It's finally here! In honor of the WGI/Stranger Things collab, here's what I think the full Party's favorite indoor percussion shows of 2026 would be!
(In my humble opinion ofc, anyone is free to reblog w/their own opinions! These are all based on World Class groups that I watched perform, so there's definitely dozens of groups I haven't seen that might fit better!)
El/Jane: Monarch Independent - "Shelter"
Why: I had a lot of trouble picking out what her favorite show would be, but I eventually decided on this one. The only explanation I can give is that I feel it would resonate with her in the sense that she's fought many battles alone, and the themes of war, conflict, and shelter would remind her of her time in the lab. ("There's nowhere I can go, so I'll stay here...") (Slightly unrelated fun fact: one of the members of Monarch was my section leader last year!)
-
Dustin: George Mason University Indoor Drumline - "The Masons"
Why: As much as I love Dustin as a serious character, I can't help but feel like he would love this show. It's very comedic, and in my little brain, he was a huge fan of their show in 2025 and was overjoyed to find out they made a sequel. The show is chock-full of details and references to other WGI and DCI shows so much so that any band nerd would notice at least one of them. I'm well aware Dustin isn't a band nerd, but he is a nerd nonetheless, and I feel like this level of nerdiness is right up his alley.
-
Mike: Infinity Percussion - "Resonate"
Why: When I tell you I nearly jumped out of my seat with the sheer amount of Mike Wheeler energy in this show. The blue mat?? The theme of HEARTS??? As much as this visually relates to him, I feel that isn't reason enough for that to be his favorite, so after listening to the full show, I found a line in the show that absolutely sealed the deal for me. "I was given a heart before I was given a mind." (Around 5:50 in the video) LIKE HELLO?? Mike literally being given a heart (falling in love with Will) before being given a mind (learning that it was "wrong")?? My jaw actually dropped when I made that connection. Another detail I think he would like is that the props/dances in this show are heavily dependent on gravity/physics (the spinning hoops), and as season 3 proved, that kid loves some physics.
-
Will: Rhythm X - "The End."
Why: For some reason, this show just screamed "Will Byers". No one would really expect his favorite show to be the violent crash-out show, and I think that's why it works. Will is a very kind and sensitive person, but he's been through a lot. He spent years of his life bottling his emotions, and no matter what he does, he can never seem to catch a break. I feel like this show perfectly expresses what it would be like if he were to snap, and it would definitely be a cathartic watch for him. Also, I feel like he'd love the show's aesthetic. As an artist, he'd likely value a show's visual effect just as much as the music if not more, and Rhythm X's completely green set would scratch that itch just right.
(Btw if you saw my last post about Mike and Will's favorite 2025 indoor shows, you'll notice that Will's favorite was Rhythm X and Mike's was Infinity last year too! Thats actually an insane coincidence lol)
-
Lucas: Matrix - "Caged"
Why: I was struggling on which one would fit Lucas, and then my friend chose this one for him, and it immediately clicked. On the visual side, Matrix is known for very immersive props and scenes, and I feel like that would draw him in pretty quickly. There's also the themes of oppression and self-doubt which I know can relate to most of the Party if not all of them, but Lucas fit the role best in my opinion. Especially with the line, "The real cages aren't made of iron. They're made of thoughts."
-
Max: MBI - "Before This Melts Away"
Why: This show heavily relates to Max's arc from seasons 4-5, in my opinion. Watching a show like this where the main message is "live in the moment and cherish what you have" would mean so much to her.
-
Once again, these are all my opinion and some of these might not match as well as the others (I don't think any of them can match as well as Mike's does lol) but for any Stranger Things fans out there with too much free time, try watching the shows and seeing if you agree! And if there are any Stranger Things fans already familiar with indoor percussion and have opinions on their own, let me know what you think!
