Poised to give audiences a taste of the action ahead of the big showdown at the 2024 DCI Southwestern Championship on Saturday, July 20, competition will heat up at DCI Broken Arrow on Tuesday, July 16th, bringing some of the top competitors under the same stadium lights for the first time throughout the 2024 DCI season.

Get excited to see Bluecoats, Blue Devils, Carolina Crown, Boston Crusaders, and more face-off in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma on July 16. Before the show begins, let's take a look at the competitive landscape and preview some of the things audiences should watch for at DCI Broken Arrow.

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1. Competition Overview

DCI Broken Arrow will take place on Tuesday, July 16th in Broken Arrow, OK. The show is slated to begin at 8pm CT, but due to excessive heat warnings that have been flaring up across the US, that time may change. Keep an eye on the FloMarching and DCI social media accounts for updated start time information as we get closer to Tuesday evening.

The lineup for DCI Broken Arrow is chock-full of interesting competitive storylines, in addition to first-time meetings. Carolina Crown, Bluecoats, and Boston Crusaders will meet the Blue Devils for the first time in the 2024 DCI season, with fans eager to find out which ensemble will come on top at night's end. The Rankings and Caption Race standings have been razor-thin (more on that later), and with no clear-cut frontrunner in any caption, fans should expect some drama once the full recaps come out. 

Another West Coast favorite on the docket is the Mandarins, who have been making a name for themselves after a handful of extremely successful back-to-back seasons. 

Phantom Regiment, another ensemble that has been on a tear over the last few competitive seasons, will meet Mandarins for the first time in 2024 at DCI Broken Arrow, giving fans a taste of what is likely to be a back-and-forth battle for the rest of the 2024 season. If you remember, Mandarins ended up finishing ahead of Phantom Regiment at the 2023 DCI Finals by 0.787 points.

Fans will also be treated to a performance by The Cavaliers, allowing us some insight into the Percussion Caption landscape and who this year's Fred Sanford winner may be. As a reminder, the Green Machine was the 2024 Fred Sanford Percussion Caption Award winner, and they're not going to give up the title easily.  

Last but certainly not least, fans will see a performance from Zephyrus Drum & Bugle Corps. The Oklahoma-based ensemble has expanded its summer tour in 2024 to include more show performances, with performances in Little Rock, Broken Arrow, and a final performance opportunity at the Southwestern Championship. The SoundSport ensemble hopes to end its season on a high note, so be sure to tune in on time to catch a high-energy performance of their 2024 show titled, 'Crescent.'

Here's a comprehensive breakdown of the schedule for the show:

DCI Broken Arrow (streaming LIVE on FloMarching)

July 16 | Broken Arrow, OK

Start Time: 8:00pm CT

Event Schedule:

• 6:30pm - Gates open
• 8:00pm - Welcome & National Anthem
• 8:10pm - Zephyrus Drum & Bugle Corps
• 8:22pm - The Cavaliers
• 8:39pm - Phantom Regiment
• 8:56pm - Boston Crusaders
• 9:13pm - Mandarins
• 9:30pm - Intermission
• 9:47pm - Blue Devils
• 10:04pm - Bluecoats
• 10:21pm - Carolina Crown
• 10:46pm - Scores announced

WATCH LIVE

More Information | Rebroadcast Info

2. Caption Breakdown

Boston and Crown have met a handful of times already (DCI Central Indiana, Cavalcade of Brass), with Crown coming out on top on both occasions, but only by slim margins. Bluecoats got added into the mix at Summer Music Games in Cincinnati, and fans were treated to a wild night of Caption Race results and high scores. As a refresher, here are the results from the Summer Music Games in Cincinnati:

Overall Score:

1. Bluecoats - 78.750
2. Boston Crusaders - 78.450
3. Carolina Crown - 77.950

General Effect:

1. Bluecoats - 32.200
2. Boston Crusaders - 31.800
3. Carolina Crown - 31.300

Color Guard

1. Boston Crusaders - 15.800
2. Bluecoats - 15.700
3. Carolina Crown - 15.500

Brass

1. Carolina Crown - 15.800
2. Boston Crusaders - 15.400
3. Bluecoats - 15.300

Percussion

1. Boston Crusaders - 15.700
2. Bluecoats - 15.600
3. Carolina Crown - 15.500

And even though this particular competition was held at the beginning of July, the caption race hasn't gotten any less competitive. Fans should be in for a treat at DCI Broken Arrow and the rest of the season if the second half of the season continues to be this back-and-forth.

Taking a look at more recent shows, here's where the current Caption Race stands, as of July 15th at 12pm ET:

General Effect

1. Bluecoats - 35.300 (Celebration in Brass)

2. Blue Devils - 34.300 (Drums Along the Rockies)

2. Boston Crusaders - 34.300 (DCI Little Rock)

4. Carolina Crown - 33.800 (DCI Little Rock)

4. Phantom Regiment - 33.800 (Midwest Classic)

Color Guard

1. Bluecoats - 17.800 (Celebration in Brass)

2. Boston Crusaders - 17.500 (DCI Little Rock)

3. Blue Devils - 17.300 (Drums Along the Rockies)

4. Carolina Crown - 17.000 (DCI Little Rock)

5. Phantom Regiment - 16.800 (Midwest Classic)

Brass

1. Carolina Crown - 17.500 (DCI Little Rock)

2. Phantom Regiment - 17.300 (Midwest Classic)

3. Boston Crusaders - 17.200 (DCI Little Rock)

4. Bluecoats - 17.100 (Celebration in Brass)

4. Blue Devils - 17.100 (Drums Along the Rockies)

Percussion

1. Bluecoats - 17.900 (Celebration in Brass)

2. Boston Crusaders - 17.700 (DCI Little Rock)

3. Blue Stars - 17.300 (Celebration in Brass)

4. Phantom Regiment - 17.200 (Midwest Classic)

5. Santa Clara Vanguard - 17.100 (Drums Along the Rockies)

If you're interested in seeing more information about the Caption Races and Rankings, check out our Rankings tab. Fresh results hit our website every Tuesday afternoon, so check back in regularly for updates.

3. Moments To Watch For

Carolina Crown - There's nothing quite like the Crown Brass line, especially this season. One of the most goosebumps-inducing moments in the entire show (in our opinion) is the first big brass impact that happens around one minute into the show. Not only does the music ensemble as a whole sound fantastic, but the Crown Guard is adding so much to the moment with fierce flag work and impressive rifle work. 

Bluecoats - Two moments stand out to us in the Bluecoats show: the mic'd up mylar flag moment after movement one and the end of the show. In typical Bluecoats fashion, their design and audio teams continue to push the activity forward by having the guard spin with a flag that creates noise, and micing up the flags to broadcast that sound to the audience in an otherwise silent portion of the show. We also want to call out the ending of the show because between their debut performance and the last time the Bluecoats took the field, the ending of their show has changed a little bit and we're interested to see what the Bluecoats are cooking up for Broken Arrow. 

Blue Devils - This year's Blue Devils ballad is a must-see. It's a mix of wonderfully executed brass moments, impactful percussion soundscapes, and a synchronized color guard flag feature with a smattering of wild sabre solos. The ballad will have you tapping your foot and bobbing your head all while being hit with some flutters in your stomach over how beautiful the brass sounds. Be sure to clap for the many soloists and small groups throughout! 

Mandarins - The Mandarins are bringing back out the trombones for another year and this time they've bulked up the line and given them mutes. About four minutes into the show after the ensemble creates a block down the 50 yard line, fans will be treated to a small ensemble brass feature of muted trumpets and trombones that volley a riff back and forth between the side 1 and side 2 30-yard lines. During this time, we also get a sprinkling of on-field percussion moments to add to the soundscape, all while the guard is spinning and dancing around the field. 

Boston Crusaders - If we ran a 'Battle of the Ballads' poll this season, one of the top contenders for 2024 would likely be Boston Crusaders playing 'True Colors.' The movement starts with a front ensemble feature that is stunningly quick and intricate, which leads into a quiet but impactful brass solo and duet, then melts into the full brass ensemble hit. And once that hit comes to its full volume, all we can say is WOW. This ballad is going to give you goosebumps and maybe even bring a tear to your eye with how beautiful it sounds. 

Phantom Regiment - The Phantom Regiment brass is absolutely cooking this season, and the movement after the ballad and percussion feature is where their skill and expertise really shine. The music ensemble completely flips genres with 'Fly or Die' by Gilles Rocha and we guarantee that your jaw will be on the ground by the end of this segment. The music is intricate and high-energy, the soloists nail every detail of the riffs they're playing, and the color guard exudes sassiness and pure energy. 

The Cavaliers - While so many moments in this year's Cavaliers show are worth calling out, we have to say one of our favorites is the last 60 seconds of the show. The brass line and drumline start in an arc in the center of the field and the music they're playing is everything you love to hear in drum corps: loud, high-tempo, and full of energy. The color guard is spinning throughout the entire field in and around the on-field music ensemble, adding even more contrast and texture to the moment. If you're not on your feet at the end of this show, you're doing it wrong. 

Zephyrus - While we haven't been able to catch a performance of Zephyrus so far this season, I think fans can agree they're excited to see two streamed performances from Zephyrus this week at both DCI Broken Arrow and at the DCI Southwestern Championship on Saturday!