njthundrrd

There is at least one in the video.

http://www.bluestars.org/ Feb Camp Video found on the homepage with a camp report article. Final Guard Auditions - May 2-4 March Drill Camp #1 - March 7-9 April Drill Camp #2 - April 4-6 2 Tuba spots available 2 Euphonium spots available 1 Mellophone spot availabe Contact eric@bluestars.org for details. So? What do you think the show will be? Any predictions?

Mods Time to close this please? The deadline was 2/15 for nominations. I believe Al received at least two and I cannot speak for Moe or Jack Bevins. Thank you.

Tony Clifton is a fictional character created and often played by comedian Andy Kaufman in the late 1970s. Kaufman saw Clifton as the antithesis of the sweet, gentle "Foreign Man" character he was best known for (which was later adapted into Latka Gravas, Kaufman's character on Taxi). Clifton was a staggeringly untalented lounge singer with a nasal, deliberately annoying singing voice. Clifton epitomized the washed-up showbiz casualty, a "star" too lazy to even bother to remember the lyrics to his songs. Clifton would often attempt to improvise comical lyrics that were intentionally unfunny before giving up entirely without seeming to care. Clifton also tended to randomly insult patrons, passing off the abuse as the "comedy" portion of his act. Many people misunderstood Kaufman's intent, focusing on the character's foul language and prima donna antics while failing to appreciate the fact that Clifton was meant to be the comic antithesis of the typical lounge singer, a bland, genial entertainer designed to add a touch of class to a hotel and make guests feel welcome. For a brief time, it was unclear to some that Clifton was not a real person. News programs interviewed Clifton as Kaufman's opening act, but the interviews invariably would turn ugly whenever Kaufman's name came up. Clifton claimed Kaufman was "using his good name" to get rich. (The Clifton/Kaufman "relationship" charade may be a parody of the Don Rickles/Frank Sinatra real life friendship.) Actually, in many cases, Andy Kaufman played Clifton. Promoters who thought they had caught on to the joke would hire Clifton because he was cheaper than booking Kaufman. However, Kaufman had the last laugh, enlisting his brother Michael or his showbiz partner Bob Zmuda to play the role, with Kaufman making unannounced appearances onstage during Clifton's act.

Feel free to discuss! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPNht_kpbDc

WAY TO GO WGM! You freaks...uhhh errr.. I mean, drum corps devotees, I'm sure where a big hit in the Big Easy! Hopefully, next year, I can be in the lot riding with Excalibur and watching you guys have fun. MIKE? The Blue Stars expect some Gatorade love, burning clarinets, and maybe even a human sacrifice sometime this summer... WGM style. I'm glad you guys had a great time. Drum corps is good for the soul.. On any level!

I actually go barefoot or in my sandals whenever I can. Ahhhh the Nike hightops only laced halfway. The ultimate rollin' machines!

Are you making a late decision to march this summer? Did that callback to another corps just not work out for you? You can still have the drum corps experience you wanted with an organization that has been around for over 40 years. Read more here! http://www.bluestars.org/story.php?story_id=462

Joe, please write something to DCI on Al's behalf. A few words here are great, but a letter to DCI would also do wonders.

You guys should write something.

I have known Al “Chez” for a majority of my life. My memories go back to the infamous Saints DBC and their “Bill Chase” show back in the late 70s. So many talented soloists came from that corps and went on to other corps, including the Bridgemen and the Garfield Cadets. Al was one that made the transition to Garfield. Al was also part of the reason why I left the Royal Brigade DBC of the Meadowlands, NJ and came to Garfield. I sat in the stands in Birmingham, AL in 1980 and just laughed at how he worked the crowd. I needed to be a part of the corps that could entertain like that. So, in Fall of 1980 I joined the Garfield Cadets and spent the next 4 years there. Back in those days, drum corps were local groups and to leave one for another was almost like leaving one street gang for another. You paid the consequence for going to another corps. So it was at a January winterguard show at Passaic County Vo-Tech (April Gilligan’s former school), that during a break my former corps members came to the middle of the gym floor and were “calling me out” to come down and take my beating. I was sitting with about 14 or more Cadet members and Al stood up and said, “If you want to fight Eric, you have to fight all of us…. He is a Cadet now!” I grew up in a pretty rough town in New Jersey and needless to say, I thought this was going to get out of control, but cooler heads prevailed. Al had a way of letting people know that you belonged. I was now a “Cadet” and understood what it meant. Over the years as the Cadets “morphed” into their new identity, the designers made sure that Al’s special talents were on display. You just need to hear the solos in 1982’s Cuban Overture to hear him killing the audience. You knew the second solo was Al, just because of the pure volume of sound. Another great story was in 1982, after that same solo, the lead sopranos and the lower euphoniums (which I played) were folded into each other. Al always had a flick of the horn to my funny bone when he came back to the form after the song. He always missed, with the exception of DCI Finals in Montreal…. Where he hit me perfectly and I played about 45 seconds into Concerto in F with my right arm hanging at my side numb. Needless to say, after the show we laughed about it. I will not mention the infamous 1982 “Porta Pottie” incident after prelims in Whitewater, but needless to say, it was “pure Al.” Al also made his attempts as a visual instructor after that year. He would come and attempt to teach the baritone line. Out of respect to him, we only hassled him a little bit about his marching knowledge, since he spent most of his marching years on the front sideline, waiting to play his next solo. After he aged out, I would go hang with him in his early band days and go to showcases in Staten Island or NYC with him. I remember clearly some of the groups he was with. Later, I had to see him with Tower of Power and visit him on set at the Letterman show. Al was meant for the spotlight. He was and is a perfect fit. Al is long overdue for this honor! What he has given to the Cadets, the Crossmen, YEA!, marching band programs across the country, clinics, college bands, and the Letterman show all come from his roots in NJ drum corps and primarily the Garfield Cadets. Drum Corps International has been seen by many people because of Al Chez. His body of work is one of the greatest achievements by a drum corps performer in the entertainment industry! Al should be inducted into the Drum Corps International Hall of Fame at the earliest opportunity.

::::powerfulhighpitchshakeyourbonesrockyoursoulkindabump:::::::: (just like chez would do it)

http://www.dci.org/about/fame//board_election.cfm It would be great to see Al in the DCI HOF. Please only serious nominations on his behalf. A number of us would love to see him get in. Please send your nomination letter to the link above by this Friday 2/15. Many thanks!

Thank you all for the PMs and compliments about our camp poster. Tuba players? email me if you are interested in the Blue Stars or know somebody that is interested in marching this summer.

I want to tell you about how excited I am about the 2008 edition of the Blue Stars. My marching years started with the Garfield Cadets, then I taught Star of Indiana, after that a visual judge for DCI for 14 years, finally I was a visual instructor and then Director of Business Development for the Phantom Regiment, before becoming the Corps Director of the Blue Stars. With that said, I like to think I know a thing or two about drum corps and can recognize a good thing when I see it. Amazing things are happening here. Our design team has many very talented people on it, but I wanted to make you aware of 2 in particular – Kevin Ford (Drill Designer) and Frank Sullivan (Brass Arranger) both from Tarpon Springs HS. If you are not familiar with Tarpon, they are a perennial Band of America Finalist and one of the most progressive schools in the BOA activity. Guess what? We have at the Blue Stars a wonderful tradition of “in your face” drum corps and then add to that the talent of Frank and Kevin (among the rest of our staff) and I think we will have a show that will have the audience in awe and cheering for our drum corps. The Blue Stars are set up to have an amazing 2008. We have a few tuba and low brass spots still available! I have an offer for you. Come to one camp. Either the February or March camps held in Indianapolis, Indiana (go to www.bluestars.org for dates) and… If you don’t like what you see?….. I will give you your camp fee back. Like what you see?... You might just be a part of something… well… extraordinary. FINALLY, if you are too old to march and know of any tuba or baritone players that would love to take part in the drum corps experience, please forward this email onto them. Email me your thoughts or questions at eric@bluestars.org

Ahhhh St Peters and the establishment that plays drum corps every day of the year in it. But I digress, maybe you know of some talented baritone or tuba players to march? Have them contact me at eric@bluestars.org

Email me at eric@bluestars.org we have people to share rides with from Oklahoma. Come give it a try!

We are marching 12 tubas/contras with 2 alternates. I assure you there are no sousaphones!

FEEL FREE TO SEND THEM THIS POSTER TOO!

The Blue Stars have a few remaining spots in our tuba line. Email corps director Eric Sabach at eric@bluestars.org and I will answer any and all questions. Now for you guys that are not tuba players and came in here? Maybe you can send an email to a tuba player, band director, low brass player, or just another drum corps fan and send them my information.

I think you will be more than happy with the outcome of the extra horns. I'm sure people that come to our show and tell on Sunday afternoons can attest to that. Anyone in the Indy area is more than welcome to come to the Indiana State Fairgrounds about 2pm on camp Sundays to see our weekend "show and tell" performance. You might even get a tidbit from the upcoming 2008 show, if you come on the 1/20. We rehearse in the 4-H buildings (behind the track and away from the Pepsi Center. Just find the equip truck). Camp Date are... (flyer found here) http://www.bluestars.org/graphics/08poster_lg2.jpg Friends, Family and Alum of the Blue Stars are encouraged to attend. We also have had some Star of Indiana and Star United members attend. Sundays are becoming a bit of a reunion day at camps, for many different reasons. FCO!

(bump)

did I mention the hornline is going to be much bigger? AND LOUDER?

You forgot to tell them that you still look exactly like your avatar! = )

Don't tell anyone, but our horn line is getting bigger....sshhhhhhhhhhhhhh! The college bowl season is almost over and we welcome any fall band student (high school or college) that has either auditioned at another corps or was obligated to the Holiday Bowl Season to come and experience the Blue Stars. www.bluestars.org For camp information, travel, airport pick-ups, camp needs, fees, and the ongoing audition process. Our auditions are an ongoing process to allow prospective members the opportunity to learn our system in more than a "one and done" weekend. Come and learn from some of the finest instructors in our activity and take part in the start of another great Blue Stars program. All of your meals are also provided at camp. There is no need to leave the fairgrounds during the weekend for meals.