bstar82

"Wake up boys and girls. It's time to go play drum corps". Robert Lendman "Your F%#@&*n mommy is not here to baby you, you f%^$@#n p*#%#s. And if she is, she better be me making me better food than the S*@t we've been eating lately". A former famous DM who shall remain nameless. And a total jerk to boot. "Just cause you stood next to the Bridgemen in retreat last night doesn't give you the excuse to act high". "If you guys are going to waddle like penguins, I'm going to get you some tuxedos", during a crab exercise My perc instructor to me, " Dude, of all the babes we have seen on tour this summer, that girl you picked up on is THE hottest chick I have ever seen in my life. You should have no problem cranking your tymps tonight". That sounded so bad, it would make Mr. Rogers puke! "Bush sighting in the bari line. Good job finishing the set though. Now pick up your panties and reset" "Make the hair on my a#@ stick out" "Take the f outta fart and make it art you boners" Take your dirty socks out of your shoes on the truck. They are starting to stink up the silks" "You give me blood and sweat and I'll buy you beers" "Those guard outfits are so ugly, they are no slave to fashion" Seeing a competing guard for the first time on the east coast. "You guys are so off today, let's just get drunk and screw" More later, off to DATR...

Osteria Marco is a great place! I signed off on their liqour license years ago...

Btw, Brooklyn's starts filling up around 3pm for pre partying and if you sit outside, you can hear the corps warming up across the street. I'll be there, I'll be catching up with Jack Bevins at the bar. I'll be wearing my red VK cap...or a Southwind visor considering how hot it will get..

Brooklyn's is the only decent bar near the stadium full of drum corps people. Some years it turns into a total drunk fest. If you want to go out somewhere non drum corps close by, Highlands neighborhood northwest of the stadium off of 29th and Lowell has a decent selection of places. Down in LoDo, the Tavern is the place to be any night in the summer. Their rooftop patio is packed and a ton of beautiful guys and gals if that's your thing. But be careful down there. The streets get a little scary come let out from 2-3am.

St Paul Fire Dept drum and Bugle corps. There are numerous corps named after American Legion Halls.

And I was wrong to say most don't want to be there and that isn't the case. But all it takes is a few kids out of 100 to ruin the show gabbing the night away so fans within a 15 ft radius can every bit of their conversation. And during the shows. Not at INT or in between corps, I could care less then. But when you hear, "hey guess where I'm at? what are you up to tonight? Btw, so and so are doing this and that and yadda yadda yadda", that is my reasoning for not wanting to put myself in that area. I didn't go there for that. I doubt very many people did. But to be fair, some adults for that matter can be just as disruptive. See my original post, A self professed drum corps snob

I started attending DCI shows in 1975 traveling solo as a teenager to Philadelphia for DCI Finals. After my marching years and aging out, I have traveled to shows in 42 states and 4 countries in a non corps affiliated capacity. When I have traveled to shows in other countries, I proudly wear my American based corps jackets no matter how awful the heat and humidity might be. I will NOT sit outside the 30 yard lines as this area tends to be populated with high school band kids who most have no interest in watching and appreciating what they are there for in the first place. Now it is worse than ever with cellphones and it feels like I'm back at recess and I am too old for that S#*t. That being said, if a I have seen a corps 1/2 dozen times that summer and they are not entertaining me, that corps will become my "popcorn" corps until DCI finals week. I give them only so many viewings to make my opinion on them and if I don't see a change in their music/show to satisfy me or noticable progress from week to week to bring my interest back, that is the time I usually catch up with old friends on the concourse or do my souvenir hunting then. I was not always that way though as I would sit thru every corps on those long DCI prelim show days of yesteryear i.e. Whitewater, DeKalb, Marion, 9AM prelim starts. I guess I have become more demanding of corps now than the past and /or everything is starting to look the same. Been there, done and seen that. I have lived under the roof with two DCI D1 directors (at different times) and during those times, I used that time to learn as much as possible the everyday workings of running a drum corps, assisting them in any way I can, and getting their opinions on anything and everything related to drum corps, the politics and realistic expectations of judges and DCI as a whole. I have spent considerable amounts of money being a member of Friends of DCI and individual corps so I can the seats I desire. My friends and family know not to touch anything in my home that is drum corps related w/o my permission. They ask? Most likely no problem. They don't ask and start handling souvenirs? Problem. I will give newbies the benefit of the doubt when they are attending a show for the first time. We were all there at one time. I will share what a corps my be trying to portray on the field and I will give them facts and figures on a corps, but I'm careful not to give them my opinion. But if there is corps member or alumni being a jerk sitting near me and being disruptive? I will call him out on it i.e. 96 DATR, the alum of one of DCI's most successful corps talking s^#t about every corps at the show and during his corp's performance yelling out expletives with every attack and exciting moment pi@#ing off everybody around him. I actually had to show him my badge and threaten to arrest them right then and there off duty to get him to simmer down. I will not waste my time and money on a poorly run show. I have let my complaints known about the shows in other parts of the country I have gone to and they for the most part have corrected any problems I experienced. Maybe letting it be known I traveled a long way to attend a show has more priority than being local. You wouldn't think it would be that way, but shows run by individual corps tend to be more interested in resolving an issue versus a high school band sponsoring a show although Lake Highlands puts on a great show. There was a show being advertised 3-4 years ago at $35 for a 4 corps show and I could have easily drove there. The lineup wasn't that attractive, 2 top 12 corps, a top 20 corps and a D2 corps. How long can you actually make a 4 corps show last even with an INT? Thank God I didn't go as it was rained out and a total mess from what I heard from friends who attended. If I really enjoy your corps from year to year, you can expect me to buy tickets to your local show even though I may not be able to attend and I"ll give them to a local charity so somebody new can attend. I"ll travel and play to your golf tournaments to help your fundraising efforts and I'll attend your off season banquets. I usually know somebody from that corps so I have somebody to hang with. You'll see a check from me when you send out your fundraising mailings. I will also attend a winter camp hundreds of miles away and help out for the weekend. But if I generally don't like the program you are running for whatever reason, you'll see nothing from me. And it's not about hurting a corps or their members. It is about staff and/or management being stubborn, stupid or lazy. Case in point. I know of two corps who had convicted molesters on their staff and they allowed these individuals to go on tour with them even though I notified them of this and handed them the supporting documents. NOT ACCEPTABLE! On the other hand I do know of another corps that had this problem and the person was dismissed on the spot. Kudos to them. I realize you cannot please everybody all of the time but some issues need to be dealt with asap. In case you were wondering, I'm an investigator and I have access to this info. I equate all of this as to being a customer at a restaurant. If you like the service, the food and the atmosphere, you'll be back. If any part of it sucked and it wasn't resolved? Well, we all see enough restaurants closed down in this economy. We can take a good guess why they are closed. If any or all of these make me a snob, then guilty as charged.

Like: VK Tour Bus 1990 Made a lot of sense with the music/theme they were playing. Huge silk at the end of Miss Saigon SCV 1991. Andrew Sisters and Gene Gene the dancing machine Bridgemen if actual performers can be considered props. The Big Apple tables Bridgemen 1982 The cones BD used on their horns to depict train sounds 2004. The Cadets moving walls in 1996 as like VK 90, just seemed to fit the show. Superman Crossmen 1979 Chains and incredibly effective use of capes in Spartacus Phantom 81 & 82. VK Shark. I would have rather seen them have a marching chime player out on the field in that cage dressed in a 2-7 uniform like the poor dude in 76? And then the Jaws theme is played as the Shark tears up that cage ( If you saw the movie you knew what I'm talking about) Phantom streamers at end of 1984 show Dislike: The water used by Orlando in 2004 The Cavalier ladders in 2005 The bed and clock VK used in 95? maybe 94. And the super soakers. Cheesy to say the least. Boston boxes 2004 The baton boy Cadets 2004 Jeffery Cadets 2010 Bridgemen Chicken 1983. Nearly every prop used by Cadets in the 2000's Madison guard capes in 1978. Just not Madison, along with the disco dancing in the Stars Wars re entry.

New Country?

Blue ronda ala Turk

Westside Story, Madison and Seneca 1977. Pagliacci, Phantom and Bridgemen 1977. Star Wars music, Madison and North Star 1978. Thnak god only one version of Fantasy made finals in 1979. Numerous corps were playing that tune that year.

I wouldn't assume the opinions of staff members as the gospel. I had one staff "expert" from a corps guarantee me his corps would win DCI in three years back in 1980. They were a parade corps back then and didn't attend a DCI Finals event until 1983 and didn't make finals until the 90's. Another told me he knew it all about every corps and every tidbit of news because "he" was on the staff and he had all the inside info on everything going on. This was around the same time, no cellphones, no internet, no instant communication of any kind other than making a long distance phone call from a payphone or at home, or reading Drum corps world or digest. We started talking about Gail Royer who I had dinner with and what does he respond with? "Oh yeah, I know her, she's a great lady" ??? Another guaranteed me his corps would easily make the top 12 a certain year because their show design was unlike anybody had ever seen and the staff was a perfect blend of experience and desire from new techs starting their first year of teaching. The result? A disheartening 17th place finish and 4 staff members quitting during the tour season because of all the staff bickering. He bet me his sweet Harley but never lived up to his end of the wager. As others have stated on here, it is all opinion and rumors until we actually see a show in a few weeks.

Along with flabby arms and outies. Nine out of Ten men who wear them shouldn't.

Here's the ELP quiz. ELP performed the song Karn Evil 9. Karn Evil 9 was performed by the Blue Devils in 1984 ( among other years) Blue Devils also performed "La Fiesta" in that same show. La Fiesta was performed by Maynard Ferguson Maynard Ferguson cohosted the 1979 DCI telecast with, Steve Rondinaro who hosted the telecast and marched with the Watkins Glen Squires. Michael Boo, I just sent you the answers to the Green Bay Packer/George Wong quiz on FB.

As you can see, every answer usually starts off the next connection. Okay Mr. Boo, this one's for you. It's a toughie, I'll send you the answer on my facebook tonight and let this go on for a while longer. The starting point is the Green Bay Packers. 1.__________________ 2.__________________ 3.__________________ 4.__________________ 5.__________________ 6.__________________ The final answer/connection is George Wong. Good Luck Michael, ( and anybody else who wants to try)

Wow Michael, I will give you major props for all the thought you put into this. You can consider yourself correct for the playing the game correctly with nearly all drum corps connections except for the last one. But here are the answers I was looking for. Sorry for posting this late, had a little too much fun last night. Here we go, Santa Clara Vanguard 1. SCV's director was Gail Royer. 2. Gail Royer had a drum major at SCV named Tim Moxley. 3. Tim Moxley taught M&M for the Velvet Knights. 4. The Velvet Knights had on their staff Mr. Bobby Hoffman. 5. Bobby Hoffman was with the Bridgemen. 6. Bridgemen had a drum major by the name of Jim Jordan. Here is the next game, it is a little tougher. Start with Emerson, Lake and Palmer 1.___________________ 2.___________________ 3.___________________ 4.___________________ 5.___________________ 6.___________________ The end answer connects ELP with the Watkins Glen Squires. Good Luck...

Yeah ,but when you are trying to sell a product it has to deliver. I have been a paid subscriber in the past and what is happening here is nothing new. This same kind of glitches has been going on ever since they got into the webcast business. Doesn't make for good business when you are trying to advertise to potential customers.

Yup, this is just in another long line of foulups DCI has had with this service. Over the years, I know of folks who couldn't get live shows they paid for. I did see where it does say to turn off you firewall protection i.e. Norton which I did but didn't do any good so far.

I'm having the exact same problem.

This was done a few years ago, but it can be played by naming a person, corps or song to start the game and then another of the same at the end of the game and then connecting to two via the six degrees. Otherwise, the game continues with no end in sight but can be played either way. Here is an easy one. The starting point is Santa Clara Vanguard 1.________________ 2.________________ 3.________________ 4.________________ 5.________________ 6, The sixth degree is Jim Jordan Though there could be numerous connections, I will reveal my six degrees Friday night. Good Luck.

Spats Citation cords Tymp cranks Taking the portable stove off the bus and sitting it on a table so the cooks could get it started . Altos Tromboniums Piccolo sops Joe Bruno DATR at Jeffco stadium Troopers performing every year year at a Denver bronco home game with as full of a corps as you can imagine and getting standing ovations from a non drum corps audience Gene Rayburn Finals televised live for four hours on PBS "Go get em kids"!!!

Think CMCC Warriors, Cadets of Greece, Heck even the Cavaliers and probably most corps were recruiting kids off the streets in the 40's and 50's BITD. Kids from plenty rough and tough neighborhoods were marching then. I met some hard core gang members marching in the 70's but all in all, they were just kids like a lot of us needing something to do besides getting in trouble.

I brought this subject three years ago when a show was being held in a new city for the first time in a long time. It was either $25 or $30 for a four corps show and I received a lot of grief for bringing this up. And the four corps were not all top 12 corps at the time. Someone in a higher authority must have felt the same way as the skies opened up, it poured like there was no tomorrow and the show was cancelled. And no refunds. I do not seem to recall a show since then with with these prices and such a small lineup. Glad I didn't go but I had friends new to the activity who did and were not impressed with the situation.

It was a joke...