Each morning, the sun may rise in the east, but for 2026, the Sunrisers are headed out to the wild, wild west.
The Kings Park, New York-based All-Age Class corps plans to offer a “modern” take on the desperado or bandit character synonymous with old western storytelling. Their 2026 production, “Outlaw,” will bring together a mix of widely-recognizable music to offer an accessible and engaging story to DCI Summer Tour audiences.
“In very general terms, the show is a modern take on the old west outlaw character that we all know and love,” program coordinator Kenneth Kamping said. “We wanted to do it in a more modern sense, because western shows have been done before. You’re not going to hear music you’ve typically heard in a western-type show, and the visuals will be more modern while still having that old-timey outlaw grunginess.”
In picking this summer’s show theme, Kamping and his team said they wanted to play to the strengths and interests of their corps’ membership.
Last season’s production — titled, “Move,” a show that was more concept-driven in nature — was most certainly a success. But designers felt as though offering their performers a more specific character to embody, as opposed to a more abstract theme, would be beneficial and foster a positive performance experience.
“Last year, there wasn’t as much of a defined character,” Kamping said. “So we wanted to make it very clear for them what that was, without being too specific, but still having a direction for that.”
“We want to see the field evolve throughout the show,” he added. “We start off as one outlaw, and then by the end, we all become our own different outlaws, and we’re all kind of going in our own direction. It starts more together, and then everyone becomes more individualistic by the end.”
Of course, that character is that of — as the show’s title would clearly suggest — an outlaw.
But Kamping noted that this seminal character concept isn’t just present in the personification of the performers. It’s also present in the show design; an outlaw wouldn’t abide by the general rules and structures of society, so Sunrisers don’t intend to develop their show in a way that fits perceived activity “norms.”
“We don’t want to fall into the tropes of, ‘Well, this is what it should be, because this is what a drum corps show is,’” Kamping said. “An outlaw wouldn’t do what you’re supposed to do. We don’t really have a standstill opening or an impact — it just builds, and then things unfold. We’re trying to break the mold and not follow the standard procedure.”
Musically-speaking, Sunrisers’ goal is to tangibly and accessibly encompass the character at hand, without utilizing music that’s become synonymous with the old west in drum corps — Kamping noted Ennio Morricone’s “Ecstasy of Gold,” popularized in recent DCI productions by the likes of the 2022 Troopers and 2016 Carolina Crown — as the kind of music Sunrisers won’t play this summer.
Instead, they’ll draw from a variety of sources. John Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive” will serve as a foundational piece of the show’s soundtrack, as will Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy,” which topped the 2019 year-end Billboard rankings. Sunrisers also plan to perform “Poor Wayfaring Stranger” a traditional folk song, and John Psathas’ “Leviathan.”
“When I first found ‘Wanted Dead or Alive,’ I knew it was a perfect fit,” Kamping said. “The opening guitar and the little motifs — you hear it and you go, ‘Oh, I got it.’ That song was the hook for this, and once I found it, I knew that’s what the show was going to be based around.”
Visually, Sunrisers aim to reinforce their outlaw identity not just through sound, but through the physical environment on the field; the corps will lay out its scenery to mirror the grit, independence, and rebelliousness embedded in the show’s overarching concept.
“Visually, we’re aiming for a broken, ravaged look — like a town an outlaw has torn through,” Kamping said. “We’re using ropes as props to maintain that outlaw feel, and scaffolding to create an environment that isn’t pristine or polished. It should feel worn, damaged, and lived-in, which matches the story we’re trying to tell.”
2025 was Sunrisers’ second year back on the field after a two-year hiatus, and saw the corps improve upon its final score — earned at the DCI World Championships — by 4.3 points, more than any other corps in the All-Age division.
Director David Hobart says that it’s been a steady climb as the Sunrisers continue to build around a fresh identity. As he noted, interest in joining the corps has increased this offseason.
“There was just a lot of excitement at our open house event,” Hobart said. “Returning members were bringing friends, and some people who had never marched before were really excited about doing it. The rehearsal vibe overall was very good, and I think everyone enjoyed their time and felt like they got better.”
And while excitement is high for the organization’s progress, as both Hobart and Kamping expressed, members are excited for “Outlaw,” too. They’ll have their first chance to perform it June 27, during the opening weekend of the DCI Summer Tour.
“On the membership side, there’s a lot of excitement growing, and the same with the alumni,” Hobart said. “They think the program has a really neat impact, and they appreciate the storytelling as well. They’re seeing the growth over the past couple of years, which is exciting.”
