camel lips Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 There were some Hot Dog corps on my Bucket List at DCA but Empire was NEVER one of them. Love the heck out of your guys productions over the years and loved the fact you kept it true till the very end with G bugles. There will never be a another Empire Statesmen and the Statesmen Style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHall Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 I never marched with Statesmen, but competed against them. Now I find my eyes a little misty reading some of these. Frank Ponzo....YOU ARE CLASS MAN!!!!!!! Well said Frank!!!! To David and Empire Statesmen (past and present) THANK YOU!!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenweaver Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 So may great memories of the tank. The helicopter and the Miss Saigon show was breathtaking. The Statue of Liberty with accompanying fire extinguishers was so inspirational and patriotic. Oh yeah, and who can't forget the giant flag in 1992? The great hairstyles and smiling faces are the most memorable. Thanks for being Empire and having your own style. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 So may great memories of the tank. The helicopter and the Miss Saigon show was breathtaking. The Statue of Liberty with accompanying fire extinguishers was so inspirational and patriotic. Oh yeah, and who can't forget the giant flag in 1992? The great hairstyles and smiling faces are the most memorable. Thanks for being Empire and having your own style. And of course... there was King Rex in 1993. IMO, the most outrageous, over-the-top, spectacular, gaudy, bring-the-house-down prop/special effect in the history of drum corps. If you get a chance, listen to the 1993 Finals recording of the Statesmen, and the audience reaction at the end of their "New Orleans Production" medley which was topped off by the appearance of that gigantic Mardi Gras puppet. "Roaring standing ovation" is an understatement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donincardona Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 (edited) way back in 1982 i was at some of the first meetings with vince bruni. i came with in a hairs breath of being in the states man. but my life got in the way with having my new born kids and a demanding job. i was starting to get on in years so i just couldn't do it. but i loved the concept that vince put out there. and now all these years later we will witness their last show. it will be a celebration of the statesman but will also be a sad time for rochester. they will for the first time since 1947 have no drumcorps on the field of competition. going back to the grey knights and crusaders and all the junior corps from rochester and the surrounding area it was a hot bed of drum crops . the statesman carried on the tradition of rochester drum corps for years . and after DCA they will be gone. an era has now passed for rochester. the empire statesman will be missed. we will all shed a tear i'm sure. so , so long statesman. it's been a great run. godspeed! Edited August 27, 2013 by donincardona 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K2SMA Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 way back in 1982 i was at some of the first meetings with vince bruni. i came with in a hairs breath of being in the states man. but my life got in the way with having my new born kids and a demanding job. i was starting to get on in years so i just couldn't do it. but i loved the concept that vince put out there. and now all these years later we will witness their last show. it will be a celebration of the statesman but will also be a sad time for rochester. they will for the first time since 1947 have no drumcorps on the field of competition. going back to the grey knights and crusaders and all the junior corps from rochester and the surrounding area it was a hot bed of drum crops . the statesman carried on the tradition of rochester drum corps for years . and after DCA they will be gone. an era has now passed for rochester. the empire statesman will be missed. we will all shed a tear i'm sure. so , so long statesman. it's been a great run. godspeed! Summer 1983 No, I don't remember the month, but it was the Sunday morning after the Crusaders' DCA contest at U of R's Fauver (sp?) Stadium. I was a member of the Archer-Epler Musketeers at the time and vaguely remember being at a party after the contest the night before. Vince had invited me to the Statemen's rehearsal at Holleder (formerly Aquinas) Stadium. I couldn't believe he had started another drum corps! Yes, the corps was rough. But there was a certain indescribable energy. They wouldn't be a finalist until Archie went inactive for the 1985 season. Perhaps it could be said that we kept them out of finals for two years. But the ovations they received after performing in exhibition at DCA finals in both 1983 and 1984 portended their destiny as a crowd pleaser. So thirty years later, it's coming to an end. It just doesn't seem fair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Ellis Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 I had the pleasure of playing with the Statesmen for one short week during a Drum Corps Hall of Fame Cruise in the late 1980's, when Empire was still building a reputation. That was my first of many encounters over the years with Vince Bruni, and man did he leave an impression. The two things that stick in my mind to this day are how much fun everyone was having, and what great showmanship the corps had. Vince had created an environment where people could not wait for the next practice or the next performance because there was nothing else they would rather be doing. I still have a photo of myself dressed in an Empire Statesmen uniform tucked away in the scrap book, and now it has even more meaning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truman Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 showmanship [shoh-muhn-ship]noun The skill or ability to present anything in a spectacular, dramatic, or effective manner. see also: Empire Statesman Should be quite a goodbye Sunday night. Thanks for the thread Frank...you are a class act! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgibbycan Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 what a great thing to say. My son, Gaelen, is marching in the bari line this year and having a blast. Looking forward to seeing Empire and all the corps this weekend. Regards, John Hi John, Will you still be there for finals? Some of us(Optimists) have tickets for finals; so if you are there; here is hoping to see you there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomPeashey Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 (edited) I had the honor of announcing Saturday night's final performance in Rochester... it was quite emotional and VERY well done... I was honored to call Vince "friend" all I can say is: "You go PORKCHOP" Edited August 28, 2013 by TomPeashey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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