bstar82

My red VK baseball cap!!!

Brittany, At this time, I have paid all the fees for two kids from BK who stayed at my house last summer and I'm working on a 3rd w/SCV and a 4th from Blue Stars. When (and hopefully when) I get them taken care of, I'll see what I can do to help you out as well. Another suggestion would be is to hit up anybody you know who has actually seen a show in person. I know I get asked for a lot of donations from various organizations, but if I don't have a lot of knowledge about them other than a flyer or a letter, I usually treat it as junk mail. Also, if your corps has an alumni database and what I have done also, is work the bingo for the BK kids every week. They live 900 miles away and this has reduced their fees by $400 each. But it's been a year long commitment on my part. So my point is, see if there is any alumni who would do the same for you and could have volunteer work credited towards your fees.

From what I understand from a couple of D1 directors, tickets in major stadiums i.e. Atlanta, San Antonio, possibly Phoenix will not go on sale until 90 days before the event. Thank Ticketmaster for this one who controls the contracts in these stadiums. Some stadiums ( Denver, Pasadena, Kalamazoo) were not held to this standard by Ticketmaster.

I was on tour in 83, the corps pretty much had the same ending. But that year, there was a soprano who was lucky if he was 14 or 15 and thruout the show attempted to play a solo, only to be shooed away by others at various points of the show. The "Blast " show had done something similiar as well. Well, during the pause, the sop played the one note solo and everybody else joined in at the end. This was taken out with about two weeks left until Miami. The 83 warmup if I'm correct was the "Jaws" theme witha small shark fin following one of the members and beach balls being tossed in the crowd. I think this was the 1st year these antics were used.

Looking for rooms in the LA area. Can some Socals give me some info on where to stay and areas to avoid staying? It's been a while since I spent some time there. I'm wondering about Arcadia, El Monte, San Dimas, Alhambra and Glendale. And does traffic ever get light sometime during the day from LAX? Thanks.

The shows I would do anything to get into Doc Brown's time machine and see one more time would be: 1982 Phantom Regiment 1979 Bridgemen 1982 Freelancers 1980 27th Lancers 1978 North Star 1989 Velvet Knights (Yo Mambo) 1982 Garfield Cadets ( the start of their rise to the top) 1980 Madison Scouts ( I'll never forget their warmup) 2002 Crossmen 1983 Santa Clara 1986 Blue Devils 1981 Cavaliers No real rhyme or reason. Just shows that I personally loved at the time.

I was wondering if anybody heard of a corps named the Iron Cross somewhere from PA. I had a buddy who marched with them in the mid 70's and he actually turned me on to drum corps. Where were they from, any staff member info, years of existence etc.. would be appreciated.

Hey Jeff, Where in the Denver area can I see some of your work?

As for the kids at the local shows, I can agree. I go to San Antonio every year and the 1st couple of years I would fly to Texas early and catch the Lake Highlands show. But I stopped going to that show even though I'm on their mailing list every year for tickets. Now I know the show sponsors cannot control the high school kids in the stands, but it was impossible to enjoy that show. The stadium has a great view and the acoustics are above average when the kids are not socializing and talking on their cell phones and then have the nerve to everybody to be quiet around them as they are on the phone. You would think the band directors could advise the kids to turn their cell phones off for a couple hours and show some respect to the corps and fans who came to the show in the first place. I personally love going to local shows around the country i.e Dallas, Ankeny, Mankato, Cheyenne, Omaha, Stockton etc... and have noticed myself the people I sit around with are usually former members or parents. It is more of a rarity lately that I sit with newcomers or locals off the street who were brought in by the local advertising. That being said, how would drum corps continue to survive w/o the hard corps fans, parents and local schools bringing the kids into a show, you would probably have your choice of primo seats at every show. I really do worry the direction that DCI is headed. And I am not somebody who has been involved for 5-10 years. I marched in the 70's and 80's and the last 32 summers of my life have been devoted to drum corps either as a member, staff, volunteer and now a jet setting fan. Somebody please wake up and see the direction this activity is taking! I remember being at the Friends of DCI breakfast in Denver in 2004 and one for the first things Dan Acheson said was " A lot of folks feel they run drum corps, but it is you people in this room that really pays the bills and who we listen to that make DCI what it is". I am para phrasing here, but I found that interesting at the time now that amps, electronics and woodwinds are or will be a part of this activity very soon.

The two kids I housed last year, I am working Bingo for them every week which should bring their fees down about $500 each and they get $300-400 off each for being vets as well. I plan on paying the remaining amount out of my pocket for them which I think is around $1800. They are not aware of this yet, but I hope to make this summer a memorable one for them. And I refuse to take any money from them for the three weeks they stay with me. Just my way of trying to give back to drum corps and a couple of kids I had never met before until last year who turned out to be the greatest people you can imagine. As far as spending money and transportation, they are on their own.

I just looked at a couple of pics I took of them on July 2nd in a parking lot in San Jose. Looks like 20 total. 8 Euphs and 12 Baris.

Look for a show in Salt Lake City on Monday July 30th and in Albuquerque Thursday August 2nd. They are in the works. Trust me on this one.

Sitting three rows up dead center on the 50, all I can say is thank you Madison for one of the greatest moments in my life!! Perfect timing with the different uniforms moving to the center of the field during Rememberance. And that rifle work from 80 Malaguena and the dance steps from 82 . That guard was a smoking for being in their 40's and 50's. And the older dude(maybe 65 or so) in the pit right front corner. Dan Veerhusen stood next to the podium during the final chords, waved out a Madison flag and took a few pictures of the crowd just like 1980. I'll admit I bawled like a baby at that point and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. A nice writeup in the Capital Times from the tourism bureau thanking drum corps for the wonderful sights and sounds DCI has provided. The only problem I see in Madison is the parking, but we're drum corps people. We have always adapted to the conditions and I'm can't help but be a little sad as Madison is the truly the best place for DCI.

Mike Zapanta Daniel Verhusen

Check with the corps first if you're allowed to watch. One Div 1 finalist I know is not letting anybody onto the grounds. They will have "closed to the public" signs posted. But they still want your money and want you to work Bingo, concessions and donate till it hurts. IMO this is wrong.

The key word is "paid" attendance. at a regional.

Anybody know the whereabouts of Mike DeAngelo? Taught percussion for VK in 79, was a not so favorite DCI judge of SCV in the 90's from what I understand. Div 2 west coast judge Diane Machado( maiden name) and former SCV horn 1986 Dave Wakley wrote some drum solos for Hal Leonard in the 80's, Madison 75 snare maybe in the alumni corps? also Blue Star percussion head in 1982. Bill Turner. VK Mello and horn instructor in late 70's. Last rumoured he join the service. Any info would be appreciated.

"Do you think security will find my tape recorder?".

I can't tell you how many of the Cavie car flags I saw in Denver during finals week. All over town!! And I had many people ask what they were for. Talk about "espirit de corps".

Spirit in Birmingham 1980. Enough said of that one. 27th alumni playing Danny Boy SCV facing BD playing Send in the Clowns during retreat in Miami and BD going nuts!!! Next friday night when Madison alumni takes the field

Jack Bevins with VK who somehow got me home to Denver from Birmingham and Miami and lived with him one summer. Who didn't live at Jack's house?? Boy did I learn a lot about the politics and financial aspects of drum corps from him. He's now semi retired living in Longmont? Colorado but currently on tour with the Blue Knights. And Bob Lendman and Moe Latour with the Blue Stars in 82. Did everything possible to keep the corps afloat picking up kids in Colorado, Utah, California during 1st tour not to mention the 15-20 kids that joined from the Spokane area (Rogers High School?)a month before the season started. Moe still with Cadets and last saw Bob at a Blue Star reunion on semis day in Denver. Bob and his wife Allison drove all the western US kids home themselves after Montreal. I won't mention Allison ramming the #### out of two cars in Varennes, PQ with one of the buses. Oops, sorry. One of my favorite memories along with the Puker and Mr. Rogers.

Sorry, no Cavies at DATR in 1999. Lineup was Cadets, BD, SCV, BK, Phantom, Troopers and Colts. I'm looking at the poster on my wall as I type.

DCI finals 1977 in Denver. Two years later marched my last 4 years. Since then way too many DCI's and road trips, plane trips to any show I can get to. Was most impressed by SCV, 27 and Phantom that first show.

Yes there were very noticable mics problems thru out the night. Cadets singer you either heard the first or last half of her parts. The dry heat was brutal yesterday. Kind of like a light bulb in your face. Temperature today is supposed to be 105 and SCV has a rehearsel planned in Denver all day before heading out tonight. Blus Stars taking the day off on the 16th street mall and BK getting the day off for laundry and errands before leaving for Great Bend tonight. A couple of BK percussionists told me they may have had their worst show in a couple of weeks. Crossmen's 2nd half of the show seemed to finally get the crowd into it. For the first time in years, I noticed a big difference between Crossmen's and BK's hornlines. BK's low brass is a treat to listen to. On a lighter side after the show, Brooklyn's looked like a who's who of drum corps downing a few. Hopkins, Sylvester, April Gilligan, former VK boss Jack Bevins to name a few. The kids I'm housing from BK are dead tired still asleep 10 hours later. Quite a few horns came down with bronchitis on the left coast and they are just starting to feel better. I appreciate with the Cadets are doing, but isn't it a bit much? I'm waiting for a couple of 50 foot beams to cover the front sideline next year and curtains. And spotlights to boot. I also agree Denver along with other cities have been declassified as major events or regionals. I have no problem with San Antonio, been there many times, but the days of DCI was in the west (Boise), midwest (Whitewater), north (Ypsilanti) and Canada (Hamilton), there was something special about those shows. And I miss the US Open in Marion as well. Next year's DATR scheduled for July 28th.

1982. You had to be at a show to truly appreciate the sound of Phantom's 2nd year of Spartacus and the coming of Garfield. BD and One more time Chick Corea and the rise of the Cavaliers was slowly starting way back then. Freelancers had such a great book!! Madison's Strawberry Soup and Sky Ryder's rifles. Honorable mention. 1980. Spirit of Atlanta. the first impact of Georgia on my Mind and the final moments of Let it be me after the death of Jim Ott. SCV, 27, Cavies all moving across the field giving us something new. Bridgemen drum line and the football game afterwards. BD holding off 27 somehow and the last good years of the North Star and the Guardsmen who I really miss!!