bstar82

Knock, knock, Knockin on Hopkins door!!

Knock Knock, till you drop. Knock Knock, never stop!!

Okay, I admit it. I'm doing a little drinking. So how about this one: If this corps a rockin, don't come a knockin.

One that is short and sweet: Don't do it!!! But I like this one better: Hello, Hello,...Is there anybody in there?

I'm trying to figure out why the Cadets have had the first school girl walking around in the stands before they go on. I have seen this in Denver, San Antonio, Louisville and Indy. I remember a couple of people commenting on her walking in the aisles during other corps performances. Most notably, Indianapolis. Seems a little rude.

Maybe y'all should call on me next time you run into somebody claiming to march with a corps. I'm known to my friends as Mr. Drum Corps. I'm easily able to ask somebody whom they marched with and nearly every time, I will know somebody they either marched with or who taught with their "corps",etc... I've had two instances where the first knucklehead came up to me in a bar and wanted to know what I was doing wearing "his" corps shirt which in 1980 was a baseball style that every corps at the time seemed to have available. I still have it. It is white with green sleeves that reads "Chicago Cavaliers" and drawings of different corps sections on it. Anyway, I ask this guy when he marched and he said the year the brass stepped over the percussion line in the closer. I asked him the name of the song as I pretended not to remember and he claims not to remember. How can anybody in any drum corps not remember the year or the name of a song that you marched over and over a least 1000 times? I asked him if he ever met Don Warren and he claimed that Mr. Warren was too busy to spend time with the corps at all that season. The next guy claimed to have the inside "scoop" on every drum corps in the land. I personally had lived in two different director's houses during my corps years and had learned a lot about the activity and gained a lot of information that most people probably wouldn't have just for that reason. I had mentioned how Gail Royer had stopped by to visit us at one of my director's homes. Next thing he says:"Oh yeah, She's a real nice lady". This one will live in my memory until the day I die.

A few come to mind. 98 DATR Crossmen Contra falls near the front sideline marching backwards towards side 1, takes a spill. So do the 5 or 6 horns marching in front of him not knowing what's coming. Scary to watch. Like a car accident. 83. Ankeny, Iowa. Tornado warnings stop the show and sirens go off during Troopers show. PA announcer screaming at the Troopers to stop the show. Troopers finish their show with the stands pretty much empty and everybody headed into a school at the show site. Remember young girls from California screaming and crying not knowing what to expect. Also remember strong winds must have blown 1/4 of the corps hats off during their"performance". 78. 27th during Gaite Parisienne on LP's you can hear soprano come in a count early all by his lonesome I believe after some type of drum break. I'm doing this one from memory. I'm not breaking out the LP or turntable to confirm this. 05. Indy day show. Blue Knights also lined upon the wrong set of hashmarks just before the start of the show. Side 2 trying to correct themselves as the first counts of the show had already started and they are in the process of bending down with their horns. BK director confirmed this one with me. And folks were wondering why the big change in scores from between that show, the night show and Columbus.

My favorite arrangements and/or shows: 10. Geneseo Knights, 1981, Eleanor Rigby 9. Freelancers, 1983, Breaking up is hard to do 8. Sky Ryders, 1983, La Virgin de la Macarena 7. Velvet Knights, 1989, Yo Mambo 6. Madison, 1998, Rememberance 5. Blue Devils, 1983, One more time Chuck Corea 4. Velvet Knights, 1985, Final Analysis 3. Madison, 1979, The Sorcerer and the Latin 2b. Madison, 1982, Strawberry Soup 2a. Crossmen, 2002, Strawberry Soup 1. Phantom Regiment, 1981 & 1982, Spartacus At the time, I truly could see where drum corps was headed with Phantom's themed show. Such a powerful and dark selection of music and the guard telling so much of the story. Does anybody still have the libretto they handed out before each show? I have five in mint condition.

Some of my favorites: BD 90, Cadets 96, Blucoats 91. And the banana girl in VK in 89!!!

Does anybody have any info on what some of these former instructors are now up to? Thanks for any responses. Mike DeAngelo, percussion VK and former DCI judge Dave Wakley, percussion Blue Stars and Spokane area high schools Marty Hurley, percussion Phantom Regiment Fred Feeney, M&M Blue Stars and WGI judge Greg Clarke, former Bridgemen and M&M VK Robbie Robinson, Crossmen

Carrying a tympani in 79 should say it all. But it doesn't. I think I talked to my parents once all summer long. It cost me $100 to go on tour. And we didn't all have our own water jug. I think each section shared a couple or so. My finals tickets in Birmingham reads $7. And prelims were general admission. The Phantom gum saver. Which I still have. Prelims starting at 8:00 AM and ending around 5:00 PM which gave you all night to ponder the upcoming finals night. Having no idea how I was returning home. Seems like quite a few kids fly home now after finals. Scores announced for each corps after the following corps performance during prelims. Really had the feeling of a hooky day sitting in a stadium on a Friday with thousands of others. I can still hear Brandt Crocker saying, "We have a score..." Missing the old Madison and Cavalier uniforms. Not as bright and clean as nowadays. Wishing the corps would have a throwback uniform show like the NFL. My mom was right. It does go by soooo fast!!! :(

I believe Kingsmen qualify as a West Coast corps. 1972.