tommytimp

Not the 85 Fitchburg Kingsmen?

You know, I think our 87 corps was smaller than their 88 corps. How big were they in 88? Because we saw them about a thousand times that summer (and got to be very friendly, like party afterwards friendly) and we were both small, but they never freaked me out at how small they were. I'll check on the size of the knights in 87 - which was the year we didn't put a battery on the field, just pit. Update: From the Western European News Desk The Knights marched 50 people in 1987. Has there ever been a smaller top 25 corps? Boston 83 maybe?

Has to be the 1985 Fitchburg Kingsmen, Pepe Notaro's pride and joy. I think they had less than 15 members. DCW did a great article on them.

Happy birthday.

Video of Drum Beauty 1981 exists.

We played trittico in 84. But he's much better represented in band shows, you're right.

Raiders 1983.

Has to be either 88 or 89. That's Kansas City. I think it's 89. The DCI.org picture is Buffalo, but this one is obviously KC.

Looks very West Pointish...it might be a military school. But it's probably some West coast corps I never heard of.

Correct! In 83, 27th and the Bridgemen had crank timps in the pit. FanofNight, Troopers had crank timps until 1985, for which season they bought all new pit equipment (and a difficult show as well), and, in what is absolutely not a coincidence, made finals again. bluecoats88, the floors is yours.

Sadly, no. The last time they used marching timps was 1981.

I've always thought so.

And that person would never, ever watch drum corps in his life. (It's a guy, right? Hypothetical guy? A man? Straight theoretical man? To be swayed by the tight outfits, right? Hypothetical hetero guy?) So don't bother. Because he's not going to buy a ticket, a CD, or a DVD. Topic? Too much faux attitude and bad-azzery for my taste, but I can see where it might have some appeal to a casual fan.

Correct! Now who's the other corps?

See above. I'll repost it bolded. We've answered the Magic of Orlando question (ie who was the last corps to use marching timps in any form). But they used them for effect only, and had a set of concert timps in the pit. My question: Who were the last finalist corps to use marching (ie non-pedal concert) timpani as their main timpanic axe, and what year?

Okey dokes. Another timpani question. We've answered the Magic of Orlando question (ie who was the last corps to use marching timps in any form). But they used them for effect only, and had a set of concert timps in the pit. My question: Who were the last finalist corps to use marching (ie non-pedal concert) timpani as their main timpanic axe, and what year?

Right. "Somewhere." I left that out.

1987 Bluecoats?

That depends on what you're talking about. ESPN showed the European Championships from Austria and Switzerland in 08 for the first timeon free TV even though there wasn't a single English-speaking nation in the tournament. I bet they could have backed out after England, Scotland, and Ireland crashed out in qualifying, but they didn't, which reinforces my earlier point about who ABC/ESPN thinks is watching soccer in America. If you're talking about the MLS, it's a smaller story, but the same outcome-some white Americans, some kids, but mostly somewhat older Europeans and South Americans.

Rumble Prologue Cool America Maria A Boy Like That/I Have a Love Cool again (12-tone fugue section) Tonight (Duet) Tonight (Quintet) Something's Coming America again Cool again (Ba-DAA-duh)

Us. (85 onward)

I wouldn't deny that AYSO has made inroads on the sport in the USA, where it supposedly is played by more young people than any other sport (it IS cheap to play), but my point was not simply that soccer is popular and drum corps isn't.

I believe Lee Doebler (Sowers) of the Blue Devils won as a MM in 76, 77, 79, and 80.

And the World Cup and drumcorps is a huge false equivalency. I don't think white Americans make up the large portion of viewers gained by ABC in the last World Cup, it's the large immigrant population that major networks are finally acknowledging, much like it took until the 70s to encounter palatable depictions of African-Americans and another generation before gays were depicted positively. None of that applies to drum corps, which is never going to be seen on TV again, barring a major overhaul in communication delivery in this country.

I think it was to prove, by dint of "America's Got talent," that the US public wantsto be entertained. I, however, am of the opinion that "America's Got Talent" proves only that people will watch anything on a major network in summertime. DCI will never, ever be on free TV again,regardless of show content. Not unless CDs and DVDs are made illegal.