I was there when...........

[Contrajefe]

...the lights went out in Concord on 6/19/99, people started turning on their headlights in the parking lot next to DVC's stadium, and the Div. I show turned into an exhibition.

[Sam98]

I was there when:

George Hopkins went off on Dan at the end of Semifinals in 2007, classless act IMO

What was that all about?

[elphaba01]

...in 1965 at McCormick Place in Chicago for what many still consider the greatest drum corps show of all time.

Days of rain had forced the Nationals indoors. Tommy Howell and I (not being exactly geographically savvy) had hitch-hiked from Long Island. It took 3 days. The last-minute scramble left ticketing in chaos and we simply walked in. Along with a few other ruffians, we stacked some cafeteria tables high enough to sit behind the judges who had been positioned at the top of some low basketball bleachers.

From this perch we saw all 15 corps in finals. When the smoke cleared, the Royal Aires were the champs, having bested the Troopers (who would be National Champions in their own right a year later), Madison, Cavaliers, Magnificent Yankees, P.A.L. Cadets (with their awesome snare line), Chicago Vanguard, Garfield, Mighty St. Joe's, Blessed Sacrament, the Kilties, St. Mary's Cardinals (executing a flawless 90 degree company front wheel in "Heat Wave", brass double-tongueing all the while), St Kevin's Emerald Knights (with those incomparable Frank Bergdoll charts), Norwood Park Imperials and the Boston Crusaders.

Some memories don't fade. I can close my eyes and be right back there. I once asked Gail Royer which was the greatest corps ever. "The '65 Royal Aires", he replied, "without a doubt".

"Olde Tymme Greats:

1961 "I was there" at the VFW Nationals Finals, which saw a "Knock down drag out" ON THE FIELD at retreat between St Vincents Cadets and St Marys Majestic Knights.

1964 "I was there" at the World Open Prelims where the Casper Troopers completly GASSED the audience with their incredible marching expertise.

1966 "I was there" at the VFW Nationals Finals to witness the IC Reveries "Sit Down Strike" at Finals, and the Chicago Cavaliers loss of the title due to a one point penalty.

Elphaba

WWW

[MikeD]

1969: I was on the field at the Garden State Circuit champs retreat in Dover, NJ, when St. Martin's Troubadors from Newark and St. Andrews Bridgemen from Bayonne got into a huge knock down drag out fistfight on the field...causing St Martin's moderator to immediately disband the corps.

My corps, the Livingston Imperial Guardsmen, had virtually the identical uniform to St Martin's...white satin blouse, black pants, red and black cross-sash and cummerbund. The ONLY difference was that our cross-sashes had the one color on top, while St Martin's had the other one on top. Our director wisely pulled us off the field post-haste so we did not get mis-identified by St Andrew's members.

[goalieguy]

I was there at the Stillwater show in 1985 when I found out the entire corps (or so the story goes) of Phantom had been poisoned by bad water. Sort of scared me to be honest.

Ryan -

It was tainted spaghetti sauce that gave Phantom its issues. Half the corps wound up at the ER that day/evening. They went out with what was left and did a standstill..They had a big write-up about it in the local papers the next day..and some folks followed up with a progress report as the season wound down.

You guys were fun that year BTW!!

Pat

[troopers1]

I was there at the Stillwater show in 1985 when I found out the entire corps (or so the story goes) of Phantom had been poisoned by bad water. Sort of scared me to be honest.

That was '86, my rookie year in Troopers. The second, smaller, Drum Beauty show.

I was there, looking into the stadium as the PR kids tried to do their show. They were falling over in their places. It was very scary.

When I went to PR in '89, I was told it was food poisoning from the meat sauce on their spaghetti that night.

[TrainWreck]

...the lights went out in Concord on 6/19/99, people started turning on their headlights in the parking lot next to DVC's stadium, and the Div. I show turned into an exhibition.

I was there, too. I have a recording of that show. Still gives me goosebumps the moments the lights go out. You can hear the grown of the crowd followed by non-stop cheering as it became apparent the corps kept on going in darkness.

That was one of the most intense performances I had ever seen.

[troopers1]

I was there, in Malden MA, 1986, when

- 27th Lancers re-started their show due to wind, and were roundly booed at their homeshow

- Boston Crusaders marched their show after getting into a fight with the crowd at the parade earlier in the day. One contra had a broken jaw, and there were some other major injuries, too. We loved those guys.

I was there, in Stillwater MN, 1988, when

- Marauders' 20 or 30 yard wide castle set blew over mid-show. The guard was behind it at the time. I don't think anyone was hurt, luckily.

- BD performed their victory concert about 20 feet away from the crowd. The lead sops were throwing their gloves to the girls in the audience, who were screaming like it was a 1950's Frank Sinatra concert.

I was there, at finals in 1993, when it rained like heck during the Scouts' show.

[Rusty]

I was there, at finals in 1993, when it rained like heck during the Scouts' show.

Oh yeah. Good times, no? Also from '93: I don't remember where exactly, but it was at a show in the Midwest during the more or less constant rain going on in the region during the summer. During Phantom's performance, there was thunder and lightning off in the distance behind the field. A rather fitting backdrop for that show/corps.

[michsta8]

I was there when .... Drum corps was not band