Burbank Recap: A Stacked Event Marks Mid-Season on the West Coast

By Chris Mendoza, Western Contributor

While many choirs in other regions were polishing off their seasons, Burbank Blast featured several noteworthy debuts, and the balance of power in California is just starting to come into focus. Here is a look at how the competition panned out, as well as some key takeaways.

Novice

Mixed:

GC: Esperanza "Reverberation" (Sweep)

1RU: John F. Kennedy "Ambassadors"

2RU: Eisenhower "Ike Singers"

3RU: Hart "Hart N Soul"

4RU: Monterey "Big Song"

Treble:

GC: Eisenhower "Ikettes" (Sweep)

Esperanza is back, and they look tough to beat in 2026. Their show is very traditional with some crowd favorite numbers, killer soloists, and beautiful costumes paired with clean, solid fundamentally focused vocals and choreography that is executed a level above the rest of the field. With this statement win in their 2026 debut, a novice big three of Esperanza, Los Altos, and Kennedy seems likely to separate from the other competitors in the division. Although the top 2 seemed fairly secure, all three of Eisenhower, Hart, and Monterey put on extremely entertaining shows in their own right. Eisenhower and Hart put on shows full of hilarious moments, great tech, and impressive dancing. Monterey presented an odyssey of a show nearly entirely student-led, including a centerpiece of “Like Him” by Tyler, The Creator that was very well received by the crowd.

Intermediate

Mixed:

GC: Los Alamitos "Connexion" (Music)

1RU: John Burroughs "Sound Waves" (Show)

2RU: Granada Hills "Charter G-Notes"

3RU: Oceanside "Soundwaves"

4RU: Golden Valley "Melodies Of Gold"

5RU: Prattville "Spotlight"

Treble:

GC: John Burroughs "Decibelles" (Music)

1RU: Los Alamitos "Axcent"

2RU: Horizon "Show Divas"

3RU: Saugus "Blue Heat" (Show)

4RU: Cypress "Pink Thunder"

5RU: Bonita Vista "Sound Unlimited"

The ever-competitive intermediate divisions played out with the typical top two on top, but the biggest storylines came behind. In the treble division, we had an absolute battle for spots 3-6. A very strong Cypress Pink Thunder group fell to 5th place after being rather dominant in previous competitions, while Saugus Blue Heat took home Best Show and 4th place. The mixed division delivered Los Alamitos’ sole victory over John Burroughs across the competition, as Connexion had audiences giggling throughout their eventually victorious “Oregon Trail” show. John Burroughs also played with the crowd even more than usual, with their “Happy Feet” show dazzling spectators with plenty of tap-dancing fun and some stunning costumes. Granada Hills moved up from novice to land in the middle of the intermediate pack with one of this writer’s favorite shows of the competition. Their endlessly joyful show design combined with rather impressive technicals led to an incredibly successful return to intermediate. Oceanside Soundwaves also impressed with the debut of what looks to be their strongest show in several years, with a show design inspired by the popular novel “Holes”.

Advanced Tier II

Mixed:

GC: Cypress "High Voltage" (Music)

1RU: Glendora "Royal Stewarts"

2RU: Hart "Collective Harts"

3RU: La Cueva "Underground" (Show)

4RU: Bonita Vista "The Music Machine"

Treble:

GC: Los Alamitos "Xquisite" (Sweep)

There were so many questions coming into Blast’s Tier 2 mixed division, and with the results in, one may be left with more questions than answers. The elephant in the room, of course, is La Cueva Underground traveling all the way from Albuquerque, New Mexico and securing Best Show against dominant dancing groups like Hart and Cypress yet falling to 4th place overall. In between the final performance and awards, it was clear that the entire division may be separated by less than 20 total points, as all had very strong showings. Although the final rankings seem to be subject to some classic Tier 2 chaos, several teams impressed onstage. Hart Collective Harts had a rejuvenated performance after a disappointing debut at Chaparral Showcase. In the face of severe technical difficulties that forced them to restart their show, Hart’s advanced singers put on their strongest run in a while. Cypress High Voltage continued their legendary run of results with a huge win in a difficult field, taking home Best Music to cap it all off. Glendora, now with 3 competitions under their belt, have found some consistency under new director Kristen Hamilton, only placing behind Diamond Bar and Cypress’ advanced teams thus far, while staying a step ahead of other competitors. Despite being just an exhibition, Los Alamitos Xquisite blew the audience away with their treble division performance. Xquisite is well on their way to another undefeated season.

Advanced Tier 1

Mixed:

GC: John Burroughs "Powerhouse" (Sweep)

1RU: Los Alamitos "Sound FX"

2RU: Horizon "Step On Stage"

3RU: John F. Kennedy "Executive Order"

Treble:

GC: John Burroughs "Sound Sensations" (Sweep)

1RU: Los Alamitos "SoundTrax"

2RU: John F. Kennedy "First Ladies"

Bass:

GC: John Burroughs "Men@Work" (Sweep)

1RU: Los Alamitos "Xtreme"

2RU: John F. Kennedy "Secret Service"

3RU: Hart "Unleashed"

John Burroughs showed off their dominance in the advanced divisions. Men@Work, Sound Sensations, and Powerhouse all came through with impressive sweeps over tough competition. Each battle with Los Alamitos felt like watching two of the best programs in the world for their division, each likely separated by single digit points. Horizon Step On Stage was a bit of a question mark going into this season. The newer group had yet to visit California but proved undeniably that they belong in Tier 1 in the West. Their vibrant, Indiana-style vocals blew away audiences who were unfamiliar with their craft. The single-clef divisions each offered their share of storylines, namely that of JFK’s groups. First Ladies didn’t look quite as strong as previous years in their debut this season, but Secret Service showed improvement vocally and appeared to be a threat to finish top 2 despite not quite getting it done. The main event of Sound FX vs. Powerhouse was everything it promised to be. They provided shockingly contrasting performances that dazzled the crowd regardless of their obvious thematic differences. Powerhouse emerged victorious with a slightly more consistent show from start to finish vocally, and enough high-level showmanship to take home both major captions.

West coast show choir is now in full swing; a few questions have begun to be answered. John F Kennedy, Glendora, and Los Alamitos’ programs are doing just fine with their leadership changes, Hart’s new combined advanced group gambit has paid off in a big way, and Cypress continued their magical run in Tier 2. Across divisions, John Burroughs and Los Alamitos are continuing to dominate across as usual. With five competitors, Tier I looks to be as healthy as it has been. The lines between novice and intermediate mixed have been blurred, while the intermediate treble division’s depth and quality separates itself completely from its novice counterpart. With more than half the season to go, there’s much drama still to be seen, but the big picture of the region is becoming ever clearer.