tired and old in pa Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 In 1970's the first show of the Jr season for me was Lancaster Pa on Saturday night, then on Sunday driving to Kingston NY for the Pow Wow Preview. Lancaster was the first show of the season for the metro-Philly corps .Corps that competed at that show were Blue Rock , Garfield, Chessmen, Bracken, 507, Keystone Reg., Sacred Heart, Belvederes, Crossmen,Bon Bons,Black Watch ,PALCadets and other corps I lost track of. At the Preview show in Kingston if your corps won that show they were invited back to compete against the big boys in July. It was a great way to start the season. Anybody else remember the start of the Memorial Day weekend shows. tired and old in Pa Belvederes 74-76 Black Diamond Regiment 77-79 Pioneer Scouts 81-82 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endsnare Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 I also started Memorial Day Weekend at the Lancaster show. My first one was in 1973 marched with the 507 Hornets and we defeated Blue Rock that night what a thrill. I also remember one year with the Crossmen, we did the Lancaster show then drove to Bridgeport, CT for a Sunday night show then drove back to Delaware County, PA to march in several Memorial Day parades on Monday. What a weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GGarrett Posted May 24, 2009 Share Posted May 24, 2009 (edited) As I recall, it was mostly just parades Memorial Day for me going back to my first corps. And we usually did two or even three. Maybe a stand still performance just to get out and play in front of people. I'll have to take a look at our schedule from 1975 (my first year) and see what we did. Parades were a big source of $$$ for corps back then, so we did all kinds of them. 4th of July... town events... and I can even recall Rockford had some kind of requirement to march in the parade if you were in the show that night. But that's not so much the case anymore. Most corps even despise marching parades now I've noticed... But I do know for sure that we did have shows well after DCI back then. In fact, the last show of the year for us was Labor Day weekend. Edited May 24, 2009 by GGarrett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamparadiddlediddle Posted May 24, 2009 Share Posted May 24, 2009 If memory serves accurately, our first show in Wisconsin would always be in Kenosha on Memorial Day, the official opening of the season. (That was "back in the day") I think we won a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sky Posted May 24, 2009 Share Posted May 24, 2009 (edited) Lancaster was a great show -- a real "wake-up call." Don't know who sponsored it (there was no corps from Lancaster) or what year it began but it always was a good start to the year. From 63-69 it drew the regional corps and featured a few NY/NE corps each year. Some of those I remember: St. Mary's Lancers, Blue Rock, York White Roses, Dundalk Cadets, Royaleers, NJ Vagabonds, OLPH Ridgemen, St. Rocco's, LI Kingsmen, Pittsfield Cavaliers, St Raphael's, Garfield, OLPH VIPs, Sacred Heart, etc. The next night it was on to a bigger show, which always featured several of the same corps and a few additions at Bayard Stadium (complete with trains behind the stands) in Wilmington, DE. What a way to begin the season. Sure do miss those days and those contests. SKY Edited May 25, 2009 by sky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobB Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 If memory serves accurately, our first show in Wisconsin would always be in Kenosha on Memorial Day, the official opening of the season. (That was "back in the day") I think we won a few. Yup....at Lakefront Stadium in Kenosha, sponsored by the Kenosha Kingsmen senior corps. Always the first midwest show in the 60s/early 70s, and a big one, too---Cavies, Vanguard, Kilties, etc.---and always colder than **** ("Lakefront" meant exactly that....cold winds off Lake Michigan!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 (edited) Lancaster was a great show -- a real "wake-up call." Don't know who sponsored it (there was no corps from Lancaster) or what year it began but it always was a good start to the year. From 63-69 it drew the regional corps and featured a few NY/NE corps each year. Some of those I remember: St. Mary's Lancers, Blue Rock, York White Roses, Dundalk Cadets, Royaleers, NJ Vagabonds, OLPH Ridgemen, St. Rocco's, LI Kingsmen, Pittsfield Cavaliers, St Raphael's, Garfield, OLPH VIPs, Sacred Heart, etc.The next night it was on to a bigger show, which always featured several of the same corps and a few additions at Bayard Stadium (complete with trains behind the stands) in Wilmington, DE. What a way to begin the season. Sure do miss those days and those contests. SKY Steve, where was the Lancaster show held? (Like I know anything about Lancaster ) For the Senior side, "the" show was Mt Carmel, PA (exhibition) up in the coal region. Middle of freakin' nowhere and here's this football stadium with a HUGE concert side set of stands cut into a hill. Saw that one year then the show was moved to Danville, PA in 1976 or 1977. Danville had maybe 15-20 rows of bleachers and the people on the bottom row sat with their feet on the ground. Sat there one year and only thrill was being eyeball level with the bells of the horns on the field. Big let down from Mt Carmel..... PS - Good turnout with the drumline at Hanover and G-burg today if you didn't already know. If I heard right, Bob Z recruited one or two former White Roses. Edited May 26, 2009 by JimF-3rdBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HornsUp Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 Yup....at Lakefront Stadium in Kenosha, sponsored by the Kenosha Kingsmen senior corps. Always the first midwest show in the 60s/early 70s, and a big one, too---Cavies, Vanguard, Kilties, etc.---and always colder than **** ("Lakefront" meant exactly that....cold winds off Lake Michigan!). "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Kenosha Winter Carnival" quipped PA announcer John Emery on May 30 1964, and every year thereafter the weather always kept up its reputation. Various mayors of Kenosha were guests at the Kingsmen's annual banquets and would always promise a new stadium in a warmer location. The Kenosha Kingsmen did not field a corps after 1969, but continued to operate the Memorial Day weekend show. They cleared their corporate debt and then contributed to Kenosha's music education programs. In 1974 they sponsored their final Concourse of Champions. It was held in a new stadium built behind Tremper High School, on the city's southwest side. But the weatherman had the last laugh. Temps in the low 40s and a stiff wind made this final "Winter Carnival" the coldest of them all. Sometimes, you just can't win over Mother Nature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHall Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 We went to shows in Michigan back in 1975 and 1976, can't remember much other than the huge storm behind us while we were playing "Garden of Gethsamane" from Jesus Christ Superstar. Anyone else there? I don't think we did well until June of 1976. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Thunder Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 The junior season generally opened before Memorial Day back in the early 1970s. Here's a sample of the season openers: May 23, 1970 Bridgeport, CT Blue Rock 71.95 27th Lancers 69.75 Boston Crusaders 67.6 Garfield 66.75 Blessed Sacrament 66.55 Muchachos 59.05 Cardinals 58.35 OLPH Ridgemen 57.2 Knickerbockers 53.05 May 22, 1971 Hamtramack, MI Royal Lancers 51.3 Vanguard-MI 48.3 Praesidium 46.1 Eaglettes 45.8 Saginaires 24.8 May 22, 1971 Bridgeport, CT Blue Rock 72.05 27th Lancers 71.45 Garfield 71.35 Boston Crusaders 70 Blessed Sacrament 69.6 Pembroke Imperials 51.35 L.I. Kingsmen 48.15 May 20, 1972 Macomb, IL Black Knights 69.2 Chevaliers 59.5 Colt .45 57 Nee Hi's 49.1 Northernaires 42.2 Chargers 33.4 May 19, 1973 Macomb, IL Black Knights 69.15 Chevaliers 59.25 Windjammers 50.2 Marion Cadets 49.25 Rebels 41.2 Nee Hi's 34.6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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