The history of the Westshoremen

[JimF-LowBari]

Listening 30 years later you can SEE why.... Man you were in that baby puke yellow smoke too much. Gotta show my wife these posts.

Was away at college for 78/79 so maybe the change between the years was more jarring to me. For the horns, Ray Eyler came on start of 79 season. We had Nate Ward (EP band director) since the 74 restart with other HS band people helping out (Dave Rohrer, Gary Ulrich(?), etc.). Now to go along with Flowers/Coletti in the drum line the horns had someone who had actually worked with other corps. No more horn guy with a dealing with HS'ers mentality, intensity level got jacked. Found out later Eyler was with the USAF Bolling Field corps with Flowers and that corps had massive talent coming out of its collective yingee.. (have met a few more since then and found out a LOT).

1978 we came in 9th at DCA which was an improvement from 10th the year before but waaaaay too close to that missing the top 10 full membership mark for comfort. One of those years, Erie got knocked off by someone (Guelph?) and missed top 10. NOT a good thing for the pocketbook and we still had plenty of bills. Plus some of our 1978 show just plain sucked. After concert was a POS called "Time Machine" by the same guy who did the disco "Star Wars" hit a year or so before. Everyone thought his next album would be big and we used the title track ("Time Machine") as the album came out. Album bombed so bad, it killed the guys career and no one knew WTF we were playing. Best part was we were backfield and you can hardly hear it on the recording. Opener was "Alexanders Ragtime Band" and we murdered the arrangement. Supposed to have been light and bouncy and we came out like Sky or 75 Madison (RA DA DAAAA. RA DA RAAAA!!). Sun played it the right way a few years later and you can't tell it's the same arrangement.

So Hershman or someone felt it was time for the next big move in 79. Don't forget that the corps had always been hanging around 10 place corps. So being in the running for 6th place was a scary ###ed experience for people who had never been there before. The ex-Rebels knew how to handle it but for the rest of us ->. Just the idea of people saying we were going to kick butt in 79 was like "Who... US????". Knocking off Reading twice in 78 was good experience.

Oh yeah.. first time we beat Reading, like in the 80s we knew something was up. Larrys speads the word "When the scores are announced, don't speak, don't even MOVE". We figure we got the shaft big time so we were PO'ed as retreat started. Then it "... in xth place... the Reading Buccaneers" Only sound we made was the jaws hitting the ground. Then someone whispered "<bleep> we just beat our first former DCA champion" as Buccs left BEFORE us. Yeah Reading had a horrible year but Holy Crap it was possible.

[BigW]

Oh, we weren't delusional that we were anything remotely like the Bucs, Cabs, Sky, or Sun at that time-- I certainly wasn't thinking that at all. We *did* manage to pick off the Hurcs in Scranton. And... the whole mess at Bucknell I think had folks frustrated to heck and back- especially the vets and ex-Rebels. Larry did the exactly right thing in getting TC to come in and talk to us.

One thing that's still important in the competitive activity is- CALL THE SHOW YOU ARE AT. EVALUATE THE CAPTION YOU ARE ASSIGNED TO DO, NOT PICK WHO YOU THINK BEAT WHOM, AND- BE CONSISTENT. ALSO, DO NOT OVER-REACT.

The problem in essence was that this judge over-reacted when they saw the changes that were made by the Crusaders- in part, from what was explained to me because they believed they had suggested most of the changes. Likely- they didn't- but after getting to know this individual in some detail later on-- I'm sure that they did feel that way. I used to be a real gadfly with that individual over the years, and I loved every second of it. I wasn't mean- but... as those who know me know- I ask lots of polite questions that some people don't feel comfortable being honest in answering truthfully.

It was pretty bad. I'd need to see a recap- but I do believe that they may have been the only judge to have the Crusaders up on the panel--- and we lost. There was a lot of craziness and real incredulousness when Larry read out the recaps. Even a kid like me (granted I was not exactly stupid and knew something about numbers and 'rithmetic a bit) knew that going from the same judge from winning by .3 or .4 or more to losing the next contest to the same corps by something like 2+ points in that caption alone indicated something was more than rotten in Denmark, and also in Upper and Lower Slobovia.

Hey- people can blow a call. I can think of one that I did because the circumstances were really bizarre and that didn't help. getting spattered with whitewash in a West Virginia hailstorm and the show being ran by a rather infamous Chief judge that threw the contest order utterly out of whack didn't help very much, but I blew it. Out of like 150+ shows I've judged, I figure I blew 2 calls. Not bad, but it still honks me off I did it. I learned from the mistakes, and strived to do better.

And Ben-- this is important, too, and Jeff will certainly stand with me on this-- I don't care if a group is a bottom feeder, stinks, whatever- they deserve to be treated with the same amount of professionalism, kindness, and respect as the best groups are given. Now how the tape reads is different-- you're more of a teacher than a critic- but you still need to treat people right regardless. Even Westshore, LOL!!!! Right???

This semi-goofy rant was brought to you by the Number 6 and the Letter W.

[BigW]

And as for that version of Alexanders...

Sing along and follow the bouncing ball!!!!!!

"We got B@ll$... we got B@ll$, we got etc etc etc etc etc....."

[BigW]

Ben- Bollinger had a bus roster and seat assignment thingy for Bus 2. At least this is what he told me recently, Makes sense- otherwise we prolly would have left like 10 of you guys behind at every show....

Bus 1--- well, most of us were passing out from the diesel fumes and just wanted to sleep.

[Jaminbenb]

Listening 30 years later you can SEE why.... Man you were in that baby puke yellow smoke too much. Gotta show my wife these posts.

Was away at college for 78/79 so maybe the change between the years was more jarring to me. For the horns, Ray Eyler came on start of 79 season. We had Nate Ward (EP band director) since the 74 restart with other HS band people helping out (Dave Rohrer, Gary Ulrich(?), etc.). Now to go along with Flowers/Coletti in the drum line the horns had someone who had actually worked with other corps. No more horn guy with a dealing with HS'ers mentality, intensity level got jacked. Found out later Eyler was with the USAF Bolling Field corps with Flowers and that corps had massive talent coming out of its collective yingee.. (have met a few more since then and found out a LOT).

1978 we came in 9th at DCA which was an improvement from 10th the year before but waaaaay too close to that missing the top 10 full membership mark for comfort. One of those years, Erie got knocked off by someone (Guelph?) and missed top 10. NOT a good thing for the pocketbook and we still had plenty of bills. Plus some of our 1978 show just plain sucked. After concert was a POS called "Time Machine" by the same guy who did the disco "Star Wars" hit a year or so before. Everyone thought his next album would be big and we used the title track ("Time Machine") as the album came out. Album bombed so bad, it killed the guys career and no one knew WTF we were playing. Best part was we were backfield and you can hardly hear it on the recording. Opener was "Alexanders Ragtime Band" and we murdered the arrangement. Supposed to have been light and bouncy and we came out like Sky or 75 Madison (RA DA DAAAA. RA DA RAAAA!!). Sun played it the right way a few years later and you can't tell it's the same arrangement.

So Hershman or someone felt it was time for the next big move in 79. Don't forget that the corps had always been hanging around 10 place corps. So being in the running for 6th place was a scary ###ed experience for people who had never been there before. The ex-Rebels knew how to handle it but for the rest of us ->. Just the idea of people saying we were going to kick butt in 79 was like "Who... US????". Knocking off Reading twice in 78 was good experience.

Oh yeah.. first time we beat Reading, like in the 80s we knew something was up. Larrys speads the word "When the scores are announced, don't speak, don't even MOVE". We figure we got the shaft big time so we were PO'ed as retreat started. Then it "... in xth place... the Reading Buccaneers" Only sound we made was the jaws hitting the ground. Then someone whispered "<bleep> we just beat our first former DCA champion" as Buccs left BEFORE us. Yeah Reading had a horrible year but Holy Crap it was possible.

Ok... HEAR why, or understand! Jeez Jim, no wonder you never grew over 5 feet! (you mental midget!)

Anyway.....

Oh yeah...1978 was one wild show! About the only things that worked was the Drum Solo "Be Free" (heard the original Loggins & Messina version on XM not long ago...GREAT tune!) And the exit (with the cute little "Dulcinea" drum solo ahead of it) ARB was just as you said...it did nothing but rip peoples faces off! Granada Smoothie was HORRID! It was COLD, LOUD, and OBNOXIOUS, and VERY un-musical! No one ever knew what Time Machine was! It SOUNDED like a cross between ET and Star Wars themes with a little Indian "woo woo woo " dance in the middle! My guess is that someone was trying to find the corps an identity, and failed miserably! I thought the corps had talent, but not the show...the next year we had the show, but the talent was different.

Remembering Coletti, He wasn't he best instructor I ever had, but Thank GOD for Steve Meyers! He gave me some of the best percussion education I ever had! My hands thank him to this very day! His basics program and philosophy was ZEN-like! I STILL play some of the stuff he taught us to keep my hands going!

[BigW]

Time Machine----

Did it have than ending that sounded like this...

NYAAH! nYYAaaaHHH! NYAAAH! NYAAAhhhhhhhhhh.... SUPER NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!

And as for Brother Steve- I always tried to get into the prayer pile before every contest with you guys. Kept me focused on many truths, and kept my head on straight.

Tom- if you're reading this, I think we make more fun of ourselves than any other corps ever has made fun of themselves on DCP...

Edited May 6, 2010 by BigW

[JimF-LowBari]

Ok... HEAR why, or understand! Jeez Jim, no wonder you never grew over 5 feet! (you mental midget!)

Well you did notice one of the reasons I switched to "low bari". And at the "Westshore Room" Saturday I ran into Bruce Bolich and after looking at pictures his quote was "<bleep> you were the shortest guy in the line, weren't you".

Funny thing was Steve Myers had been around since the WSM-Bonnie Scot days so was really a "bad old days" vet.

"Be Free" I have NEVER heard.... well not quite a L&M fan.

Granada Smoothie was one of the things Eyler was ripping his hair out about. We were so used to the rip-rip style of playing it, the idea of (Heaven forbid) dynamics was unknown to us. Ray had an asst horn guy who worked with the Baris. First name Dave... wore shorts.... smoked a lot... called us monkeys.. all I know. Dave flipped when he saw half the Baris played the rotor with first finger (good way) and half (including moi) with the thumb (not cool). He swore us thumb playing monkeys could not play the opening 16th note run to GS. Had us play one by one to prove it. His jaw hit the ground when we all played it cleanly. Then we clued him in that this was the second year for GS and us thumb players wer used to it. Response was a bunch of swear words, couple of "monkeys" and then "too late to teach you right" followed by more swear words.

Forgot I have the "Time Maching" album in the cellar *puke* along with Kentons GS *eh*. All I remember is People magazine panned it with "All the songs sound the same.. boom... boom..". Probably helped kill disco which was a good thing.

OK, bell opener and "spooky" horn intro of "Tis I Don Quiote(sp)" was best part of the show.

[Jaminbenb]

Yeah...we were mid pack at that time for sure. We had a lot to learn as a group, but as your bottom statement read, we DIDN'T deserve to be treated like a mid-pack corps! It was a shame that some corps got by on reputation alone!

As I learned later on when marching Reading, THEY took their hard knocks as well. Remember, they hadn't won a championship since the 60's (65 & 68) before they took 79 & 80. Anything that came from New York or New Jersey seemed to get a pass!

So Westshore wasn't given the respect that they'd deserved, and I feel that it was evident in 82 when we got passed over later on in the season, AND how we stopped winning all of a sudden in 83 with a show that was 5 times BETTER than the year before! No one EVER took Westshore seriously, and that kept us at least two spots below where we deserved to be!

[BigW]

Dave Pomponio. Taught us a lot of good stuff over the years. When Rich would tear into me, he'd sit and tell me, "Don't worry, <bleep> Rich." Thank God. I needed that. I was going nuts!

[JimF-LowBari]

Dave Pomponio. Taught us a lot of good stuff over the years. When Rich would tear into me, he'd sit and tell me, "Don't worry, <bleep> Rich." Thank God. I needed that. I was going nuts!

Thank you.... Probably had a cig hanging out of his mouth while saying it.

Dave had a great low key style that drove home the point. If something was really bad he probably said "Man that really sucked... if I was you guys I'd be ashamed of myself". I respond better to tweaks to my personal pride than staff that screamed so really worked for me.

For as bad as I marched my first few years (CD band never taught drill style), Rich never really lit into me. Then I found out later his in-laws and I have the same last name. Scared the Hell out of me when I found out. Too bad I never had the chance to see if we were distant relatives (now that's a scary thought).

Edited May 6, 2010 by JimF-LowBari