'89 Phantom Regiment

[ScarletKnight]

SUNDAY JULY 30, 1989

SANDUSKY, OH

Another long bus ride crossing the Canadian border. Everyone was asked where they were from, and there were only a few minor problems. We arrived at Sandusky high school and got a couple of hours of floor time. Then we practiced till dinner. The corps then had a choice of going to Cedar Park Amusement Park or to a mall to check out a movie. It was a nice break from practice.

[ScarletKnight]

MONDAY, JULY 31, 1989

We had plenty of sleep and were ready to go. We had seven hours of practice, three before lunch and four after. We couldn't use the stadium after lunch so the horn line had to practice on the blacktop marching field. The corps had a good show that night, beating Cavies by .8.

BELLEVUE, OH

PHANTOM REGIMENT: 90.2

CAVALIERS: 89.4

SPIRIT: 81.6

CROSSMEN: 79.2

DUTCH BOY: 75.4

GLASSMEN: 59.4

RAILMEN: 50.3

[ScarletKnight]

TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1989

After a shorter than usual bus ride we got to the school and slept in an air conditioned gym. It was very cool. We woke up at 11 and started practice at 12:00. Our practice was fairly productive and we were ready for the show. Regiment was the first of the big corps so it had to be a very good show. Our show was fairly exciting but we did not execute well enough to win. The corps finished second under the Cavaliers for the first time all year.

CINCINNATI, OH

CAVALIERS: 91.7

PHANTOM REGIMENT: 91.1

SPIRIT: 80.4

SUNCOAST: 74.8

FLORIDA WAVE: 71.9

GLASSMEN: 60.5

[ScarletKnight]

AUGUST 2, 1989

The corps woke up at 8 and started warming up at 9. We had to do a 10:00 clinic for the high school band. We startyed stretching in the stadium while the staff had a meeting. Then we broke up into sectionals to warm up. After warm up the full corps went onto the field for ensemble work during our clinic time. We did ensemble until 12:00 then broke for lunch. Some of our members stayed for a while to do a clinic for the band members. After lunch we were allowed 3 1/2 hours to do laundry. Then we went back to the school to rearrange our luggage. After dinner, we had an hour and a half for sectionals, then we loaded the buses for Nashville, TN

[ScarletKnight]

THURSDAY, AUGUST 3, 1989

NASHVILLE, TN: probably the hottest day of the year and we had a good day of practice. It showed in our run through which was very good and exciting. The practice field was terrible and full of bugs. We finished practice, loaded the buses and left. Almost. Bus #1 would not start and we were delayed two long hours.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 1989

WARRIOR, ALABAMA

The corps woke up in the early afternoon and had a good practice, despite the entire population of Warrior walking around the school track. The guard had a slanted practice field, but the rest of the fields were great. We knew this town was rocking when we found out the big hangout place was Jacks (a fast food place).

[ScarletKnight]

Ok, I have fallen behind again - sorry about that. Also, I would like to say a word about Chris Chenault, a Phantom Regiment contra player in 1989, who passed away yesterday morning. Chris was a great person, with a wonderful sense of humor; he was a music educator and impacted the lives of a lot of people. I got to know him quite well as I housed with him while in Rockford; he will be missed.

___________________

The remaining days of the tour I remember very well; it was almost like every specific day had its own feeling and memory.

SATURDAY AUGUST 5, 1989 - DCI SOUTH

We woke up early for the prelims show. Prelims was an average show and we placed behind the Star of Indiana. We went back to the school and relaxed for a while then had a few hours of practice. Our Finals show was awesome and we won all captions except one. We won DCI South for the first time in Regiment history with a 93.8, coming back with a vengence from '87, when the Blue Devils won be one tenth. Star was second.

BIRMINGHAM AL

PRELIMS:

STAR OF INDIANA: 91.7

PHANTOM REGIMENT: 91.1

BLUE DEVILS: 89.4

CAVALIERS: 89.3

SPIRIT OF ATLANTA: 79.9

SUNCOAST: 79.1

BLUE KNIGHTS: 75.1

DUTCH BOY: 76.2

TROOPERS: 72.1

COLTS: 66.9

GLASSMEN: 64.8

SPARTANS: 56.6

FINALS:

PHANTOM REGIMENT: 93.7

STAR OF INDIANA: 92.0

CAVALIERS: 91.0

BLUE DEVILS: 90.1

SUNCOAST: 82.5

SPIRIT OF ATLANTA: 80.6

DUTCH BOY: 80.0

BLUE KNIGHTS: 74.9

TROOPERS: 72.7

COLTS: 67.1

(Personal note - I think a lot of members in the corps just laughed at the prelim results when we got back to our housing site - we laughed, but I also think we were kind of angry, so when we got to finals that night we were really charged up. There was just this incredible intensity that night to the performance, something I'd not felt before, even at the DCM finals earlier in the season.)

_________________________________

SUNDAY AUGUST 6, 1989

We woke up and had sectionals for a while. It was fairly comfortable weather until it rained, then the humidity took over. After sectionals we did a clinic for a fairly large and enthusiastic crowd of band members. The show was very exciting and draining. We had a few members not feeling very well, so we had a drum majors only finale. We started feeling how well known the corps is in the south with the fans, and we started seeing ex-members more and more.

BILOXI, MI

Phantom Regiment 93.1

Spirit of Atlanta: 84.5

Blue Knights: 75.0

Troopers: 74.2

Colts: 70.2

Southwind: 50.8

(personal note: Weird weather for rehearsal. Raining for a few minutes, then sunny, then rainy... and, since the beach was near, some members went off for a swim during our down time).

_________________________

MONDAY, AUGUST 7, 1989

FREE DAY - NEW ORLEANS, LA

After practice for a while in Biloxi, we traveled to New Orleans for our free day. Many people experienced fine southern food and freaks on the streets. After dinner the majority of the corps was at Pat O'Briens singing and having a "good 'ol time." When we got back to the busses we were missing a member. Several people were sent back into the city to look for her. After several hours the search was given over to the New Orleans Police Dept.

(personal note: good God, never have a free day in New Orleans unless you want utter mayhem. Anyone who wanted a hurricane got one; age did not matter. Our lost guard member was eventually found, but it was decided she would not be returning to the corps. )

___________________________

[bradrick]

Ok, I have fallen behind again - sorry about that. Also, I would like to say a word about Chris Chenault, a Phantom Regiment contra player in 1989, who passed away yesterday morning. Chris was a great person, with a wonderful sense of humor; he was a music educator and impacted the lives of a lot of people. I got to know him quite well as I housed with him while in Rockford; he will be missed.

Ummm. Wow. That's really sad news.

Chris and I actually went to the SAME elementary school in DeSoto, TX before he moved to the next town over Lancaster. We remained aquaintences through the years. Heck he even got to stand right beside me at retreat and blast my head practically off my shoulders with the rest of the excellent 89 Regiment hornline playing part of their New World show. (Was either their opener or closer. Can't remember which.) What more could anyone ask?

Here's his bio from his Jester Marching website: http://jestermarching.tripod.com/id1.html

And here's a link to a thread where he had to correct some bogus critique being made by a "yungun" about the 89 Regiment corps.

http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/inde...t&p=1963706

I responded to his post by offering to buy him a beer and stating that even though I thought his response was most excellent "as far as I'm concerned, 89 Regiment doesn't have to defend itself for anybody."

Rest in peace buddy. Mr. Opus. We never got to have that beer together but I'll drink one in your honor tonight.

You'll live on every time anyone settles down in front of the TV to partake of the awesome Phantom Regiment show you were a part of.

Edited August 17, 2009 by bradrick

[ScarletKnight]

Ummm. Wow. That's really sad news.

Chris and I actually went to the SAME elementary school in DeSoto, TX before he moved to the next town over Lancaster. We remained aquaintences through the years. Heck he even got to stand right beside me at retreat and blast my head practically off my shoulders with the rest of the excellent 89 Regiment hornline playing part of their New World show. (Was either their opener or closer. Can't remember which.) What more could anyone ask?

Here's his bio from his Jester Marching website: http://jestermarching.tripod.com/id1.html

And here's a link to a thread where he had to correct some bogus critique being made by a "yungun" about the 89 Regiment corps.

http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/inde...t&p=1963706

I responded to his post by offering to buy him a beer and stating that even though I thought his response was most excellent "as far as I'm concerned, 89 Regiment doesn't have to defend itself for anybody."

Rest in peace buddy. Mr. Opus. We never got to have that beer together but I'll drink one in your honor tonight.

You'll live on every time anyone settles down in front of the TV to partake of the awesome Phantom Regiment show you were a part of.

Thanks Brad for that link. I had not seen that before, and I can hear Chris' voice and see his expressions in giving it. One thing I think that was classy about Chris is that he always made his point without bringing anyone else down in comparison. He had a lot of artistic talent - musically and visually. For example, he was a good cartoonist and he did an excellent T-shirt design for the soprano line, with Underdog in the Regiment uniform. He also was probably the loudest snorer I ever heard in my life. I will miss him.

I have not talked to a lot of people in SCV from that year, just three I think, so it's interesting hearing things from a different perspective.

[fecontra]

Ummm. Wow. That's really sad news.

Chris and I actually went to the SAME elementary school in DeSoto, TX before he moved to the next town over Lancaster. We remained aquaintences through the years. Heck he even got to stand right beside me at retreat and blast my head practically off my shoulders with the rest of the excellent 89 Regiment hornline playing part of their New World show. (Was either their opener or closer. Can't remember which.) What more could anyone ask?

Here's his bio from his Jester Marching website: http://jestermarching.tripod.com/id1.html

And here's a link to a thread where he had to correct some bogus critique being made by a "yungun" about the 89 Regiment corps.

http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/inde...t&p=1963706

I responded to his post by offering to buy him a beer and stating that even though I thought his response was most excellent "as far as I'm concerned, 89 Regiment doesn't have to defend itself for anybody."

Rest in peace buddy. Mr. Opus. We never got to have that beer together but I'll drink one in your honor tonight.

You'll live on every time anyone settles down in front of the TV to partake of the awesome Phantom Regiment show you were a part of.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

This is what drumcorps is really all about!

long after these shows are over folks remember , and the people aspect of it is beyond comprehension!

This is really what this activity? is all about!

Edited August 18, 2009 by fecontra

[AlanAndreasen]

Ok, need to get caught up here :) Some of the next few days were very memorable to me.

SUNDAY, JULY 23, 1989

Arrived in Dubuque at the worst housing and showers to this date. We had alternative showers that were not any better than our own. Despite all of these distractions, the corps had an intense day of rehearsal; however, that nice day came to an end. The Colts home show was canceled because of a severe thunderstorm and the buses trucks had to be towed out of the mud. What a way to pend the last night before final tour (I think we called it 4th tour).

Note: There was a thread on this canceled show a while back.

OMG I remember that show! It was a deluge - the mud was insane. The show was not at the usual Dubuque Senior High. The buses had to park in a field. Down came the rain and the rest is history. We did manage to get our buses out but man it was carnage.