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The history of the Westshoremen


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OK... So I guess I should at least check in more often that once a year...LOL (This is from AUGUST 2011 !)

Apologies for bringing this up from 6 months ago!

LOL. Tony- let me put it this way- Fran is the same way.

I think BITD you had two kinds of DCA peeps. There were the flamboyant, crazy people that got crazy, were extremely extroverted with their on field personalities and fired people up that way.

You and Fran were the scary quiet guys like Dave Rohrer. Very professional, had their act together, and knew what it was about and took care of business on the field where it counted. Sun had a lot of guys like that. If anyone was the crazy guy, it would be Screech, but again, he just went up there when he had to and DID it, leaving people thinking "xxxx! That guy can PLAY!"

Fran and I have talked about this several times... "If folks only knew what most of the members of Sun were really like..." LOL There were a LOT of folks BITD (guys AND gals) in the Corps that were certifiable "crazy". Most of them were self controlled while in uniform and in public. devil.gif

Let's add you and Screech and Fran to the list- when you were on the podium, you didn't have a thought in the back of your head you couldn't do it or that you'd blow it, did you?

You have no idea... I had thoughts of some how screwing up before EVERY show. (Ask Donna next time you see her)

If you did, you knocked it out of there ASAP. If you'd have been outwardly shaky- the hornline at least would have known it, and it would have shaken them, too. You didn't fight off Westshore being shaky and second guessing yourself. :cool:

Some folks have had a hard time believing me when I tell them I'm an introvert. (Donna is the one in our family that is the "people person" and enjoys being around a lot of people.) In uniform and in front of the Corps was a much different attitude. (I refer to it as "Performance Mode" as in a "role" I had as DM.) I had similar concerns when I was in the horn line, I had thoughts of messing up my parts - attacks, releases and missing notes then as well.) With Sun I was also working all year with the Horn Line sections and Drum Line as well as a drill tech, learning the mechanics of the show became some what like "muscle memory". My "lack of flamboyancy" was most likely because I am an introvert. That and I never saw my part as any more important than the members that played a horn, drum or in the guard. I've always said "No one ever bought a ticket to a Drum Corps show to see the Drum Major". (I don't expect every other person that was a DM to feel the same way but that is how it was for me. I am honored to have had the position and compete with some of the best folks that ever took to the field.)

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IIRC, Westshore took Guard too. And in cleaning the visual package, Sun was able to close the gap we were usually blowing people out on in a huge way because of Eric's pushing us so hard.

W, I agree.... several times early that season, the visual score was nearly the entire point spread between us and Westshore... or any of the corps ahead of us at the time.

We realized that if we got our marching act together, we'd have a shot at the title.

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Fran and I have talked about this several times... "If folks only knew what most of the members of Sun were really like..." LOL There were a LOT of folks BITD (guys AND gals) in the Corps that were certifiable "crazy". Most of them were self controlled while in uniform and in public. devil.gif

"Scary quiet guys."

OK... we'll go with that. LOL.

Like Tony said... Sun, for all intents and purposes, was a nut house. :tongue:

Honestly... there are some stories involving me that I hesitate to tell to anyone outside the corps these days... because they would have a hard time believing them.

I was...uhhhh... a bit less quiet back then. Tony can vouch for that. Still... on balance... there were a bunch of folks in the corps who were really around the bend. I literally was afraid of some of them. LOL.

Then again... Tony was not exactly "quiet" when he was doing things like driving his motorcyle into drinking establishments. :w00t:

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That's crazy....on the other side of the coin, Westshore always seemed to have way more people than they needed the first few rehearsals back when I was marching. I think it was 1981 when we had 18 snares, 10-12 tom players, 10 or so bass drummers, and a whole lot of cymbal players at the first few months of rehearsal, and we had to borrow drums from the high school we were practicing at...thankfully their drum instructor was in the line, and has keys. (we also had a band room full of horn players, in fact IIRC, they were telling people to bring their own instruments just to be able to play because all horns were in use.) I think we even did a parade or two with a good amount of people. Then the normal attrition worked us down to "legal" numbers, and we went on with life (yet didn't seem to do much that year)

But other years we always seemed to have that sort of HUGE membership day.

I was talking to a few friends from when I marched Reading, and they were talking about having 15 horns for the first rehearsal in 1983...granted, they didn't have a GREAT year that year, but they weren't TOO shabby.

That's just amazing that you guys started that small and worked it in..but I always thought that you guys did more with less...even 80 you guys were really good! (with your cute little flag uniforms :tongue:)

shutup.gif Fran LOVED that little flag cape.... (I doubt you'd find very many of us that liked them in 80. devil.gif)

I think Donna and I saw it blowing around on the NJTP last Saturday when we were driving up to the BHOF / Skyliners I&E. blink.gif

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I spent four years with Ohio Brass Factory, sitting in the stands every one of those years, eating a hot dog and watching finals. (Those were what I like to call, my "education" years.)

Hey, If not for those years we'd not have Freddy Farkle today!!

From his recent Hawaiian vacation with his Uncle Roo...

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th_DSCF0074.jpg

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Early on in that 1982 season, we (Sun) almost literally could not march to save our lives. LOL. We were miles off the pace in visual scores. But we worked our butts off at cleaning the drill and making a few changes, and by year's end we marched pretty well.

(Our (Sun) staff used to video tape our shows BITD so they could see what was needed in the way of changes / improvements. Most of the shows were taped over with the next show so there's not many that made it through the years) I have several of those VHS tapes that I've put on DVD as a "Sunrisers Through the Years" project)

When watching the 82 Sun DVD (which has one early season show and DCA prelims on it) It's quite noticeable there were a few drill changes. shutup.gif

Same with the 83 DVD (which has 7/10 Meadowlands - 7/19 Gloversville - 9/4 DCA Prelims and Finals on it) There were a "few" tweaks and adjustments to the 83 drill as well....

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Tony was not exactly "quiet" when he was doing things like driving his motorcyle into drinking establishments. :w00t:

I thought if I ride the Harley to rehearsal I'll not have too much at the bar after rehearsal. (needing eye, hand and foot coordination, it seemed logical that taking the bike instead of the van would mean "celebrating" a little less after rehearsal.)

IIRC, We (Sun) only needed to get together to have a reason to "celebrate". (And it was never "Milk N' Cookies" if I remember correctly shutup.gif)

When it started to rain and some one said "Hey Tony, you should bring the Harley in so it doesn't get wet". I said if you'll hold the door I'll go get it.... some one moved a few tables and I drove it into the middle of the bar, twisted the throttle a little while putting the kick stand down and shut it off. (I thought for sure we all were going to be asked to leave or the cops would be called. Those things are kinda loud indoors... hehe)

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I thought if I ride the Harley to rehearsal I'll not have too much at the bar after rehearsal. (needing eye, hand and foot coordination, it seemed logical that taking the bike instead of the van would mean "celebrating" a little less after rehearsal.)

IIRC, We (Sun) only needed to get together to have a reason to "celebrate". (And it was never "Milk N' Cookies" if I remember correctly shutup.gif)

When it started to rain and some one said "Hey Tony, you should bring the Harley in so it doesn't get wet". I said if you'll hold the door I'll go get it.... some one moved a few tables and I drove it into the middle of the bar, twisted the throttle a little while putting the kick stand down and shut it off. (I thought for sure we all were going to be asked to leave or the cops would be called. Those things are kinda loud indoors... hehe)

One of the things Westshore was, was NEVER quiet! We used to get thrown out of some pretty crappy places! In fact, one year at Bucknell, we had one of our "underwear walks" and a few big guys from Sky were offended by it..thankfully a few BIGGER guys from the Matadors were on OUR side! I also remember a fireworks batter with Hawthorne up in Rochester (I think) They were setting stuff off, so one of the guys that had some stuff with him decided to reciprocate, and we ended up having a bottle rocket battle!

My few years in Reading were pretty subdued for various reasons...maybe it was company I kept, I don't know.

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(Our (Sun) staff used to video tape our shows BITD so they could see what was needed in the way of changes / improvements. Most of the shows were taped over with the next show so there's not many that made it through the years) I have several of those VHS tapes that I've put on DVD as a "Sunrisers Through the Years" project)

When watching the 82 Sun DVD (which has one early season show and DCA prelims on it) It's quite noticeable there were a few drill changes. shutup.gif

Same with the 83 DVD (which has 7/10 Meadowlands - 7/19 Gloversville - 9/4 DCA Prelims and Finals on it) There were a "few" tweaks and adjustments to the 83 drill as well....

Who knows where some of the stuff we had ended up, I'm sure Uncle Larry has them, who knows what he's kept. Skee from Bucs did the same thing, but I'm not sure what he has anymore. I know he taped a LOT of complete shows BITD...Since he was my high school drum instructor, he'd bring the tapes to rehearsals, and play them occasionally as "learning" tools hoping that maybe he'd sway one of two guys to march corps...sadly it was only me those 4 years...

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One of the things Westshore was, was NEVER quiet! We used to get thrown out of some pretty crappy places! In fact, one year at Bucknell, we had one of our "underwear walks" and a few big guys from Sky were offended by it..thankfully a few BIGGER guys from the Matadors were on OUR side!

My few years in Reading were pretty subdued for various reasons...maybe it was company I kept, I don't know.

From the "Learn something every day" category.... From back in my time, I didn't know there was anything that offended guys from Sky. devil.gif

Fran and I have said it several times.... Those folks in the Matadors could really party! (lots of folks were on the loosing end of the "Keep up with us" when hanging out with the Matadors.)

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