Over the course of drum corps history, the “West Coast Tour” — largely hinged on its array of events in California — has carved out a well-known spot as an annual hallmark of the opening days of the DCI Summer Tour schedule.
Regarded for its scenic stadiums and destination locales, the chunk of the DCI season set in California has a reputation for being a popular place to perform and spectate.
For the 2025 DCI Tour, two corps who haven’t spent time in the Golden State in quite a while — Boston Crusaders and Seattle Cascades — will make their way to California for a series of competitive performances.
“The west coast tour has a certain brand equity and experience that has long been held in high regard,” Boston Crusaders CEO Chris Holland said. “This is ambitious, but the timing is right, and this will make us a stronger organization.”
The Massachusetts corps last performed in California during the summer of 2012. A dozen years later, the organization has evolved quite a bit — it now stands as a perennial World Class contender, having earned silver medals in two of the last three seasons — but the excitement to journey west is still the same.
“As part of meeting the desires and expectations of creating a drum corps experience that is exciting, valuable and life-changing for our members — and servicing a major marching arts and DCI market — it felt like the timing was right,” he said. “As members sit and discuss this commitment with their parents or support network, the West Coast Tour is a tremendous value add.”
Of course, the long trip west will provide its own set of challenges for the Boston Crusaders.
The corps has responsibilities to its supportive local community, and as such, will begin its spring training rehearsals in New England. After several weeks of local rehearsals and community engagements, the corps will then fly to California for the ramp-up into the kickoff of the DCI Tour.
That being said, Holland applauded the leadership of DCI’s western-based organizations, and expressed gratitude for the drum corps community’s collaborative nature.
“I can't say enough about the Pacific corps directors and administrators. We compete on the field but I don't think the fans understand how closely we work together and support each other in our endeavors. DCI is a special community and DCI itself has been extremely supportive of our efforts.”
As for the Pacific Northwest-based Seattle Cascades, while their trip to California won’t require as many miles, it’s still cause for plenty of anticipation.
“Everyone is really excited,” Cascades executive director Michael Leone said. “Our alumni, our veterans, our staff are all really excited to head south and get to perform in venues that we haven’t performed at in a long time.”
Despite its geographic proximity, the Washington corps’ absence from California events has actually been longer than that of Boston Crusaders. According to Leone, the majority of its decision to perform in the Golden State for the first time since 2010 had to do with the evolution of activity-wide tour planning.
“The main benefit for us is getting the opportunity to perform in prestigious stadiums,” Leone said. “Our schedule allows us to perform with several different groups, and it allows us to get a good head start into the season.”
With the year end not far off on the calendar and 2025 just around the corner, drum corps fans can keep their eyes peeled for the announcement of the DCI Tour Schedule, which is expected to take place Wednesday, November 20.