dc oldtimer
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Posts posted by dc oldtimer
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I would only add that, in my opinion, one thing happened that year that changed drum corp forever; BD's drill. I remember standing in the stands in Allentown watching their show from high above. Up until then almost everyone was still doing files, echelons, straight lines, etc. BD came out with this amazing drill with shapes magically bending and turning into new shapes throughout the show. Truly a game changing year.
Secondly, it was in 76 that Phantom really started becoming a powerhouse.
Also, there still was carry over from the Muchacho incident. I remember before the year started, we couldn’t march if we didn’t submit a valid birth certificate by a certain time. Also, we were asked to carry around our birth certificate during the season in case someone from DCI asked for it.
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but the flawedCavies show of 1979 that just barely returned to finals had heart and is one ofmy favorite shows
Had to jump in and say THANKS. We don't hear too much about that show except when the topic of if Crossmen or Troopers deserved to be in finals that year comes up.
Just to add my .01, after marrying a former guard gal, my "view" of guards has changed slightly. But comparing today's guards with the guards of yester-year, well, its like comparing hornlines (say Cavaliers of the 60's vs Crown of the 2000's)... or Michael Jordan vs Oscar Robinson. You can compare them for sh*&'s and giggles but to ask which one is better...... well you just can't do it.
The guards of the 60's and 70's just couldn't do what guards do these days, no different then guards of today throwing a triple with a 10 lbs rifle..... in unison... 3 times.
I have learned to like todays guards by reeling in my "old timer" feelings and appreciating what guards do today because for better or for worse, guards have evolved to what they are today because the activity wanted it that way. It has opened up drum corp to a whole new set of kids who never would have thought about joining our great activity if it remained as it was 30 years ago.
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Indy.... with the cost of tickets, it is all I can afford these days.
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Add one;
Royal Grenadiers – Kankakee IL
I taught them briefly…… which probably added to their demise.
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Hilarious as usual Mike.
"I don't drink f*&%in Merlot!!!"
Paul Giamatti - Sideways
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If I remember right, I heard that The Cavaliers used the buckles in the 60's to make that "clink" noise when it was by their waist. (They also came in VERY handy during those famous corps fights back in those days ;))In '76 when we moved the buckle up to around the chest with the new sash, it made a GREAT sound.... until it dented horns so much, it started effecting the tune of the horns, and costing us $$ for new horns. We changed to plastic buckles in 77 with prism tape around it to add effect, plus, they didn't want to damage all the new fangled two valve sops we just got. That carried on until, I think, the mid-80's when the uni's were changed to something like you see today.
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Someone said told us at rehearsal during a water break.
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I'll answer on behalf of my 3 1/2 year old who, BTW, sat through not one, but 3 nights of drum corps with very few meltdowns (if you have littleones, you know what I mean):
Cadets - "where is that girl in the flowy dress" (the angel at the end)
Blue Devils - "I want to see those men in those boxes"
Cavaliers - "When are the men on the stilts coming on?"
Crown - "Too Loud"
Phantom - "Why is that man laying on the ground?" (Romeo)
SCV - "Christmas colors!"
Bluecoats "Boooooooo". (We tried to correct her but.... she's 3 :) )
Boston - "TENTS!!!"
Blue Knights - "Dots!!!" (After a close up of their uniform showed up on the big screen)
Madison - "Mommy, why are you crying?" (My wife marched Suncoast who Robert Smith wrote for in the 80's. That man can write music!)
Blue Stars - "Daddy, are those guys going back on the stage?" (as horn players march off the platforms). Also, "Go Howard!" (said wife also marched with Howard Weinstein in Suncoast in the 80's)
Spirit - She danced during the balad so she must of liked it.
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1976 Blue Devils.
This. They moved drum corps from a military type drill to one that flows. Not to mention their hornline was something to behold.
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they're clean. real clean.
No flame, just curious; personally I can't see the "clean" through all the muck the pipes make. Besides hearing how clean they are, can you actually see the clean through the muck? I can't. This is the exact same problem I had with last years show. People were saying how clean they were but how can you tell through all the mirrors?
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I hear you. But for a time perspective, ( mid 70's ) you marched when the Cavaliers were " a yawner " and were scrambling hard to remain in the top 12, right ?
Look, here's the thing. We sometimes forget what the mission was in the 50's, 60's and 70's for Drum Corps. It was not primarily to be a training ground for future trumpet players for the Orchestras of the world... or for the training of ballet dancers for stage... or percussionists for the Big Bands. The primary mission was to be a youth activity for local church groups, communities, to teach young people teamwork, discipline, cooperation, exercise, competition, love of Flag and Country, and a means to keep them off the street, out of trouble, and would lead the groundwork for them to hopefully become future productive citizens of their communities and of the World. The Directors took kids that perhaps were not athletes, but liked and enjoyed music, competition, and wanted to represent their neighborhood in regional competitions. No kid was turned away. I marched with kids that were enormously gifted in music training and music skills alongside marchers that literally could not play a music scale, but filled a hole, and learned to contribute to the success of the Corps by marching well. For some, it was a life altering experience to do Drum Corps. Without it, they might have wound up dead or in prison. Along the way, we learned to be exposed to good musicicianship, even if we did not have it...more importantly, we learned the skills to be successful in the competition that is life. Nobody I marched with made the local symphony orchestra. But most did all right in life, and it was in no small measure the skills that were transmitted to us by adults that did not care if we knew a parradiddle from a parakeet when they found an spot for us in line. Nobody " tried out " for Corps by " auditioning ". They took you in. Period. Only if you did not work your butt off, did you lose your spot. The mission then in Corps was different. Not better. Not worse. Just different. That part must be understood to compare and contrast today's Drum Corps with the 70's and earlier in any coherent and effective manner.
I don't disagree in terms of the mission in that decade including making sure the new baby of drum corp (DCI) has a solid base. And yes, i marched in a few yawners but I also marched, IMHO, a few good years (1977 and 1979) and one great year (1976 - 5th in prelims). But my point was not directed to the true purpose of drum corp, it was directed to what I saw on the field in Hopunck, IL on a Sunday afternoon with 2 feeder corps, several corps that today would be considered a low-level Open corps and one World corps namely, the Guardsmen.
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Regarding boring..... I have to agree. Thank God I marched in the 70's.
Let me clarify, not in regard to the major shows (DCI Midwest, DCI East, etc.) but the hundreds of smaller local shows. I know some people complain that there are not as many corps around these days but quantity doesn't equate to quality. I went to a local show we were not in in the 70's (to see a certain female
) and man, was it was boring except for the one top 12 corp that was there. The other 5 corps were yawners. -
- Second biggest issue: The stadium used for the TOC in Rockford was not good. Premier events need premier facilities.
Yea, Cavaliers had similar issues with their show and luckily they were able to find a "Premier" site. But, 1) Premier sites require Premier rental fees 2) Not sure if there are too many Premier sites in the Rockford area. Unless they move it to DeKalb...... but that's pretty far south and you always want to be sure that the Mayor of the town that helps sponsor you, doesn't have too far to drive to get to the show :)
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And have read that the Cavs emblem did come from a cigarette pack. Believe History of Drum Corps II covers this in the corps write up.
Yep, you can also read about it here:
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Wow, you are my review idol!Great job.
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As an old timer I am against amps period. The only reason why I mildly liked the Cavaliers soloists last year was that it did at least add some more "Madness" to the show. I feel it wasn't mic'd to purely add volume because the solosits couldn't project. No one (yes, no one and I've heard them all) could project to that degree to help with the affect the corps was trying to present at that part of the show.
With that said I long for the day that amps are done...... but, I think they will be with us forever. Yet, another nail in the "When Drum corp was drum corps" coffin.
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Ahhh.... Whitewater. Some call it the birthplace of DCI.
I need to walk up that famous hill one more time before I croke.
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What's up with this? Is there an old fashioned protest going on maybe?
http://www.dci.org/scores/recap/view.cfm?event_id=66e0acfa-074b-4c01-bc42-22b5b691fd90
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1. How a writer could so beautifully portray a series of emotions through the arrangement of requiem into the hope building , heart booming, air punching finale, and
Robert Smith - he's been writing like that for over 25 years. One of the best.
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As a long time Madison Scouts fan (i.e., I am not a Cavaliers fan)
I find this comment curious. I certainly am familiar with a respectful rivalry between our two corps, but rarely have I heard either side say they dislike the other corp.
........ or maybe I live in a hole.
I for one am VERY happy to see Madison back from a few down years. And trust me, I know down years when I see them (see below).
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DISCLAIMER: I marched Cavies back in the near-dark days (early/mid 1980s), so I'm biased.
Disagree. I marched during the dark years. At least the corp made it to finals every year your decade. The 70's, we missed not once, but twice. Although, you probably marched the year we almost folded. So lets call it even :)
One thing we can agree on, the more recent versions of the Cavaliers would eat our years for lunch. Incredible.... or should I say xtraordinary
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Maybe DCI is trying to take a page out of Apples marketing playbook in creating a "buzz" ala "Oops, I forgot my iPhone4 at a coffee shop"(pre-iPhone4 release).
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The Blue Stars took 2nd in the very first DCI Finals in 1972, and were very good for 4-5 years after that. They are a founding member of DCI and now they are back to where they should be, and it's about time for this long-lost piece of drum corps history to come and earn back their respect. (us Blue Star fans are passionate, aren't we?)
Amen!!! I said it last year also, WELCOME BACK BLUE STARS!!!!..... now just bring back the hot pants :) (crud, at 50 I now sound like a dirty old man. Sorry. But when I was 19 I loved them!)
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I'd argue the Cavaliers brought both - the volume caught everyone off guard when it started, too. Not something you expect when you think Cavaliers. It felt like the grown up version of last year's hornline. Or the 2.0 release.
Mike
I've already read on here someone saying they miss the musicality of the Cavalier hornlines. Can't please everyone. I haven't heard them yet live so I'll form my own opinion soon.
The Summer of '76
in Historical Junior Corps Discussions
Posted
More in '76 since that was the year after "the incident". I don't remember anyone from DCI asking for my birth certificate but I was a snot-nosed 15 year old who looked like I was 10 so I obvioulsy wasn't a target. I think we did have a few of the guys with facial hair who were asked but obviously there were no "findings".
Interesting times.