George82 Posted April 27, 2005 Share Posted April 27, 2005 1981.....my rookie year! One of the greatest years of my life....so many memories. We (members) requested "Pieces of Dreams" to be our closer because we had been listening to the 1977 Garfield Cadets ALOT that spring. ....spring rehearsals in the parking lot at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, NJ...Home of 'DA DREAM" ....walking into School #1 in Garfield for uniform fitting and Aunt Nell picking out the perfect one just by looking at me...blew me away! ...putting the uniform on for the first time and needing a vet to show me how to line up the series of hooks on the jacket and the sash and getting the crossbelt lined up with the drop piece going down the left leg....that was hard work ....losing to Cavies, Crossmen on first tour..... ....being fed Lime Jell-O every night for dessert UNTIL we beat Cavies. ....Cavalier DM's presenting OUR DM's with a huge box of Lime Jell-O at US Open Prelims...it would be the last time they would beat us ....playing "Elks Parade" at a senior show exhibition while standing right next to The Skyliners on retreat........they didn't take too kindly to that <**> Bob Taylor AKA "T-BOB"....for anyone who knows this guy nothing more need be said.... The arrival of Michael & Greg Cesario during mid-season....they brought so much to make us better DCI MIDWEST FINALS....finishing ahead of the Bridgemen for the first time since the mid-70's...wow, we were flying till brought back to reality the next night in Alton, Ill FANG!!!! ....Being tied by the Blue Devils for first place in field brass at Montreal Finals Receiving two standing O's from the largest finals crowd in DCI history....such a rush.....I can still feel it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abgiles Posted April 27, 2005 Share Posted April 27, 2005 The only bright spot was that we went undefeated in drums that year. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> first time i ever saw your drumline up close was at whitewater. i was a horn player, but i was completely mezmerized. i loved our drumline, but, watching you guys play was simply incredible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malibu Posted April 27, 2005 Share Posted April 27, 2005 I didn't know about the prelim recording. I'll have to look for one.1981 was tough because we lost alot of age outs from 80 and the new members did not understand what it took to be Bridgemen. Plus we had an administration that did not know how to run a drum corps. We did not have a food truck, we always had to hope something was open after a contest so we can eat some tasty McDonalds before an 8 hour bus ride. Speaking of Dawn, we were just down at their house last weekend. Had a great time. Hey, is that you on the cover of the program you posted? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Ya know Madison's staff was impressed when they saw us lining up for our chuck wagon meal.....so they asked our cook staff if they paid, would they serve their corps too. You guys should have hooked up with another corps......anything is better than eating at McD's all time! :P No wonder Dawn doen't like to eat at McDonald's now! b**bs Ya know I live about 30 minutes from Dawn & Russell. Nope, that's not me on that front cover......it's my friend Mickey. Funny thing in '81 when we were lining up for that show, some kid came to me and said, "I found you, could you please sign this cover?" I was shocked and told the boy to go up to the front where the rifles were and look for a red head......that would be the girl he is looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jd83 Posted April 28, 2005 Share Posted April 28, 2005 ONLY 'CAUSE WE WENT OPEN CLASS!! ^0^ Sorry! couldn't help myself Honestly,I remember being a little surprised that we beat you guys at Butler! You had a #### of a hornline! Didn't you guys also win Class "A" at Midwest in Whitewater that year? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Unfortunately, we were not in Whitewater that year. I do remember competing against y'all and also remember our corps getting along well. Believe it or not, I also remember a chance meeting at a contest in 1983, in Grand Rapids, MI. Either we were about to go on the field to compete or for retreat. A contra player from the Glassmen walked up to me and said, "I remember you. You marched in the Louisiana Southernaires in '81." Unfortunately, I couldn't remember who he was at the time, but he reminded me and then I recognized him. We were both still in uniform so we weren't able to talk long, but that memory stuck with me to this day. That was really cool. BTW, we lost the US Open Class A Championship, because the Bluecoats dropped to Class A for the day, so they could compete that night somewhere else. We came in second place that day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apoch003 Posted April 28, 2005 Author Share Posted April 28, 2005 Okay, since I started the thread.... Argonauts moved up to "A" class. The fight theme from "Rocky" was our opener, while "Bye bye Love" from All That Jazz was our best number in concert set. Salinas California on first tour... Everyone tired, climbed into their sleeping bags and then colour guard freaking out and screaming as they shook out the cockroaches from their bags! LOL Tick system still in place. My first year marching and not as drum major. Seeing sunsets in Texas was amazing! Being completely blown away by SCV resulting in my lifelong fandom to them. What class. The Argonauts were finally reforming and gelling as a true corps. I remember seeing bats flying for the first time at Toledo. And I started getting into the tradition of drum corps. Those bonds are still with me today. This was the year I changed my attitude and really got into the spirit of drum corps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobrien Posted April 28, 2005 Share Posted April 28, 2005 (edited) '81 was also my age out year, after having marched since I was 13 (with two years off for good behaviour - or bad behaviour, come to think of it...). Most of my career was with a small corps near my hometown, and I hung on with them until everyone else had given up the ship and gone to Kilts, PR, Guardsmen, and Cavaliers. Seeing the clock ticking, I changed my mind about aging out with PR, and decided to give Cavies a shot (it didn't hurt that my guy friends who'd gone Cavies couldn't get over the number of nubile young thangs hanging out by the busses at the end of each night....B) - Playing "Softly..." the first time as an ensemble in March. - Playing for (one-term Chicago mayor) Jane Byrne's birthday in Grant Park at a point when management was hoping that perhaps the city could come in with sponsorship - Rosemont ended up coming to the rescue, and the rest is history. - Being told at an April camp that oh, btw, we'll be marching Pearl drums this summer; thinking 1) "Pearl's going to make marching percussion?", and 2) "but I've been playing Slingerland since I was 8 years old..." - 2 shows in a row in Mile High Stadium, one night after the other. Staying in a high school in Littleton that week (Columbine? I dunno, but the aerial shots of the campus looked familar). First time seeing SCV that year, thinking "yeah, they turned it around from last year...", even if the program wasn't quite as interesting. - Seeing Spirit's North snare drums at DCI East - talking to the guys in their line after the show - who hated the drums.... - four July 4th parades - a Cavaliers tradition... - beating Garfield first tour, then watching them put points between us second tour (must've been that lime Jell-O, George... :P ) - picking up a copy of PR's libretto that was dropped on the ground outside a stadium, thinking "huh - this 'theme show' concept will never last..." - a one-count visual in the snare line in "Sing Sing Sing" that used 20 sticks to spell out a compliment to a certain part of the female anatomy. It's on the video; check out the pause button... - standing next to Bridgemen when they lost to Garfield at DCI Midwest at finals - seeing a few guys in their drum line making distinctly, em, "physical" motions to the booth when the scores were announced that indicated that something like a manual manipulation of particularly large male organs had taken place... - second tour swing through the south - North Star and Sky Ryders being the only competition night after night. Winning, but wondering if we were hurting ourselves by being that far out of the loop. - the trip from Greenville SC (where it was 100 in the shade) to Boston (50 in the sun), pulling in to the Sat night show right from the road after two days of non-rehearsal (bus trouble outside Baltimore). Warmup on the busses (such as it was), but still managing not to embarrass ourselves, considering we had to follow BD. - the next night at CYO, when it became clear what the relative placements were gonna be that week in Montreal. We weren't gonna be top 8, that was obvious. Oh, and noticing Garfield propping up their mallet instruments on upended baritone cases on the front sideline - the beginnings of the pit... - an unexpected free day in Boston the next morning due to bus failure; being with some guys who got kicked out of some fine establishments in the Combat Zone for enjoying the establishments TOO much. - a good week of rehearsal going into Montreal - adding the 2 count hold in the "Softly..." stepover Thursday before prelims. Ralph Pace's inspirational speeches that used the refrain "there is no yesterday or tomorrow, there is only now - and now, and now, and now...." I believe this was to illustrate the mental process of moving from set to set. - being let loose on the suburb of Montreal that Thurs night, with the understanding that we were to try and get back at a reasonable hour. Those of age finding a restaurant with lots of Brador in cans, and seeing Jimmy Reis actually biting into a bar glass - a trick which he repeated untl the waitress started screaming at him in French... - sound check in Olympic Stadium Saturday morning, thinking "Sheesh, I can't hear anyone next to me." Adding gaffers tape to the drum heads in an effort to further muffle the sound. Didn't help - the sound still sucked. - the sound of the crowd reacting to the hold in "Softly.." Realising that it didn't really matter where we placed after that. - half empty busses on the way home to Chicago. Quiet ride back - at about 3 in the morning as we were coming back to Illinois, Elton John's "Daniel" came on the bus sound system. I was awake, looking out windows, thinking that this part of my life is all now officially over. To this day, I can't hear that song without thinking about that moment. Oh, and the photos inside the bass drums. Ask Uncle Z about it.... ^0^ Edited April 28, 2005 by mobrien Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggbert Posted April 28, 2005 Share Posted April 28, 2005 81 was a rough year for Blue Stars. We stayed local for first tour and stood out in pouring rain the night before second tour trying to sell raffle tickets. Someone came through and the buses rolled after midnight. And then they broke down. Then we pushed them. Then we rode in other corps buses. Then we slept standing up with the whole corps crammed on two buses. You get the idea. Mathis der Maler by Hindemith was the Blue Stars opener, a great piece and the arrangement was ahead of it's time. I'd like to hear a corps do Mathis today, and they could play it in the original key. But, what would the drums do? Montreal was always fun and although the stadium sounded weird on the field it was great in the stands. I remember sneaking into the stadium for finals (no way was I paying to get in hehehe) and scamming seats just below the press box. Lots of cool things that year. Troopers made finals. Always good. But, those canary yellow drums with the open shells... Suncoast growing. Could tell it was gonna be a great corps. Cavies whirly tube thingies in the opener (or was that 80?) Garfield getting really good again with almost a senior show, real classics. Easy to see that they were about to explode. Spartacus - again. :-| Phantom's mallet section with greek names in big gold and black mailbox italic letters on the back of the instruments. Lauren Vogel was ATHENA, Chris Arrowood was CALIGULA, can't remember the rest. Blue Stars mallet section with names in tiny print on the back. Eggbert Raubinowitz, Irenio Piedmont, Ralph Garvin, Beulah Kaputnik. Now you know. Uncle Z in a big ole Cavies hat. Never quite got used to that one hehehe. Scott Koter in a big ole Guardsmen oatmeal box hat. Got used to it but it wasn't workin hehehe. Glen Crosby rockin BD's tenor line. Geneseo Knights Dindi on baritones In The Stone - the stuff Vanguard after a year of innovation and punishment going back to a safe show and winning big. My cue to exit stage right. David Hathaway at finale, SCV baritone and an old friend and bari soloist from the Erie Thunderbirds, jumping up and down and screaming "I won DCI!! I won DCI!!" And a good time was had by all... I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle z Posted April 28, 2005 Share Posted April 28, 2005 Wait a minute. Gimme a minute to rant. I just read two posts from guys that I marched with. I'm overwhelmed by the memories that came flooding back to me from these two men. :) I know it's gonna be a bittersweet day at work and several times I'm gonna have to hold back tears. :( Drum corps at it's best is a system of taking wildly disparate people with wildly disparate backgrounds and personalities, putting them in a uniform so they look somewhat homogeneous and allowing them to create a thing of beauty. Take that thing of beauty and have it compared to another creation and allow those young people's natural desire to compete full reign, and you have something that just can't be duplicated elsewhere. This is the niche activity that has captured my heart 30 years ago. All-agers, please don't remind me that I can do it all over again if I choose. Give me the time to recall those summers when I hadn't yet brushed up against the harsh realities of the world. Those of you that understand, thanks for the memories. Those of you that don't, thanks for giving me this forum. Matt and Cliff, just know that I'll be thinking of you both today and wishing I was playing music with you again. B) Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigSev Posted April 28, 2005 Share Posted April 28, 2005 Wait a minute. Gimme a minute to rant. I just read two posts from guys that I marched with. I'm overwhelmed by the memories that came flooding back to me from these two men. :) I know it's gonna be a bittersweet day at work and several times I'm gonna have to hold back tears. :( All-agers, please don't remind me that I can do it all over again if I choose. Give me the time to recall those summers when I hadn't yet brushed up against the harsh realities of the world. Those of you that understand, thanks for the memories. Those of you that don't, thanks for giving me this forum. Matt and Cliff, just know that I'll be thinking of you both today and wishing I was playing music with you again. B) Mike <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hey Z! What instrument would you play today? I've jumped back into the water with the start up of Frontier in Dallas. So far it's been a blast. It's actually been tough getting used to the G instrument again. I even rented a 3 valve from the Blue Stars for the summer as all the sops Frontier purchased were 2 valve. We could use you if you want to fly in for a rehearsal. We have one this weekend ^0^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Brady Posted April 28, 2005 Share Posted April 28, 2005 Wait a minute. Gimme a minute to rant. I just read two posts from guys that I marched with. I'm overwhelmed by the memories that came flooding back to me from these two men. :) I know it's gonna be a bittersweet day at work and several times I'm gonna have to hold back tears. :( Drum corps at it's best is a system of taking wildly disparate people with wildly disparate backgrounds and personalities, putting them in a uniform so they look somewhat homogeneous and allowing them to create a thing of beauty. Take that thing of beauty and have it compared to another creation and allow those young people's natural desire to compete full reign, and you have something that just can't be duplicated elsewhere. This is the niche activity that has captured my heart 30 years ago. All-agers, please don't remind me that I can do it all over again if I choose. Give me the time to recall those summers when I hadn't yet brushed up against the harsh realities of the world. Those of you that understand, thanks for the memories. Those of you that don't, thanks for giving me this forum. Matt and Cliff, just know that I'll be thinking of you both today and wishing I was playing music with you again. B) Mike <{POST_SNAPBACK}> One of the most eloquently worded posts I've read in a long time Z!Corps may come and go,all the changes in the world can be made, but those memories of youth always live on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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