Redeeming My Drum Corps Points

 DCI Prelims

Thursday, August 6, 2026

Lucas Oil Stadium

Indianapolis, IN

Good morning, Indianapolis!  We mobile ordered from Starbucks in our hotel, and even though Bro told me he was going to join me, I left before him.  Good that the elevator was slow, because I was still waiting for it when he got there and chastised me.  I saw a lady sitting in the lobby wearing a hat with the Bluecoats' Leslie Speakers on it.  I told her, "Your hat is funny.  I LIKE IT!"  She laughed and thanked me.  

Our drinks were ready when we got to Starbucks, but they hadn't started heating up a lot of the food and there was nobody at the oven for a while.  So when the guy brought out the food, he had a bunch of names to call.  Except my name.  He didn't say it, but I saw it on the bag and took it so Bro didn't even think I got mine.  It was all good, and V and the niblings came down to join us shortly afterward.

We went shopping in the gift shop and V brought a bunch of Wigglits because they were tiny and cute and had moving parts to them.  She got me a hippo and a unicorn and that made me happy.  Thanks, V!  

Bro and I walked to Lucas Oil via the SkyWalk and realized it wasn't really a straight shot so we mostly took the regular sidewalkk anyway, which is fine because it wasn't raining.  When we got to Lucas Oil, we needed to find the line where the Tap function was working, and it was very easy to enter, not like what happened at the Rose Bowl.  We shopped and I bought a bunch of stuff, including a drum corps dinosaur shirt from the folks at Columbus Saints.  One of the guys said that his son, Caleb, plays brass for Phregiment.  I said that I would cheer for him because I like cheering for strangers' kids.  He said that his other son was playing for the Saints tomorrow in All-Age class, but we aren't going to that one.  I also got a wristband from them because it says "Columbus Saints" on it.  IYKYK.

Cute doggy plush in the
drum corps museum booth

I have this same hippo at home!
Except mine is naked.

Guess whose pants these are??

When I passed by this guy later on,
he no longer had the bag.

Bro wanted one of these but nobody was in the booth,
so he asked me to take a photo of it instead.
I later saw them handing them out,
but I didn't ask for one because I already had a picture of it.

"LG" stands for "large", Bro.

We decided to get our lunch before the show, and he found a place that served For Fans Nachos, which are tortilla chips with Korean pulled pork.  I got a bratwurst that was ugly and when I ate it later, was unsatisfactory and I didn't finish it, although I did eat most of it just to have protein.  I tasted Bro's nachos and they were tasty despite being made with Tostitos.  I don't like those chips.

Bro was very happy with his selection.

Our seats were on the right 20-yard line, in Section 337, Row 5, seats 11-15.  We have Super 3 tickets, which means we'll be here all 3 days.

The Star-Spangled Banner was performed by a solo trumpet player, and it was nicely done and professional.  

Corps with the 25 highest scores are marked with * and advance to Semifinals.

MERCEDES MARCHING BAND -- 61.800

I do not know their show name or repertoire.  I took a photo of them for my friend Lori because she's part Costa Rican.  She asked me if I had video, but I didn't because they weren't very loud.  They were made up of mostly woodwiinds, and they had issues with their sound system.  They waved as they exited the field, so I waved back at them.

HEAT WAVE -- 64.800

Repertoire:  "Helios" - Morning Mood (from "Peer Gynt") by E. Grieg; Helios Overture by C. Nielsen;  That Lucky Old Sun by B. Smith & H. Gillespie; Summer (from "The Four Seasons") by A. Vivaldi  

They have yellow/silver flags in different sizes.  No microphones attached to the horn line is nice.  Pretty double yellow flags.  Bro was hoping they would end with a sunset, but that didn't happen.

ECLIPSE  -- 67.400

Repertoire:  "Lunar" -- Clair De Lune by C. Debussy;  Moonlight Sonata by L. von Beethoven;  Dancing In the Moonlight by S. Kelly;  Die With A Smile by S. J. A. Germanotta (aka Lady Gaga) & P. G. Hernandez (aka Bruno Mars)

You can't fool me.  I see you under that tarp.  Horns on field at the beginning of the show are in crescent moon formation.  I fyou only have 6 color guard members, ask the drum line to do some flag work!  Very nice music during the Bruno Mars piece.

LES STENTORS -- 69.800

Repertoire:  "The Memories That Shape Us" (songs not posted)

Bro:  "I thought it was gonna say something else."

S:  "The blocks?  what did you think it was gonna say?"

Bro:  "ANYTHING else."

Regrets, Battles, Romance.

I kill someone, then I do a cartwheel.   Is that a regret?  Or just the battle?  

V texted us an article about the local mall being closed.  Bro's response:  "Regrets."

I could not stop laughing, and V probably thinks I just sent the wrong emoji in response.

Regrets Flags

7TH REGIMENT -- 69.475

Repertoire:  "In Spring" -- Appalachian Spring by A. Copland;  Symphony #6 by L. von Beethoven;  The Green Hill by B. Appermont;  Sleeping Beauty Waltz by P. I. Tchaikovsky; In Bloom by K. Cobain 

Very long yell prior to the show.  Not sure if it was live or recorded, but it was not coming from anyone on the field.  That tarp.  Is it a golf course?  A pond?  Well whatever it is, they shouldn't stand on it, because they might drown.  Pretty flags that look like pressed flowers.  The drummers were very excited at the end.  

RAIDERS -- 71.075

Repertoire: "Threadworx" -- Metropolis Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper by Dream Theater; Original Music by M. Terry, R. Reed & J. Sullivan

They  have a tower of spools of thread.  Pretty big gold flags and the horn soloist lifted her up.  Pretty silver flags.  I never saw them use the green stage, but Bro saw them use it for storage.

COLT CADETS -- 73.35

Repertoire:  "GO!" -- Pedal to the Medal by T. White & T. Berg; Fuel by Metallica; Fast Car by T. Chapman; The Last Race by H. Zimmer

Very nice flag solo.  Speedometer flags.  Rumble Pony Raceway is cute!  Of course Colt 45 won!  I like thata bass drum ensemble feature!  Music was well done.

COLUMBIANS -- 73.76

Repertoire:  "Unstoppable" - American Elegy by F. Ticheli;  Full Tilt by A. DiLorenzo;  Time by H. Zimmer;  9 to 5 by D. Parton; Unstoppable by S. K. I. Furler (AKA Sia)

They all posed like Rosie the Riveter a few times.  The color guard changed from dresses to jeans.  Flags with gears on them.  There was some talking, but it wasn't too bad.

<Intermission>

Earlier in the day, I bought a sticker from a corps, and a guy in the Columbians booth next to them told me I needed an "Unstoppable" shirt to go with my "Irresistible" shirt.  I told him I wanted to see the show first, but I think I would be back to get a sticker.  He gave me their logo sticker for free!  So I went back during intermission and bought two more stickers from him.  See?  People know how to market to me sometimes.

They were showing videos of their "I Marched" series, and there up on the screen was the guy from the plane that told me he marched SCV in 1992!  Hi, Jeff Queen!

RIVER CITY RHYTHM -- 75.000*

Repertoire:  "Within These Walls: - Hurt by T. Reznor;  Lux Aeterna by C. Mansell; The Frozen Cathedral by J. Mackey

Cathedral Windows on their screened turned from black/white to colorful.  Their uniforms also had cathedral windows printed on them, but I preferred th drum majors' uniforms (white) than the corps' uniforms (gray). It would have been nice to include some "God Help the Outcasts" since I don't know any of this music, though it was played well.

MEMPHIS BLUES -- 77.225*

Repertoire: "The Unforgettable Songbook" - Unforgettable by I. Gordon; In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning by B. Hilliard; Johnny One Note by R. Rodgers & L. Hart; Blues In The Night by H. Arlen & J. Mercer

I didn't think the solo fit with the first song being played by the rest of the corps, but they all played the heck out of it.  It's been a while since I last saw a show wheer the field judge almost got run over by the corps members.  Very nice ballad with solo flugelhorn.  NO PROPS.  It was so nice that way.  This was the first show to get a standing ovation from me.

GOLD -- 79.425*

Wait.  Those screens aren't silver and no holes are needed in them because they're not performing outside.  Their boxes are now purple and yellow.  I thought the ballad duet was much better today, but Bro told me it was becuase we're sitting farther away.  Tinnk now gets to hold a gold box.  They made their horns shimmer in the light by shaking them a little bit at the end.

THE BATTALION -- 80.6*

Repertoire: "In Search Of" - First Essay for Orchestra by S. Barber; On the Waterfront by L. Bernstein; First Symphony Op. 9 by S. Barber; Music For Strings, Percussion and Celesta Sz. 106 (Allegro) by B. Bartok;  First Symphony (Reprise) 

V and the nibs are here now!  V asked if the person with the white fabric covering their head was a ghostie.  I thought it was a bride.  Bro thought it was Shakespeare / Hamlet. 

S:  "So they're just going to do a bunch of Vanguard songs, but different."

Bro nods his head: "They're searching for them."

Bro:  "They did not build a circus tent."

S:  "That's not this corps."

Bro:  "They had the poles!"

BLUE DEVILS B -- 81.525*

I watched this from the vomitory because I went to the restroom and got back just after they began their show.  Bro reminded me that this was my hot dog corps, but I watched the whole thing anyway, although I didn't have my camera with me to take photos.  I don't remember them using tablecloths before.  Did they have that broom before?  Bro didn't remember.  The niece didn't see it this time. 

S:  "Did she see it last time?"

Nobody answered me.  

GENESIS -- 77.438*

Repertoire:  "AbstRacT" -- Eye of the Untold Her by L.Stirling; Everything In Its Right Place by Radiohead; Cry by D. Micic; Buenos Aires by A.L. Webber; Spot A Fake by A. Max

That's a big ball.  Their art screen changes from black and white to color.  That was a team effort with them lifting up the big red ball.  They also had smaller, yellow balls.

SEATTLE CASCADES -- 79.738*

They now have a plaid tarp border.  I love the headbanging at the end, with everyone going crazy with tarps and yelling the lyrcs from "Smells Like Teen Spirit".  Later, I saw on Instagram that they were beating up on a couple of their brass instruments, too.  I really like this show.

SPARTANS -- 81.125*

Repertoire: "On the World Stage" - Carnivàle by J. Beal;  Grebchestra by B. Greb; Finding and Believing by P. Metheny; Young and Beautiful by L. Del Rey & R. Nowels; The Greatest Show by B. Pasek, J. Paul, & R. Lewis

Saggy Balls.  SOMEBODY:  "Technically, it's a saggy ball sack."

They have a circus theme, but did not build a tent.  They did not have poles, either.  

V:  "Oh, no.  Scary clown music!"

It was kind of the creepy version of circus stuff, but they also had a tattooed guy and a strong man (maybe he was the same guy), and lion tamers with whips.  V wondered what they were going to do with the trunks, but they were there to store the color guard equipment.

At the end of the show, their narrator voice said, "Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time on the World stage -- the Spartans!"  Yup, that title was on purpose then for their first official season of being a DCI World Class corps.  Congratulations, Spartans!

THE ACADEMY -- 83.363*

Spartans: "We're doing a circus theme!"

Academy:  "Hold my beer."

They ARE building a tent!  Or at least they have more than just the poles.  I got really excited.  Bro thought it was because I didn't realize that this show came right after the other one.  I knew because it had happened at Allentown, too.  The color guard rings are gold!  It's so much better when they add what I want!  I love the dancing at the corps dancing at the beginning to "This is the greatest show!" because of the foot stomping part.  Bro said they also have more tricks.  Comparing the two, I much prefer the joyous Academy show, even though "Never Enough" almost made me cry.  

Earlier in the day when I was at the Academy booth, I bought a 10-year anniversary "Drum Corpse Bride" shirt because it glows like the original one.  The lady told me that she got the current year in there by adding it to the headstone, and that sometimes she looks in her dark closet and is startled when she sees the old shirt glowing.  Ah, so she designs the shirts.  I almost told her that it would have been cool to have shirts that simply had the words "Never Enough" in cool font and a simple design on them because of the "what the heck" shirt factor.  But I didn't want to talk anymore than we already did.

Not part of the show, but I like this visual.

MUSIC CITY -- 83.975*

Repertoire: "Venomorphosis" - Escalate by Tsar B; Scythian Suite by S. Prokofiev; Emergence by Sleep Token; Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye & Kimbra; Original Music by C. J. Barrow

Bro thought they were wearing ponchos because it was raining.  Nope,  those are their uniforms.

V:  "It looks like Kaa!" <sings> "Trust in me..."

V: "Where is everybody?"

Bro: "Where issssss everybody?"

Bro:  "This better be 'Fantasmic!'"

Ooh, rattle sound, and a hissing sound.  They shed that poncho, by the way, for their new "skin" and then they were "Somebody That I Used to Know".  Cool.  Also creepy when there was dead poncho skin all over the field.  Looks like they form the face of a cobra at the end.  Hey, we ate Cobra Kai gummy peaches today!  Our candy was themed.

<Live Movie Theater Broadcast Starts>

We had an hour and some change for intermission, so we went back to the DCI Marketplace. V and I got bells from the Colts booth, and then went back for 2 more because they were 2 for $3 and we both decided we wanted two bells each. I got Cavaliers buttons at the PepWear booth, and also an SCV luggage tag.  There was no price to be found for the tag either on it or where it was hanging.  I joked, "It's free!"  The cashier said, "Yup."  Then Bro showed us the new Blue Devils shirt of "Icarus laughed as he fell" with wings on the back.   The kids liked it, too, so I got shirts for the 3 of us to match and celebrate their first trip to DCI Finals.  I went back to the same cashier and told them, "My brother said that with me buying so much stuff, I earned rewards."  The cashier: "Yes, you redeemed your points today."  I'm a lucky drum corps fan!

Brandt Crocker is here!  I guess he needed to be at Finals week for Phregiment's alumni show tomorrow

CROSSMEN -- 84.363*

Repertoire: "A Side / B Side" -- Earth Song by M. Jackson; Last Train Home by P. Metheny; Mr. Pinstripe Suit by S. Morris (Performed by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy); Classical Gas by 

M. Williams; i'm confident that i'm insecure by G. Lawrence, C. Lawrence, J. Bellion, & J. Koh; Abstract Thought by M. Giacchino; Record Player by K. Dugan, M. Walker, R. Met, J. Met, & A. Met (Performed by Daisy the Great and AJR); Original Music from J. Meehan & M. Huestis

Clapped along to the warmup because they asked us to do so.  Also because "Birdland".   

Brady to me, as the corps took the field: "What do you think of that?"

S: "You know I don't like it."

Bones was on the left side of the stadium today, which confused V and me because we're used to him being on the right side.

Bro said that at the end we were seeing "the B Side of Bones".  I miss their marquis cross formation.  

MADISON SCOUTS -- 86.550*

Repertoire:  "MadiSpin" -- Heat of the Day by P. Metheny; Slip by S. Saran; The Windmills of Your Mind by M. Legrand; The Summer Knows by M. Legrand; Rumbacabre by J. Horsely & C. Saint-Saëns

I'm dizzy now.   I like the emblem on the back of their uniforms. Looks like it's going to be an all-female corps soon because I see more of them this year.  I think it would be cool if they turned it a full 180 degrees to the female corps, because I never got to see the Kilties.  

V:  "A little too tarpy.  But the rest was really cool."

Remember when Madison took the whole field, and I would have a crapload of fleur-de-lis formation pictures?  Now, not so much.  I like the old school Madison-style in the Latin piece with the trumpet quartet.

PACIFIC CREST -- 87.350*

Wait.  There's a moth now!  I love that her dance is as erratic as when a moth is near a flame or light bulb.  She gets gold-lined wings at the end!  I love it!  I was so worried at before they started because I really want them to do well.  

SPIRIT OF ATLANTA -- 88.700*

Repertoire:  "Golden Summer" -- Georgia on My Mind by H. Carmichael; School's Out by A. Cooper; Rotten Tulip, P.O.G. & Through Thick and Thin by No Soap, Radio; Summer, Mvt. III by A. Vivaldi; A Midsummer Night's Dream, Mvt. I (Scherzo) by F. Mendelssohn; Race with Devil on Spanish Highway by A. Di Meola; Open Up Wide by B. Chase; Golden Slumbers by Lennon–McCartney; Robert Henry by The Westerlies; Summertime by G. Gershwin; Feelin' Good by L. Bricusse & A. Newley

Sometimes you just gotta sit down and spin your rifle.  I like when it looks like they're sitting in an airplane.  Aren't they?  Umbrellas and fan flags, and an umbrella formation.

BLUE KNIGHTS -- 86.913*

Repertoire:  "The Sky Between" -- On My Knees by R. Du Sol; 17 Hands by A. Peduto; On a Clear Day by B. Lane; Both Sides Now by J. Mitchell; Original Music by L. Gilreath, J. Ausdemore & T. Leonardo

Such a pretty show, from the costumes to the beautiful flute solo to the music in general.  "Ting!" sound at the end when the pink border of the cloud is lit.  Bro later called this the "gender reveal show".  He didn't really like it because it's not so much a BK show.

TROOPERS -- 88.688*

Repertoire:  "Into Darkness" -- War Pigs by Black Sabbath; Ride of the Valkyries by R. Wagner; Medea: Dance of Vengeance by S. Barber; The Night Window by T. Newman; Extreme Prejudice by T. Snyder; Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict by R. Waters & Pink Floyd; Adagio for Strings by S. Barber

The drum major smeared red on stuff on his face during the salute.  Boats would sink if you oput them up in the water like that.  The guy in the Trooper hat is half-naked.  The non-Vietnam show still looks like it's about Vietnam.  

<Intermission>

COLTS -- 89.938*

Repertoire: "American Experiment" -- Anthem by M. J. Miller, A. Monteiro & T. Peterman; Backlash by S. Dobson; What Could Have Been by S. Najand & A. Seaver; America the Beautiful by S. A. Ward; Every Living Breathing Moment by G. Stellar

I did not notice that their hats were so tall until V told me later.  Bro said she should just be thankful that they're wearing hats.  Maybe I couldn't stop looking at the color guard and thinking they look like The Cadets.  I like the different colored shiny flags.  Nice trumpet trio at the end of the Star-Spangled Banner.

THE CAVALIERS -- 92.088*

Repertoire: "The Lost Boys" -- Nature Boy by eden ahbez; Scorching the Facade by Y. Bandoh; Kidnapped & Galleon Dog Fight (from "Pan") by J. Powell; A Boy's Dream by J. Bocook; Hollow by Syncatto; Original music by J. Bocook, K. Shah, J. Brickey & L. Allman

Bangarang!  Those ramps have doors everywhere!  More wild Cavies moves, please.  Bro said that they're wearing the shirts of those buttons I bought earlier.  I'll need to look for that next time.

BLUE STARS -- 93.200*

Repertoire: "Collection '26: The Galleries" -- Color and Light by S. Sondheim; Selections from LUX by Rosalía; La Chancla by D. Llinas; Vincent by D. McLean; Pictures at an Exhibition by M. Mussorgsky; Overture (from "Le Rêve") by B. Jutras; Move On by S. Sondheim

V:  "They're bringing the whole museum onto the field."

Frames.  That's a beautiful show, especially "Vincent".

V:  "I would like that flag, please."

I love how the people fit into the pictures in the frames.  Love the Latin piece, too.

PHANTOM REGIMENT -- 93.063*

Repertoire: "Bloodline" -- The Yeti by M. Brandseth; Exit Music (For A Film) by Radiohead; 1-2 Beaucoup by T. Gurtu; Z 1920 by P. Graham

V:  "This show looks stabby."  

I saw them in the tunnel when they were waiting for Blue Stars to finish, and I thought they were Vanguard.  Then I remembered that they both wear red.  One of the long red cloths from their finale was starting to peek out too early.  Nice trumpet soslo during the Latin piece.  What are those swinging things?  I only noticed them at the end.  Those things lok like they were aimed to stab the corps at the end.  Uh oh.  We forgot to cheer for Caleb.

SANTA CLARA VANGUARD -- 94.563*

This show is so much fun to watch!  Get it, DRUMS!!  i love near the end when the notes go with the arc of the long jump ropes.

BOSTON CRUSADERS -- 95.438*

Repertoire: "Blurred Lines" - Motion Blur ; Blurring the Lines; Obscxured; Music and Infuences from With A Little Help From My Friends by Lennon-McCartney; Outro  

The fans are here again.  I thought they were chickens, V thought they were Cruella, and then when they showed a close-up on the big screen, we realized they were pixels.

Color Guard was lying on the ground in a line and the corps lifted them up.  Tenors were playing upside down.  They lifted up the bass drum players while they played on their backs.  The snare players put their carriers on the trumpet players and they played the drums as the trumpets played.  I was waiting for those screens to light up or something but that didn't happen.

CAROLINA CROWN -- 96.475*

Repertoire: "The Doors of Perception" -- A Gabrieli Fantasy by B. Appermont; Divertimento: Movement 3 by M. Hightower; Abblasen by G. Reiche; Ranjani by V. Venugopal & M. League; Ave Maria by F. Schubert; Extreme Make-Over by J. de Meij; Break On Through (To the Other Side) by The Doors; People Are Strange by J. Morrison & R. Krieger; Riders on the Storm & The End by The Doors; Original Music by M. Klesch, C. Walker, J. Hobbs & M. Martin

That's a lot of doors.  Beautiful music, as I always expect from Crown.  Ave Maria was gorgeous, even though I don't necessarily like the arrangement.  Fun stuff during "People are Strange".  Ropes are kinda lame after seeing SCV's.

BLUE DEVILS -- 97.025*

Me, to V:  "Pants.  Look at the pants."

Me, to the nephew:  "Pay attentio.  This is your shirt."

Icarus leaves with big double yellow flags at the end.  This color guard is just too good, and they excel without needing to resort to tricks.  Just basic equipment work.  

BLUECOATS -- 98.300*

V told me that the lines on the salmon / bacon are the Doppler effect.  Oh.  So that flag is NOT a cinnamon roll.  Their joy is clearly visible when they perform this show.  

We walked back to the hotel and got food from the Farm Fresh vending machine in the lobby.  I got a High Protein Turkey Wrap and it was pretty good.  But the Pringles I got from the other vending machine were mostly broken.  Isn't that tube supposed to prevent that?  Anyway, we had a fun night.  The scores show some corps getting jumped in standing by others, and some races are still very close, so it will be an interesting day tomorrow!

Here's a video of one of my favorite parts of the Vanguard's show to end the day.

Next up:  Semifinals