The 2015 Drum Corps International Tour officially kicked off on Wednesday, June 17, with six corps debuting their competitive productions at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Rainy weather made for a wet entrance into warm-ups, and the anticipated opening of the stadium roof was also called off. Regardless, inclement weather didn’t stop the intensity of the tour’s premiere performers, which included the Madison Scouts, Blue Stars, Carolina Crown, Cavaliers, Cadets and Bluecoats.
The Cadets kicked off the season with a score of 69.850 resulting in a first-place finish. The corps’ 2015 production “The Power of 10” proved to be a fast-paced and intense interpretation of Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 10.”
“I think the corps went into [this first show] feeling really strong,” drum major Kendall Stevenson said. “Winning tonight is pretty fulfilling. It’s really cool.”
On the score sheets the Allentown corps took first in overall General Effect and Percussion.
Just over a point and a half behind, the Bluecoats took second with a score of 68.250.
With its 2015 show, “Kinetic Noise,” the corps expresses noise and energy through sound according to drum major Willie Veenstra.
“I think we can do better, “ Veenstra said about working through “first-show jitters.” “But starting our season in Indianapolis was the coolest thing ever.”
Carolina Crown placed third (68.100) with its show “Inferno,” which illustrates themes from Dante’s literary classic of the same name. An opening flag routine by the color guard and daunting music quickly captivated the audience, earning the corps first place in the overall Visual and the Brass captions.
“This drum corps is on fire,” Carolina Crown drum major Hunter Boun said. “We were ready, and we had fun.”
Members of the Cavaliers earned a fourth-place finish with a score of 63.100. Athleticism is showcased through quick movements highlighted by modern film scores in the corps’ 2015 program, “Game On.”
The Madison Scouts, who started the evening with their show, “78th and Madison,” finished in fifth with a score of 61.500. The corps made an appearance earlier this week during a joint dress rehearsal with the Troopers on Monday night at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis.
Madison drum major Zach Sheller was pleased with the way his corps performed both on and off the field. “We viewed [Monday] as our first show, so coming into here was just like any other day.”
The Blue Stars took sixth place, scoring 60.950. “Side Show,” which is set during the Great Depression, surprised audience members with illusions of eye-catching jugglers, sword-swallowers and clowns.
With the 2015 DCI Tour officially underway, these six corps will hit the road heading to their next competitions. Just 51 days from now they'll end up back at Lucas Oil Stadium for the DCI World Championships.
Contributing: Tim Webber, Jessica Skogh