FUNLINER REACTS | A First Look at the 2023 Boston Crusaders

What do you think of the Boston Crusaders show this year? Let us know in the comments!
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[@PingHousehold13]

I mean this in the best possible way: this feels like 2009 drum corps with 2023 achievement.

[@Reubensax]

Can you elaborate a little bit?

[@PingHousehold13]

@@Reubensax The athletic, minimalistic take on a "traditional" uniform still themed to the production, the overall design of the show, the arranging, etc. are all reminiscent of that transitionary era of drum corps. I marched in that late 2000s era and this is the kind of show I would've been elated to perform - it's got a mix of modern elements but it still feels familiar! For a bit now, drum corps has kind of fallen into two camps: 1) This is drum corps and we're borrowing elements of theater. 2) This is theater and we're borrowing elements of drum corps. I feel like this falls into the former camp in a great way and I love that we now have a range of corps to enjoy all in varying places on that spectrum!

[@Stonkzy]

I’m actually surprised how much world class corps decided to wear some form of headwear this year: Troopers, Boston, Phantom, Madison Scouts, Cavaliers afaik. Not sure if it’ll continue into next season but I would love if more corps started adopting headwear again

[@steamedbryce]

I know we in this activity/fandom talk a lot about blending old with the new but the Cavaliers' aussie this year really does blend the old (classic Cavies silver and black) with the new (more artistic pattern of feather)

[@davewroberts]

Yeah not a fan of Bostons or Phantoms headwear, but I guess we got some form of headwear.

[@Iplayquad]

Troop been wearin that hat

[@ZakhadWOW]

@@steamedbryce there's speculation the "plume" might be 3d printed.

[@ZakhadWOW]

@@davewroberts I would have turned the BAC headwear around.. not sure why it is open at the front. And apparently the PR designer has a thing for noseguards, ala viking or medieval helmet. I've never seen ANYTHING quite like it.

[@ArchJ17]

Boston is using new horns (there a custom brand) which are a lot harder to tune then there old horns. Compared to the concert in the park there already doing a lot better sound wise.

[@keith9482]

Love this channel 😎I’m glad I stumbled upon it! Subbed 👍🏻 Keith , Cadets ‘82

[@junhwigoo7390]

Leon May writing the drill with FJM uniform design + they're freaking moving. Music is waaay different from anything crown does though.

[@p.diddle7767]

For some reason I've always preferred the shakos bando-commando old dude vibes, so I'm interested to see if a top 5 corps doing well with them will have any effect in the future.

[@mikepoche1794]

I guess I'm the only one seeing waves and whitecaps in the uniforms. I guess these three people never read or have seen Moby Dick, the "WHITE WHALE" bahahahahaha

[@colelmore]

Going to do any “reactions” to corps outside of top 4/5? I’d be interested in seeing maybe all of top 12 if y’all have time to record them all.

[@gavyntapp7689]

They should definitely react to Phantom or Mandies!

[@colelmore]

@@gavyntapp7689 Blue Stars and Troopers as well considering their recent climbing in standings over the past couple years.

[@brandonk.4864]

Mandarins sound amazing, it’d be cool if they reacted to them

[@jesuspectre9883]

0:20. The While Whale (Moby Dick) reflects the eastern seaboard mariner culture, an authentic choice for a Boston drum corps. 0:29 The hats depict the tail fin of a whale on the silver side, and the darkness of the sea (and darkness of captain Ahab) on the black side. 0:33 The sleeves on the uniform depict possibly whale teeth, or a shredded mast, or sea foam dripping. 0:35 The triangle over the waist area also depicts a whale tail. 0:58 Guard flag tosses indicate rolling waves, sets up the ocean battle. 2:00 Ishmael and Captain Ahab rifle exchange sets up the character confrontation. 2:03 Drill set in triangular shape of tail. 2:21 Guard costumes evoke mariner shipmates. 3:32 Guard uses harpoons instead of flag poles. 3:46 Sets/props subtly staged in the back field. 4:41 Tail shaped drill form again. 5:50 The whole "sailor vibe?" You mean the primary work which determines every single music selection, every drill move, every design decision? Why not read Moby Dick?

[@trentbildstein5610]

Your initial thought about the final push of the closer...I agree. They could/should ramp up the visual difficulty at the end...GE points for the taking.

[@lululumpia]

these drills looks sooo fun to march! also i love the hats! i wouldn't call myself an oldhead fan but i miss classic marching uniforms! they just have a timeless cool factor...

[@geoffreydallmann8084]

Just wait till you see the snare like this year super clean

[@brandontaylor3252]

Saw them in Denton and the Sea Shanty, the contra feature especially, got one of the biggest reactions of the night. I thought their brass sounded cleaner than Crown. Crown sounded bigger and brighter but the synth was mixed heavily to the point that it sounded artifically loud on the big hits which is a shame because I don't think their brass needs the help. Boston's volume was the volume of great intonation and consistent attacks. They spent a lot of time in spread out formations and I heard less brass phasing than any other corp that night. Some very high level ensemble playing. I thought they were the obvious best of the night, Crown and Bluecoats were very close for me with Phantom just a step behind them. Unfortunately no BD so I can't make the comparison.

[@ZakhadWOW]

thanks to the fad during COVID that damn Wellerman song stuck in everyone's head.. GOnna be humming it on the way home form shows LOL

[@honestabe5331]

I love the uniforms. This group is gonna be killer by finals. Watch out for the colts and Cadets.

[@AngieMC87]

Agreed.

[@ZakhadWOW]

hmmmm I'm a bit disappointed in COlts so far.. after the epic out-of-the-ordinary music choices last year, this isn't really engaging me much. It is painfully clear they wasted money on a bunch of telephone poles that literally just stand there. I wonder what else they might have done with that budget chunk.

[@ZakhadWOW]

CALENDAR CHECK-IN: day after San Antonio.... it doesnt appear that they dropped much, if anything, from what we saw at debut.. It seems to really be picking up steam rapidly. BAC got roaring ovation (in part because of a brilliant flyover reveal) while BD got polite applause and maybe 2 dozen people standing. They did a brilliant job, so many of us watching at home were rather stunned by the somewhat tepid response. Nest 2 weeks of buildup gonna be crazy.... Bloo and Crown shows dont seem to be engaging the audience as much - both are having some hiccups. But there is zero doubt BAC is going all AHAB On the drive for the gold Hahahaha

[@jacuhb8445]

Feels like an early 2010s crown show 👌

[@asherbank1941]

I'm interested to see how the judges closer to finals will evaluate the battery. They're playing a fuck ton of notes and they're playing them really well, but I somehow feel like it's not exactly what percussion judges are looking for.

[@EBG...]

Judges love mcnutt writing. All they really care about is execution.

[@c.nk.01]

battery and pit are evaluated both, probably with more emphasis on pit due to the physical restrictions on the judges, so it's mostly on their pit to determine if their percussion as a whole is sanford-worthy, because we already know their battery is.

[@nickniehaus1763]

Pit

[@ZakhadWOW]

bluntly speaking, judges damn well better not be looking for anything but brilliant execution and writing.. Their personal taste should not be involved at all.

[@joshuagrant2330]

Boys, we gotta get a pr reaction asap

[@derekgross3571]

Not sure if anyone else said this but the cavaliers and phantom regiment are wearing hats

[@ZakhadWOW]

PR- NOW WITH NOSE GUARDS!

[@joshsalmons1867]

Best tuba feature I've heard.

[@ZakhadWOW]

Helps that it was short, crisp, and had that awsome big note at the end LOL #BWWWAAHHHHHHHHHH

[@veister9126]

Crazy bc my percussion tech is marching quads the tallest dude😂😂

[@polydrip]

snares r cleannnnn

[@96per58]

You should review their performance from last night in San Antonio 🤯🤯

[@ZakhadWOW]

Talk about your epic reveal.. I wish to god I had been in that audience.

[@cro5301]

Turns out that the crowd LOVES the ‘sea shanty stuff’ 😂 Crowd favorite this year! BAC!!

[@okey7261]

Oh shoot right on Time

[@andrestretchnikov4591]

Funny you mention they look like Crown, because most of Crown's design team left to go to Boston in 2017

[@bruhbpp927]

bro somebody has to turn off their discord notifs 💀

[@thisguy3243]

best youtube channel fr

[@jeffreydheere4737]

Naturally I'm comparing it to Cadets 1986, which was my first year marching in DCI. I like it. I don't get the White Whale/Seafaring theme. The music says to me fighters/boxing rings.

[@luckyracing13]

Left out the best Part lol but I'll be in Atlanta this weekend, crown Is right in backyard living in York county SC but the Scouts will always be my corp

[@junhwigoo7390]

i think ya'll could do a better job taking turns while talking, as immature as that sounds. i understand that there's going to be some overlap if you want to have a natural flow of conversation, but there seems to be a consistent amount of talking over each other per episode, which makes me wonder if it could be improved. love the content though, it's very high production quality.

[@jonathanlatham5433]

I want to see music city’s show

[@ZakhadWOW]

good luck finding it amoung 5832 props on the field 😁🤭

[@richbrass12]

someone in that room is like...."i need to use this room." could care less about the recording

[@nss2vprez]

I can't help but call them 'The Cadets'...

[@nick2electricboogaloo589]

You know that there’s other corps that aren’t Carolina Crown right? You also know that the shakos are supposed to be whale tails not trying to emulate Crown right? Not everything has to do with Crown, Boston is Boston, they’re not trying to take another corps’ identity

[@nickniehaus1763]

Not as clean as crown but more difficulty in 30 seconds than crown’s whole show!

[@tredaviousbowser7931]

Lmao they would never handle the ballad with all the tuning and sudden dynamic changes. They’re Crown wannabes

[@totallylegitname319]

@@tredaviousbowser7931Huh? How

[@eatluxury8907]

@@tredaviousbowser7931crown is literally doing an old boston show this year 😭😭😭

[@jacuhb8445]

​@@eatluxury8907they flipped bruh 😂

[@windlessdoot7877]

@@tredaviousbowser7931not only refer to the other reply’s, but their percussion is 10x better than crowns

[@Maikel098]

Great response video! I think this one visually and GE wise is better than BC and Crown, and they definitely might be a title candidate I think. It's the virtuosity and creativity of Blue devils that is slightly ahead and probably makes them win. But definitely I think this is more cohesive and has more visual unity than a lot of other shows this year.

[@ayytism8857]

Is it just me or did anyone else think this show would come across a lot darker given the subject material? Moby Dick is a pretty dark book no?

[@ZakhadWOW]

well that ending is true to the book.. and the form it evolved to at San Antonio is just mindblowing spectacular.

[@ayytism8857]

@@ZakhadWOW Oh yeah you bet. I am so glad they saved that ending for San Antonio that was so good

[@christopherbernhardt]

I dislike the use of mics in this show. Especially in section features. The tuba feature is so clearly entirely amplified. It's a shame. It's not on the performers AT ALL and I want to make that clear, but it is frustrating that the arrangers / management is doing that.

[@nickniehaus1763]

I thought it was banned?

[@christopherbernhardt]

@@nickniehaus1763 listen to the full show

[@antoniokofoed7139]

Colin mcnutt effect.

[@babboon]

me when the white whale

[@loganjohnson8010]

Sperm

[@nickniehaus1763]

Nothing

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

@@nickniehaus1763something

[@greggchaffin1596]

lol can we NOT talk during the opening solo?

[@Ace_v120]

....

[@americanspirit8932]

Calling them, a drum and bugle Corps, it's like calling, Joe Biden, the president

[@windlessdoot7877]

How are they not a dci corp 😂

[@ZakhadWOW]

Bruv, to me about the abomination that is Garden of Love and not being a D&BC.. Ive never seen *anything* so completely 100% removed from the activity's origin. SOme theatricality - cool. Godspell/AustinPowers/HRPufnstuf/SCoobyDoo/LaughIn costumes/props/tarps in a supposed Drum Corps?? HELLS NO.

[@aidanray4846]

stop talking during the solos

[@rygregory]

It’s a reaction vid though. 😂

[@tommy2122108]

It's really not that hard to simply search for the show yourself. This a reaction video/channel. They're going to verbally react during these videos because that's literally what a reaction video is. Common sense, my guy.

[@void8422]

I forgot common sense isn’t a given anymore

[@greggchaffin1596]

​@@tommy2122108 You can tell the other two are thinking "bro chill" during the opening solo.

[@tommy2122108]

@@greggchaffin1596 Gotta love assumptions.