Freelancers

[ravedodger]

Bump!

Freelancers alumni please click on the link in my signature.

[shawn craig]

Recently got the 82 Legacy DVD.

Love the 82 Freelancers show. The rifle line was great with lots of double rifle work, although the video doesn't show it very well. I also liked the guard outfits. All male rifle line with all female flag line and the curved flag poles.

The music was also great with some fine soloist. The show had a very smooth feel to it both musically and visually.

[SkyRyder_FMM]

The discussion in the 88 thread got me thinking about how much I enjoyed Freelenacers show that year. We traded victories all summer that year, but I really loved that show. I think their version of E.T. blew Star's 86 version right out of the water. I wish I have a phonograph player, so that I could listen to that album again (or that DCI could figure out a way to release ADP's of the non-Finalist corps from the legacy years). That is one show I'd love to listen to again.

I also remember how cool the guys in 84 Freelancers were. I was marching with a small corps that year - the St. Croix Rivermen. After performing at one of our local shows, we had a tradition of performing a standstill in the parking lot after the show. About half of the Freelancers horn line came over and listened to us performa nd cheered us on. A very classy group indeed.

Another great corps that I truly miss.

[GMichael1230]

Recently got the 82 Legacy DVD.

Love the 82 Freelancers show. The rifle line was great with lots of double rifle work, although the video doesn't show it very well. I also liked the guard outfits. All male rifle line with all female flag line and the curved flag poles.

The music was also great with some fine soloist. The show had a very smooth feel to it both musically and visually.

The curved flagpoles, with the lavender silks during "Even now" were awesome. NYRG used them later that year in the WGI circuit.

82 along with 83 are two very underrated Freelancer programs. Outstanding colorguard and superb marching/visual programs.

~G~

[Guardguy89]

Freelancers made finals in '88 - so you can buy it.

Later,

Mike

[Cainan]

Freelancers made finals in '88 - so you can buy it.

Later,

Mike

WRONG.

I can assure you we most certainly did NOT make finals in 88.

89.....yes.

88.....NO.

[Guardguy89]

Right - I keep messing up '88 & '89

Marched both those years, DCI was in Kansas both years, and for some reason those 2 years always mesh together.

My favorite Freelancers show though is '84 - I love that show!!!!! And the opener in the '85 show was unreal (I marched Les Eclipses that year - so we saw you alot).

Later,

Mike

[KCWolfPck]

I'm glad I found this thread. Thanks for the memories Freelancers. We miss you!!

[Rob H.]

I wanted to chime in and give some thoughts...

I marched previously with the Anaheim Kingsmen (soprano soloist) and didn't have a good experience (due to the Director at the time)

I marched 89' Freelancers and always respected the staff. The Freelancer drumline was the coolest, nicest and most down-to-earth drummers I had ever met. Most drummers had a tendency to be concieted and didn't want anything to do with the horn line. They were talented and nice!

I regret not marching with them more, but expenses and college kept me from being more involved.

I remember somewhere being on tour.... and it was back east... everyone was tired and working overtime to perfect the show.... we were at each others throats. So Charlie Anderson told everyone to go hug the ones you didn't like or someone you were mad at. That was a huge help and lightened the stressed corps.

I also remember going to Montreal on a "day-off"... something we did not do often. It was like a huge party in the old town, with lots of corps there too (including Madison Scouts and some others). I remember not knowing where to go there since all the signs were in French.

I remember Charlie Anderson many days talking about the meaning of life, and alot of subjects that I could not understand.

I also remember having a real bad show in Nebraska and marching in block over and over in the parking lot.

I remember performing in the Meadowlands and the crowd went NUTS... afterwards (with no retreat) we got out of our uni's and alot of the crowd came to us and told us how they worshiped the Freelancers.

I sat next to the horn Sgt in the bus and he was really cool guy (his name escapes me)..... most of the Freelancers treated us South. Calif people very cool and like family,

Even though I was in Sac. Freelancers only 1 year, I am proud of what we accomplished and can say i am lucky to be apart of the best drum corps in DCI history.D

Thanks to everyone that made this fine Drum Corps possible!

I so wish they were still around!

God I love that corps!

[Cathie Wiener]

...and tell me,whats the story with the escorting guard chicks everywhere they went by other Freelancer members ? i recall always seeing a guy in uniform arm in arm with a guard member they couldn't all be couples could they ?

THIS was my favorite part of the corps. I couldn't believe that every other corps didn't do it. And what many people didn't see was when we entered the stands, the escort would take off his gauntlets to place it on the seat so the guard girl he was escorting wouldn't get the uniform dirty when she sat down. To this day I remember Will Mulliken was my first ever escort and he was also my escort when we saw 92 Cadets show for the first time. That was an awesome experience. Still my favorite show.

Many people mentioned Woodburn, Oregon which was definitely one of the best show sites for us ever. The stands having an aluminum cover to hold the sound in even more AND no track with the DM conducting from the stands. It was hazardous to the health of the audience... literally. 93 anyone? Plus we got those great strawberry shortcakes every year. It was pure heaven. It was also the only victory concert we ever did while I marched. Fond memories.

The other thing that I absolutely loved was when we were in the shows and we were called to attention on the competition field and then, "Ready Front"... "SAC". That feeling is still indescribable. Which leads to one of my worst memories with Freelancers when in late 93 or the beginning of 94 (apparently I've permanently wiped this part of the memory) one of our newly acquired staff (I'm sorry I still can't stand that man... ) decided we would no longer say "SAC" on the ready front because it "just isn't professional." Are you freaking kidding me?!?!?! And then we closed our flap with no buckles in 94 for the god-awful black sash. Still pains me to this day and I was only a 2-year vet. Freelancers was VERY good about teaching the history of the corps and the meaning of the uniform and buckle and how much of an insult it really was when the flaps were closed for Allentown. So when the corps did that for 94 for those #### sashes, it hurt my heart.

Let's see. I'll end with a much happier memory. I think I started in 92 only one or two camps before Memorial Day so I was playing catch up, but I vividly remember my first Basics Block with Karl Sarff and his "In the Moment." Before we even started marching we stood at attention while the goals of this weekend's camp were explained to us by him along with other pertinent information. I was so terrified. This was the first thing we did and my first exposure to corps and all I kept thinking was, "What have I gotten myself into?" Everyone was SO intense. Luckily, things got fun fast (with a lot of help from Jen Siler and Stacey Rabanal) as we went out to learn drill.

And a special note to "St..." I mean MK (I'll get used to it),

Can I just say it is very disconcerting to perform in the pit with Danny Bryant standing right in front of you the entire show talking into the tape? All I can think during the whole show, especially Calabasas, is, "What is that little punk saying?!?!?" and then trying to listen really hard while he's talking. I know it's been 15 years, but all I can remember is him as a little punk in the pit (I don't care if he is older than me, it is irrelevant, he was still a punk :) ) and those god-#### Birkenstocks!!!!

Freelancers was awesome and I am glad to have been a part of it. Hope to see everyone at the reunion at Finals.

P.S. I know this is a much delayed entry compared to everyone else, but I just recently got back into the activity and found DCP, so pbbbbbbt!