hairbear

He and I had one troublesome moment in 1991. My fault entirely. I was used to how Steel City did things. Westshore had a different approach that I didn't appreciate untill years later.

Oh! Ring chasers don't annoy me as much as "freeloaders". I've had a few of them "hop in the minivan". (NOT the Brothers! We were a team in every sense of the word.) Freeloaders smoke your cigarettes, drink your beverages, hit you up for cash and have no gas money to offer. and they don't pay you back.

When you have Sandy, Dave and I up at 9 in the morning (We're not known as "morning" people) playing 8 on a hand on congas, timbales and bongos... THAT'S saying something. LOLOL! I liked the 91 season, by the way. I was on a "mission" to prove that steel drums could be effective instrumentation, in a front ensemble. We proved that. :) Do you remember those big silver hoop earrings that Crista and the other two girls wore in 1990? I have one of those earrings! :) If I didn't go to Westshore in 1991, I would have missed seeing Pappy and the Maryland crew grilling burgers in his van, WHILE THEY WERE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE! Those guys were nuts! And watched Poole drink that nasty water the conga heads were soaking in all night, for 5 dollars in "prize money".

For me, as a young guy with Ohio Brass Factory at DCA FINALS IN 1980, The Matadors! The entire show! That ramp and those megaphones! First time I ever heard triple tounging. How the heck do you do that? And just what is circular breathing? Couldn't take your eyes off that show,or you would miss something!

I have thought about this for many years, after 1996. "Was I a ring chaser?" (asking myself that question). Sandy's EXACT words to me in 1995: "You need to be with us (The Brothers) next year". "We need all of us there". (I was in Kilties in 1995) Irv was not going to play in 1996. (Sandy said this at the Cumberland show in 1995. I was there with the Kilties) I'm sure that Sandy, Dave and Irv used all my equipment with Westshore in 1995, because I wasn't using it with Kilties. Anyway... I was a ring chaser. I was a ring chaser in 1987 with Steel City, as well. But it rained. No ring that season. The difference between me and those 3 people Big W mentioned is this: I have always been a team player. Not a leader, but a follower. Hell, I couldn't successfully "lead" my way out of a paper bag! However, I ROCK at "following". I had spent so much money from 1986 to 1996, driving rediculous distances, ferrying passengers in a succession of three minivans. When I added up the expenses over those ten years, it was an obscene amount of money! I'm not complaining though. I enjoyed every minute of it and have a lifetime of stories. I spent four years with Ohio Brass Factory, sitting in the stands every one of those years, eating a hot dog and watching finals. (Those were what I like to call, my "education" years.) So feel free to call me a ring chaser. I won't deny it. LOL!

edited for a double post. My bad.

For those who remember and may wonder, will there be latin percussion with the corps? Yes. Sandy McNeal taught Kevin Luster aka: "Baby D", how to play the congas. He learned well.

Great news, Tom! Get plenty of rest.

My best wishes and prayers for a speedy recovery, Tom!

and wet.

Get well soon, Tom!

Patience required here: I don't know enough about judging and the tic system vs. current system, to offer an intelligent response. I try NOT to understand, actually. It just gives me a headache. That said, I think what we all saw and heard was simply "perfection". (It had to be perfection, to beat the performance by the Ghost Riders). We as an audience have seen and heard some amazing corps, lately. The reunited Yankee Rebels with almost 100 horns on the field that started the Alumni corps activity, The Reading Bucs 6 year winning streak, The Brigadiers at full speed in their winning streak. Thats just a sample of the DCA side of things. It was obvious that Minn Brass would have to come up with a show that had all the pieces in place, to topple the Bucs and they had that show, at finals! On the DCI side, we had the Madison Scouts alumni reunion project, the Star of Indiana Alumni performance, the Cavaliers Alumni, The Anahiem Kingsmen Alumni, and the reborn Bridgemen in the Alumni activity. I haven't even listed all that we have witnessed over the last twenty years or so. There is simply too much, to list here! Retorically speaking, Have we become jaded? Have we seen and heard everything there is to be seen and heard? Then, a corps comes along and proves that we HAVEN'T seen it all! That corps is Star United. I think this is why the audience was "blown away", at the mini corps show. Maybe, just MAYBE, George Hopkins has it in his mind to do something amazing this season, with Cadets 2. I don't know. I am waiting (like the rest of us) to see what he has in store. To MY untrained ear, I heard perfection from Star United. What score do you award for "perfection"? I guess you give them 100.

Happy New Year, my Whoville friends! No gig tonight for me. First N.Y.E. off,in 4 years!

My condolences to Dicks family. Rest in Peace, Good Sir.

I'm pretty sure Terry Frenz (Ohio Brass Factory corps director) had something to do with the creation of ICA.

It looks to me that Cadets 2 is experiencing the same issues every corps in DCA experiences, from time to time: filling spots! This may mean they are just like us! What a concept. I'll certainly give them a break!

My thoughts and Prayers for you, Dick.

The day I begin to think like a geezer, I will BE a geezer.

I wasn't on here when the mass kewpie was issued. This must mean I get a free pass. Happy Birthday Queen! Belated, but I said Happy Birthday on facebook a couple O times.

Okay..... 1993 Brigs: Sandy, David, Irv and I all went with the Ragonese brothers to a strip club prior to getting on the bus to Boston. We had some time to kill. (About two hours or more.) There were no windows in the place, which kinda made sense when you consider the entertainment. Sandy: "Do we REALLY have to go now"?? Me: "YES WE HAVE TO GO NOW". Sandy: "Are you SURE we have to go now"? David: "I think we have some time left". Me: "I don't want to miss the bus and drive all the way to Boston". Sandy: "Can we take HER with us?" Me: "NO". Sandy: "But she DIGS me, man!" David: "I don't think so, Sandy". Sandy: "We got plenty of time". Me: "No we don't". Sandy: "Yeah, we do!" Me: "No we don't". IRV: "GET OUT OF HERE AND GET IN THE CAR. WE GOT A BUS WAITING"!!! When Irv spoke, we ALWAYS listened. This was a much funnier story to watch, than to read about. You have to imagine Sandy as he was. Always clowning around. God I miss him.

Charlie Ragonese. (Because I already got it right, a few posts ago, thereby making a kewpie impossible)

Nor did diabetes and a wheelchair stop Irv Hurt, in 1995!

Well, somebody has to "carry the torch" when we are gone. The alternative is not attractive at all. I didn't "hit my stride" in DCA untill my late 30's and early 40's, but I am approaching my 60th birthday with a healthy dose of reality. I am okay with that.

I got something right? COOL! Us "Brothers" only did one season with the Brigs (1993) and we had a great time! But that 14 hour drive to get there, was a killer!

Cincinnati. (Impractical, but you DID say any city and I want a 20 minute drive to Championships.)