BigW Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 Back to the Grand Prix. The wins had us charged up-- but we all knew the show was a real test. Good Dave Rohrer story time. During the season, Dave was always worried about our quality. There were things we'd worked on in practices really hard with Dave to get the way it was supposed to be. Serouously detailed things in the phrases or accents, everything was about being exact, we understood this. There's more I want to talk about with that whole thing philosophically, but it can wait. Dave would get really worried during performances. he'd be right off the font sideline on field level, and sometimes, his hands would start conducting on their own in the parts we'd spent serious time on. I would think that's how Dave would personally describe what was happening. All I know is it always made me smile internally, and I guess it was a reminder to stay sharp and on top of the book for me. Understandably, it was viewed as coaching- because it was.... and Dave was warned. To stop himself, Dave would have to wear this light tan jacket of his and put his hands as deep as he could into the pockets while we performed. He then would dance around, hands in pockets bouncing around inside the pockets with this really concerned, intense look for parts of the show. I can imitate this pretty well. Later on, I had to do the same thing with my coat when I was with LD and MHS. I didn't have to be warned, I knew my hands would start moving out of habit, so I took a page out of Dave's book before I caused trouble. Dave also was big on keeping cool. "You worked hard today, we got a lot done, you know what you need to do and how to play, go out and do it, no heroes, etc!" Not really so for the Grand Prix. "You know what I want you to do today?" "Yeah, Dave- Kick AXX!!!!" Dave then shakes his head emphatically and bounces up and down, so NOT Dave... "NO! I don't just want you to Kick AXX! I WANT YOU TO ***BEAT*** AXX!!!!!!" We went NUTS. I don't think anyone understood or really understands just how much of a hold Dave had and really has on us. Dave never ever yelled at us before that. He just asked us to do stuff the way it was supposed to be done, and if it took 2 seconds, fine. If it took 20 minutes, fine. It would get done, and it was up to us how hard we had to work at it to get it done RIGHT. No yelling, just hard work. So, Dave threw the horn line into a foaming at the mouth tizzy before we went on. Seeing as what happened afterwards, he did the right thing whether he knew it or not. I have to go, to be continued.... Eating and hydrating before work is essential at my age and in that heat. I have to say- if not for Corps and rehearsals Fairfax, my work place would be hellish. There are times it's HOT, and tough, but I know inside I've made it through worse on the practice field, and I make it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaminbenb Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 :shutup: :shutup: :shutup: :shutup: Too bad we couldn't remove the inner walls of that truck so we would havbe had some room. Didn't look that bad until you looked in the back and realized how thick the insulated walls were. Wonder if the cops today would get Paul and me for not buckling the seats belts..... what seat belts.... Hell what seats???? LOL my fav was the thermometer that was on the outside of the van portion of the truck. #### thing was so rusted solid you couldn't read the dial let alone think the needle on it moved. I'm trying to remember the truck hierarchy.... The old blue refrigerator truck...the longer bread truck, then didn't we get a small box van before they sold everything? I also forget what they were using in 84...wasn't it something that Cy Rosito had on his lot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigW Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 :shutup: :shutup: :shutup: :shutup: Too bad we couldn't remove the inner walls of that truck so we would havbe had some room. Didn't look that bad until you looked in the back and realized how thick the insulated walls were. Wonder if the cops today would get Paul and me for not buckling the seats belts..... what seat belts.... Hell what seats???? LOL my fav was the thermometer that was on the outside of the van portion of the truck. #### thing was so rusted solid you couldn't read the dial let alone think the needle on it moved. I think there's a grandfather clause on vehicles that were never built with Seat Belts installed- like a Model A Ford for example. If the van wasn't built with them- and I bet it wasn't.... you'd be okay. The UPS Package Cars (What we call the Little brown trucks...) have had them from near forever- and we've had guys fired for not wearing them, even to just back up and repark them in another space. Tell your Brown (another UPS-speak term for the delivery guy) you know he drives a Package Car. He'll be impressed.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaminbenb Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 Glad to hear Frank is doing okay. I see Steve now and again. And Fran as for the clapping, if someone woulda told Larry, we'd have stopped. The last thing we'd want to do is honk anyone off after we saw what the Hurcs did for us, and I mean for us. I do have to wonder if that letter had never been sent to us in 1979 whether the corps would have really gotten much better. It was a powerful motovator. If DCA would have wanted serious compeition every week, they shoulda scheduled us to go up against the Hurcs every week. Yeah... that was some crazy motivation... When "Brother" Dave used to "recall" the letter it was enough to pizz you off! But re: the clapping... at Clifton, it was just a spontaneous thing since the corps never beat the Cabs and Sky...Reading we'd beaten, but after their previous three years, they were pretty much unstoppable, or so we thought, and at that point after 1980 when we were neck and neck here and there with Sun (who I still think should have won in 1981) we topped them again...so it was definitely a show of respect...but like I said... after talking to a few guys from Sun in Canada, and then the guys I met in Bucs in 84, it was an interesting take on it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 I'm trying to remember the truck hierarchy.... The old blue refrigerator truck...the longer bread truck, then didn't we get a small box van before they sold everything? I also forget what they were using in 84...wasn't it something that Cy Rosito had on his lot? 1984 had the box truck but can't remember if the corps name was on the side or not. Cy drove it and think he either parked it at home or work or somthin'. All I remember is it was up high so you almost had to crawl up the #### thing (yeah no short jokes). LOL, one of the few times I was in that one I was half accused of stealing contra mouthpieces. The corps was at the Island and EVERYONE went to the ballfield to march and I was the ONLY one left in the parking lot. Guess what?? No Cy and the #### roll up back door was unlocked with "locals" popping in and out. I crawl in the back and hang out for a few hours. Next week, the stolen MPs is announced and I get the hairy eyeball from a certain contra. Next month he quits the corps and never returned his stuff. Danny and a few people had to go down to his place to "talk" about it. They get there and the contra and uni or on the porch and no one home..... Trying to think if it was the next truck that I saw at Mechanicsburg Recyclers (behind the Gingerbread Man) in the mid/late 80s/early 90s. That one had the corps logo on it and when the recyclers bought it at auction they never painted over it. Said someone about knowing the pervious owners and the recycler manager threw a NASTY hissy. Truck must have been half shot when he bought it and it wasn't worth the money he had to put in it. And that's a VERY cleaned up version of what I heard. He was PO'ed enough I made sure my back was to the open door and bags o' crap were between me and him. Started going else wheres after that mess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaminbenb Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 I think there's a grandfather clause on vehicles that were never built with Seat Belts installed- like a Model A Ford for example. If the van wasn't built with them- and I bet it wasn't.... you'd be okay. The UPS Package Cars (What we call the Little brown trucks...) have had them from near forever- and we've had guys fired for not wearing them, even to just back up and repark them in another space. Tell your Brown (another UPS-speak term for the delivery guy) you know he drives a Package Car. He'll be impressed.... Model A Ford and a tank full of gas, Mouth full of... ($1. to the US Marines, and Full Metal Jacket) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaminbenb Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 Back to the Grand Prix. The wins had us charged up-- but we all knew the show was a real test. Good Dave Rohrer story time. During the season, Dave was always worried about our quality. There were things we'd worked on in practices really hard with Dave to get the way it was supposed to be. Serouously detailed things in the phrases or accents, everything was about being exact, we understood this. There's more I want to talk about with that whole thing philosophically, but it can wait. Dave would get really worried during performances. he'd be right off the font sideline on field level, and sometimes, his hands would start conducting on their own in the parts we'd spent serious time on. I would think that's how Dave would personally describe what was happening. All I know is it always made me smile internally, and I guess it was a reminder to stay sharp and on top of the book for me. Understandably, it was viewed as coaching- because it was.... and Dave was warned. To stop himself, Dave would have to wear this light tan jacket of his and put his hands as deep as he could into the pockets while we performed. He then would dance around, hands in pockets bouncing around inside the pockets with this really concerned, intense look for parts of the show. I can imitate this pretty well. Later on, I had to do the same thing with my coat when I was with LD and MHS. I didn't have to be warned, I knew my hands would start moving out of habit, so I took a page out of Dave's book before I caused trouble. Dave also was big on keeping cool. "You worked hard today, we got a lot done, you know what you need to do and how to play, go out and do it, no heroes, etc!" Not really so for the Grand Prix. "You know what I want you to do today?" "Yeah, Dave- Kick AXX!!!!" Dave then shakes his head emphatically and bounces up and down, so NOT Dave... "NO! I don't just want you to Kick AXX! I WANT YOU TO ***BEAT*** AXX!!!!!!" We went NUTS. I don't think anyone understood or really understands just how much of a hold Dave had and really has on us. Dave never ever yelled at us before that. He just asked us to do stuff the way it was supposed to be done, and if it took 2 seconds, fine. If it took 20 minutes, fine. It would get done, and it was up to us how hard we had to work at it to get it done RIGHT. No yelling, just hard work. So, Dave threw the horn line into a foaming at the mouth tizzy before we went on. Seeing as what happened afterwards, he did the right thing whether he knew it or not. I have to go, to be continued.... Eating and hydrating before work is essential at my age and in that heat. I have to say- if not for Corps and rehearsals Fairfax, my work place would be hellish. There are times it's HOT, and tough, but I know inside I've made it through worse on the practice field, and I make it. Dave was always fun to work with...his ethic was unmatched, and his knowledge and ear was amazing....he heard EVERYTHING! When I saw him at the Forum last year I gave him a big hug and said "you're still working? when you gonna retire?" he just laughed... God Bless him, he's finally doing it!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted June 8, 2012 Author Share Posted June 8, 2012 Crap...at that point we had the old blue refrigerator truck that they used to need to tie stuff down, I'm sure Jim remembers that more than any of us The next truck wasn't SO bad, at least it had some shelves on it. I remember getting into Rochesters truck in 78, they had a spot for everything, and even slots that you could put mirrors into outside so the drumline could watch themselves play! Readings was equipped with a "tap system" oh I knew the old blue truck inside and out. I can't tell you how many hours Benny let me run around in there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 (edited) Model A Ford and a tank full of gas, Mouth full of... ($1. to the US Marines, and Full Metal Jacket) LOL as my dad owned three Model As (1928 and pair of 1930s) over the years.... And whole family belonged to Model A Restorers Club (MARC) back in the 70s and 80s. My first car (1966 Impala POS) had seatbelts but never used 'em. Was afraid I'd never be able to open it back up. Think 1984 truck had corps name running at an angle and thought one had the name in a curve or with clouds or sumthin'.... flipping 50+ brain and Friday afternoons.... Bennies blue truck (which replaced his pickup) I could almost rebuild from memory. All I need is the equipment we had and I could about do the loading routine (TYMPS first)... Just a haze on what crap went on the racks. Guard rifles where ever room and guard flags over top the stacked drums. And the Main Guard sabers on the racks and flag poles and flags in the leather bag. Edited June 8, 2012 by JimF-LowBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted June 8, 2012 Author Share Posted June 8, 2012 Yeah... that was some crazy motivation... When "Brother" Dave used to "recall" the letter it was enough to pizz you off! But re: the clapping... at Clifton, it was just a spontaneous thing since the corps never beat the Cabs and Sky...Reading we'd beaten, but after their previous three years, they were pretty much unstoppable, or so we thought, and at that point after 1980 when we were neck and neck here and there with Sun (who I still think should have won in 1981) we topped them again...so it was definitely a show of respect...but like I said... after talking to a few guys from Sun in Canada, and then the guys I met in Bucs in 84, it was an interesting take on it... I remember the Reading show in 90 crystal clear. I can go into a lot more details eventually, but I remember we didn't realize we were that good either, and as they started rattling off names we beat that night, we were stunned. I mean hell, we learned 20 pages of drill that day and performed it...and still won! I mean in 89 we had gotten to where we were under the then DCA hierarchy....Sun, Bush, Cabs and Empire, tho in 89, we may have beaten Empire a time or two. I'll never forget my Dad..." ####### kid.....I never beat some of those corps in the Rebels, and didn't beat most of them in Westshore, and he beats em all in one ####### night!" Then again, I remember his reaction after finals: "####### horse ####! Highest score in DCA last week with room, now 4th? DCA ####### sucks!!!!" that night almost kiled the corps...details hopefully by 2021 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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