, personal images of the sections and members that he shares with me for my blog. Other colleagues surround me. Together, in the Drum Corps World block of seats, we had a great time enjoying the highly spirited last performances of the best bands in America. Each of the three nights had a different mood; this night was eclectic at the atomic level.

Usually, the stadium thins out after the final performance, but this night, the seats remained quite full. Pins and needles prickled us as we awaited the scores. Members assembled in ten-yard blocks; the colorful uniforms made a pleasing palette. Three caption trophies for brass, percussion, and color guard were presented to Boston, and two for the Bluecoats for visual and general effect before the final three top scores were announced. When the Silver was awarded to the Bluecoats, the stadium erupted with a combination of acknowledgment for the Bluecoats and cheers for the now obvious winner. When BAC was announced as the 2025 DCI World Champion, the stadium’s roof raised off its supports. The crowd was happy to have a new champion, long in coming. Bitter/sweet emotions caused another spontaneous cascade.

Once the field was cleared of all the corps along with the glassy eyes, what followed was the most energy-intensive drum corps run through that I have ever witnessed – the Boston Crusaders victory run. Within 10 seconds into the show, everyone was on their feet. Crowd interaction accentuated as the program progressed. Constant chants of BOOM! at every percussive, powerful moment, echoed throughout. My skin and hair were on fire. This show design that I had witnessed since spring training, at twelve shows, and innumerable rehearsals had been embedded in me to a very deep level. Eight years ago, I rode along with BAC as they demonstrated to the drum corps world what they were about to become. Tonight, I rejoiced with the drum corps world to celebrate what they had achieved.

As the BAC family took the field for an encore of Giant and Conquest, I found myself spent from the long tour and the intense stimulation I had experienced over the past eight hours. Lo, but not too tired to party with the BAC, so it’s time once again to clam up this computer and party with friends. I will be hanging around for a couple of days before flying home to Vermont, so I hope to catch up with you for some reflections on this historic drum corps season. Peace out for now.

12:00 Noon – Bitwell Event Center, Indianapolis, Indiana

I’m sitting here in the Bitwell Event Center in Indianapolis. My friends encouraged me to stay for another day, so I changed my flight. This event is the annual banquet to celebrate the end of the season. Families, friends, volunteers, staff, and board members all converge to be recognized for the exceptionalism that made the season great. This year is a special celebration. “Winning isn’t everything, but it’s pretty cool.”, said Chris Holland, Executive Director. His team got them there, and they did it. One hundred and sixty-four BAC kids knocked it out of the park. The One BAC member, JR, had an unfortunate tibia break, but was part of the long season success and first place finishes in percussion. I am sitting with Karen and Dave, JR’s mom and dad. His disappointment for not being able to march on finals night can be mitigated by knowing that he helped push the battery toward earning the Sanford trophy.

Chris is congratulating his team, including Gino Cipriani for leading the brass to Boston’s first Jim Ott award for best brass; Colin McNutt for winning the Fred Sanford Award for best percussion, and Heather Graham for earning the fourth George Zingali Award for best color guard. Donna, Jack, Vivian, Cheryl, Kate, Jose, Al, and their teams managed the tour, helped the kids stay healthy, fed them, kept them well-dressed, and transported them all over America. They got them there, and they did it.

Member awards, too numerous to mention, were raucously celebrated. Colin McNutt acknowledged the hard work, the trials and tribulations of the season, touching on last season’s challenges with percussion that compelled the battery forward in 2025. Gino Cirpriani, the man on the scaffolding with the mic all summer, shared his philosophy of touring. He commands the room like he does on the field. Speaking to the members, with a real-world approach that drum corps is hard, and choosing to do it can change your life. Aaron Bailey complemented his visual staff with his wit and wisdom. Michael Townsend led the magic on the field with the world’s best color guard. Each of these caption leaders and their teams presented awards to the deserving members.

The large room is filled with folks who represent what is best about America. This is happening all over town and at home to celebrate similar drum corps, no matter what the placement. I am still an interloper here, just like in 2017 when I ran away with this drum corps and attended the banquet. Little did I know back then that I was going on board with an amazing creative and instructional staff that would launch the Boston Crusader on a trajectory to meet that ultimate goal of a gold medal yesterday. So, for me, this is also a culmination of years, miles, and thousands of words to chronicle my experiences. It is amazing what humankind can do when they work together. That is the takeaway here. My little part may not necessarily have contributed much, but perhaps serves more as a documentation of the years of toil.

With a BAC win, and at 70, this may be a good jump-off point for me. Throughout the next several months, I plan to send these musings to Publisher Steve of Drum Corps World. However, when I return home tomorrow, I will be very focused on saving the Number Nine Schoolhouse and starting a music school along the Mill Brook. Please consider supporting our community project and help us ring the bell again by sending a check to the 501(c)(3), Vermont Non-profit Corporation:

Friends of the Number Nine Schoolhouse, Inc.
831 Mill Brook Road, Waitsfield, VT 05673

Donate here.

To learn more: A Tale of Two Schoolhouses

I’ll keep you posted on our progress.

Peace out!

Kevin Russell