kstein

I spent many, many tough years in the trenches with Gabe and Donna in Fantasia III. Quality people, very talented, and lots of fun. I hadn't spoken with them in way too many years, but this news is absolutely heartbreaking. My prayers and best wishes are with Donna and Lauren, as well as my wonderful Bayonne brothers and sisters. I hate, hate, hate how many really good people we have lost to this terrible disease, and for some horrible reason we seem to be overly represented in the drum corps sector. With my deepest sympathies, Karen

Wow, George! Hard to argue with any of these. Great list! KS

Hated Orlando (and have seen nothing to change my opinion), but would opt for ANY site at this point where Finals were held outside, where they belong. KS

That sounds just like something your Dad would do. Great guy, and what a terrific memory! KS

For 6 of my 8 years marching I was a DM, so I picked "other"...especially since bossy, arm waving jerk wasn't an option.

Umbrellas!

As I was so very lucky to know both men, I can safely say that George B would be touched and delighted and that Gail would be rightfully proud. Wonderful job, SCV. KS

Oh my! 2 thoughts: How amazingly well this reborn corps is doing. (Kudos to the staff, admin, and kids!) How crappy these wonderfully long, loud, and complex brass passages with a slamming battery are going to sound in the Echo Chamber. Sigh. I think I'll focus on how much I'm looking forward to seeing this show in Allentown.

The bugs in Whitewater rule it out for me. Foxboro was comfortable with great, comfy seats and sight lines, but there was tremendous whining about the parking costs and the handling of the crowd by the staff. (Rain delays were out of their control!) As a "local", I've learned Bob Kraft and his team are very youth activity and community focused, and I think with the right training and education of his staff and a negotiated parking structure, DCI's could do very, very well there. Hated the Dallas weather and stadium, the Miami neighborhood (but what great grass on which to march!), and the Atlanta neighborhood stunk, too. Hmm. Back to a fan's perspective... Love Allentown for the sights, sounds and tradition...but the bleacher seats are less than optimal. Still, a great place to watch a show and suck up the atmosphere. Bloomington also rocks for both sights and sound, which much more to do in closer proximity than in Allentown. Now the owner's box we sat in during KC Finals, well you can sign me up for that again ANYTIME! :-) Cheers! Karen

1978 DCI East in Allentown. I was already in a corps, but we had yet to actually make it to the field. I got up in the middle of the night to make it for the beginning of Prelims (Bridgemen were on VERY early), and stayed through Finals late that night. (Back in the "good ole days" you had Prelims and Finals on the same day. It rocked, both as a spectator and as a performer.) Got home in the middle of the next night and woke up the whole darn family to tell them what I had seen. I absolutely couldn't contain my emotional response to such an amazing experience. The Bridgemen! Spirit of Atlanta and that hornline! The precision of the Phantom Regiment! The smooth and wonderful Blue Devils! I was hooked but good after that wonderful experience. Cheers! Karen

...and nobody has chimed in yet with the next question: "Did Debbie Harry (of Blondie, kiddos) really march in the Muchachos?" Tick, tick, tick.

One of the kindest, wisest, and most gentle of men that I have ever had the honor to know. He and his wonderful wife were truly treasures, and we are all so much richer for having known them. To those who knew of their wonderful impact on the drum corps activity, you are truly lucky. For those of us fortunate enough to have known them and call them "friends", we were truly blessed. My deepest sympathies to the Bonfiglio family and to his extended drum corps family. Karen

Would also love to see the corps do a throw back year: revisit an entire show from your past. Rearrange it (if you'd like) and you now have better equipment and (probably) better players, so let's see how you can do this material now. For BD - 1976 would be my first choice, but I'd take anything from then to 1980. For Phantom, how about 1978? Let's hear 1980 SCV, complete with that awesome drum solo. Crown, you weren't around then. How about you reach into someone else's repertoire for a show? 1984 Suncoast? 1980 27th Lancers? 1978 Bridgemen? They'll never do this. But a girl can dream... KS

How the heck did I manage to miss this thread for so long? Sheesh!!! What a terrific class of inductees into the Bridgemen Hall of Fame. Wonderful and deserving people, each and every one. Congratulations to all of you on this wonderful honor, and have a wonderful time at this very special rehearsal and dinner! Hype and very best wishes, Karen

Also a Giacchino fan, and I thought Star Trek would be great on the field. I actually thought it might be just the thing for the Scouts this year, in order to put the nightmare of the Nacho Libre show behind us. Alas, that was not considered as innovative as the incredibly innovative idea of revisiting stuff they've played a million times before...although at least they'll be Jimmer's sweet arrangements this time around... Would love, love, love to see someone try Belshazars Feast again. 1990 remains my very favorite Star show. But, I am more than willing to defer to Michael Boo's very scary list, too. Cheers! Karen

For years (since the late 70's) my family, as well as many of those who have become my "family" have enjoyed and supported drumcorps. My sisters and I marched for many years, and taught or volunteered for many years after this. My parents have volunteered and contributed thousands and thousands of dollars over the years supporting corps at every level. Our friends-who-became-family have done the same. All told, we probably now number as a group around 30. And for the second year in a row, even with a chunk of this group in Indy that week, none of us are going to Finals. It's the electronics and it's the venue. We continue to send checks to groups we support, and we'll be a sizable contingent in Allentown and perhaps a few other shows. Collectively I can't even begin to imagine how many dollars we've spent on dues, tickets, souvies, and other things over the years. The switch to Bb horns was a turn off, but we begrudgingly accepted it. The hideous use of narration/amplification/synths has definitely driven away a chunk of our group for good. Finals in an echo chamber was the last nail in the coffin for most of us. Perhaps our enthusiasm and passion and dollars will be replaced. I hope for the sake of each marching member it will be. But I doubt an extra few band kids who stay excited/involved for a few years and move on with their lives will replace the vacancy of this particular group of East Coast oldtimers.

Yes.

Excellent post. I do fear that the pendulum has swung too far in the direction of trying to attract new fans only. Some changes we dinosaurs can begudgingly accept (like Bb horns), but the synths, amps, and the hideous choice of Finals in an echo chamber for years to come has really driven away a significant segment of people who have supported DCI/drum corps for decades.

Carol A. (won't attempt that last name without more coffee this morning) was the colorguard captain in 85 and was from 27th. Last I heard she was working with SCV.

Michael, After all the stories about drum corps and the state of the activity contributing to the downfall of so many fine folks' mental health, I am delighted to read a story about drum corps playing a part in restoring someone's actual physical health! And during the off season, no less! Congratulations, and enjoy the shows even more this year!! (And really, those were ugly ### plumes, but I'm so glad to hear they served such a noble purpose!) Cheers! Karen

I always loved the plumes the Bridgemen wore in 1980. Oh wait. That really WAS just a bad dream. My bad. In regards to the thread, I really hated Crown's plumes this year, although I dig the corps. I always love the plumes on the Cadets. And a major high five to the Colts, whose uniform just keeps getting better and better.

Seriously, Brian, what answer are you looking for? They came out of nowhere, they won Finals, and then they left in a very strange way at nearly the top of the game. That, alone, makes them unusual. Phantom was one of the corps you cited. Do you realize (and I'm sure you do) that even with their wonderful and colorful history, they never won Finals until after this corps had been formed, won, and left? They did some mighty amazing things in a mighty short time. For awhile, I also thought that their corporate sponsorship model might really take root, but sadly that hasn't happened. And when they were good, they were very, very good. Think about Hollywood stars, or truly spectacular athletes that have been taken from us in their prime. Decades later, that's the reaction you see to Star: they were very good (very quickly), and they had so much future promise, and then they were gone. Hence, the fascination. No more; no less. And your mileage may vary. Cheers! Karen

My guess is that the thing you missed the cut, and now you're just a bitter little Hoosier...but, of course, that's just a guess.

I think one of the reasons DCI continues to schedule shows in domes is that they see no reason to cater to the long time diehards of the activity. We're going to die off eventually, and as we age we may be tempted to spend our money elsewhere. Plus, as we mature and get soft, we may grow to like the AC, the seat backs, and the other amenities of the domed life. Face it: the domes are familiar to the bando population that DCI sees as its future source of revenue. They're used to the crappy acoustics, and they get too hot and tired playing outside in the elements. So those of us too stubborn to sit in an echo chamber and too stubborn to mention that the bleachers in Allentown make our old backs sore will continue to flock to J. Birney Crum stadium for drum corps the way we enjoy it. Sure, it would be nice to have cup holders, and seat backs, and a few other amenities, but the great sight lines and sounds are what keep us coming back. And DCI doesn't care. Will they miss the dollars that so many of us have spent for decades at Nationals? Maybe. But they're counting on a whole new generation of bandos to replace us so I suppose we'll just have to wait and see if this plan works. I'm pretty sure that the kids performing won't be playing to an empty stadium in 2010, but they may be in a few years, though I don't wish that on any of them. The people of Indy will certainly have a few less dinosaurs in town to tell them "how things used to be" and share our stories of our wonderful yesteryears, and I think their experience might be just a bit diminished because of that. I welcome the hot nights in August when I'll get goosebumps listening to the best of the best playing for us in Pennsylvania, and I'll pack some extra Advil for my poor aching back. Cheers! Karen

And I can gladly attest to the fact that Michael is not only a very fine writer, but also a very fine water boy. Kept that group safely hydrated in 2004, and I have no doubts he will do an excellent job again this Summer. Aside from the splendid noise that is drum corps, I think the wonderful volunteerism that runs throughout the activity is my favorite thing. Cheers! Karen