What's better than starting the Drum Corps International tour with a little West Coast flair? 

Stanford Stadium in Stanford, CA, is one of the best venues on the summer tour and has hosted thousands of drum corps fans in late June for years now. This weekend, it welcomes the top two corps from both of DCI's classes—Open and World.

DCI West gets underway Saturday at 6:30 PM PT and is streaming LIVE on FloMarching.

Headlining the evening in World Class, Blue Devils and Santa Clara Vanguard will once again be at the top trying to give their best early-season showing in Stanford. Representing Open Class, BDB and Vanguard Cadets will perform earlier in the night and give fans a first look at how the two will measure up against one another. 

The entire show is basically a must-watch/can't-miss, but here are some things to keep track of during Saturday night's stream.

6:58 PM PT & 7:13 PM PT - Blue Devils B & Vanguard Cadets

These two corps reigned supreme in DCI's Open Class for the last decade, alternating wins back and forth since 2013. Blue Devils B has captured five Open Class titles since 2009, while Vanguard Cadets has four. 

Vanguard Cadets topped BDB in 2017 with a nearly two-point gap at World Class World Championships, but every year is different for the two. First impressions often set the standard for the season, and one thing's for certain: Both of these Open Class corps will be looking to set the bar high.

Blue Devils B 2018 drumline throwing down at family day!#dci2018 pic.twitter.com/MwGypw8uT3

— FloMarching (@FloMarching) June 19, 2018

8:31 PM PT - Mandarins

2017 was a breakout year for the Sacramento Mandarins, initiated by constant improvement since 2014. In the last four seasons, the corps has improved from 21st to 20th to 17th place, then finally ended up in 13th last year. "Inside the Ink" only missed finals by about a point, earning an 85.55 behind the 12th-place Madison Scouts. 

The corps' 2018 program is titled "Life Rite After" and tells the story of what happens after the "Rite of Spring." Don't miss Mandarins as they begin their tear across the country and aim to break into World Class finals for the first time in their history.

By the way, Mandarins will be wearing their new 2018 uniforms.

#LifeRiteAfter @FruhaufUniforms pic.twitter.com/YkNHw3QuHF

— Sacramento Mandarins (@DCIMandarins) June 15, 2018

9:25 PM PT & 9:43 PM PT - Santa Clara Vanguard & Blue Devils

Will 2017 be an outlier for Santa Clara Vanguard or will it come back fighting for a medal once again in 2018? DCI West is one of the first opportunities to watch SCV and BD strive to best each other and reach perfection on finals night.

Blue Devils are performing their program "Dreams + Nighthawks," inspired by the painting of Edward Hopper with a similar name.

Vanguard will be bringing "Babylon" to the field, a show about the decay of language with a twang of futurism.