The Dom Posted July 2, 2010 Share Posted July 2, 2010 Many of you are Drum Corps alums and I bet there are some great stories both from the hey days of each town having a Drum Corps through today; what was your favorite show (where you performed) and why? As a member of what corps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigW Posted July 2, 2010 Share Posted July 2, 2010 Many of you are Drum Corps alums and I bet there are some great stories both from the hey days of each town having a Drum Corps through today; what was your favorite show (where you performed) and why? As a member of what corps? Several come to mind for very different and various reasons, Dom. I promise to get back to you but I'm running late for work. Hard to pick the "best" out or a "Favorite" sicne I marched 6 seasons in the more expanded DCA schedule in the late 70's early 80's. that's about 60 or more contests and exhibitions, I think... But I'll get beck to this, promise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomPeashey Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 many of you have heard this before... but that is a very easy question to answer... Racine, WI - all exhibition show the night before the Legion Nationals in Chicago 1972... it was an amazing night of drum corps, but it was even a more amazing audience. Many of the DCI corps (the day after DCI #1 finals in Whitewater - took their kids to watch this show... they made the best audience of all time... and this just lit up the corps... especially my Rochester Crusaders... best part of the recording which someone so nicely provided me.... was at the end of battle hymn when everything goes silent and someone yells: "holy Sh..............t" Most of us credit that evening's performance with carrying us to the top the next night over the Cabs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 (edited) Many of you are Drum Corps alums and I bet there are some great stories both from the hey days of each town having a Drum Corps through today; what was your favorite show (where you performed) and why? As a member of what corps? My years with Sunrisers, we always seemed to do well at the show in Providence, Rhode Island. For whatever reasons, the audience there loved us.... it almost felt as if we had a second home there or something...... and even the years we didn't win that show, we performed well. Plus, the Matadors hosted an outstanding after-show party!!!! Allentown, PA. I marched six shows there with Sun....three DCA Prelims and three Finals.... and didn't lose a show. Roosevelt Stadium/National Dream Contest, Jersey City, NJ. Honestly, this was not exactly an easy show for Sun. Skyliners and Caballeros were clearly the crowd favorites on the senior corps side pretty much every year.....but we rocked the old house in 1977 and 1978 with great performances. No matter where we placed at this show, just to be on that field and be part of that legendary contest with its one-of-a-kind atmosphere..... wow. And looking back, it really was quite an honor to be one of the corps that marched the final Dream contest held at Roosevelt, in 1980. We competed at the Dream Contest in 1981 at Giants Stadium and '82 at Rutgers Stadium, but the vibe was definitely not the same as at Roosevelt. Another place I always enjoyed performing was the stadium in Hamden, CT, home of the Fresh Air Fanfare show. Always seemed to be a big crowd on hand for that one. And talk about atmosphere........ the Barnum Festival at Kennedy Stadium in Bridgeport, CT. The crowd there was huge.... and always fired up. You gave the folks there something entertaining, they responded with thunderous ovations. Edited July 3, 2010 by Fran Haring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donincardona Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 i would have to say 1972 a.l.nats at soldier field in chicago. we did a great show and won that night but that stadium was awe inspiring. just how big it was and the columns on the stadium. it was like being in a coloseum. 1971 DCA at holleder/aquinus stadium. we really rocked the crowd that night and it was a very up year for senior corps. everybody was great that night and 18,000 people in the stands. but to be fair all the DCA show's there were between 12,000- 22,000 people a really great place and time. 1971 dream at roosevelt stadium was awsome. what a speicial place. we did a good show but WOW!!! sky just did the best show i ever saw and everybody was on for that show. cabs , hurcs were just fabulous. but you could just feel the histrory there and the feel of a huge show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigW Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 Fave shows I participated in- Midland, PA, 1979 and 1980- the first shows the Westshoremen won a DCA contest at, and my Grandparents got to see me perform at them. Both were hard-fought contests against very even and good competition in the form of the Crusaders in 1979 and the Sunrisers in 1980. Scranton, PA, 1979- Beat the Hurcs by .5 after they disinvited us from the Fresh Air Fanfare. they didn;t want a "corps opf our calibre ruining their fine contest". Was nice to get them later that season. 1980 DCA Finals- The Pigeons... and yes, I caught one of them. 1982, Clifton, NJ, Westshoremen win by 5+ points over the top DCA units. We were all shaking when it hit us what we'd done that day. The 1982 Grand Prix. Crowd booed us, we laughed at them, they got even more angry, we won, Sky was upset. Priceless. 1982 Son Senior in Verdun, PQ. Hot as heck, our worst finish of the year at that show, but, the Carlsberg brewery sponsored the contest and kindly provided a free cold one for the competitors out of kegs under a tent behind the field. A beer never tasted better after a show. Reading, 1982. Frank Dorritie got Pepe to watch us- that's a long story in and of itself. We ripped his and the crowd's face off, we were insanely fired up the day before Championships to begin with, that just added to it. Remember seeing guys in the crowd rocking out with the drums in the end chords, and I realized we broke the fourth wall with the audience and we had them with us. A special moment- and we even got Pepe to admit that us kids could play. DCA Finals, 1983. We realized most of us weren't going to be back for various reasons and the corps would't be the same again. Larry takes a collection in the retreat formation, we pay the fine directly to Mickey in cash and do an extended mini-concert at the show end, we put everything into it knowing it was the end, and it was the best 5 bucks I ever threw into a hat. DCA Prelims, 1984. Corps threw together a six-week program to see what we could do and have fun. Was a very unfettered and relaxing performance, no pressure, absolutely for the love of it and my way of walking away from the activity in a full circle and knowing we'd kept the Westshoremen barely alive for the future, which eventually paid off big in 1996. I also enjoy the Serenade in Brass performances with the Alumni. It lets us know we're still remembered and loved by at least some folks- not forgotten. I love playing for the sheer fun of it with old friends and new friends like HairBear and Ream. Next year might be the third Death Ride I take with the corps, but things seem to always work out for us in one way or another- I'll see where the future takes us! Those are the ones I could think of that really stand out as the most positive memories. I don't count '81 Finals where my cape got caught around my ankles and I nearly killed myself as a result.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairbear Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 For me there are two shows: #1 : 1968..... My very first drumcorps show as a baritone player. It was with a local corps, family-run and full of little kids like myself. There was no DCI nor was there a "G-7"... there were just corps like Blue Rock and Kilties, Marion Cadets at the top of their game and the Troopers all of which showed me just how amazing Drumcorps could really be, when done at a high level. Our second hand uniforms were black satin tops and very heavy and hot... the smell of white shoepolish and freshly cut grass... sitting in the stands with a hotdog, realizing just how inadequate our prelims score was... no "E" for effort.... just a little ole "27.0 my Lord"..that didn't really matter when your girlfriend in the guard was sitting by your side, sharing your coca-cola.... after all: this was the U.S.Open in Marion Ohio! The "Big Guns" The "middle of the packers" and the "bottom feeders" all togeather at the same show, sifted through the prelims process untill the sun went down! #2 : 1996..... Rochester N.Y.... Westshoremen, DCA World Champions. For EVERYONE who ever marched in the "Black and Blue"! Funny how eventually, you end up being beaten by everyone and beating everyone at one time or another and in the end: you have a lifetime of friends from all over the United States and Canada. Those friendships mean more to me than the rings on my fingers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigW Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 For me there are two shows:Funny how eventually, you end up being beaten by everyone and beating everyone at one time or another and in the end: you have a lifetime of friends from all over the United States and Canada. Those friendships mean more to me than the rings on my fingers. Ditto- in 6 seasons, I managaed to beat everyone in DCA at least once, and at the end ended up like 15th, LOL. And as I said before, doing the gig in Westshore alumni with you and the guys has been something I take a lot of pride in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 Midland, PA, 1979 and 1980- the first shows the Westshoremen won a DCA contest at, and my Grandparents got to see me perform at them. Both were hard-fought contests against very even and good competition in the form of the Crusaders in 1979 and the Sunrisers in 1980. Midland!!!! The thing I remember most about that show was the nuclear power plant right down the street from the show site. LOL That Midland trip/weekend is one of the all-time great Sunrisers war stories. Various parts of which cannot be shared here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigW Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 IIRC, I think that's the Shippingport reactor, I think the first commercial reactor built, retired years ago. Dad worked at Crucible Steel there in town when it was open, then it was just a hulk and practice site where the guards went crazy on us- had to have a guard accompany us to the bathroom for God's sake. I think they were scared of vandalism or something. I mean yeah, we did strange stuff, but vandalism was pretty much at the bottom on our list of interests.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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