greg_orangecounty

The 1976 Bridgemen, fainting and all, didn’t break all the established military rules. They were certainly creative and original but they were clean, especially their drum line. Creativity is essential in drum corps but now shows are.....”designed”.....and the uniqueness of drum corps is kind of......lost? I can watch “So You Think You Can Dance” or “Dancing with the Stars” anytime. Somewhere along the line DCI forgot that “less is more” And btw, while we’re on the topic of the Bridgemen, had they even a decent guard they would have won at least 1 title in their heyday. (Kathy & Tori please forgive me but I can say it now)

It was the end of the world too when uniform inspections stopped being a thing.

I know you’re being facetious, but I think it’s when the tic system was abolished. That opened the Broadway floodgates.

You’re upset over the use of.........P.A.’s!? I’m trying to get used to the idea of no national squads.

I was referring to drugs harder than marijuana as cigarettes & beer don’t count as a “drug” in my book. If kids today aren’t using those then good for them! They’re smarter than we were.

Illicit drugs are as much a part of drum corps as bus fumes and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. At least that’s how I remember it. I don’t know about current day, but I’d be surprised if it has changed much.

At DCI Finals in 1977 there were a couple dozen protesters milling around the entrance gate holding up signs that said “DCI IS GAY!” I don’t know if they were locals, or part of the drum corps community. It might have been the later as they looked on the young side. I thought it was really odd.

The local corps, the smaller corps that practiced at the VFW halls, THEY were the backbone of drum corps. I’m sorry to see that they’re gone now too. It really was a golden age.

I miss that all aspects of military bearing are gone. That’s what pulled me in in the 70’s. What kept me there, like everyone probably, were the friendships and working together for a common goal. Those friendships are still there 45 years later.

Several of those ladies are life-long friends and the most common complaint is earlier than normal onset of wrist and hand arthritis - which kinda makes sense.

I was there. I remember.

I recall the first time a color guard wore footwear other than English riding boots or short ankle boots. It was the Seattle Imperials winter guard in 1977, they wore ballet slippers. People freaked! I knew it would lead to bare feet one day 🙂

Change is inevitable but not all changes are good.

And while they're at it; make hats, shakos, busbys, helmets, or some kind of head covering a requirement too for everyone except (maybe) the color guard and pit. (and don't get me started on Pits)

Which they should. California has produced 27 DCI Winners (counting 3 ties) yet has only hosted finals once in 47 years! Time to start spreading some love to the best coast..........after 2028, that is.

Now that I know Indianapolis is booked through 2028............it's officially moot. After that I probably won't know where I'm at anyway, so it won't make a difference.

So Finals are scheduled in Indianapolis until 2028!? All that arguing yesterday over nothing......? Oh well.

I can understand that criticism of the Rose Bowl in terms of drum corps, as it’s almost a 100 year-old stadium. But not the traffic (maybe I’m just numb to it).

I can understand that. If the rent is “cheap” it’s a legit business reason to stay in Indianapolis. (yawwwwn)

OK, unless the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce starts paying me I’m going to stop responding.......... Pasadena hosted finals in 2007(?) and somehow all the corps managed to get where they needed to go and showed up on time. Yes, there’s “traffic” but you allow for it. It’s not a reason to not host finals. What IS a valid reason is the cost of renting out the Rose Bowl, and the fact it’s not central to the USA.

The idea is to grow the activity. And with 10 million people in the greater LA area, the media capital of the world, where is the best location to host finals in terms of return on investment and long term growth? It ain’t Whitewater.

No one can deny L.A. traffic, but if you stay in or near Pasadena traffic isn’t an issue especially on Saturday night when finals are held. The Rose Bowl may be cost prohibitive for DCI, I don’t know, but a change in venue is overdue. Who wants to keep going to Indianapolis? It could also inject some life-blood into the Southern California drum corps scene. Besides the Kingsmen and Velvet Knights, when’s the last time a corps from So Cal made finals?

What's wrong with the Rose Bowl every year (ucla notwithstanding - ugh)? It's obviously not centraly located, but it's a beautiful location, it will never get rained out, old town Pasadena is fun, plenty of practice and housing options, and its near a large metropolitan city with lots to do besides drum corps (i.e. beach, Disneyland, etc.) And before you say it.......B.D. are going to win at least every other year anyway.

Kingsmen color guard did it first in 1973’s “off the line” (ancient term?) and again in 1974 at the end of drum solo. A man named Stanley Knaub invented it. PR did a version later in, I think, 1977, 1978? At the time we thought it looked familiar. Ha Ha!

Yes they were. I miss 2-7. They were one of my favorite corps.