What's with all the shows in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida ... then Oklahoma and Kansas? These aren't "hotbeds' of drum corps activity.

But then, this is the new age of "professional show drum corps".
They take the corps into areas to get $$$ .. where there are interested people for marching bands etc

A new world.

Marching Bands are a big deal in the south (they are in Ohio as well). High School football is BIG and a school has to have a big marching band.

The shows in Houston are at the Athletic complex for my sister's school district. That place is like Whitewater or the Eastern Michigan Stadium (old DCI north in Ypsilanti).

I see it as recuiting of talent as well.

About twelve years ago I attended a high school football game in the Cincinnati suburbs--Moeller High School vs St Xavier. (Don't ask me what I was doing in Cincinnati on a Friday night in October). Each school had a marching band of about 150 kids and they sounded like a lot of college bands. So marching band is a real big deal in the south.

John is right on both counts. Marching bands are huge in the South, especially in Texas (in fact, music in general in Texas, the only state I know of where they put as much money into the arts as they do athletics). And many Southern kids march in drum corps because of that, so it's good for recruiting. Boston has been doing all of their camps here in Orlando for the past several years, Crossmen moved to Texas last year, and the Cavaliers actually sponsor a show in Texas every year.

What did you do in the Corps? Snare; Drum Major; Drum Instructor/Arranger

What years were you a Corps member? 1970-73; 78-79

I don't know if there ever was the kind of interest and support for high school marching bands in Chicago and Northern Illinois that one sees in the South and Ohio. It's probably more of a smaller community culture than that of the big cities. In the south and places like Ohio where they get 10000 people watching a high school football game on Friday night it is a BIG deal.

I don't see it in California though. There is a high school in Concord CA (home of the Blue Devils) that has football team that has won the mythical high school national championship (national polls) three or four times since I've lived in the Bay Area and went undefeated from about 1985 to 2006 (including playing teams in the Ohio, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Hawaii, Washington and southern California). All they have is a PEP band of about 20 kids and their half time show is usually someone's dog chasing a frisbie.

Yes, I knew that marching bands are a BIG TIME activity in Texas. Same is true in Indiana. So... DCI sends all it's corps to Texas to RECRUIT? (And make $$)

Boy, those DCI shows in Houston and Dallas this weekend are just like Nationals .. just 3 weeks early! ALL the DCI corps are down there now.

Nobody has beaten the Blue Devils yet .. but Cavaliers and Holy Name Cadets are moving up. Santa Clara and Phantom seem to be stuck.

Based on the scores from San Antonio the Cavaliers and Cadets are moving up by the Blue Devils still manage to keep a 1.5 to 2.0 point cushion.

Blue Stars seem to be the surprise and the defending champions, Phantom Regiment, the disappointment. Top five looks like Blue Devils, Cavaliers, Garfield, Carolina and Santa Clara.

Madison appears like they aren't going to make finals but the Troopers might.

What did you do in the Corps? Baritone--Cadets 1959 through 1961 Imperials 1962 through 1966

At this rate, Phantom would hold the record for the biggest drop after winning the championship the previous year (previously held by Madison Scouts - first in 88, seventh in 89).

I was surprised by Carolina, but second through fourth is pretty close right now. And Troopers back in the top twelve for the first time since 1985.

What did you do in the Corps? Snare; Drum Major; Drum Instructor/Arrnager

What years were you a Corps member? 1970-73; 78-79

Carolina had some bad luck and actually had to miss a show due to sickness in the corps. It seems that a large number of the members got the flu (or something like it) and the corps cancelled an appearance while on the southern tour. They also lost a lot of practice time for a few days. That may have all taken a toll on their recent performances.

I was at the show in San Antonio last night. It does look like the Blue Devils are the favorite to win it all but they were last year too. The Cadets have a great show and are my dark horse if anyone is going to beat the Blue Devils.