ajedrummer

Someone realized one day......Hey - If you put your left elbow on the girl's shoulder next to you....your garter will show!!

Well said - I totally agree. I am sure it is useful, but it can also be done more tastefully!

Ah Yes - I was thinking this year how I missed that - seeing the corps that had already performed sitting in the back stands (sometimes together), watching the shows. Didn't Spirit sit together in the shape of a Delta? Probably never again - now that they have done away with retreats.

Abso-freakin-lutely!! I have no problem with it being done quietly, but when I can hear DUT-DUT-DUT over a 60+ person hornline, playing rather loudly - IT IS TOO LOUD! And that happens a lot!

June 1972 - St. Matthias Cadets show in Milwaukee. I was 13 in the Wausau Story cymbal line and marched in a show before I ever saw a corps show or even a corps other than our own! No field - the show was held in the church parking lot with wooden snow fence all around it. If I recall, there were a few rows of portable bleachers set up, but people just stood around the outside. jim

I think the guy in the back is Dan Witt - Marched center snare in Wausau Story in 1976, then was drum staff in 77 & 78.

Thanks for the kudos Keith! 76 Wausau Story was the highlight of my drum corps career - even more than marching finals in 79. The biggest bummer was finishing 11th at DCI Midwest - the one year that they took 10 in finals! We had so much potential...but the late 70's had SO many corps, it was hard to move up like we had hoped to do. Two years at 24th place in Open class, and that was about it. The Story came back in the early 80's, but could never draw the members like the first time around. jim

Holy Cow!! That was you!! I was sitting in the stands thinking: I have not heard a female mellophone player like that since Bonnie Ott in Legend of the One Eyed Sailor! Renegades were again the most fun to watch and like Lee, wish you would have placed higher. I missed Brigs, so I could not compare the two, but it is tough only getting in front of the judges for a couple of shows a year. Minnesota Brass did it - one of these years, Renegades will too! My favorite thing about Renegades? For the most part - you are still made up primarily of "old guys" (like me!). Jim 83 Buc's snareline (marched next to Lee!)

They started that in 1975 - I always loved it. We (Wausau Story) started doing our version of that in 1976 - basically a sustained roll with accents for 12 bars then play a 4 bar ride pattern. I have to tell you, when you march a two mile parade playing that, it really builds the chops! And. when you march two parades almost every weekend...... Ah, the old days! jim

Thank you! I had forgotten about the Centralaires!! (I am from Wausau) I am SO happy to see the Blue Stars back in finals!! When the Wausau Story started in 1971 as a parade corps, they tapped the Blue Stars for instruction and writing, so they were always our mentor corps. The (First Federal) Blue Stars were my absolute favorite! What amazes me is that Blue Stars were always so strong, who would have guessed that 79 was their last finals and the beginning of their decline. They should have made finals in 80, as should have Troopers.....IMHO. Sitting there in the stands at prelims in 1979, I never would have guessed that we saw the last appearance of the Blue Stars in finals until now! Okay - I miss the helmets - but the show is amazing! Blue Stars are on the road back to the top! Keep it going! Now I can only hope that the Troopers join them there - just like "the old days"! Jim Wausau Story 72 - 78 Troopers 79 Buccaneers 83

Do I sense some "East Coast Bias"??? (okay - you also have a thing for Kansas)

Wish I could have seen it Oh yeah....I was IN it!!!! Michael - We have chatted about this before. I really wish I could get that prelim recording (not the Dave Richards one, but that is wonderful too!). The finals performance just did not measure up. jim

In 1975, the Wausau Story hired the drill writer from General Butler Vagabonds. All year, we were getting killed with comments that our drill did not seem to fit the music. The first time we saw GBV, we discovered why....He used the same drill and just altered the counts! We were sitting in the back stands at a show and our members were amazed that they could watch their own drill being marched by someone else! Needless to say, he was not brought back the next year.

Not as unique as some of these, but in 76, Wausau Story had one chime mounted on each of four tymps - making them even heavier. It was nice that the chimes were always in tune - the tympani seldom were!!

I think it is older...Look at the toms - they look like they are silver with colored stripes, and looks like strap harnesses. They were pretty old. Only see six snares too. With that and the flag holders, I am guessing 74 or so. They had clear drums in 75, red in 78 and red & white in 79.

Thanks for the Wausau Story photo spread! I remember that issue of DCW. Not that it matters, his last name is MAECK. He was DM in 1976 also, then became the head horn instructor, even though he had another year left to march. He was pretty much the instructor in 75 too. I think it was because most of his friends aged out in 1975 so decided to hang it up. He is a music teacher in a Minneapolis suburb.

What fun is that????

A very innocent one - I am sure many other corps did this as well. Pull up to a stoplight and do a 'full bus' Chinese fire drill around all three buses. It was great fun and a real good way to stretch your legs in the middle of a long ride!

At a camp weekend in May 1976, we were staying at a church / school somewhere...maybe Appleton?? Small locker room so we showered in shifts. We had a tymp player who was, to say the least....gullible. Nice kid and dedicated as he could be, but to call him naive is an understatement. He wore this funny red & white hat that looked like a squashed apple on his head - so yes, we called him 'Apple'. For the life of me, I cannot remember his real name. On Sunday morning, the drumline took their showers and some of the drummers took all of his clothes and left the locker room. Apple, not knowing what to do, found a rack of confirmation robes and put one on to walk back to the gym....only to run into the minister! THAT did not go over well!! Unfortunately, Apple died way too young...I want to say in the early 80's.

Two of my favorites were: Sunrisers - very minimalist...mostly bass drums with vibraslap, toms and snares doing light fills. Offensive Lions - 1979 or 80? The corps sang the song and the drumline played. I stole that one and used it for a couple of bands I was teaching.

AMEN!! There was a time that one city, Racine, had seven competing corps! Kilties, Kiltie Cadets, Racine Scouts, Racine Scout Cadets, New Day, New Dawn (both all girl) & Boys of 76 (senior)

Isn't this Blain on the clave's during concert? Maybe I have the wrong person.

That's it!

A 13 year old rookie marching in a DCI championship corps.... Doubt that you will see that much anymore! I was a 13 year-old rookie in 72