All images courtesy of DCI
Summertime means movie theaters are crowded with the latest action flicks, superhero stories and children’s entertainment. They are not, generally speaking, the venue for a movie that showcases a marching band competition.
But Drum Corps International (DCI), a traveling competitive event for marching bands, has flipped the script and has spent years bringing its high-energy show to those who can’t make to watch its nationwide tour in person.
And on August 7, Fathom Entertainment, a distributor of special event content to movie theaters nationwide, will show a live broadcast of Big, Loud & Live, DCI ‘25 as it takes place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. (Check out the trailer in the link above to get a feel for the event, which combine not only marching and band work but theatrics, dancing, acting, props and other elements.)
DCI has been working with Fathom for more than 20 years, making it one of the earliest event owners to align competitions with local movie theaters.
According to an article in the L.A. Times, it’s part of a larger trend: “Along with improved food offerings, bigger screens and 3-D projections, theaters nationwide are programming more so-called alternative content. Hoping to reverse long-term declines in theater attendance by luring customers away from an increasing array of entertainment options in the home, they're showing live rock concerts, plays, operas, boxing matches, college basketball games and even public radio shows, often to sold-out houses.”
The DCI presentation runs more than five hours and covers all top 15 drum corps as they battle it out in the World Championship Prelims for their shot at the 2025 title.
“It’s Marching Music’s Major League—louder, bolder, and more epic than ever,” notes the trailer.
This summer, DCI’s competitive circuit took the show nationwide, as it does each year (the full schedule is here). And according to an interview SDM did of DCI’s leadership, the competitions never (ever) play to empty seats; instead, stadiums (generally large high school facilities) are packed with marching band members, band and music directors, coaches, athletic directors and others involved with the industry.
Putting band on the big screen increases its cool factor and is likely to help spur its growth, not that it needs the push. According to an article in The New Yorker, there are more than 20,000 high school band programs in America, some with as many as 400 members. Middle schools and colleges also field bands, as do sports teams of all types and at all levels. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, it is estimated that more than 6.5 million students across 20,000 schools participate in music programs nationwide.
From its founding in 1971 to its establishment of an official non-profit entity in 1972, DCI supports numerous programs around the globe while sanctioning participating recognized drum corps, SoundSport® performance ensembles and DrumLine Battle™ teams performing in more than 100 competitive events that make up the annual Drum Corps International Tour. Each division crowns a world champion at the end of the season.
When choosing sites for tournaments, Dan Acheson, executive director, told SDM in 2019, the organization considers specific factors:
“We want to go to a market in where they have massive high school stadiums we can use for our practices. Obviously, a small field won’t work. For regional competitions, we use college or professional stadiums. Another factor in choosing cities is whether they have a history of having hosted marching events or having schools that compete in them because that means you have an audience.”
Broadcasting a competition live is one of those concepts that makes sense from every angle. It showcases the event, it brings it to destinations across America (even those who can’t host one of the competitions) and it raises awareness of the sport in a big, big way. It also gives everyone excellent views, including drone shots and a perfect 50-yard-line seat.
And after all, what could be better than seeing the world’s best marching bands from a weather-safe and climate-controlled venue near home that offers all the extras, like concessions, restrooms, free parking and ADA accessibility?
And it’s DCI, whose reputation for excellence is well earned.
“DCI is known as the Marching Music’s Major League for a reason,” Acheson told SDM. “It’s very inspiring to watch the performances and we know people go home with a lot of ideas. Our performers really are the best of the best; each year, more than 12,000 people audition for positions with these organizations and less than half of them will be accepted.”
The term, SoundSport, is used, and reflects the ambitious and energetic nature of each performance that has been designed and choreographed to be very theatrical; these are not your typical stand-still-and-march or even parade marchers.
“People think that the performers are not athletes,” said Acheson. “Watch any of the performances and you see these kids in constant motion. In a 13-minute performance, they’re running, marching and dancing in their drill formations while carrying instruments, some of which are really heavy. I made a presentation at a convention of athletic trainers. I showed them a clip of one of our performances ,and it really took them by surprise. Nobody understands how physically demanding this is. Many of our corps have nutritionists and chefs on the tour with them to make sure the performers eat the right foods, usually with four meals a day.”
To see DCI in action, check out the YouTube Channel here.
And keep in mind, viewers are looking at an event that brings a lot of benefit to the hosting cities.
“In Indianapolis where we hold our World Championships, the convention and visitors bureau estimated a $12 million economic impact just for the one week we hold our events there,” said Acheson. “Our regional events are one- or two-day events and they bring in approximately $3 million to each of those cities. It’s challenging for us to estimate because, as we said earlier, our performers don’t stay in hotels and we also do our own cooking for everyone on the tour. The impact comes from spectators and families – our championships in Indy had 25,000 in attendance.”
Information about where to find local theaters showing “Big, Loud & Live” is here.
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