Jeff Ream Posted May 25, 2013 Author Share Posted May 25, 2013 I grew up just as much around YR as Westshore, so the non hatred thing was born there.....and as I got older, I met more people elsewhere. Til I got to marching in 89, I knew people all over, and would just say "hi" to people. one of the cool things in 95 and 96 when we had the keg every weekend for the post show parking lot, it helped us make friends everywhere LOL. I know after 96, there was, well, some less than love for us from post 199. In the fall of 98, two of our members that went to Hawthorne after 97 got married, and had people from both corps in attendance ( as well as some that went to Bucs). The Cabs crew was on one side, Shore on another, family in the middle. Kind of icy. so I walked over, started talking to Cabs people I knew, and the ice broke. Had a ###### good time too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaminbenb Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 (edited) I grew up just as much around YR as Westshore, so the non hatred thing was born there.....and as I got older, I met more people elsewhere. Til I got to marching in 89, I knew people all over, and would just say "hi" to people. one of the cool things in 95 and 96 when we had the keg every weekend for the post show parking lot, it helped us make friends everywhere LOL. I know after 96, there was, well, some less than love for us from post 199. In the fall of 98, two of our members that went to Hawthorne after 97 got married, and had people from both corps in attendance ( as well as some that went to Bucs). The Cabs crew was on one side, Shore on another, family in the middle. Kind of icy. so I walked over, started talking to Cabs people I knew, and the ice broke. Had a ###### good time too That makes sense too...a few guys in Hershey were former YR's, and it must have been the same mindset... But I met a lot of people over the years...and that's the big thing I took from the whole experience! Edited May 27, 2013 by Jaminbenb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaminbenb Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 W...since you seem to be back...where we going with this historical stuff...I know Mr. Ream is chomping at the bit to get his part done before his cute little girl graduates medical school (and get her part in when she re-forms Westshore while in High school) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted May 28, 2013 Author Share Posted May 28, 2013 That makes sense too...a few guys in Hershey were former YR's, and it must have been the same mindset... But I met a lot of people over the years...and that's the big thing I took from the whole experience! in my era, things were pretty cool with the folks marching. Well, there was a corps from NY that wears tuxes we won't mention by name that said a lot of #### and spit at people, but we'll leave them out of this for now. It was the older guys. I know after the Forum in 96, at the post show party, a bunch of guys from an alumni corps in, well, SE PA that wears green kept telling us to be sure we "beat the spics" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaminbenb Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 in my era, things were pretty cool with the folks marching. Well, there was a corps from NY that wears tuxes we won't mention by name that said a lot of #### and spit at people, but we'll leave them out of this for now. It was the older guys. I know after the Forum in 96, at the post show party, a bunch of guys from an alumni corps in, well, SE PA that wears green kept telling us to be sure we "beat the spics" Yeah...I never got into that whole scene... I remember a few people that took it a little to extremes, but for the most part, most of the people I hung with would talk to anyone..I even used to try to see everyone at least 2-3 times during the season, just to see what we were up against. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted May 28, 2013 Author Share Posted May 28, 2013 by 96, it was hard to see everyone else as we were usually on pretty late most shows. I do remember at finals, after we dropped our stuff in the back to wait for retreat, I walked around to the side to catch Cabs, and I remember thinking to myself "oh ####...." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaminbenb Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 by 96, it was hard to see everyone else as we were usually on pretty late most shows. I do remember at finals, after we dropped our stuff in the back to wait for retreat, I walked around to the side to catch Cabs, and I remember thinking to myself "oh ####...." Except for a few years, I always thought that their "greatness" was an illusion...yeah, they were big, yeah they were loud, and they pleased the teeming masses...but they just didn't do a lot for a lot of us...But when they turned it on it was something... I actually thought they were better a few of the years that they DIDN'T win...and didn't think they were all that some of the years they DID win? But my opinion never was the accepted one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted May 28, 2013 Author Share Posted May 28, 2013 Except for a few years, I always thought that their "greatness" was an illusion...yeah, they were big, yeah they were loud, and they pleased the teeming masses...but they just didn't do a lot for a lot of us...But when they turned it on it was something... I actually thought they were better a few of the years that they DIDN'T win...and didn't think they were all that some of the years they DID win? But my opinion never was the accepted one! :tongue:/> i'll never give up my medal...but, it was close Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaminbenb Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 i'll never give up my medal...but, it was close I felt robbed in 1984....85 not so much, but yeah.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted May 28, 2013 Author Share Posted May 28, 2013 I felt robbed in 1984....85 not so much, but yeah.... well...we jumped out on Cabs at Barnum. by Hershey we really oepened up the lead. week after week Cabs slowly crawled back into the hunt. Week before finals, we go up to Syracuse with 11 holes due to WCU band camp, and we tie Empire. Finals weekend, we had a good Thursday night rehearsal, and Friday they beat the hell out of us in good ways. Saturday....to this day I will say the run before prelims was easily our best run of the year. Then we went out at prelims and #### the bed. Saturday night we had a good relaxed music only rehearsal, then Sunday we went and worked for a few hours....not too much, not too little....tweak, clean, no adjustments...then a nice relaxing break before we get ready for the show. I honestly remember feeling no nerves going to the gate. I remember laughing a lot as Dan somehow marched us into these people's backyard to warm up...their dog tried to kill him...and yet they were ok with it. I do remember some chatter on the field about not letting the videoboard distract you and to focus on the DM since the stands were 2 million miles away. Minues one small snare issue in the Carnival solo, I remember everyone really feeling good coming off the field. I remember going around to watch Cabs, and man they were on. Went back to get ready for retreat...what a cluster that was....then when we set up the block, we listened to Fran read all of the high heels award winner etcstuff...when they announced the caption and they said drums to us, but visual and brass to Cabs, I thought we were toast. But the tie for GE made me think "hmmmm". As scores are announced, I can see the staff off to the left. Not showing any signs of anything which is kind of scary. When they get to thrid and don't call us, I could feel myself tense up. Hell, I could feel the whole corps tense up. and then, this is exactly how I remember it: "And in 2nd place with a score of 96.8 ( insert what felt like 9 ####### hours of tortured pause, but was really seconds)....The Haw..." That's all I heard of Cabs name. Between everyone screaming, even at attention for the drums, the next thing I know is I see the staff racing straight at us. I yell to Joe to call us to parade rest, and he doesn't....and WHAM, we get taken out by one happy staff! I remember Gil Silva giving Ronnie Beyer a medal that he put on me...I remember a lot of hugs, tears...I remember grabbing Chris Pagotto's cell phone to call dad from the field ( which was noisy and not cheap in 1996 cell phone bills)....and I remember watching corps troop off...until it was just us and Cabs. and they picked up their horns. and played Bully. We all cheered, but we could feel a lot of frustration coming through those bells. A lot. But, as expected, Cabs handled it with total class and were very gracious. Frank Ponzo came over to give Murph a little bottle of champagne he brought on the field with him. Then they played out, and we set up for standstill since the field was so ###### far away. We threw down, had fun, and played the beat the whole way to the truck. Went back to the hotel, but the party kinda died early...everyone was tired. I mean I stayed up all night drinking, but many in the corps didn't. Looking back, many people knew that night was it for their marching career. When you look at the 97 roster, you know it was true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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