KeithHall Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 Share your memories of Empire Statesmen and Rochester Crusaders here. It really is sad that a city that was thriving with senior and junior corps now has nothing. I spent a few years with Cru and can't think of a better bunch of people from members to staff to management. For me Tom Peashey and Mike Linton stand out as directors but I also have the utmost respect for Vince and Dave Bruni too. Staff members from Corky and Beth Fabrizio, Chris and Beth Calhoun, Donny Allen, Steve Cooley, Chris Bernotas, Jerry Kelsey, Dave Martin, Jim Allen, Joe Guadigno, Jimmy Steele, Dave Seeley, etc. I know there are a ton more to name but gee I miss everybody and the friendships! Share your memories! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Detweiler Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 My very first drum corps experience was with Crusaders back in 1980 when I was still in high school. Didn't march the summer but attended several winter camps. My favorite Statesmen memory has to be the mass corps performance with them after the Hornell show in 2013. Too much fun! Dan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbriggs Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 Statesmen are the reason I became a fan of drumcorps. ~1995. small neighborhood festival. Lyell Av, in a field that doesn't exist anymore, near the RR tracks W of Mt Read. they only had a small group (15-20) to represent the corps. I got to sit ~30' from them as they played Rio and ripped my face off. started seeking out dc performances from then on, Thank you Empire Statesmen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 1983... my first year announcing the DCA championship. During the era of the "prelims and finals in one day" format. The Statesmen were on early at prelims, since they weren't a member corps. In fact, I'm not sure if I had ever heard of them before that weekend. LOL They started their performance... and immediately lit the place up. The crowd went crazy for them. They didn't make top 10 that year, or in 1984... but you could tell this was something special. For 30 years... the most consistently entertaining corps I've ever seen, and that is not a knock on other entertainment giants like the Caballeros, Skyliners, Madison Scouts, Bridgemen, etc. The Statesmen always gave the fans their money's worth... and that, to me, in an activity that depends on ticket and merchandise sales to keep it alive... is what it is all about. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justMike Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 Hi Keith! Long time bud! I was with the Crusaders on and off from 1988 'til the end, and you're right, a great bunch of folks. Still run into a lot of 'em DCA weekend. Lots of great memories but the one that comes to mind was the year we tied at finals with Steel City. We were posted next to Steel for retreat, and when it was announced, the two corps went for each other. What looked like a potential fight turned out to be a hug-fest and the two corps marched out together with the drums playing some exercise that both sections knew and the horns playing the scale in whole notes. Good times and great memories. Mike Covell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elphaba01 Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 (edited) "Rah-Cha-Cha Corps": Anybody remember the old senior Gray Knights? Merged with the Crusaders in 1964-65 to become the Gray Knights Post-Crusaders. Had a banner first season upsetting the DCA banned Hawthorne Caballeros for the 1965 American Legion nationals crown. Put on a heart stopping performance at the 1965 Dream Contest in the middle of a tornado (Actually saw that one too!!!!!!!!) Ended up in second place to Caballeros but won the crowd. Elphaba WWW Edited April 21, 2016 by elphaba01 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyGuy66 Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 (edited) Other than calling them "The Evil Empire" because they won so much, I remember I wasn't marching the year the Statesmen performed Miss Saigon. I went to finals with a friends wife because he was still marching. After the show we were walking out and were talking about there show. I asked her what she thought about them having a helicopter in the middle of the field as a prop. She looked at me and asked, what helicopter? LMAO Edited April 21, 2016 by LucyGuy66 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justMike Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 ...! Oh, and a Rochester Corps discussion wouldn't be complete without a shout out to the first DCA drum corps I marched with after discharge from the Air Force, the Rochester Phoenix. Mike Covell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomPeashey Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 Thanks for the mention Keith... I'll share a little known fact... For the 4 years I was director of Cru, everyone kept asking: "How do you survive with two top corps in the same city? Especially since Empire is slugging their way to their first DCA Championship?" The answer was simple - communications, sound advice and keep it different... To accomplish this, I did something quite interesting that many would raise their eyebrows at... Almost weekly, I sought out the advice of the most knowledgeable drum corps person I knew - Vince Bruni. I would meet with him in his office or go to lunch and we'd discuss the direction both corps was taking and - most of the time at least - I would take his advice and sage direction. It was he who told me bluntly: "You must offer a difference - different style, different music and different schedule - otherwise, I'll kick your butt all over the field. Porkchop!" Some of this led to what I called our band director image... While Empire was out recruiting the heck out of the major high school marching band programs, I was out recruiting their band directors and promising them they would never have to worry about babysitting their band kids in my corps. Obviously, it worked - and brought us considerable success. Had we been able to practice the same hours that Empire practiced, we may well have had both Rochester Corps pushing for the DCA Championship, but not having the rehearsal schedule for that we were still able to stay in the top 5 and impress audiences everywhere... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 A fan of both corps over the years and during my years out there the love towards Empire wasn't shared in either direction lol. Then I taught there for a year. Got to know the people, see the method begins the madness. Had a great time. Proud I was able to do it. And Miss Saigon is still my favorite DCA show ever 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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