Ray Priester Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 One of the most famous blacktop rehearsal spots in NYC were the parking lots at Randall's Island ... just off the exit of the Triboro (RFK) bridge that connects the Bronx with Queens and Manhattan ... on any given Friday night, there would be up to five corps rehearsing at various times ... corps like St. Rita's, Minisink, NY Lancers, Knickerbockers, Wanderers and, of course, the Skyliners ... I think even Sun and St. Ignatius showed up a few times ... all the other corps would "do their thing" and then Sky would take "the field" around 11:00 pm or so for their drill run-throughs ... the other corps would break out their lawn chairs, Styrofoam coolers (which were purchased new each weekend), blankets, whatever and we had a built in audience ... it was great and very festive ... the hotdog vendor there retired and moved back to Puerto Rico a rich man! ... we would rehearse until about 2:00 am ... trek over to Johnson's Bar in Union City ... board the bus to wherever we were going at dawn ... and off we were to the next show ... it was a wonderful atmosphere, a wonderful life and I'd do it all again in a heartbeat ... maybe Fallon will chime in about the time Bucky's car got "borrowed" one night (piece of sh|t that it was) ... visitors from Rikers and Wards Island were regular ... special times ... wild ... but harmless ... musta a been a NY ting ... :-) And then there were the occasional Friday nights when Billy Kirk would show up with a couple of iced bushels of his latest catch of Great South Bay clams, ready to shuck! Fresh clams, cold beer, what could be a better way to spend some time before practice? Special times indeed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florida Sun Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 If I remember Queensmen used the island too ,also ran there show at Randalls island a few times .Wasn't it also home to the VFW nationals ,the year they ran there parade up 5th ave that wasn't over till like 3 in the morning .lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajlisko Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 >>If I remember Queensmen used the island too ,also ran there show at Randalls island a few times .Wasn't it also home to the VFW nationals ,the year they ran there parade up 5th ave that wasn't over till like 3 in the morning .lol<< Randall's Island stadium hosted many dc shows through the years including the GNYC championships show in October once when it SNOWED! ... the VFW Nats were held there in 1976 ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McLovin Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Does anyone regularly (consistently each season) rehearse on concrete for move-ins and/or camps? All of our rehearsals, with the exception of when we travel to shows, have 95% been on concrete since I joined in 2012. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camel lips Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 I think most corps recognize that grass is better for the safety, welfare and longevity of its corps members . Concrete can really tax the ankles legs and back for any extended period of times. When this activity was geared more towards SR corps it was especially true. Corps members with surgical scars older than some of the members marching next to them have no business on concrete for extended periods of times and smart corps leaders recognize that and respect that. No doubt that concrete does speed up productivity when setting drill both from a a field point and from a tower viewpoint. Everything is easier to see and read. Marks can be made with chalk. No doubt the people in the tower if they had their way would have people on concrete 24/7. But it's just not practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny Drum Corps Posted October 13, 2014 Share Posted October 13, 2014 Batavia Downs racetrack for St Joes when I was a kid, Grant Street Plaza for the Purple Lancers. Most of the Rochester corps also shared the Civic Center Plaza downtown, or the parking lot at Charlotte Beach at times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Don't know if this is on topic, but there were times when I marched as if my feet were made of concrete. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajlisko Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Batavia Downs racetrack for St Joes when I was a kid, Grant Street Plaza for the Purple Lancers. Most of the Rochester corps also shared the Civic Center Plaza downtown, or the parking lot at Charlotte Beach at times. Hmmm ... never knew there was a beach in Batavia ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donny Drum Corps Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Charlotte beach is in Rochester, as I am from Rochester...better put on this reading glasses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajlisko Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 >> Charlotte beach is in Rochester, as I am from Rochester...better put on this reading glasses. << HAHA ... somehow I don't equate Rochester with a beach either ... now ... where are those reading glasses? ... al I can find here is the type that hold red or white ... :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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