My First Drum Corps Show

[Tansea]

I was 5. It was like 1964 or something like that, Northern California...I was in love.

[lindap]

I found a scrapbook from 1968-1969. Here are my words from my scrapbook about my first drum corps contest. I was 13.

"May 31st, 1969 Etobicoke, Ontario. Alhambra Day in Etobicoke hosted by Michael Power Knights. First show of the year. My very first show. We won over Midlanders. Airplanes flew overhead and muffled Midlanders music. I cried when we won, first show you know."

[dccorpsfan]

Benson, NC...my ears are still ringing from Crown's hornline :)

[atlvalet]

DCI Canada, 1990. I was marching a lower class corps, and had only seen lower class corps. First open class corps I saw was Spirit of Atlanta. I said "That was awesome!"

A guy in our line, who had marched Dutchboy '88 said, you ain't seen nothin' yet. Then I saw Cadets (and Cavaliers I think) and was overwhelmed with a burning desire to march open class :)

Edited August 17, 2007 by atlvalet

[randomnoise]

And especially when you realize that Madison didn't have a contest in the U.S. between June 19 and July 16, since they were in Europe then.

Limited touring - they should have been forced to perform in Div II.

^0^ ^0^ ^0^ ^0^ ^0^ ^0^ ^0^

Sorry - spending too much time in the Div I forum!

I was at that show (taught SCV Brass that year). Good times. As I recall, Madison didn't really start coming on strong until right before Nats.

[ChicagoFan]

I've related this story before but it fits the topic so, here it is again:

My first show was Open Class Prelims in 1979. I was just a kid back then and knew absolutely nothing about drum corps, until Phantom Regiment stayed at my Birmingham high school during finals week. Having nothing better to do, my father and I wandered over to the school one afternoon to watch Regiment rehearse. I was intrigued enough to buy a ticket to Friday's competition, and dutifuly arrived at Legion Field at the 8:00am start time (only to learn that Phantom didn't perform until much later in the afternoon). I found a seat in the upper deck to watch the morning competition (comprising the 12th-25th ranked corps of 1978), and was amazed at what I saw -- to the point that when my father arrived around noon to pick me up, I asked if I could stay for the afternoon.

As amazing as the morning's corps had been (I particularly remember the Troopers and realizing -- though I knew nothing about the corps at the time -- that I was witnessing something special), I was floored by what I saw later in the day. The upper deck was, by this time, full so I secured a seat on the first level fairly close to the field. (Seats were general admission back then, and cost about $5) I have vivid recollections of North Star and a fantastic rifle line; the biased crowd reaction to Spirit of Atlanta; the pandemonium caused by the Bridgemen; the subtle classicism of SCV; 27th Lancers and the best guard I've ever seen; and, of course, Phantom's breathtaking performance (which I was seeing for the first time in full uniform and in its totality).

I was hooked and have been a part of drum corps since that August day in 1979.

[lindap]

1969 - Saw Shriner's Internationals and North Americans in Toronto, Ontario. What I wrote in my scrapbook in 1969. I just turned 14 and my opinions then may not be my opinions now. You can get hooked on drum corps without marching in one.

"August 10th, 1969. Varsity Stadium, Toronto, Ontario. North American Invitational Drum Corps Championship.

I had seen Kilties in the Shriner’s show earlier this year and I thought they were great. I saw Troopers tonight and the sunburst was fantastic. I’ve never seen a real drum corps show. I’m so used to being in a show myself. You have to be in drum corps to understand what drum corps was all about."

Edited August 20, 2007 by lindap

[scv74]

Nice Souvenir! There probably aren't many of those around.

I've still got my ticket (unripped) to prelims.

[bradrick]

Each of the corps got louder than the previous. When we had decided that nobody could possibly play louder than the corps that just finished playing, Phantom Regiment stepped onto the field.

I was at that show as well can remember most of the night very vividly. Something about the Whitewater show was always very exciting (except for the mosquitos). I had just performed in the Sky Ryders' "Sound of Music" show and parked up in the stands with a bunch of other corps member for the rest of a GREAT show.

I was really digging the whole show experience until Phantom Regiment came out and really let loose with that big full brass sound in Romeo and Juliet and that's when I had my "Come to Jesus" moment with drum corps. Then the pit sit up those big drums at the end of the show and almost knocked me one row back.

And the brass ensemble at the end before the final push! To this day, that remains the finest small brass ensemble I've ever heard in a drum corps show. Absolutely beautiful.

Madison Scouts were next up. When they spun around and backed into the big wedge and really let it fly in Maleguana I saw the most amazing thing I have ever seen at a show. The crowd jumped to its feet as if it was knocked up into the air by the sound. The entire crowd stood up starting with the front row and rippled up the stands to the back row like doing the wave front to back in less than a second and just freaked out for the rest of the show. Whenever I heard someone complain that they didn't think Madison should have won finals that year I would always tell them "You never saw them live. They were 'pee your pants' exciting." :P

And by the time they made it to Kansas City, they were a raging inferno. Stunning, classic, precise Madison. I talk a lot about how SCV had a Golden Show in Finals, but there's really no other way to describe Madison's performance. Not sure if I've EVER seen a more enthusiastic crowd response.

That was followed up by SCV Phantom of the Opera. I get chills even thinking about that angled line pushing forward forward during Music of the Night and being emotionally drained as the last note was played. The audience was so sucked in that it was actually almost dead silent until the last note faded away and then the place went nuts.

...sigh... B)

Blue Devils were next. The only thing I remember about their show was being surprised that the "Blue" Devils were wearing Black. I was so into that show I was shocked it was over. I still swear that show was only two minutes long.

I always say without hesitation that (in my own personal experience) the hornline that had the most gorgeous, lush, mature sound with the best tone quality, intonation and voicing would be the 1988 Blue Devils hornline. Absolutely amazing to listen to live. It was like listening to a large professional jazz orchestra.

From a musicality, uniformity and phrasing standpoint, they were definitely one of the cleanest I've ever heard live. It was absolutely beautiful the way all horns in each section were following the same "arc" or phrasing and it was extremely hard to find individuals poking out of the texture of the music. You could just sit back and let it wash over you.

And Whitewater was a great place to let it wash over you.

Edited August 20, 2007 by bradrick

[Achilles]

Wow the OP's first show - what a way to lose your DC virginity!