bugleboy1048 Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 in 1969 we had 20,000 people there . standing room only. biggest crowd ever for finals. it was great. 1969 My first year in drum corps, we were 12th. played standstill for the record. But watching finals for my first time(I was with WBS), my favorite 2 memories were there. First was knowing who was coming out when the streetbeats started to rock under the stands, and watching Cabs put up a cloud of dust marking time before they started the show. All the corps rocked that night and this 15 year old was smitten...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabalumnidrummer Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 john to small??? it would hold 20,000 people. how is that to small? i think for me it was perfect. but that's just me. another great place was soldier field in chi town. Were those 20,000 concert-side seats, Don? If so, I stand corrected. I haven't been in that stadium since 1973, so I'm going purely by long-term memory. I didn't think it held quite that many people. I remember doing two contests a year there for awhile -- the Crusaders' show in June, and the DCA Championship in September. My fondest memories were the '70 and '73 DCA's -- for obvious reasons! I sat out 1972, so I never made it to Chicago for the Legion Nationals there. In retrospect, one of the greatest regrets of my drum corps competing days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozarkbugler Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, NJ was NOT just a "DCA" Stadium. The "Dream," had 5 of the TOP Junior Corps in North America, AND 5 of the Top Senior Corps in North America, , The "Preview of Champions", same as "Dream", The "World Open"(at that time) had Prelims for Both Jr and Sr. The VFW ('66) was Junior only. One of the larest ever held (48 Corps in Prelims). Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that any of these stadia were DCA only. It's just that the thread is under DCA and I didn't want to hijack it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donincardona Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Were those 20,000 concert-side seats, Don? If so, I stand corrected. I haven't been in that stadium since 1973, so I'm going purely by long-term memory. I didn't think it held quite that many people. I remember doing two contests a year there for awhile -- the Crusaders' show in June, and the DCA Championship in September. My fondest memories were the '70 and '73 DCA's -- for obvious reasons! I sat out 1972, so I never made it to Chicago for the Legion Nationals there. In retrospect, one of the greatest regrets of my drum corps competing days. it was 20,000 total. about 9,000 concert seats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geneva Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 My earlier answers were based upon those venues that still exist. However that is not the only path this thread has followed. If you're talking "best stadium" as far as atmosphere or ambience, Roosevelt Stadium, site of The Dream, The Preview of Champions, The 1966 VFW Nationals and The 1963 World Open, and the 1972 DCA Championship wins, hands down, no comparison. But, as others have said, the field was usually pretty awful. Often, the field was more dirt than grass, dusty from baking in the hot summer sun (though a few years saw it as a 'mud bowl!'), and the grandstand had generally less-than-desirable customer 'creature comforts' (some would call it a dump!). Still, the number one fond memory of stadiums in which I marched and competed. The atmosphere was electric, whether we came in first or last. If you were never there as either spectator or competitor, you have no idea how special those Dream Contest afternoons were! I was at Roosevelt once (I was a spectator). 1972 DCA! What a show and atmosphere. Perhaps the greatest display in senior corps history top to bottom. Five championship performances. I was thrilled with the experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donincardona Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I was at Roosevelt once (I was a spectator). 1972 DCA! What a show and atmosphere. Perhaps the greatest display in senior corps history top to bottom. Five championship performances. I was thrilled with the experience. rooevelt stadium was a great venue. the dream had a big time show atmosphere. a championship atmosphere. i feel honored and special to have marched in that show and place. it stood alone. as for the DCA championships held there. WOW!! what a top 5. so good they had to fit 6 corps into it. lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I'd put Kennedy Stadium in Bridgport in that category also ... hosted the 65 WO ... 66 & 67 DCA ... 71 Senior WO ... and a ton of memorable Barnum Festivals from 65 to present ... :-) I agree, Andy.... the Barnum Festival was a great show to march. My first few years with Sunrisers, I remember the concert side being filled.... and the backfield grandstands had a bunch of people there, too. And the crowd was always fired up. Great atmosphere. This past season, with the $5 admission price, once again the concert side was filled... probably for the first time in a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navillus WP Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 (edited) You're right, John. One could pretty much write a history of drum corps by using just Roosevelt Stadium and Manning bowl as the backdrop. As a competitor and spectator at both, for me these two would stand out as the "Valhallas" of the activity. We took Exit 27 off I-95 to get to Kennedy Stadium in Bridgeport .... but I digress. Manning Bowl was a strange venue. It was build as a high school football stadium. It was relatively small, and ensconced a residential neighborhood. But when it filled to capacity, it had nice acoustics (except for the jets flying overhead from nearby Logan Airport ....) No real warm-ups allowed because it was a small setting with sometimes dozens and dozens of corps (in prelims and 12 EACH in EACH of the classes of finals) the corps were packed onto a few acres surrounding the facility. The inspection, ready and starting lines were relatively close together, so we could watch our competitors. The evening shows always seemed to have a soft off-the-ocean breeze. Nice thread subject by he way. Edited December 12, 2011 by Navillus WP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 A sleeper pick for the "drum corps stadiums" list... The stadium in Hamden, CT, where the Fresh Air Fanfare was held in early June. I thought that was a terrific venue, and there was always a big crowd at the show during the years I marched. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geneva Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 A sleeper pick for the "drum corps stadiums" list... The stadium in Hamden, CT, where the Fresh Air Fanfare was held in early June. I thought that was a terrific venue, and there was always a big crowd at the show during the years I marched. 1966 Fresh Air Fanfare Fleetwood recording-NY Skyliners, a lead line to die for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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