Sunrizer

No he hasn't, but he's welcome to....BTW, does the alumi site have a meber only video section? I have a few videos that are not meant to share with the public on youtube (only because they wouldn't "get it" :P ... (aka: Milton & Clougher in "The truck zone" with his styro cooler...Milton with the tuna sandwich he found in the corp truck a week after a show :spit: ...I'm not sure whether he ate it not though....Things like that) I can't seem to get on the site (password problems) But as far as what I put on youtube so far, be my guest!! ^OO^

My Pleasure!! UPDATE: Low and behold - Going through more and found a better quality video, although the camera isn't in the center and it doesn't stay up top the whole time like the other, but at least it's a little clearer...

Now I know I'll have to enhance that video - You want to see that late '80's style better, right? :P BTW - On the Practice videos, as it focused on the Drum Line (I didn't take this part) Larry looks so young and he was called the "Old Gray Snare" back then! The Practice video was taken by Mark Nielson (aka: Boris of 'Boris and Doris') :)

Yes, Rick corrected me also about '86, however there was a fourth year ('90) as well... So for the record, OMT performed from '87 through '90...You were in the first two, I the last two....Coincidently, it was this tape that was a recruitment tool and got me wanting to do OMT in the first place! The last two years, were...well..not quite up to par, so they are not meant for the masses.... Thanks though for performances!

Once again, as I'm converting old videos (seems to be my latest project) I find this clip from from an 1989 Sunriser Indoor Show... Anyone who attended Drum corps shows (esp in CT) will remember this famous Hurricane coming up with a picture of his "lifelong pal" Harvey Olderman (sp) Also If you click the "more from" for me you'll find some old Sunriser home videos from said indoor show... (featuring a younger Frank Ponzo, Mike Logdo, Stan, etc)You'll also find some converted 1984 Garden State Circuit Finals retreat as well as old '84 LI Grenadiers finals performance. (BTW - If you watch the part 3 while trooping the stands(at 5:30ish), the shortest drummer is a very young Kevin Murphy! :) Anyway....This is more an FYI post.... Enjoy! :) UPDATE: Just FYI to anyone searching through the 1984 Grenadiers and GSC Finals retreat - I managed to enhance and clean up some the videos as I had posted previously and have removed the old ones. These are a lot better (after enhancing, you can now see we were using the Stormy Knights podium). I noticed some people had favorite links to them and such, so I thought it best to give notice..) I'm going to try to enhance the other videos in time (including Sunrisers) so links may not work.

Thanks Rick! Glad you could fill in more info for that year! I noticed now that people know (or can know) what OMT was, I see you added it to your Sig...Christ your old! Don't you ever take a year off? :P Guess I'll have to update my sig too! :) I'm happy I could introduce OMT to the masses in a way that was not available at the time.

Glad you enjoyed it…. Some interesting tidbits: - “One More Time” performed about 6 exhibitions that winter… - The “season” took place before the ’88 DCA season. Ironically, the 2 corps tied that year in finals. Because of a general animosity between the two corps back then because of the tie as well as the time commitment & lack of organized competition, “One More Time” never achieved the success of the first year. They (we) did go back out for ’89 & ’90, but it was much different… - Sop solist is Paul Beaumont (with hair!...marched 27th, Bush & recently Brigs)…Mellophone in the trio is Rick Roberts (where hasn’t he marched? Cadets, Brigs, Sun, Bush, etc..)….Interestingly, they still are involved with mini-corps in the Golden Eagles… Anyway...I have a few more old videos I have to "preserve" and get off VHS including some of the '84 GSC finals!! (I know I have the whole performance of the Long Island Grenadiers, but I think there may be some of New Image, NYC Lancers, CMCC Warriors...)

I just transfered this off an old VCR Tape last night.. Who was the first mini-corps? Well, I know there were a couple older than this, but I thought I’d pass it on to everyone anyway. This video has been collecting dust in a box for 20 years. The 1988 “One More Time” mini-corp was a group of Sunrisers & Bushwackers who got together and put out a mini-corps simply to have something to do during the off-season. Since this was long before DCA and MCA mini corps organizations, the only venue to perform in was as an exhibition at local winter guard shows. The amount of drill and visuals reminded me of the conversations of late on DCP about the “direction” and “evolution” of marching type mini-corps rather than “Stage Performances” as it was called. I found it ironic that this group was doing that 20 years ago in a gym for a crowd. I also can’t believe how much damage has happened to the tape! It was recorded on a cheap tape 20 years ago and I’m amazed at the degradation. The sound is still reasonable, but the picture quality is not that great, so I figured I better preserve it before disappeared altogether… Anyway, watch and enjoy it for what it was….fun! :) UPDATE: Low and behold - Going through more and found a better quality video, although the camera isn't in the center and it doesn't stay up top the whole time like the other, but at least it's a little clearer...

Since were speaking of DCA, and I really only stuck to one DCA field corps for 10 years, and 1 mini corps since - I'll have to put in my votes to Tony Catania and Tom Willms of Sun, and Tom again for the Golden Eagles mini-corps :) BTW, for those that say you don't need a DM and rely on listening to the Battery to keep the tempo?!?.. (What did the drummer get on his IQ test?.....drool... just joking guys... :) ) Seriously, maybe that used to work when the battery marched up and down the 50 @ 120 BPM, (disclaimer: - There's nothing wrong with that style of show either - just different) but I dare them to do a show with the many tempo changes today's shows have, plus add in the typical staging situations where you have horns on one 25 yard line with the battery on the opposite 25. Now add just the minor ingredient of venue, with sounds bouncing all over (meadowlands/Giant stadium was pretty bad off the top of my head), without a DM to keep it all together, you have a big pile o' poo-poo.... Even if you don't buy any of that, what happens if in the middle of your show it starts falling apart with tears for whatever reason? Maybe a streaker runs across the field...(actually, that'd be really freakin' funny! If it's a hot female streaker, 3/4 the corps is going to end up following her off the field! And if she's running that'll really screw up the tempos!) Serious though, who's going to get those 100+ people back together again should tears happen? Anyway, Tony and Tom are my picks. They were never showboaters. From what I've witnessed, good "showboating" DM's can get you out of any trouble, but it's usually due to their showboating during a show that gets their corps into the trouble to begin with... Just humble personal opinions, of course...

...and keeping it clean, he means that in a good way!! :P Frank, we'll have to make sure we bust on Tom about his "tail feathers"...He'd probably say that's the only part of his body that doesn't hurt!! :) Thanks for the great review though - Who cares about placement, when you have people wanting to join/defect based on a peformance!! That rocks! ^OO^ (Hell of a commute though!!)

I'll chime in here with only the following: IMO, this is one great reason for the existence of the MCA. An outside organization such as the MCA that has at least 3/4 of the competing mini-corps involved could continue to push the activity in the direction that everyone wants to go. It was my understanding that the first MCA season, everyone agreed to use the DCA sheets. Perhaps over time, with groups like Xtreme, Mass Brass, Eagles, Ghost, Erie, etc. the Mini activity will evolve to where everyone wants it to go. Just a little side note: Drills, battery and such as what Xtreme did are not new to the activity. Many corps have done it in the past. Erie was real big on not having a trap set player for the longest time and made sure they put out a battery every year. In 2000 or 2001 (I think - little fuzzy on the year) we (Eagles) did a 20 set drill to our second song. The point is that we got creamed because the DCA sheets are not set up that way. They will credit you should the drill and such add to your crowd appeal (or whatever caption they call it). So we (meaning most corps) molded to the best possible set-up to have a shot at the top under the current sheets. Anyways, just spouting off a bit - No offense to anyone...

Tex, Although I didn't march with you this year, I was there with you at the begining (1992). It was honor to have marched with you on and off during most of the '90's. (I can't believe it'll be 10 years since I did field corp next season - Hopefully, I'll be able to once again when the kids get old enough) Anyway, you are good friend, member, and all around person and will be missed by around the corp. Please stay in touch!! My best to you and yours... ^OO^

QUOTE(Sunrizer @ Sep 4 2007, 03:34 PM) * for anyone who doesn’t know, they are some of the funniest freakin’ people you’ll ever meet I rest my case! b**bs So what your saying is Long Island is to clams, what the Boston Bomb Squad is to Light Brites? :)

CONGRATS GUYS!! (And Gals!) I've been pulling for you all season!! I just wish I got to see you this weekend (missed everything as I had to catch a 6am flight back home on Saturday morning after my mini-corps competition for parental responsibilities!!) I can't wait 'till someone gets pics of the corps with thier medals up! All my best to the new Sunrisers and the one's that are still there from my days - Congrats Tom P., Rich G., Garry, Joe S., John C, Larry V, Tex and everyone else.... (Oh, and of course , , , ...driving a van like Stan) I'm a extremely proud Alumni... PS - Thanks for the nice words Rich after our performance at the Mini-corp comp...You don't know, but coming from you it personally means a lot...Again, thanks.

Finally got my account working again… b**bs Anyway, I didn’t get the chance to see too many after we performed, as I was hanging out on the docks for a bit, then was helping our drummer pack up and load the truck. Got to see Mass Brass, Renegades and Star…Thought all were great! Even before the score, when we got off stage we were extremely happy with our performance and even commented that it doesn’t matter where we place, we couldn’t have done a better job….that night anyway…(my hope being that we keep improving with every performance). Since we didn’t compete last year we went on kind of early, and finishing .7 behind Renegades ain't too shabby... I’d like to thank everyone who made the mini-corps contest as great as it was - from DCA to all the other corps!! Of course, to my fellow Eagles – thanks!!….from Ponzo, the Jersey crews, and of course to Donnie the director (as well as Sue, as everyone knows he can’t survive without) and too many others…. Thanks also to the guys at Mass Brass, whom we seem to always party with when we’re together…and for anyone who doesn’t know, they are some of the funniest freakin’ people you’ll ever meet…(BTW – Donnie is right - Long Island clams are the best!) But most of all, thanks to the crowd….3 standing O’s from you throughout the show juiced the corps up even more than we were! Makes me want to keep re-living the weekend over and over again…