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Good afternoon everyone and welcome to today's live blog of DCI's Southwestern Championship at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas! My name is Krista Viveiros, and I will be following along with a live blog of today's performances. 

The show opens this afternoon with Sound Sport corps Compass at 1:40 PM CT. See you then! 

- So excited to see this corps! They're performing a show about the Māori people titled 'Kaui Kai'. 

- The patterns on the uniforms are so striking and bold. 

- The boat prop makes for a nice centerpiece visually. It isn't an overbearing prop and adds some dimension to a space that is pretty small for the number of students they have up there. 

- I was waiting for a Hakka! This has GOT to be a fun bit to perform and a fun one to watch as an audience member too. 

- A fun show and a great performance from the performers at Compass. Congratulations on a great run. 

- Nice initial front ensemble moment there, especially for such a small group of what looks like six performers. 

- What better thing to bring you out of a ballad than a drum feature with a few bars for every section in the line? Always helps bring the energy back up. 

- There's a colorguard member with her hair dyed to match her uniform! Half black, half blonde. Now THAT is a commitment to performance. 

- Another fun show to start off our day. Congrats to the Arsenal team on a great performance and an excellent season. 

- Up next, our only Open Class corps of the day, the Guardians!

- If you're sitting there looking at that prop thinking "I know that painting" like me... I just Googled it. It's based on 'The Son of Man' by René Magritte. 

- Loving the brass choir build up to that first moment that gives you just a taste of the corps' power. 

- Didn't realize the Guardians had a cymbal line! A rare sight on the field these days, but did a great job backing the snares there, after that solo moment. 

- The first of a few Beatles songs we will be hearing today. Performed in distinctly different shows and under different circumstances though. 

- Excited to see how the show progresses for the rest of this season. It looks like there might be just a few pieces left to add and I can't wait to see what it looks like by the time finals week rolls around. 

- They're setting up an actual grid on the field for their show 'Off the Grid.' That can't be easy to set up on a time crunch! 

- Starting off with a bang! I was looking away and was incredibly startled, as was my dog.

- The rack performer looks like they're having an absolute blast and performing their heart out. Definitely grabbed my attention for a moment. 

- And just like jazz sometimes blurs the lines, we start to move off the grid, playing with those prop lines and putting them back again. 

- Moving the 'grid' up creates a super cool visual effect, one that I bet translates well from high up as the performers move under the lines. 

- Even the pit moved sideways and outside of the normal pit setup! Nice touch for the push for the end! 

- The opening music and visual moment mimic the ebbs and flows of water super well

- Plenty of corps use the colorguard as a way to add lots of different colors and textures to the field, but I loved that start with the monochrome look across the field. 

- That being said, those coral reef drop sashes are so unique. And the bright yellow guard uniforms always stand out well on the green field. 

- And clown fish! And jelly fish! They're representing as much of the reef as they can. 

- They embraced the surf and brought it out on to the field. Who knows what other changes they may have in store for us? 

- A non-traditional walk on and start for sure, but it suits the show. Mice creeping around a city and signaling that it's safe to their mice friends.

- The sound bytes from this show are nice additions to the story. The exterminator is coming, so we're country mice now! 

- Mouse head set! 

- The flags mixed with the song is so precious. Love it. Peace for mice everywhere! 

- We open looking at a forest arranged around the field and some forest sounds. With Mother Nature narrating.  

- The percussion and industrial sounds help move us into society and industry. And a sweet run from the pit. 

- Now that was how you end a movement. So much energy from every single performer on the field. 

- A kitchen sink from the pit! Closing the show wailing away on a literal kitchen sink. Love it. 

- The drum majors for the Troopers seem incredibly far back to me, but it could just be the angle that makes them look that way. 

- The percussion section has had some incredible moments so far, it's hard to choose something specific. But they really do shine. 

- And then a pit feature happens. Naturally. A nice spotlight for the front ensembles. 

- A good saber moment has got to be one of the most satisfying colorguard moments to watch. 

3:49 PM Pacific Crest - Diamond Bar, CA

- Our second set of triangle props for the day, set up in a similar fashion as those from Genesis. 

- That front ensemble is super far into the field, it's nice to see them be in on the action with the full corps around them on the white tarps. 

- Killer trumpet feature up front! 

- Scatter sets like that always look awesome from up top. From a big cluster out into a larger set. It's incredibly simple but oh so effective. 

- You're just now able to see the lights on the props. I thought I was crazy before thinking they were lit up. Nice to know my eyes aren't acting up on me. One of those things that must translate better in person. That's what drum corps is designed for anyways. 

- This is sure to be an interesting season for the Scouts. This is their last season as an all-male corps.

- The uniforms are so classic and the march onto the field from the "starting line" I'm sure was a nice surprise for some of the fans out there. 

- How many rotating blocks can you do in a row? A LOT. Wow. 

- AH Fleur de Lis set! Classic. 

- A powerful ending in what is sure to be a memorable show for every single member. 

- Time for a quick break. Stretch your legs, pop some more popcorn, order a pizza. 

- Hope you caught some of that drumline battle too, and gave the sound sport teams some love 

- And we're back! Really liking the show title on this one

- And just like that, the performers on the props are gone, and blending right back in like nothing happened. Transitions like that aren't easy, kudos to those performers. 

- Are you really in hell if there aren't any pitchforks? 

- We've seen a few of these big changes under these big silks today but this is my favorite so far. Hell freezes over in an instant. 

- That was a fun show, and a cool (haha, get it?) take on a pretty common saying

- The most unique pit set-up we've seen yet today, with the stage behind them. And a nice way to start with the snares right behind them featured like that. 

- The fact that they had a door reminds me of their show Speakeasy from a few years ago, another really fun one. 

- ATL set! A nod to their home, and a home show next week. 

- Swing flags always make a statement and spreading them out across the field like that is an absolute must. So beautiful, even if sometimes a pain for the performers. 

- Spirit always delivers with the fun and a little bit of funk. 

- While entirely done not on purpose, the guard uniforms (and the color scheme of the show in general) match the Roadrunner on the field.

- Loved that last drill set so so much. Anything that spreads the corps out on a field like that has a certain power to it. 

- Beautiful flugelhorn solo from the back of the field!

- Instant mood change much? But very high energy and a nice change indeed. 

- The members seem super pumped about that run! That's what it's really all about, isn't it?

- This show is quick and powerful right out of the gate and shows no signs of slowing down. 

- The sabers on their backs sheathed up is a nice touch. 

- That was a sneaky way to get more performers on the field. I thought it was odd that members of the corps proper were spinning rifles so well! 

- Fire of Eternal Glory has been done in drum corps quite a bit, but it just fits so well here. It just has a specific emotional tone to it, and we're burning someone at the stake here. It plain old makes sense. 

- The show was pretty empowering overall, the looks on the everyone's face coming off of that field is enough for me. 

- This show is about as close to home as it gets for the Crossmen! Excited for the energy they'll be bringing this afternoon. 

- Another show bringing the energy straight out of the gate, WOW. And who doesn't like the BONES tradition!

- We have some bass drums on the field! Let's get ready for some SOUND

- You have to add that classic theme in, seriously. Valkyries is in the title. 

- What an ending, the flag feature will be so good when it's fully cleaned. Really excited to see this one a few more times. 

- Coming off their 2018 season, the Mandarins have so much momentum. What will they have in store for us tonight? 

- We haven't seen anything like this hand drum piece all day. AND that bass solo! So good. 

- The way the front ensemble is set up makes them look much larger in comparison to others, but it should just be the way they're set up. Being that far off-center can make for some interesting listening challenges. 

- Sweet snare break up on the front sideline, one of the benefits of the new judging rules

- Awesome ending and so cool seeing this corps really come into their own.

- And Behold, the Queen stepping down from her throne, slowly descending to start the show

- That rifle work on the stairs was killer. Nice work, colorguard

- Just heard a LOT of timpani out of the front ensemble, and it was killer. Drum corps timpani is crazy difficult.

- The visual of the bridge no matter where it goes on the field is incredible. It crosses, it changes, it's incredibly versatile and was designed well as an element. 

- Timpani again!

- Looking at the notes for the show, you'll see that this was designed with the idea of celebrating 50 years of women in the Cadets and shining a light on that unity. Congrats to the Cadets for 50 years of that, and for their 85 years of traditions they have overall. 

- Love the front ensemble driving this first initial build

- Anyone else's eyes getting tripped up by the mirrors? 

- That little bit of dissonance trickling in the high brass bringing us back into the heavy music from the ballad. SO good. 

- Blue Knights always have the most colorful closer flags! So beautiful

- There was a lot going on on the field, do you remember all of it? 

- The glockenspiel (I think?) right at the top of that beginning pit lick added the appropriate amount of brightness to it. Super tasteful

- Trading rifles and sabres! Nice moment up front from the colorguard

- It's incredible how many people fit inside/behind those tents. It's startling even when you see them go behind the props. It's just a nice visual. 

- Hope they weren't wearing those knit hats in the lot... yikes. Too hot for that. 

- Flag feature to end it all! Yes! Beautiful. Super fun show. 

- A few other groups have done this today, playing a little bit on the field before their show starts. It's a nice opportunity to get used to how you sound in this new environment, the dome!

- The Cavaliers guard ALWAYS delivers. That rifle catch was killer. 

- Another section that always delivers, the front ensemble. They've had an incredible reputation for years and this year is no different. 

- And this bit is one of the reasons why! Playing with another person on your instrument is no joke, especially jumping back and forth with parts. And then moving it?!

- And this hornline knows how to put on a show too! Loud and proud straight to the end. 

- This hornline, even though computer speakers, is noticeably louder than the rest so far. Wow. 

- The semi-opaque cape on the uniforms adds an interesting depth to the uniforms and movement that is super appealing. 

- Using clear panels as props in the colorguard... it's a cool way to create a barrier, loved how they used it to show that with the soloists and the small group. 

- Crown pulling out all the stops, all into the very very end! Incredible last 15-20 seconds.

- Lots of cool things happening on that field from Crown, excited to see what's left to add, in anything and how it evolves for the next few weeks. 

- Boston's guard with the cleanest opening flag feature so far, absolutely stunning for this point in the season

- Right into the drumline and front throwing down their own great features. 

- The black and gold goes with the show, but is still a distinctly different look for Boston, even compared to last year. 

- These props with the rods are so unique, they add a different dynamic to some of the other props we've seen this evening

- And here comes the tall and mighty Goliath!

- But he's taken out. Front to back that guard did NOT throw away their shot. What a run!

- Very colorful start from the Bluecoats, their uniforms are brighter across the board than any other we've seen tonight. 

- Can you hear all of the Beatles songs weaving in and out of each other? If you can't, I can't blame you. There's a lot. 

- Such interesting uniforms for the guard soloists as well, attention-grabbing, but making sense for what they're supposed to represent. 

- It's the little things, like the hornline flapping their 'wings' during Blackbird as they run back to their sets. 

- So many featured players to keep track of during Come Together. Just shows how incredibly talented these groups all are on an individual level in addition to as a group. 

- Can't wait to see how the rest of this incredibly fun show develops. The Bluecoats also hold the current lead with .3 over the Blue Devils just yesterday. Only two more corps until we get tonight's scores. Will the same hold true tonight? 

- Definitely some crowd reaction for the announcement of our reigning champions!

- There's a lot going on, on the field. Right off the bat. It's wild between the props and the spread-out performers, there's a lot to keep your eyes on.

- This hornline is on it this morning, hearing some particularly great lines coming from the mellophones. 

- Yet another corps with some incredible soloists. It is absolutely insane the kind of talent that corps attract these days. And the number of work people put in to get as good as they are. Make no mistake, no one woke up being able to play that high note. 

- And the percussion section delivered top to bottom too. Just excellence all the way through. Definitely giving the other contenders a run for their money tonight. 

- Here we go everyone, the last one of the night, and certainly not least, the Blue Devils. 

- Rifles immediately coming strong right out of the gate

- Light vertical lines always elongate, but because of the ones on their uniforms, the Blue Devils look so much taller than any corps that's been on tonight. The plumes help, too. 

- The electric violin adds an extra timbre on top of everything else that's so different from everything else we've heard today and weaves into the story well. A nice addition. 

- Didn't think I'd ever hear a Britney Spears song in the drum corps setting, but I'm all about it. 

- Super fun, high energy and memorable show from the Blue Devils. But is it enough to catch the Bluecoats? We'll find out in just a bit. 

SCORES:

1. Bluecoats - 91.213

2. Blue Devils - 91.013

3. Santa Clara Vanguard - 90.475

4. Carolina Crown - 88.863 

5. Boston Crusaders - 88.513

6. The Cavaliers - 87.50

7. Blue Knights - 85.55

8. Blue Stars - 85.225

9. Cadets - 83.575

10. Mandarins - 82.175

11. Crossmen - 81.875

12. Phantom Regiment - 80.613

13. Spirit of Atlanta - 78.875

14. The Academy - 77.513

15. Colts - 76.725

16. Pacific Crest - 75.20

17. Madison Scouts - 73.5

18. Troopers - 72.563

19. Genesis - 70.588

20.  Music City - 70.3 

21. Jersey Surf - 68.375

22. Cascades - 64.90 

Open Class

60.225 - Guardians