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The 1992 Thread


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I definitely loved 1992. So many great shows, some great stories, some controversy, and the competition was strong. I probably attended 5 shows before Finals week and then traveled to Madison with some friends for all 3 nights of Finals. It was the coldest finals we ever experienced, and of all things we decided to camp out that year. We actually rented a spot at a camping site north of Madison and setup some tents and spent Thursday and Friday there, then drove home after Finals (I drove 8 hours through the night to get back to Northeast Ohio). 

Out west SCV actually won their first show over BD in Concord. They then fell behind and the spreads began to grow. I don't think they ever caught BD again that season. 

The Cavaliers began the season strong (and ended strong obviously), beating Star of Indiana in the first meeting of the two corps. (Below)

---------------  Friday, June 19  --------------- 
                                                     
   DeKalb, IL                                     DCM
   2nd Annual All Star Review                        
   DCM All-Star Benefit                              
                                                     
    1 Cavaliers                                  74.2
    2 Star of Indiana                            72.8
    3 Madison Scouts                             68.1
    4 Bluecoats                                  60.7
    5 Glassmen                                   60.6
    6 Colts                                      52.4
    7 Troopers                                   49.2
Cavaliers would go on to beat Star of Indiana in Indianapolis on June 26 and in Massillon, OH on June 27. 
The Crossmen beat the Cadets, who got off to a slow start in 92, in their 2nd meeting of the season. (below)
Newark, DE                                     DCE
                                                     
    1 Crossmen                                   70.2
    2 Cadets of Bergen Cty.                      68.8
    3 Boston Crusaders                           55.6
    4 Dutch Boy                                  53.1

Crossmen would beat the Cadets again on June 27 in New Jersey.

 

On June 28 I drove to Port Clinton, OH to see my first live show of the year (I missed Massillon). Cavaliers once again beat Star in their 4th meeting. I was blown away by both shows but had a feeling Star possessed the greater talent and thought they were ready to leap ahead. It did seem to me at the time that Star had the goods to win another title, but I was less sure about that compared to 1991...where I thought it was obvious Star was going to win. Also of note was a very good Glassmen corps that I really enjoyed, and they fell just short of Finals. Scores below.

 Port Clinton, OH                               DCM
                                                     
    1 Cavaliers                                  78.8
    2 Star of Indiana                            78.6
    3 Glassmen                                   67.1
    4 Northern Aurora                            56.6
    5 Kiwanis Kavaliers                          50.4
    6 Limited Edition                            49.1
    7 Golden Lancers                             27.0

On the very same day in Minnesota, Phantom beat Madison with a score of 79.5 to Madison's 78.7. Both corps had started fairly strong, but Madison would ultimately power to top 5 with a terrific City of Angels show (part 2), and Phantom would finish 8th (more on that later).

On July 11, Phantom actually registered the 2nd highest score of the season (albeit different shows) with an 84.1, topping Madison's 82.9. Blue Devils hit an 86.3 in a victory over SCV at 81.5. 

I attended a LIVE show in Hershey, PA on that same day (July 11). Scores were as follows:

Hershey, PA                                    DCE
   Hershey Spectacular                               
                                                     
    1 Star of Indiana                            82.2
    2 Cadets of Bergen Cty.                      79.2
    3 Crossmen                                   78.6
    4 Bluecoats                                  69.0
    5 Sky Ryders                                 64.6
    6 Boston Crusaders                           61.5

Keep in mind to this point Star had not beat the Cavaliers. Star was amazing and a bit more fan friendly after doing their more contemporary 1991 show.  I did worry about their Americana-style show becoming somewhat cheesy. After seeing Star in Port Clinton I felt they improved a lot and were ready to jump into the lead. They easily beat the Cadets at this show, and I actually had Crossmen over Cadets at this show as well. Crossmen were just outstanding in every way. Percussion absolutely powered this show, but their brass was very good, and guard and show design were just top notch. To me, this is the best Crossmen show of all the years they were in the Philly/Wilmington region. Their 1992 show is truly one of the great DCI shows and continues to be legendary among DCI fans and DCPers. As for Cadets, they only had about 53 brass on the field for this show. It seemed to me like they had a slow camp (and perhaps weather difficulties). It may also have been that they were waiting for college students who were not done with school until late June (those on Quarters) to learn the music and drill. This was just a guess of mine at the time, but perhaps they just had to pick-up kids on the go. Any Cadets out there want to clarify some of the early-season difficulties? Please do. 

What I will say about The Cadets in 1992 upon my first viewing was that although very sloppy, they had great design. The show was fun and filled with highlights. We all thought that if they could fill the holes, clean, and lock-in that they could be spectacular. 

 

The first of what we used to think of as a regional was Drums Along The Rockies. It came out this way.

---------------  Friday, July 17  --------------- 
                                                     
   Denver, CO                                     DCI
   Drums Along the Rockies                           
                                                     
    1 Blue Devils                                86.7
    2 Santa Clara Vanguard                       84.4
    3 Blue Knights                               82.6
    4 Freelancers                                74.3
    5 Marauders                                  70.3
    6 Troopers                                   66.7
    7 Black Gold                                 60.1
                                                     
    Non Open Class                                   
    1 SCV Cadets                                 80.1
    2 Blue Devils B                              76.0
    3 Arizona Sun                                67.7
    4 Allegiance Elite                           65.9

 

The DCM Championships were in Toledo that year on July 18, so I was able to attend. 

Toledo, OH                                     DCM
   DCM Championship                                  
                                                     
    1 Star of Indiana                            85.3
    2 Cavaliers                                  84.4
    3 Madison Scouts                             83.5
    4 Phantom Regiment                           81.8
    5 Glassmen                                   75.2
    6 Bluecoats                                  73.5
                                                     
    Division II                                      
    1 Limited Edition                            58.1
    2 Northern Aurora                            52.9
                                                     
    Division III                                     
    1 Pioneer                                    56.6
    2 CapitolAires                               52.9
    3 Blue Stars                                 52.1
    4 Railmen                                    45.8

Star of Indiana won both prelims and finals, accounting for their first two victories over The Cavaliers. Phantom beat Madison in prelims but fell to 4th at finals. I absolute loved every show at this event. Bluecoats were struggling to get their 1st Beatles show to spark. That would be an issue for them all season, but the corps was talented and could definitely perform. 

 

The very next night in Buffalo, NY the Cavaliers topped an impressive field at DCI North. I was not there but the scores give good indication on how strong the competition was.

--------------  Sunday, July 19  --------------- 
                                                     
   Buffalo, NY                                    DCI
   DCI North                                         
                                                     
    1 Cavaliers                                  85.9
    2 Phantom Regiment                           84.2
    3 Cadets of Bergen Cty.                      83.9
    4 Crossmen                                   82.5
    5 Velvet Knights                             77.7
    6 Glassmen                                   75.3
    7 Spirit of Atlanta                          73.2
    8 Bluecoats                                  72.7
    9 Sky Ryders                                 69.0
   10 Dutch Boy                                  65.9
   11 Magic of Orlando                           63.0

Cadets were beginning to pull away from Crossmen, but they were .3 down from Phantom, who was 1.7 down from Cavaliers. Keep in mind that Velvet Knights had an absolute "killer" show that year. One of their all-time classics. 

On July 21, for the first meeting between Blue Devils and Star of Indiana (who had just topped Cavies for the 1st time) it was the Blue Devils who struck first with an 87.0  to Star's 84.6. Surprisingly not that close. That same night Madison beat SCV by a big margin in Iowa, and Phantom and Cadets tied in Pittsburgh with 86.7. 

The very next night Star would beat Blue Devils with an 86.4 to BD's 85.2. The variance in score from night to night was incredible. 

From 1988 (and maybe earlier) through 1991 we simply did not have a regional where all the corps met which would allow us to get a better picture of where things stood. This was certainly the case in 88, 89, 90, and 91. It was exciting now really knowing how things might turn-out come Finals week. But in 1992 we got the Preview of Champions show in Nashville. I did not go, but here is how things lined up.

---------------  Friday, July 24  --------------- 
                                                     
   Nashville, TN                                  DCI
   Preview of Champions Preliminaries                
                                                     
    1 Star of Indiana                            91.9
    2 Blue Devils                                89.7
    3 Cavaliers                                  89.2
    4 Madison Scouts                             88.5
    5 Phantom Regiment                           88.1
    6 Cadets of Bergen Cty.                      88.0
    7 Santa Clara Vanguard                       86.2
    8 Blue Knights                               85.8
    9 Crossmen                                   85.3
   10 Velvet Knights                             81.8
   11 Bluecoats                                  78.0
   12 Freelancers                                77.6
   13 Glassmen                                   76.6
   14 Spirit of Atlanta                          74.2
   15 Sky Ryders                                 72.8
   16 Boston Crusaders                           72.7
   17 Marauders                                  71.1
   18 Dutch Boy                                  68.7
   19 Troopers                                   66.9
   20 Magic of Orlando                           66.1
   21 Southwind                                  64.7
   22 Carolina Crown                             62.2
   23 Colts                                      62.1
   24 Black Gold                                 60.4

 

Scores were close. Star had pulled out in front over BD and began to assert some dominance on the season. BD had a fantastic show and brass book, and at this point it looked like they had a shot at top 3. Cavaliers were just .5 behind BD, and the difference between Madison, Phantom, and Cadets was .5. SCV seemed to be struggling to keep up with BK and  Crossmen closing in on them. 

They held Finals for Nashville the next night, on July 25. 

--------------  Saturday, July 25  -------------- 
                                                     
   Nashville, TN                                  DCI
   Preview of Champions                              
                                                     
    1 Star of Indiana                            91.8
    2 Blue Devils                                90.9
    3 Cavaliers                                  89.7
    4 Madison Scouts                             88.7
    5 Cadets of Bergen Cty.                      88.6
    6 Phantom Regiment                           87.3
    7 Santa Clara Vanguard                       84.9
    8 Blue Knights                               84.0
    9 Crossmen                                   83.7
   10 Velvet Knights                             79.4
   11 Freelancers                                76.8
   12 Bluecoats                                  76.0

Cavaliers cut their lead a little with BD, Madison stayed in 4th, Cadets passed up Phantom for 5th, and BK was still close to SCV, with Crossmen only .3 back of BK.

The next two major regional shows (August 1) were split in terms of corps lineup, and they came out as follows:

Allentown, PA                                  DCI
   DCI East                                          
                                                     
    1 Star of Indiana                            92.7
    2 Madison Scouts                             90.8
    3 Cadets of Bergen Cty.                      90.7
    4 Santa Clara Vanguard                       88.9
    5 Crossmen                                   88.5
    6 Bluecoats                                  80.6
    7 Freelancers                                80.0
    8 Boston Crusaders                           77.6
    9 Marauders                                  75.8
   10 Dutch Boy                                  70.9

I was at DCI East that year and thought a few things at the time: 1) Star looked unbeatable at this point, 2) Madison's show was total fun, 3) Cadets were getting hot but still sloppy, and 4) I really felt Crossmen were going to pass SCV (who seemed young to me, but super fun show).

Jackson, MS                                    DCI
   DCI South                                         
                                                     
    1 Cavaliers                                  92.5
    2 Blue Devils                                92.4
    3 Phantom Regiment                           89.3
    4 Blue Knights                               88.1
    5 Velvet Knights                             84.8
    6 Glassmen                                   81.4
    7 Sky Ryders                                 78.5
    8 Spirit of Atlanta                          78.2
    9 Colts                                      72.7
   10 Southwind                                  72.6
   11 Black Gold                                 65.9

In the South the Cavaliers jumped BD by .1 with Phantom 3rd and BK in a solid 4th.

The very next day Crossmen would go on to beat SCV in Lynn, MA at the East Coast Classic. 

Lynn, MA                                       DCI
   East Coast Classic                                
                                                     
    1 Crossmen                                   89.7
    2 Santa Clara Vanguard                       88.7
    3 Freelancers                                77.9
    ^ Boston Crusaders                           77.9
    5 Troopers                                   69.3

 

At DCI Mid-America in Bloomington, IN Star continued to hold a lead over top competitors Cavaliers and BD. Cadets and Phantom were in Minnesota with BK and Spirit.

--------------  Saturday, August 8  --------------
                                                     
   Bloomington, IN                                DCI
   DCI Mid-America                                   
                                                     
    1 Star of Indiana                            95.0
    2 Cavaliers                                  93.9
    3 Blue Devils                                93.4
    4 Madison Scouts                             92.4
    5 Santa Clara Vanguard                       91.0
    6 Velvet Knights                             83.9
    7 Bluecoats                                  80.7
    8 Glassmen                                   79.8
    9 Boston Crusaders                           79.7
   10 Troopers                                   75.1
   11 Magic of Orlando                           73.5
   12 Carolina Crown                             70.1
   13 Limited Edition                            64.4

DCI Mid-America was the last big regional before DCI Finals competition (even though Phantom and Cadets were not part).

 

There were a couple of small shows of interest:

a) On August 9, Phantom Regiment turned the tabled on The Cadets and beat them in Minnesota

                                                     
   Blaine, MN                                     DCI
   Drum Beauty '92 - Twin Cities                     
                                                     
    1 Phantom Regiment                           93.7
    2 Cadets of Bergen Cty.                      93.1
    3 Crossmen                                   90.0
    4 Freelancers                                81.0
    5 Sky Ryders                                 80.9
    6 Colts                                      75.4
    7 Dutch Boy                                  75.1

b) Also on August 9, the Blue Devils turned the tables on the Cavaliers

Ypsilanti, MI                                  DCI
   Drum Corps North XV                               
                                                     
    1 Blue Devils                                93.4
    2 Cavaliers                                  93.3
    3 Glassmen                                   83.0
    4 Boston Crusaders                           81.1
    5 Magic of Orlando                           78.2

 

For those of us following scores as much as possible, this threw people for a curve. After what happened on August 9 it seemed to me that Star had a solid lead, that BD and Cavies could be a toss-up, that Phantom or Madison could be 4 (or 5, or 6), with Cadets at 5 or 6, then Crossmen, SCV, and the rest. It kind of felt to me that Star was going to easily win all 3 nights and win their 2nd title in a row. After Star I was expecting a dogfight. We basically got that -- but most importantly we got one of the best line-ups at Finals when it came to entertainment. 

I'm going to post my thoughts on Quarters, Semifinals, and Finals in another post. I have some interesting thoughts on Finals in Madison, both how I felt then and how I feel now. Before I post that, I have a few comments on all the data that I shared from the 1992 season:

  • Star of Indiana was not the runaway leader for the season until much later. Remember, Cavaliers were beating them well into July. It was not until DCM prelims and finals on July 17 that Star finally beat Cavaliers
  • The first meeting between BD and Star it was BD that won and by a big margin (2.4 points). The very next night Star beat BD by 1.2. If we had something like DCP or social media in 1992 I can just imagine the discussions over the variance in scoring. It was all over the place from night to night.
  • Blue Devils and Cavaliers went back and forth all season
  • Madison Scouts were often running no. 4 with victories over Phantom, Cadets, and SCV throughout the season
  • But Phantom Regiment also beat Madison some during the season, and also beat Cadets at times, including August 9 before Finals
  • Crossmen beat the Cadets at least twice from what I could see, early season
  • BK had beat Crossmen several times
  • It was not until Preview of Champions on July 24 that Star began to exert dominance -- if we can call it that. They won comfortably, but not by 3 points. 
  • Phantom Regiment still had a legit shot at 4th place. They had not beat BD or Cavaliers, but their scores were not that far off. 
  • Despite the things we mention about Cadets and their push, it wasn't as obvious as one might imagine (as this look-back at scores shows). Did Cadets improve? Heck yes. When I saw them in Allentown I was blown away by how good they were, especially compared to the early Hershey, PA show. But coming down the stretch, Cadets were still losing to Star, BD, Cavaliers, and Phantom at times. Madison beat them at DCI East, and Phantom beat them by .6 just before Finals. However, the thing to keep in mind was that Cadets had plenty to clean. They were easily the most dirty of the top-level corps early season, and come August they still had more room to grow. Of all the shows in 1992 the Cadets definitely had a unique production(To Tame The Perilous Skies) that if it came together could be very competitive. Their guard was awesome. The drill was awesome. The music (the last score arranged for them by Michael Klesch) was awesome. But coming into Finals week it still looked like they could be 5th or 6th. 

...more to come

Edited by jwillis35
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The only time I ever saw Star of Indiana live was at what's listed as a show in Cleveland on Aug. 6, but I'm pretty sure it was actually in Mentor (about a half hour to the east).

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DCI Finals Week 1992 - Madison, WI

As I noted in my first part, this was the coldest finals I have ever experienced. I want to say some of the early mornings were in the 40s and low 50s. Temps did not seem to go much above the mid 70s during the day. Someone may have better facts than my aging memory, but it was definitely cold. 

Quarterfinals were a blast and the group of friends that I came up with were all thrilled with just about everyone. Scores were as follows:

   Quarterfinals                                     
                                                     
    1 Star of Indiana                            96.4
    2 Cavaliers                                  95.7
    3 Blue Devils                                95.3
    ^ Cadets of Bergen Cty.                      95.3
    5 Madison Scouts                             93.3
    6 Phantom Regiment                           92.1
    7 Crossmen                                   91.5
    8 Santa Clara Vanguard                       90.9
    9 Blue Knights                               90.3
   10 Velvet Knights                             87.7
   11 Bluecoats                                  85.6
   12 Freelancers                                84.1
   13 Glassmen                                   84.0
   14 Sky Ryders                                 82.8
   15 Boston Crusaders                           82.4
   16 Spirit of Atlanta                          82.0
   17 Marauders                                  80.0
   18 Dutch Boy                                  77.5
   19 Troopers                                   76.1
   20 Colts                                      75.5
   21 Magic of Orlando                           74.1
   22 Southwind                                  73.6
   23 Black Gold                                 72.9
   24 Northern Aurora                            71.1
   25 Carolina Crown                             67.9
   26 Mandarins                                  67.8
   27 Kiwanis Kavaliers                          65.4

 

Star powered their way to no. 1 and I thought it was well deserved. Cavaliers were outstanding and looked much cleaner than when I last saw them. One thing about Cavaliers that year was the sound. They really had a lush, balanced, and very in-tune sound with solid power when they needed it. And their percussion was simply THE BEST. It was not going to be a runaway victory for Star, but we still felt Star would win. The Cadets tied BD and they were .4 from Cavaliers. That was an indication right there that judges had noticed how much Cadets had cleaned. It was clear to me that The Cadets simply had a better overall show than BD. Just better design, but through the year BD was the better performing corps. Now that the Cadets percussion and guard were beginning to gel and the visual was cleaning, it definitely made you wonder if Cadets were ready to make the jump. 

Perhaps the thing that stood out the most was Phantom Regiment's score (92.1). Just 4 days earlier Phantom had beat Cadets by .6 and now they found themselves down by 3.2 points. Yes, everyone is at quarters and spreads can do weird things to the leader board. Many of us were aware that Phantom had beat Cadets on August 9. It just goes to show the subjectivity of judging, the nature of performance, and how things can shift as some corps improve and others stagnate. Whatever the reason, I feel like this led to the events that unfolded on Finals night. 

 

Semifinals were also incredible:

Semifinals                                        
                                                     
    1 Cavaliers                                  97.1
    2 Star of Indiana                            96.9
    3 Cadets of Bergen Cty.                      96.2
    4 Blue Devils                                95.7
    5 Madison Scouts                             94.3
    6 Phantom Regiment                           92.8
    7 Crossmen                                   92.0
    8 Santa Clara Vanguard                       91.9
    9 Blue Knights                               91.1
   10 Velvet Knights                             87.5
   11 Bluecoats                                  85.5
   12 Freelancers                                84.0
   13 Glassmen                                   83.9
   14 Boston Crusaders                           82.2
   15 Sky Ryders                                 82.1
   16 Spirit of Atlanta                          78.8
   17 Marauders                                  76.7

This was the night when the narrative changed. Cavaliers pulled out a fantastic performance and beat Star by .2. The Cadets also were magnificent at semis (actually better than their Finals run). It was so clear at semis that Cadets had one of the better shows on the field, perhaps the best GE, and deserved their 3rd place finish. I still wasn't sure they would push by Star, and in fact I still thought Star might win. But Cadets were impressive. BD fell to 4th but were outstanding from a musical perspective, even with a somewhat weaker percussion line than what they prefer. The arrangements for their show were just driving and at times down and dirty. When A Man Loves a Woman is one of the classic all-time great DCI closers. 

Crossmen were perhaps my favorite show of the night, or at least in a tie with Cadets. I also  loved Cavaliers and Star, and Madison...and pretty much everyone. But something in me could feel that Phantom was not performing their best. Something had happened. They still had a .8 lead on Crossmen and .9 on SCV...but all that would change.

 

Finals Night 1992

DCI World Championship                            
                                                     
    1 Cavaliers                                  97.5
    2 Cadets of Bergen Cty.                      97.0
    3 Star of Indiana                            96.7
    4 Blue Devils                                95.4
    5 Madison Scouts                             93.7
    6 Crossmen                                   92.2
    7 Santa Clara Vanguard                       91.8
    8 Phantom Regiment                           91.5
    9 Blue Knights                               90.0
   10 Velvet Knights                             86.6
   11 Bluecoats                                  84.6
   12 Freelancers                                83.5

The Cavaliers grabbed a well-deserved championship. They were the one corps that cleaned just about everything, and they had a beautiful, well-constructed show that gave you everything you could want. Solid brass, incredible percussion, guard, drill, and solid GE. They earned it.

The Cadets pulled off a tremendous run that, at times, didn't seem like it was going to happen. Their Finals run was not as clean as semis, and in hindsight I thought their brass struggled some on Finals night (4th place in brass), but percussion, guard, GE, and visual propelled them into 2nd place. In fact, here is a corps that come mid-season they were running 5th or 6th and come DCI Finals they won high GE and took 2nd place. Their show was amazing, even from the beginning of the season. But they started so slow, had many holes to fill that it literally took them all season to finally hit a point where the judges could really reward the tremendous design of this show. To Tame The Perilous Skies is an impressive show. Definitely championship design, but not the cleanest Cadets corps.  You had to love the push they made and the hard work those kids put in to ride this show to 2nd place. They seemed to be a scrappy bunch that fought and clawed their way to 2nd place and high GE.  In all honesty, I was wondering if Cadets had not won the title after the show. Now in hindsight I think 2nd was fine and I could make a case for 3rd due to the sloppy brass in finals. But the crowd seemed to be in agreement with the 2nd place finish. They were a testament to hard work and not giving up. 

Star of Indiana was incredible all season. Come mid season I had wondered if they were going to become unbeatable. There were times they seemed to hit those kind of strides. But I feel the show peaked and perhaps too much was put into the Americana-style effects when they should have been cleaning feet. If you look at recaps Star was hit pretty hard in GE Visual and Visual. Still a fantastic show and a truly talented corps. With the right corrections they could have easily won, but 3rd was probably the correct placement.

Blue Devils do music so superbly and 1992 was no different. I even enjoyed their percussion. I realize it was not where they needed it to compete for a title, but keep in mind most of the season they were in the thick of things. I'm sure it was disappointing to fall to 4th, and perhaps more annoying to see the spread between them and Star. 

Madison gave us the best version of City of Angles and were a blast. They were running top 4 for much of the season. Great show music with fantastic soloists.

Crossmen, in many people's minds, gave us one of the best shows of the night. Honestly, they were amazing and one of my 2 favorite corps of the evening. It was clear that if Phantom did not perform well that Crossmen were going to beat them. The crowd went nuts for Crossmen. 

SCV also came out with a vengeance and performed their best show of the season. Fiddler on the Roof was special. The issue for SCV in 1992 was not show design or GE but I felt inexperience. They lit the crowd-up like Vegas lights and Bottle Dance was...well I actually don't think I heard it. The crowd was loud. 

Something had happened to Phantom. I could not put my finger on it, but here was a corps beating Cadets within 4 days of Quarterfinals that was often running top 4 or 5 during the season. After Finals they were sitting in 8th having been passed up by Crossmen and SCV. While all credit should go to Crossmen and SCV for cleaning and performing. Phantom had a wonderful show that year, and 1812 Overture was a huge hit. Maybe it was just a bad run, but for whatever reason they were dropped to 8th place. The corps seemed angry to me considering the way they played themselves off the field after retreat. It was a gross, forced, blasting kind of sound from their hornline. Not typical of Phantom. They seemed angry. I have heard stories. Do not know what is true. Phantom members from that era, or specifically from 1992, can chime in and comment.  Would love to hear your thoughts. They were really the only corps on Finals night that did not perform well.

The Blue Knights seemed to be on at Finals, and although their show was more symphonic, I just loved it. Still one of my favs. 

Velvet Knights were not only on fire but they may have received the largest ovation of the night (maybe). The crowd ate them up. It is a legendary show with all kinds of gags and some great music. I still remember this show almost as well today as I did back in 1992. 

Bluecoats were a very talented corps in 92, but their first attempt at the Beatles was not the best design. Having said that I still enjoyed them and thought they could throwdown when they needed to. It took them roughly 2 1/2 decades to give us another attempt at the Beatles, and boy was that worth the wait. 

Freelancers and Glassmen were both great. I was rooting for Glassmen to make top 12, but Freelancers did deserve it. Fantastic show!

 

All in all 1992 was one of the top 5 DCI Finals I have ever attended...for many reasons. I would not get to see Finals in 93 or 94 so I was glad I made the trip to Madison. It was cold, but the sound in the stadium was crisp and clear, and the crowd ate it up for just about every corps. 

Edited by jwillis35
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34 minutes ago, jwillis35 said:

Bluecoats were a very talented corps in 92, but their first attempt at the Beatles was not the best design. Having said that I still enjoyed them and thought they could throwdown when they needed to. It took them roughly 2 1/2 decades to give us another attempt at the Beatles, and boy was that worth the wait.

Side note: 1992 was the first year of Doug Thrower on the staff. Only on as a Brass Tech at the time. Doug has always been fanatical about The Beatles. Many have made comments suggesting he steered them into the 2019 show selection. He denies it. Either way, he was the right man for those arrangements.

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2 hours ago, jwillis35 said:

Something had happened to Phantom. I could not put my finger on it, but here was a corps beating Cadets within 4 days of Quarterfinals that was often running top 4 or 5 during the season. After Finals they were sitting in 8th having been passed up by Crossmen and SCV. While all credit should go to Crossmen and SCV for cleaning and performing. Phantom had a wonderful show that year, and 1812 Overture was a huge hit. Maybe it was just a bad run, but for whatever reason they were dropped to 8th place. The corps seemed angry to me considering the way they played themselves off the field after retreat. It was a gross, forced, blasting kind of sound from their hornline. Not typical of Phantom. They seemed angry. I have heard stories. Do not know what is true. Phantom members from that era, or specifically from 1992, can chime in and comment.  Would love to hear your thoughts. They were really the only corps on Finals night that did not perform well.

Speaking of finger.....maybe my memory isn't sharp, but didn't someone from Phantom display one when their score was announced?

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10 hours ago, jwillis35 said:

I definitely loved 1992. So many great shows, some great stories, some controversy, and the competition was strong. I probably attended 5 shows before Finals week and then traveled to Madison with some friends for all 3 nights of Finals. It was the coldest finals we ever experienced, and of all things we decided to camp out that year. We actually rented a spot at a camping site north of Madison and setup some tents and spent Thursday and Friday there, then drove home after Finals (I drove 8 hours through the night to get back to Northeast Ohio). 

Out west SCV actually won their first show over BD in Concord. They then fell behind and the spreads began to grow. I don't think they ever caught BD again that season. 

The Cavaliers began the season strong (and ended strong obviously), beating Star of Indiana in the first meeting of the two corps. (Below)


---------------  Friday, June 19  --------------- 
                                                     
   DeKalb, IL                                     DCM
   2nd Annual All Star Review                        
   DCM All-Star Benefit                              
                                                     
    1 Cavaliers                                  74.2
    2 Star of Indiana                            72.8
    3 Madison Scouts                             68.1
    4 Bluecoats                                  60.7
    5 Glassmen                                   60.6
    6 Colts                                      52.4
    7 Troopers                                   49.2

Cavaliers would go on to beat Star of Indiana in Indianapolis on June 26 and in Massillon, OH on June 27. 

The Crossmen beat the Cadets, who got off to a slow start in 92, in their 2nd meeting of the season. (below)
Newark, DE                                     DCE
                                                     
    1 Crossmen                                   70.2
    2 Cadets of Bergen Cty.                      68.8
    3 Boston Crusaders                           55.6
    4 Dutch Boy                                  53.1

Crossmen would beat the Cadets again on June 27 in New Jersey.

 

On June 28 I drove to Port Clinton, OH to see my first live show of the year (I missed Massillon). Cavaliers once again beat Star in their 4th meeting. I was blown away by both shows but had a feeling Star possessed the greater talent and thought they were ready to leap ahead. It did seem to me at the time that Star had the goods to win another title, but I was less sure about that compared to 1991...where I thought it was obvious Star was going to win. Also of note was a very good Glassmen corps that I really enjoyed, and they fell just short of Finals. Scores below.


 Port Clinton, OH                               DCM
                                                     
    1 Cavaliers                                  78.8
    2 Star of Indiana                            78.6
    3 Glassmen                                   67.1
    4 Northern Aurora                            56.6
    5 Kiwanis Kavaliers                          50.4
    6 Limited Edition                            49.1
    7 Golden Lancers                             27.0

On the very same day in Minnesota, Phantom beat Madison with a score of 79.5 to Madison's 78.7. Both corps had started fairly strong, but Madison would ultimately power to top 5 with a terrific City of Angels show (part 2), and Phantom would finish 8th (more on that later).

On July 11, Phantom actually registered the 2nd highest score of the season (albeit different shows) with an 84.1, topping Madison's 82.9. Blue Devils hit an 86.3 in a victory over SCV at 81.5. 

I attended a LIVE show in Hershey, PA on that same day (July 11). Scores were as follows:


Hershey, PA                                    DCE
   Hershey Spectacular                               
                                                     
    1 Star of Indiana                            82.2
    2 Cadets of Bergen Cty.                      79.2
    3 Crossmen                                   78.6
    4 Bluecoats                                  69.0
    5 Sky Ryders                                 64.6
    6 Boston Crusaders                           61.5

Keep in mind to this point Star had not beat the Cavaliers. Star was amazing and a bit more fan friendly after doing their more contemporary 1991 show.  I did worry about their Americana-style show becoming somewhat cheesy. After seeing Star in Port Clinton I felt they improved a lot and were ready to jump into the lead. They easily beat the Cadets at this show, and I actually had Crossmen over Cadets at this show as well. Crossmen were just outstanding in every way. Percussion absolutely powered this show, but their brass was very good, and guard and show design were just top notch. To me, this is the best Crossmen show of all the years they were in the Philly/Wilmington region. Their 1992 show is truly one of the great DCI shows and continues to be legendary among DCI fans and DCPers. As for Cadets, they only had about 53 brass on the field for this show. It seemed to me like they had a slow camp (and perhaps weather difficulties). It may also have been that they were waiting for college students who were not done with school until late June (those on Quarters) to learn the music and drill. This was just a guess of mine at the time, but perhaps they just had to pick-up kids on the go. Any Cadets out there want to clarify some of the early-season difficulties? Please do. 

What I will say about The Cadets in 1992 upon my first viewing was that although very sloppy, they had great design. The show was fun and filled with highlights. We all thought that if they could fill the holes, clean, and lock-in that they could be spectacular. 

 

The first of what we used to think of as a regional was Drums Along The Rockies. It came out this way.


---------------  Friday, July 17  --------------- 
                                                     
   Denver, CO                                     DCI
   Drums Along the Rockies                           
                                                     
    1 Blue Devils                                86.7
    2 Santa Clara Vanguard                       84.4
    3 Blue Knights                               82.6
    4 Freelancers                                74.3
    5 Marauders                                  70.3
    6 Troopers                                   66.7
    7 Black Gold                                 60.1
                                                     
    Non Open Class                                   
    1 SCV Cadets                                 80.1
    2 Blue Devils B                              76.0
    3 Arizona Sun                                67.7
    4 Allegiance Elite                           65.9

 

The DCM Championships were in Toledo that year on July 18, so I was able to attend. 


Toledo, OH                                     DCM
   DCM Championship                                  
                                                     
    1 Star of Indiana                            85.3
    2 Cavaliers                                  84.4
    3 Madison Scouts                             83.5
    4 Phantom Regiment                           81.8
    5 Glassmen                                   75.2
    6 Bluecoats                                  73.5
                                                     
    Division II                                      
    1 Limited Edition                            58.1
    2 Northern Aurora                            52.9
                                                     
    Division III                                     
    1 Pioneer                                    56.6
    2 CapitolAires                               52.9
    3 Blue Stars                                 52.1
    4 Railmen                                    45.8

Star of Indiana won both prelims and finals, accounting for their first two victories over The Cavaliers. Phantom beat Madison in prelims but fell to 4th at finals. I absolute loved every show at this event. Bluecoats were struggling to get their 1st Beatles show to spark. That would be an issue for them all season, but the corps was talented and could definitely perform. 

 

The very next night in Buffalo, NY the Cavaliers topped an impressive field at DCI North. I was not there but the scores give good indication on how strong the competition was.


--------------  Sunday, July 19  --------------- 
                                                     
   Buffalo, NY                                    DCI
   DCI North                                         
                                                     
    1 Cavaliers                                  85.9
    2 Phantom Regiment                           84.2
    3 Cadets of Bergen Cty.                      83.9
    4 Crossmen                                   82.5
    5 Velvet Knights                             77.7
    6 Glassmen                                   75.3
    7 Spirit of Atlanta                          73.2
    8 Bluecoats                                  72.7
    9 Sky Ryders                                 69.0
   10 Dutch Boy                                  65.9
   11 Magic of Orlando                           63.0

Cadets were beginning to pull away from Crossmen, but they were .3 down from Phantom, who was 1.7 down from Cavaliers. Keep in mind that Velvet Knights had an absolute "killer" show that year. One of their all-time classics. 

On July 21, for the first meeting between Blue Devils and Star of Indiana (who had just topped Cavies for the 1st time) it was the Blue Devils who struck first with an 87.0  to Star's 84.6. Surprisingly not that close. That same night Madison beat SCV by a big margin in Iowa, and Phantom and Cadets tied in Pittsburgh with 86.7. 

The very next night Star would beat Blue Devils with an 86.4 to BD's 85.2. The variance in score from night to night was incredible. 

From 1988 (and maybe earlier) through 1991 we simply did not have a regional where all the corps met which would allow us to get a better picture of where things stood. This was certainly the case in 88, 89, 90, and 91. It was exciting now really knowing how things might turn-out come Finals week. But in 1992 we got the Preview of Champions show in Nashville. I did not go, but here is how things lined up.


---------------  Friday, July 24  --------------- 
                                                     
   Nashville, TN                                  DCI
   Preview of Champions Preliminaries                
                                                     
    1 Star of Indiana                            91.9
    2 Blue Devils                                89.7
    3 Cavaliers                                  89.2
    4 Madison Scouts                             88.5
    5 Phantom Regiment                           88.1
    6 Cadets of Bergen Cty.                      88.0
    7 Santa Clara Vanguard                       86.2
    8 Blue Knights                               85.8
    9 Crossmen                                   85.3
   10 Velvet Knights                             81.8
   11 Bluecoats                                  78.0
   12 Freelancers                                77.6
   13 Glassmen                                   76.6
   14 Spirit of Atlanta                          74.2
   15 Sky Ryders                                 72.8
   16 Boston Crusaders                           72.7
   17 Marauders                                  71.1
   18 Dutch Boy                                  68.7
   19 Troopers                                   66.9
   20 Magic of Orlando                           66.1
   21 Southwind                                  64.7
   22 Carolina Crown                             62.2
   23 Colts                                      62.1
   24 Black Gold                                 60.4

 

Scores were close. Star had pulled out in front over BD and began to assert some dominance on the season. BD had a fantastic show and brass book, and at this point it looked like they had a shot at top 3. Cavaliers were just .5 behind BD, and the difference between Madison, Phantom, and Cadets was .5. SCV seemed to be struggling to keep up with BK and  Crossmen closing in on them. 

They held Finals for Nashville the next night, on July 25. 


--------------  Saturday, July 25  -------------- 
                                                     
   Nashville, TN                                  DCI
   Preview of Champions                              
                                                     
    1 Star of Indiana                            91.8
    2 Blue Devils                                90.9
    3 Cavaliers                                  89.7
    4 Madison Scouts                             88.7
    5 Cadets of Bergen Cty.                      88.6
    6 Phantom Regiment                           87.3
    7 Santa Clara Vanguard                       84.9
    8 Blue Knights                               84.0
    9 Crossmen                                   83.7
   10 Velvet Knights                             79.4
   11 Freelancers                                76.8
   12 Bluecoats                                  76.0

Cavaliers cut their lead a little with BD, Madison stayed in 4th, Cadets passed up Phantom for 5th, and BK was still close to SCV, with Crossmen only .3 back of BK.

The next two major regional shows (August 1) were split in terms of corps lineup, and they came out as follows:


Allentown, PA                                  DCI
   DCI East                                          
                                                     
    1 Star of Indiana                            92.7
    2 Madison Scouts                             90.8
    3 Cadets of Bergen Cty.                      90.7
    4 Santa Clara Vanguard                       88.9
    5 Crossmen                                   88.5
    6 Bluecoats                                  80.6
    7 Freelancers                                80.0
    8 Boston Crusaders                           77.6
    9 Marauders                                  75.8
   10 Dutch Boy                                  70.9

I was at DCI East that year and thought a few things at the time: 1) Star looked unbeatable at this point, 2) Madison's show was total fun, 3) Cadets were getting hot but still sloppy, and 4) I really felt Crossmen were going to pass SCV (who seemed young to me, but super fun show).


Jackson, MS                                    DCI
   DCI South                                         
                                                     
    1 Cavaliers                                  92.5
    2 Blue Devils                                92.4
    3 Phantom Regiment                           89.3
    4 Blue Knights                               88.1
    5 Velvet Knights                             84.8
    6 Glassmen                                   81.4
    7 Sky Ryders                                 78.5
    8 Spirit of Atlanta                          78.2
    9 Colts                                      72.7
   10 Southwind                                  72.6
   11 Black Gold                                 65.9

In the South the Cavaliers jumped BD by .1 with Phantom 3rd and BK in a solid 4th.

The very next day Crossmen would go on to beat SCV in Lynn, MA at the East Coast Classic. 


Lynn, MA                                       DCI
   East Coast Classic                                
                                                     
    1 Crossmen                                   89.7
    2 Santa Clara Vanguard                       88.7
    3 Freelancers                                77.9
    ^ Boston Crusaders                           77.9
    5 Troopers                                   69.3

 

At DCI Mid-America in Bloomington, IN Star continued to hold a lead over top competitors Cavaliers and BD. Cadets and Phantom were in Minnesota with BK and Spirit.


--------------  Saturday, August 8  --------------
                                                     
   Bloomington, IN                                DCI
   DCI Mid-America                                   
                                                     
    1 Star of Indiana                            95.0
    2 Cavaliers                                  93.9
    3 Blue Devils                                93.4
    4 Madison Scouts                             92.4
    5 Santa Clara Vanguard                       91.0
    6 Velvet Knights                             83.9
    7 Bluecoats                                  80.7
    8 Glassmen                                   79.8
    9 Boston Crusaders                           79.7
   10 Troopers                                   75.1
   11 Magic of Orlando                           73.5
   12 Carolina Crown                             70.1
   13 Limited Edition                            64.4

DCI Mid-America was the last big regional before DCI Finals competition (even though Phantom and Cadets were not part).

 

There were a couple of small shows of interest:

a) On August 9, Phantom Regiment turned the tabled on The Cadets and beat them in Minnesota


                                                     
   Blaine, MN                                     DCI
   Drum Beauty '92 - Twin Cities                     
                                                     
    1 Phantom Regiment                           93.7
    2 Cadets of Bergen Cty.                      93.1
    3 Crossmen                                   90.0
    4 Freelancers                                81.0
    5 Sky Ryders                                 80.9
    6 Colts                                      75.4
    7 Dutch Boy                                  75.1

b) Also on August 9, the Blue Devils turned the tables on the Cavaliers


Ypsilanti, MI                                  DCI
   Drum Corps North XV                               
                                                     
    1 Blue Devils                                93.4
    2 Cavaliers                                  93.3
    3 Glassmen                                   83.0
    4 Boston Crusaders                           81.1
    5 Magic of Orlando                           78.2

 

For those of us following scores as much as possible, this threw people for a curve. After what happened on August 9 it seemed to me that Star had a solid lead, that BD and Cavies could be a toss-up, that Phantom or Madison could be 4 (or 5, or 6), with Cadets at 5 or 6, then Crossmen, SCV, and the rest. It kind of felt to me that Star was going to easily win all 3 nights and win their 2nd title in a row. After Star I was expecting a dogfight. We basically got that -- but most importantly we got one of the best line-ups at Finals when it came to entertainment. 

I'm going to post my thoughts on Quarters, Semifinals, and Finals in another post. I have some interesting thoughts on Finals in Madison, both how I felt then and how I feel now. Before I post that, I have a few comments on all the data that I shared from the 1992 season:

  • Star of Indiana was not the runaway leader for the season until much later. Remember, Cavaliers were beating them well into July. It was not until DCM prelims and finals on July 17 that Star finally beat Cavaliers
  • The first meeting between BD and Star it was BD that won and by a big margin (2.4 points). The very next night Star beat BD by 1.2. If we had something like DCP or social media in 1992 I can just imagine the discussions over the variance in scoring. It was all over the place from night to night.
  • Blue Devils and Cavaliers went back and forth all season
  • Madison Scouts were often running no. 4 with victories over Phantom, Cadets, and SCV throughout the season
  • But Phantom Regiment also beat Madison some during the season, and also beat Cadets at times, including August 9 before Finals
  • Crossmen beat the Cadets at least twice from what I could see, early season
  • BK had beat Crossmen several times
  • It was not until Preview of Champions on July 24 that Star began to exert dominance -- if we can call it that. They won comfortably, but not by 3 points. 
  • Phantom Regiment still had a legit shot at 4th place. They had not beat BD or Cavaliers, but their scores were not that far off. 
  • Despite the things we mention about Cadets and their push, it wasn't as obvious as one might imagine (as this look-back at scores shows). Did Cadets improve? Heck yes. When I saw them in Allentown I was blown away by how good they were, especially compared to the early Hershey, PA show. But coming down the stretch, Cadets were still losing to Star, BD, Cavaliers, and Phantom at times. Madison beat them at DCI East, and Phantom beat them by .6 just before Finals. However, the thing to keep in mind was that Cadets had plenty to clean. They were easily the most dirty of the top-level corps early season, and come August they still had more room to grow. Of all the shows in 1992 the Cadets definitely had a unique production(To Tame The Perilous Skies) that if it came together could be very competitive. Their guard was awesome. The drill was awesome. The music (the last score arranged for them by Michael Klesch) was awesome. But coming into Finals week it still looked like they could be 5th or 6th. 

...more to come

so we've been at the same shows multiple times and never met. we gotta fix that

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Love these threads! Some fantastic contributions! 

I vaguely remembering hearing or reading nearer the time that Regiments show suffered towards the end of the season as people were expecting the fireworks associated with 1812 but as the show cleaned up it felt increasingly sterile. Watching back now it feels low on excitement and some interesting arrangement choices made. Any insights from those those involved? 

Think it's also a well known thing from the time that there was a 'step too far' backlash from fans and judges alike to the final big tarp that Star raised? The video camera angle  suggested it wasn't quite hoisted into positon either?

My experience was eagerly waiting for the taped pbs recording to be shipped over. I still recall a remark from friends that went out to watch finals. I was keen to know if Star had upped the whiplash factor from the year before. 'Star were fast but Cadets were faster'. 

SCV's first and last minutes were awesome. Anyone know why they went with the single flag and old school visual design approach leaving behind most of the theatrics of the previous few years? Was it seen as  a competitive risk going into the summer season to celebrate the anniversary in a certain way? 

From a distance it seemed like Cavies refined their way to a championship having gotten closer in the years previous, but this winning show didn't resonate with me quite as much as 89 - 91, or certainly 95.

Agree with the thoughts that 92 was one of the most entertaining years top to bottom!

 

 

 

 

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11 hours ago, Continental said:

Speaking of finger.....maybe my memory isn't sharp, but didn't someone from Phantom display one when their score was announced?

Yes, per the video of retreat: (relevant shot of person in the Phantom block at 3:15)

 

Edited by ftwdrummer
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1 hour ago, grimmo said:

My experience was eagerly waiting for the taped pbs recording to be shipped over. I still recall a remark from friends that went out to watch finals. I was keen to know if Star had upped the whiplash factor from the year before. 'Star were fast but Cadets were faster'. 

Star came to Montreal in '92.

My only time to see a live corps show that year.  Weeks of anticipation almost ruined by a weather forecast that would not cooperate.   I had two tickets.  I wanted a friend to see what I was talking about, but she declined at the last minute because of the weather.  I still went by myself and I was determined to remain in the stands.  I brought an umbrella.  We all know how much that helps sitting on stadium seats in the pouring rain.  Yeah, it was only my hair that didn't get wet.  

All corps performed in the pouring rain.  There were so many falls.  Your heart goes out to those corps members performing their show that end up on the ground, on a grass field.  I remember some Madison hard falls.  The kind that make the audience react out of sympathy. 

Star came out.  They blew the house down.  It was as if the rain didn't affect them.  Not a single fall.  The middle voices rang through the drenched audience. 

I left that show so amazed at how they performed.  

It was the only time I ever got to see Star live and they did not disappoint.

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