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elphaba01

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Everything posted by elphaba01

  1. "Boston": Runner up at Legion National 1967, wins at the old "International" in 67 and 68, runner up at the "Dream" in 67 and 68,. No doubt there are a few more. Elphaba
  2. "Add to Best Post": Blue Stars: Guest appearances by "Tim the Tool Man" Taylor and his sidekick Al Borland. Toss in for GE Heidi the announcer. Elphaba
  3. "Tradition": The Garfield Cadets (Or "Cadets" as they are now called) were "All Male" until 1969. The (Junior) Racine Kilties were also "All Male" until the late 1970's. Their cross town rivals the Racine Scouts became co-ed in the late 1960's, and the then all male Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights (as a junior corps) recruited a female color guard in 1972. The senior Sunrisers may have been the first senior corps to have a female color guard, starting in 1969. All of these corps had a long tradition of being "All Male" and bowed to the needs of filling their ranks with females. I'm sure that there are a few more corps that over the years went co-ed due to membership needs. Elphaba
  4. "1961": HEY, a FAB year of drum corps,!!!!! My first ever view of the Midwest Corps at VFW Nationals (Chicago Cavaliers, Royal Airs, Bellville Black Knights , Mafison Scouts, Kilties and Skokie Vanguards in Finals, as well as all the GREAT Eastern corps such as Blessed Sacrament, Garfield Cadets, St Kevins Emerald Knights St Marys Majestic Knights, and the Cambridge Caballeros. Saw the rise of the St Cathrines Qweensemen, proably Joe Genero's best ever junior charts, and the demise of the once national power St Vincents Cadets. Great memories. Elphaba
  5. "Faves/Upsets": 1974: Santa Clara upends Madison at Finals. 1988: Madison upends BOTH Santa Clara and Blue Devils (UD until semis), at Finals. Glad I watched. Elphaba
  6. "Juniors at DCA 65": I don't remember any. My corps didn't, and I don't think the PAL Cadets or St Raphael's did either (Quite a few of their people were sitting around me). . If there was one, it MAY have been the Milford Police Cadets/Shoreliners, prior to the contest. At any rate, because of the crush of spectators and the sell out of the bleachers (Which resulted in a ton of people sitting along the sidelines, me being one of them), if there was one, I didn't see it. Elphaba
  7. "DCA 1965" YES!!!!! I was there, sitting on the grass, on the "Fifty". Place was absoultly sold out to the max, fans were insane, and the corps were great. I was "up close and personal" to some INCREDIBLE senior soloists, who swaggered up to the mid field marker and blasted away. One of the best nights of drum corps ever. I don't remember the "Retreat" choas. Was too busy blabbing away to the corps people sitting all around me, reliving the show. Great memories!!!!!!!!! Elphaba
  8. "Carnagie Hall": Evening with the Corps at Carnagie Hall is a GREAT memory. I was at the 62-64 shows. Fab performances by all, and at the 64 show, Skyliners "Pepe" Nataro, Tom Swan and Tommy Martin were featured "Solo" performers. The BHOF runs a few standstills, and the Alumni corps have been showcased at York, Raeding, and the Reilly Raiders concerts. Elphaba
  9. "Hiding Out": Possibly Paris France. Moved in with Roman Polansky? Elphaba
  10. RCA: The old Stratford 'Connecticut Yankees" may have competed in the old Red Carpet Association. Elphaba
  11. You and your family are in our prayers and have our deepest sympathies Elphaba
  12. "Troopers": Another standard hat F Troop set the bar at was competition color guard. Their floor guard had a threepeat in the old MidWestCircuit with Championships in 1968, 69, and 1970, as well as several guard Championships in the Veterans contests. Elphaba
  13. 1965 Royal Airs: 1965 started off with a rough ride for the Royal Airs. Cavaliers, Kilties and Skokie Vanguard all went past them in early shows. HOWEVER: The big win at CYO Nationals set them on fire, and they remained undefeated for the rest of the season, winning both Veterans nationals titles. Elphaba
  14. F Troop Faves: 1968: Absoulte stunning job at CYO Nationals. Won in a walk. Whipped the pack. Probably surprised themselves. 1964: Yeah, "1964". Hammered the World Open Prelim crowd with their INCREDIBLE marching execution. Missed Finals due to low drum score. Did a repeat at WO Bridgeport Finals that night in exibition. Gave notice. 1965: They "Arrived" Beat all the biggies at least one time and stagecoached off to Casper with the WO title. 1966: POSSIBLY their best program of that decade. Chicago Cavaliers penalty in VFW Finals got F Troop the Vets Championship that year. They won Prelims, I thought they had Finals also.......... 1970: Rolled over evryone, lost only to Cavaliers, Santa Clara and Blessed Sacrament (WO Prelims). Strong overall show, last year of National titles (CYO, WO and VFW). Elphaba
  15. "Bicentenial Memories": The most outstanding (For us) is the comeback of the Madison Scouts. They had suffered a poor "First season" and went into rehearsals to change a huge chunk of their show. The changes and their fighting spirit carried them to a second place finish at Philly. I have always thought that if they had another day or two, they might have come a lot closer to the Blue Devils. Garfiled Cadets exit from Finals was a shock, as was the very low placement of the Muchachos in prelims. Hawthorne (While not the powerhouse corps of 1975) had defeated both Garfield and the Bridgemen a few times and had placed over the Blue Stars and Guardsmen in contests right before the DCI Championships. "Looking Back Ten Years, Absent Friends": A look back to the season of 1966 and some of the competitors of that season who were no longer with us: Blessed Sacrament, St Kevins Emerald Knights, St Lucys Cadets, St Raphaels Buccaneers, Bridgeport PAL Cadets, Blue Rock, St RoccosCadets, NY Kingsmen, St Josephs of Batavia, Conn Royal Lancers, Pittsfield Cavaliers, Chicago Royal Airs, and my first "M & M" corps St Anns. Raise a glass: Elphaba
  16. 1971: The "Drums Along the Rockies" shows were resurected. Sell out crowds at al three venues (Casper & Cheyenne WY & Denver CO) to see some of the Westenr powers go head to head each night. A "Threepeat" for the series by Santa Clraa Vanguard. Madison's and Argonne's wins over the Troopers. We attended the Cheyenne show, which was held in a rodeo arena, and the Denver show which was held in a stadium in Lakewood. Great "Up close" vies of all the participants. The "Nationals Tour" of that season (CYO, World Open, Danny Thomas, Mid American, VFW , US Open, and American Legion) had different winners and some upsets along the way. Blue Rock, 27th Lancers, Anahiem Kingsmen, Santa Clara Vanguard and Argonne Rebels all came away with National Championships that season. "Year of the Gimmick": Chicago Cavaliers "Greatest Show on Earth", complete with clowns and ringmaster, Blue Rocks "Camptown Races" with the horses, Troopers "William Tell" with the Lone Rangers 'ridin; their contra's, St Rita's "Woodstock" complete with smoke bombs, and Madison Scouts "Scouts in Wonderland", with Bill Howard's daughter as "Alice". For 1971 these field shows were extemly "Avant Garde", and raised more than a few eyebrows. Compared to what's going on in the current offerings of DCI, these programs would not even bat an eylash "Rising Stars": St Ritas Brassmen, St Andrews Bridgemen, and the Hawthorne Muchachos all starting to make their moves into contenders. "Comeback Corps": The Racine Kilties recovery after an absoultly disaterous opening night. Another return was the DesPlaines Vanguard, comming back into their own with the "Planets" show. All boding well for 1972. "In the News": The "October surprise" at that years Legion Rules conference. The discontent that many of the top corps of that era felt with the VFW's and American Legion's "Control" of their activity led to the formation of DrumCorps International. Two seperate regional entities the "Combine" from the West & Mid West (Santa Clara. Cavaliers, Madison Scouts, Blue Stars & Troopers) and the UOEJC (United Organization of Eastern Junior Corps): Blessed Sacrament, Garfield Cadets, 27th Lancers, Boston Crusaders & Blue Rock along with the Anahiem Kingsmen, Argonne Rebels, and DeLaSalle Oaklands banded together and established "DCI". Elphaba
  17. "Oldies but Goodies": 1961 TIE: St Catherines Queensmen & Caimbridge Caballeros 1962 Madison Scouts 1963 Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights 1964 St Kevins Emerald Knights 1965 TIE: Vasella Musketeers & St Josephs of Batavia 1966 Casper Troopers 1967 Boston Crusaders 1968 TIE: Chicago Vanguard & St Josephs Patron Cadets & Blue Rock 1969 Racine Kilties 1970 Santa Clara Vanguard Elphaba
  18. "Drum Corps Watershed Part Deux": 1964's HUGE "Out of Nowhere" upset win by the Racine Kilties over the "Best of the Best" at the VFW's National Championship Finals in Clevland Ohio. Kilts won Prelims, setting up thier night show victory. Among the contenders left in their wake were the high riding Boston Crusaders (Only one loss previos to VFW, and a big vivtory over the MW powers earlier in the season), Chicago Cavaliers, St Kevins Emerald Knights, and the Chicago Royal Airs. Elphaba
  19. "Fave Year": Was marching years before "DCI". Fave year was 1965. Firts year with Mr Hy Drietzer, (Best horn show BTW), had our most experienced corps, and managed to beat BOTH our crosstown rivals, one of them in the Finals of the World Open, right in old Bridgeport. Wonderfull memories. Elphaba
  20. WSS Redo: Calling Lin-Munuel Miranda..............the writer/creator/star of "Hamilton." Elphaba
  21. "Cab's at Carnagie Hall": Drum Corps News rented out Carnagie Hall back in the 1960's (62-65) and hosted the "Evening with the Corps" concert series. The Caimbridge Caballeros were among the VERY elite group of junior corps (Blessed Sacrament, Garfield Cadets, St Kevins Emerald Knights, St Catherine's Qeensmen and the Audubon Bon Bons) that appeared that evening. They opened with "Maleguena" and proceeded to treat the very sparse audience with a great performance (As did all the others). It was a great night of drum corps and some fun entertainment, as St Kevins choir sang a number, Don Angelica of Hawthorne showed up dressed as a bullfighter, Skyliners featured a piano player/narrator named "Ludwig VonDrumhead", and the Troy Interstatesmen seniors started of their perfomance with a volley of blanks fired from their color guards rifles!!!!!!! Great memory!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Elphaba
  22. "Caimbridge Cab's at the Pops": I read an article many MANY years ago about the old Caimbridge Caballeros junior corps performing at the Boston Pops. The afternoon of the performance, the corps was practicing on the stage, in what they thought was an empty hall. Upon completion of their final run through, who but Arthur Fiedler himself, the Pops conductor comes marching down an asile exclaiming "BRAVO" and loudly praising the excellent muscianship of the Caballeros. I believe this happened in the early 1960's, possibly 1961 or 1962. Great expousure for for drum corps, and a terriffic boost for the Cab's!!!!!!!!! Elphaba
  23. "Mighty Madison Scouts": 1962: THE best hornline of that season in junior drum corps. Hands down. Best placement at VFW Finals (Sixth behind St Kevins Emerald Knights) and should have recieved the horn execution trophy. Best Madiosn corps of that decade. 1974: Gail Royer termed this the "Better of the two Madison corps" he faced in 74-75 DCI Finals, and I agree. Scouts breezed to a Prelim win, but their Finals show was eclipsed by SCV who did the "Went on in their Prelims Finish spot" to clinch the title. Fab show by the 1974 Scouts and one of my faves. Elphaba
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