DCI 2023's Top 10 Moments (So Far) According to the Fans | FloMarching

Last week, we polled our audience on Instagram and asked what moments YOU thought were the top ones of the 2023 DCI season (so far). And here's what y'all came up with:
Top 10 Moments (So Far) According to the Fans
#10: Percussion Break - The Academy
#9: Opening Hit - The Cadets
#8: Show Closer - Blue Stars
#7: Ballad - Mandarins
#6: Harmonica Solo - Troopers
#5: Last 30 Seconds - Blue Devils
#4: Trombone Feature - Phantom Regiment
#3: Show Closer - Carolina Crown
#2: Tuba Feature - Boston Crusaders
#1: Ballad - Bluecoats
Want to check out these performances and more from the 2023 DCI season? Check out our DCI 2023 Archives With Sound playlist 👉 flosports.link/44jzUgf
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[@willpierce6117]

Mandarins ballad is such fire it can’t be extinguished 🔥

[@openocean9370]

Bluecoats is better

[@imdome9768]

nah cadets

[@danreyes639]

Watching the mandarins play take me to church in person is an experience unlike any other

[@duston1649]

@@openocean9370absolutely not

[@banhbae]

can’t believe they cut the voiceover right before it, definitely added to the experience

[@jomamathederp7832]

Phantom Regiment has me in an absolute CHOKEHOLD this year. Can't stop listening. MUSE?!?! come ON

[@nathanjalal8223]

Mandarins ballad being only 7th is crazy it should definitely be higher

[@demshades]

dang bloo balad ahead of bloo trombone feature??? thats bonkers

[@brandonk.4864]

Nah totally valid

[@demshades]

@@brandonk.4864nah it’s completely valid. I was lucky enough to hear the Bluecoats on their opening night and the ballad seemed weaker than the trombone feature. Both are great parts of the show though.

[@MiraDaWulf]

Bloo bone feature is copyrighted too

[@edboy484]

Honorable mention to Cascades for just getting back out on the field after such a lengthy hiatus. Definitely my favorite moment of the year

[@cannolivibraphone]

Truuuutth

[@farmervillager8651]

As a Cascades 23 member, my favorite moment from that show was the second part of the closer where we formed the company front from a drumline feature.

[@mmansour1]

Havent seen Crown's show yet but this clip is giving the same energy as Inferno. Incredible

[@andersoncotton7466]

In their closer, they also use the same mello line that they use in Inferno’s ballad

[@nickniehaus1763]

Show is more like beast 😬

[@jameshartzog1256]

I saw them live there a sight for sore eye bro if they can have a burst at the end of the season they can take home gold if they try hard enough

[@dmajorx]

It contrasting show compare to the other top 5 cores. So much dynamics in their shows which is probably the hardest to execute. Their Ballad will be quite something when they clean up the Tuba and percussion parts(which are super challenging I saw the score)😮

[@katsukibakugou5453]

I was with the BOA Bash today for leadership training and we got to see their show and help conduct, beginning is kinda creepy, but good

[@kbrichmo8547]

I fully expected each of these to say “audio not available at this time”

[@ARZiehm]

The best moment in BD’s show is that dope extended chord and with the ensemble rifle toss. Synergy musically and visually

[@d.holmes5156]

Cirque du soleil 2023

[@Stinkuh69]

Phantom Regiments trombone solo near the start of their show is my favorite moment so far this year.

[@IndecisiveJay-]

I did not see a Harmonica solo coming 😂

[@BluieBeth]

Saw them last night! Phantom was INCREDIBLE!! Boston Crusaders BROUGHT IT and had such a fun show!! BD is always top-notch. This line up was FULL of incredible talent! Phantom literally had tears running down my face...even my SON cried! LOL Beautiful!

[@jaydee-222]

The tuba feature is amazing. Love love love it.

[@user-qv9tv1ml1g]

Although Mandarins ballad is fabulous, I love Mandarin’s runs and spinning the most. Brass is awesome, guard awesome, percussion awesome, creativity awesome! Plus the whole message and symbolism going on with the battle of sin (red) in Sinnerman. And players playing upside down!! By far the fan favorite!

[@codynapier8540]

Bluecoats and Bon Iver

[@PosauneundPapier]

Boston Crusaders tuba shanty is the coolest moment

[@videosmith1000]

Totally! They had / have great tone quality when I saw them. Fun writing and fit perfectly in the show.

[@squillz8310]

Boston playing sea shanties was the last thing on my DCI 2023 pre-season bingo card. But it's on there! I love them lol

[@jalakor]

Well… this year has a lot of cool shows, I’m excited to be a part of this activity!

[@josephfarkas1639]

Cant wait to see everyone at San Antonio and a few at McKinney! Everyone’s 🔥🔥🔥RN, and only getting better!

[@mrsir6112]

I saw blue devil academy and mandarins the other day Gotta say that the mandarins show blew my mind so much more than anything else

[@ronhavlovic6238]

I saw those three in AZ and thought the Mandarins show was way better than the BD. Excited to see the Academy get some love due to my son marching with them this year.

[@connorself]

@@ronhavlovic6238I made it to second round auditions for front ensemble and got to see the audition videos of who would go onto be the pit, mind blowing how talented they are, send your son my best

[@sweetmilkk7067]

Have some incredible friends on the guard this and last year one of them one of the captains for guard and even though ill always be a bloo lover their show this year is without a doubt my favorite i truly think it will go down in history!

[@davidlawrence2204]

Not a single visceral reaction to any of these clips on my part, though it was nice to see the tubas get some love, however short lived. Why are the Cadets marching in their pajamas?

[@voiceofreason9238]

They are very visually effective pajamas.

[@bobbarksofficial4335]

Awesome! 💚

[@brotatoechip.akadanielmcli7887]

That whole corps out of step in the second one. Geesh

[@arinntemplin1363]

#11 spirit mello sustain

[@squillz8310]

Blue Stars closer at #8 is a travesty. Guess it goes to show the level of show design this year. Everyone is truly on fire this season!

[@IntermediateTire]

i love the hawaiiancoats 😀

[@nickniehaus1763]

This is clearly some dude at flow marching’s favorites cuz this list is buns

[@brandonk.4864]

What’s bettee

[@catcat1517]

Crown and their badass closer sounded wonderful, but the Bluecoats Garden of Eden is an instant classic that will be watched for ages.

[@archangel9622]

Eden? The show was The Garden of Love.

[@barrymonroy7138]

We need full shows. I couldn't make it to show in San Bernardino. These 70 hr work weeks killed me. 😢😊

[@wsuf7025]

BLUE KNIGHT OPENER!!! ITS SO LOUD

[@isaacschell3859]

I’m glad you feel that way, makes me happy to hear

[@grahamplace2553]

Agree, saw them at Stanford and they were crazy loud! Love to see it!

[@hoanx512]

what a great year to be a trombone in phantom regiment

[@weeblewwe]

Best one for me has got to be the colts trumpet feature and guard duet moment in their ballad. Having seen that multiple times up close it’s such a touching moment and is by far the most emotionally effective part of any show I’ve seen so far.

[@kotlingoddess]

No Cadets ballad?!?!! Yall crazy man

[@voiceofreason9238]

This list was complied early on in July. Cadets have surprised everyone with their show and that beautiful trumpet solo in the ballad is as good as it gets.

[@imag1n342]

Cant wait for the 2023 edition of Crown dropping the hammer ♥

[@onionicecream1752]

Let’s not forget blue coats trombone feature tho!

[@tperk]

It took some time but it has been achieved: the all-props category competiton.

[@brianarzola]

BACCBS 💪💪

[@aubreyalm0nd]

I love bloos show this year its so good

[@joshguzman2244]

The only list that Blue Devils is not number 1. 🤣

[@nickniehaus1763]

Yeah the list is bad

[@rileyolson2481]

No, it’s because their shows suck lmao

[@Bluedog88751]

Ah BD, “If it works don’t fix it so let’s play practically the same show 5 years straight”

[@dougcosbie5860]

Blue Devils are better than everyone else this year in literally every caption

[@Uncle_Yam]

amazing video idea!

[@user-vb7zm9xt5h]

Will this year's DCI Finals be streamed live for free on KZbin or elsewhere?

[@imag1n342]

I cant believe that the Bloo trombone moment was not in there, so catchy

[@jonathanbil2966]

Mandarins Ballad needs to be higher.

[@mr.zombiekiller4302]

Try not to have a trombone feature (Impossible)

[@voiceofreason9238]

See Cadets, 2023. :)

[@RhetoricWolf]

As a battery percussionist, even I can appreciate the Ballad 😮‍💨

[@openocean9370]

Bloo ballad is crazy

[@T0PATE]

I was at #3

[@BlueBass2]

this was a really good idea for a video

[@Nigelrathbone1]

Everyone seems to be starting to sound like everyone else. DCI show composers seem to be hitting a DCI musical formula innovation barrier. More and more music sounds like short vignettes of complexly difficult technical studies stitched together with a roaring ballad. Not a whole lot of recognizable musical material anymore, save the Both Sides Now ballad by BD and the Tuba Shanty by Boston.

[@Bluedog88751]

Don’t forget BAC doing Shipping Up to Boston, that may be my favorite moment of the season and that’s coming from a crownie

[@ronhavlovic6238]

The Academy ballad almost has a touch of Copeland to it.

[@awesomeboxlord]

I mean it depends on what you listen to, for instance cadets is playing something from the newer superman movies and batman

[@excessivelivestock7678]

I’m glad somebody else feels the same. Technical bits are all well and good, but I like a show with a melody worth sticking in your head.

[@J-le-One-and-Only]

Blooooooooooooo

[@organboi]

They left out BC Bump segment. Sinful to omit that. Also, PR Rachmaninoff segment. And Crown Wagner movement. And much more. BD has some shocking trumpet unison moments.

[@jeffreyluna-sparks5785]

Big omission here is the Blue Devils' ballad "Two Sides Now" this is AMAZING - sorry you missed it.

[@justinthornton143]

Phantom closer?

[@donf1211]

Agreed. I would say Phantom’s closer is my favorite highlight of any show this year. The build into the company front, the pause, and the ending with the horn line clustered around the pit is pure goosebump fuel.

[@Bluedog88751]

@@donf1211can’t wait to see them add the kick out, cherry on top

[@gt4589]

CROWN ALL THE WAY.............................

[@tubamanhenry]

You then also have the cascades coming back from 4 years off being better. Than, they were over the last 15

[@syayt_-8044]

mandarins its very cool

[@alexm-em9he]

Did me dirty 🥲

[@jacobascher1816]

last 30 seconds goes to BAC

[@jash137]

End of Crown part 4 tho

[@grantschilling5739]

Rip blue stars quads 💀

[@fortune8133]

phantoms closer > trombone feature

[@baadach3752]

Genuine question, how long has BD had the same (drill/music/theme) design team?

[@Bluedog88751]

I don’t know for sure, but based on the general rinse and repeat I’m gonna say since at least ‘17

[@baadach3752]

@@Bluedog88751 Yeah I could definitely see that, 17’ onwards was definitely a pivotal year for modernization across DCI, but for BD’s themes specifically I could definitely see that possibility

[@declandougan7243]

Their visual designer has been with them since 1986. Their guard designer since 1990. Their music director on and off since 1992. Their corps director since 2014.

[@baadach3752]

@@declandougan7243 Wow thats wild, interesting to know! Long long time, it’s no wonder as to why they’ve been so successfully throughout history with a back end staff that goes back that far & with that much experience.

[@gregarious119]

I miss drill.

[@cilantro5221]

Honestly BD should’ve been the JoJo’s bit.

[@DemMommaJeans]

i swear i thought Bloo was playing the Emperial March for a Second lmao its going to be close this YEAR! Will BD Finally 3peat or will the curse continue and some one else takes the gold *FIND OUT NEXT TIME ON DRAGON BALL Z!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*

[@rorytambores]

Will the prop insistence ever end, please?

[@keemez]

amen. and get ridda the stupid narrations and electronic BS too

[@rorytambores]

@@keemez totally agree!

[@CJsMusicTrumpet]

Cadet's 4th place incoming, I really hope it happens

[@voiceofreason9238]

I'm late to jump on the Cadet's bandwagon but I'm there for the first time in years. Add to the top ten best moments are the Cadets trumpet solo in the ballad, and the entire Cadets closer.

[@n2museq]

Y’all cray cray. Best show this year definitely SCV!!!

[@johnmills7259]

I feel American Legion ND Veterans of Foreign Wars need to collaborate on rules and bring real drum corps back. DCI , everything woke turns to.......

[@arithefirst_]

oh come on wheres the bluecoats bone feature

[@iLLuminatedWithDren]

Bring back shakos and plumes

[@SaneTheBro]

only because Guardians premier hasn't happened yet get excited

[@fudgenugget3925]

I'm not really in love with the Bluecoats ballad. First half is great as is the second half, but it just doesn't transition well into each other. It feels like two separated songs stuck together; it can't tell a great musical story like other great ballads as a result

[@squillz8310]

Have you heard the original piece, "_45_" by Bon Iver? It's spot on to the source music, and they perform it so beautifully. It's such a great piece of music

[@fudgenugget3925]

@@squillz8310 Took a listen and I agree, a lot. It's hard to explain but they were able to take the spirit of the song and translate it perfectly into the Drum Corps setting. It's very much like their performance of Great Gig in the Sky. Unfortunately though, I think my point above still stands. I believe that this ballad could be something special (parts of it already are) but I'm just not feeling the emotions I should. I should be going wild at the ballad's impact, but I can't. I still believe it's because the two segments of the ballad don't link together. Bluecoats have a great show on their hands, but for me their ballad is holding them back. I want to enjoy this show as much or more than their previous ones but it just doesn't hit the emotional apex that it needs to in order to do so.

[@noahmullins1885]

Bloo “bump” feature didn’t even break top 10? Wow

[@chymnster4445]

hope to see spirit of atlanta here soon >:)

[@aa_battery6685]

How did supremacy from phantom not make it in

[@earlviney5212]

Harmonica solo? What the hell does that have to do with drum corps?

[@davidwarner3326]

A bugle is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet, typically valveless. What does any of this have to do with drum corps?

[@XDIEGenral]

Blue Devils Jojo Reference is the best moment🔥🔥🔥

[@poopslappa1661]

Are you meming? Please elaborate 😂

[@XDIEGenral]

@@poopslappa1661 kzbin.info/www/bejne/naOamniLfd2LbJI

[@JimmySSuccess]

Saw the Bluecoats Live last Week....Bro!!!! DELTADiamondsTho

[@_mptx_]

Nah y’all need the Bloo bone feature here

[@coreyparker4696]

Man, Colts get no love…🤷🏾‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️.

[@foosington]

heavily slept on

[@clarkfloer2141]

No Claw???!!!

[@joepescojr6426]

pain no scouts here ….

[@josiahcourtney5764]

Cadets ballad better

[@rvisual]

Some "ouch" moments in the "highlights" but still early in the season so great effort everybody !

[@whydoialmosthave500subs4]

Last 30 seconds of BD?? God no. It should’ve been jojo that got the whole crowd hype asf

[@bigtupa5613]

shakos are non existent this year

[@johnmills7259]

And that's a shame

[@jameshartzog1256]

Blue devils closer is so lame compared to like everything else In their show how did it make 5th

[@orlandoguerra75]

Uniforms are just pajamas now?

[@GeometricMason]

Unpopular Opinion: I am not a fan of these large objects (set pieces?) on the field. DCI should be horns, drums, guard, and acoustic-only auxiliary. They could say "nothing with wheels and nothing that can't be carried by one person.

[@brendansmith8167]

Y’all, it’s all gotten too weird. Just, all of it.

[@davidlawrence2204]

Amen

[@gregarious119]

Truth.

[@brycetrevino9737]

This is such a bad list😭😭😭

[@iROMANLEGION]

As a former 2-time DCI WC with The Cadets of Bergen County, I must be brutally honest. The corps uniform this year is a disgrace to the tradition and history of the corps. Outside of that monstrosity, you have what appears to be one of the weakest marching Cadets corps I think I’ve seen since the late 80s. Technique all over the place and very dirty. As an alum, I can say whatever I want, and you don’t have to like it. Truth hurts sometimes.

[@sarahhobson5263]

You must be fun at parties. Also, you’re wrong.

[@iROMANLEGION]

@@sarahhobson5263 no one said you had to like my response or my opinion. But I promise you, I’m in the majority.

[@iROMANLEGION]

@@sarahhobson5263 oh, and MUCH more fun than you could ever dream of being at parties sweetheart.

[@voiceofreason9238]

You are part of the Cadets legacy and their most critical audience my friend but this is my favorite Cadets show in years. You should know how Cadets are cleaning late in the season. I'm looking for them to surprise and jump a couple of corps currently scoring above them.

[@iROMANLEGION]

@@voiceofreason9238 I hope that you are right. Nothing would make me happier. I’m very much a Cadets traditionalist.

[@lars_geurts45]

pff i hate those Cadets ''uniforms''

[@T0mat0_S0up]

Sorry but bloo’s show is kinda cheesy and a little boring. I love bloo but I think crown’s show is probably my favourite one this year.

[@brandonk.4864]

How is it cheesy?

[@Bluedog88751]

Crownie here, I’ll admit I don’t care for bloo but I agree for sure, I love crowns show but I think BAC has the winner and Phantom may actually be my favorite

[@gingerwithglasses6793]

drum corps old heads on there way to have awful opinions

[@joyfaith1711]

All of these are so dry and unimaginative.

[@eatluxury8907]

projecting your life story into a dci comment is crazy

[@cflash2785]

@@eatluxury8907 Not knocking the talent but some of you all's DCI standards are in the dumps though honestly to be fair... Guy is not wrong. BAC is playing the sea shanty from TikTok for God's sake..

[@bwrails2372]

@@cflash2785 Do you really think that sea shanty has only been around since TikTok? The sea shanty's they are using are traditional tunes that have been around since long before TikTok was even thought of. You may hear it on TikTok but it didn't originate there.

[@ipadbossbaby4558]

​@@cflash2785do you think tiktok invented the fucking sea shanty?

[@I.AM.ON.MY.WAY.]

@@cflash2785my brother in Christ…. Maybe it’s time to delete tik tok… the brain rot it’s giving you is showing in your comment

[@Daniel-um6gl]

2023 is looking like a boring year.

[@markcooperartcom]

This stuff sounds like highschool bands, not drum Corps.

[@sammykays5858]

They all sound the same.