Blue Devils

The Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps is a junior drum corps located in Concord, California and currently holds 3 CYO championship titles and 21 Drum Corps International world class championship titles.

## Corps History

In 1957, Tony and Ann Odello and the Concord VFW post assumed control of the Martinettes, a defunct drum corps and drill team. The reorganized the unit as the Blue Devils. initially the group performed as an all-boy corps with an all-girl drill team. Reorganizing the unit as the Blue Devils. Initially, the group performed as an all-boy corps with an all-girl drill team, kater in 1958 with the addition of glockenspiels, the corps became a "drum and bell" corps while the girls became a separate baton twirling troupe, the Majorettes. Later on in 1968, the Blue Devils B Drum and Bugle Corps was founded

In 1970, a group of buglers was adder to the Blue Devils drums and flags and entered into its first competition as the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps. By 1972, the corps now with over seventy members, advanced from Class B competition to Class A and toured outside California for the first time. The summer of 1973 marked the Blue Devils first national tour and their first appearance at the Drum Corps International World Championships in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Later this year, the younger Blue Devils C Drum and Bugle Corps was founded.

In 1976, the Blue Devils won the first of the corps' twenty-one DCI World Champion titles. Since then, the use of Jazz and Latin music has became a staple of what to expect when seeing the Blue Devils perform.

Later on, in 2014 the Blue Devils wont heir sixteenth DCI World Championship on August 9th, surprising everybody by beating then highest record score ( Cavaliers 2002 and Cadets 2005 ) of 99.15 with a 99.65, a near perfect score. In 2023, the Blue Devils claimed their first technical Three-Peat in the corps' history, after winning in 2019 (2020 and 2021 seasons were not scored), 2022, and 2023. The Blue Devils now stood alongside the Cavaliers (2000, 2001, 2002) and the Cadets (1983, 1984, 1985) , the two other corps to achieve a Three-Peater in DCI History.

## Notable Events/Shows

2014 - Highest scoring DCI show as of 2023 (99.65)

2019, 2022, 2023 - The Corps' first Three-Peat

## Corps Summary (1971-2023)

The Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps competed in DCI Open Class 1973 - 1991, DCI Division I 1992 - 2007, and DCI World Class 2008 - 2024. These are the same tier, just renamed

## Caption Awards

At the annual DCI World Championships, DCI presents caption awards to the corps with the highest average scores between prelims, semifinals and finals. With five captions, the Blue Devils have won the following

### Don Angelica Best General Effect Award

* 2003
* 2007
* 2009
* 2010
* 2012
* 2014
* 2017
* 2022
* 2023

### John Brazale Best Visual Performance Award

* 2001
* 2003
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2012 (tie)
* 2014
* 2015
* 2017
* 2019
* 2022
* 2023

### George Zingali Best Color Guard Award

* 2001
* 2003
* 2006
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2023

### Jim Ott Best Brass Performance Award

* 2001
* 2003
* 2004
* 2007
* 2008
* 2010
* 2014
* 2022

### Fred Sanford Best Percussion Award

* 2007
* 2009
* 2012
* 2015

Prior to 2000 and the adoption of the current scoring format, The Blue Devils won these captions

### High General Effect Award

* 1976
* 1977
* 1979
* 1981
* 1982
* 1986
* 1994

### High Visual Award

* 1976
* 1978
* 1982
* 1986
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1999

### High Color Guard Award

* 1979 (tie)
* 1982
* 1984
* 1986
* 1990
* 1992
* 1995
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999

### High Brass Award

* 1976
* 1977
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1984 (3 way tie)
* 1985 (tie)
* 1986
* 1988
* 1991 (tie)
* 1993 (tie)
* 1994
* 1995 (3 way tie)
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999

### High Percussion Award

* 1976
* 1977
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1994
* 1996
* 1997