So, I've decided to share with you guys my top 15 drum corps shows in the hope that someone finds them interesting.
15. Boston Crusaders 2017 - "Wicked Games"
This show I like for a lot of personal reasons. This was one of the first shows I ever watched, and it, along with a couple others on my list, was one of the main reasons that I started to get hardcore into drum corps. The "Wicked Games" vocal feature in the ballad was one of the best uses of vocals in DCI history, in my opinion, and theming the whole thing around the Salem witch trials was a very nice touch.
14. Blue Knights 2014 - "That One Second"
Blue Knights 2014 was an amazing show that I don't think gets the credit it deserves. It was an amazing existential look at what happens during the second before death. This show makes me cry, question my existence, and hit replay at least 3 times, and is definitely one of the most underrated shows in history.
13. Blue Stars 2014 - "Where The Heart Is"
And, already, we have a second 2014 show on the list. Can you guess what my favorite season is yet? I think Blue Stars' 2014 show was the beginning of their rise back up to their heyday back in the late 60s and 70s, and it was definitely worthy of that title. Being based around home, there were naturally a lot of beautiful moments, such as the ballad set to "Homeward Bound" by Simon and Garfunkel and Phillip Phillips's "Home".
12. Carolina Crown 2009 - "The Grass Is Always Greener" http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3ust5z
The slow spiral from what seems to be one of Crown's famous tributes to Aaron Copland, starting out with "The Promise of Living" (which I'm personally biased toward), to the controlled chaos culminating in the drum major being pushed off the podium by a color guard member is always fun to watch. The inclusion of songs from West Side Story and The Wizard of Oz just made this that much better to watch.
11. Boston Crusaders 2013 - "RISE" http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3uq9qq
The Boston Crusaders appear on the list for a second time with their 2013 production, RISE. This show's gripping use of pre-recorded vocals and visual tricks make this show extremely memorable. The uniform change at the beginning of the closer is definitely one of the best in history, with the entire corps ripping off their grey overcoats with a cry of "I. WILL. RISE!" and revealing their trademark all-red jackets, before launching into an amazing rendition of "Test Drive" from How to Train Your Dragon.
10. Bluecoats 2013 - "...To Look for America" http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3u21rq
I don't really have that much to say about this one, I just love everything about it. The music, the fast-paced movements and visuals, the theme, everything.
9. Cadets 2011 - "Between Angels and Demons" http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4toije
While not their best show, the Cadets' 2011 program is certainly up there. Using the theme to allow for a visual theme of different uniforms was a great idea by the show designers, and this show has an almost universally acclaimed closer set to the classic "Amazing Grace". All in all, a great show both visually and musically.
8. Cavaliers 2002 - "Frameworks" http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4u4bd2
While I may not love it as much as other people, the Cavaliers' 2002 production is by far their best show, and one of the best in drum corps. Set to completely original music, Frameworks held the record for highest scoring show for 12 years, and deservedly so. This show had some of the most amazing, fast-paced visuals drum corps has ever seen, and some pretty good music to boot.
7. Garfield Cadets 1983
The Cadets' first win, and the first of three in a row, is their best, in my opinion. This show revolutionised drum corps with its use of assymetrical drill, and its amazing music book became a permanent part of the corps' history, with "Rocky Point Holiday" by Ron Nelson becoming a part of their warmup routine, and Bernstein's "Mass" becoming a large part of other Cadets show, including another winning show, "Undiscovered Bernstein", in 1990, and their most recent show, "The Faithful, The Fallen, and The Forgotten".
6. Bluecoats 2014 - "T\LT" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBRfNWIfXpI
The Bluecoats' 2014 show ranks this high on the list because of its innovative design, and the things it did that no one had ever successfully pulled off. With their props, they changed the terrain and proportions of their performance space, and the pitch shifting used throughout the show, and especially in the closer, is mesmerizing to watch. The show also contained one of my favorite ballads in DCI, featuring "Hymn of Axciom".
5 (Tie). Santa Clara Vanguard 2009 - "Ballet for Martha" http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4i81a3
The highest scoring 5th place show in history also ties for 5th in my ranking. Featuring my favorite performance of Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Spring", and a closer to "Simple Gifts" that gives me chills every time, this was an extremely strong show that I believe should have placed much higher than it did.
5 (Tie). Santa Clara Vanguard 1989 - "Phantom of the Opera" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmCaeJLXAVk
Santa Clara's winning second attempt at Phantom ties for 5th in my ranking. I've always been a sucker for Phantom of the Opera, and this show was one of the things that pushed me over the edge into full drum corps fandom. The closer features the most amazing bit of drum corps magic the sport has ever seen, the disappearing Phantom, which is still amazing and perplexing today.
4 (Tie). Star of Indiana 1991 - "Roman Images" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWi9Yx-p124
Star of Indiana's championship show ties for the number 4 spot. This show has some of my favorite visual elements that have ever been put on a football field. From the mirrors held by the guard to the hands-down best drill move in drum corps history, the cross-to-cross drill right at the end, this show grabs you by the throat and keeps you watching until the very end.
4 (Tie). The Academy 2016 - "Drum Corpse Bride" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPu8xDX2LKk
The Academy's first time qualifying for finals ties Star for the number 4 spot in my ranking. Containing one of my favorite opening hits, The Academy's "Drum Corpse Bride" did an impeccable job of creating a creepy atmosphere right from the beginning, and keeps pushing the envelope all the way through the show. The show also used some very well-known musical pieces, such as "Corpse Bride" and "The Sorceror's Apprentice", and pulled them off beautifully.
3. Phantom Regiment 2011 - "Juliet" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpIM2Ayw72w
Phantom's retelling of the classic story of Romeo and Juliet pushes its way into the number 3 spot. With some great hits from the hornline, and the greatest version of "Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral" ever put on a football field, Phantom's 2011 show grabbed my attention and told a compelling story in a way almost no other show has.
2. Blue Devils 2011 - "The Beat My Heart Skipped" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HguhZNg6zQ
Performing classic hits such as "Say a Little Prayer For You" and "This House is Not a Home", the Blue Devils make their first appearance on my list at number 2. I loved the use of the cubes on the field, and the ballad set to "Say a Little Prayer", and this show's musical program is most definitely in my top 3 favorites.
1 (Tie). Carolina Crown 2013 - "E=mc^2" http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3vzcig
Crown's first championship title comes in tied for number 1. I loved this show, and, like SCV '89 and Boston '17, this show helped pull me into the drum corps community. The 4-part vocal ensemble in the opener for "Einstein on the Beach", as well as the narration later in the show, is definitely both Crown's and DCI's best use of vocals since vocals were made legal. Creating an abstract, yet compelling show featuring music such as "Also Sprach Zarathustra" from 2001: A Space Odyssey, Crown pulled off a well deserved win, and fought its way to the top of my list.
1 (Tie). Blue Devils 2014 - "Felliniesque" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXMi9wYoydk
The highest scoring show in DCI history, the Blue Devils' 2014 show, Felliniesque, was an almost perfect drum corps show, winning every caption except percussion, and recieving a perfect score in every caption except percussion and high brass. After a close loss to Crown the season before, placing a dissapointing 2nd with "The re:Rite of Spring", the Blue Devils came back with a vengeance, combining some of the best visuals with one of the best musical programs in DCI history, and produced some of my favorite moments, including a point in the closer where the entire corps turns to the back of the stadium and plays, still managing to be heard in all corners of the stadium.
