the DCI yearlys: 1981

[gellio]

with Carmine Appacice(sp?) sounding like he smoke a pound of hash

before the show.

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Wouldn't suprise me if smoking hash was part of Bridgemen's pre-show warm up!

[jimdugan]

Wouldn't suprise me if smoking hash was part of Bridgemen's pre-show warm up! 

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Exactly

[Bob Brady]

Exactly

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I remember going to Whitewater in 77 as a spectator,and staying in the same dorms as the Bridgemen.

As my Father and I stood there,the elevator door opened,a cloud of smoke rolled out and my Dad said"What's that smell?"

(This WAS the 70's remember!)

[LancerFi]

1981 was my "be careful what you wish for year". I was so wanting to lay on the beach on weekends, finally reconnect with other people from high school besides the drum corps crowd, eat a Sunday dinner with my family, have a Mothers or Fathers day at home and take life to a new level.

That first show in 81 was so bittersweet. After 5 seasons in DCI, 5 fabulous seasons, and another 5 prior, I felt almost jealous that I was not marching in with the corps. It was almost like how can they go on without me?

I felt the 81 corps was superior in alot of ways to 80, the same uni's in the guard gave the corps a huge look, the horn line I felt was the best in years, and although I'm not sure that the drill was as good as the 79 & 80 show, it was still fabulous! I loved "Greatest Love" it just felt like something was missing-maybe it was ME!! I thought the corps was top 2 material by August.

I enjoyed Montreal alot and everytime after aging out watching the corps seemed like it was 1 minute that they were on the field. It always went by so quickly for me.

I'm sorry to say that I'm very selfish and although this will sound very bad, I'm happy to know almost ever member that ever marched. Know almost every show that was put on the field. There's a closeness when there's been a limited # of years for a drum corps. It was always a family atmosphere from the very beginning and the door was always open in the Bonfiglio house. I lived about 1/2 my life there by the time I was 10, it was just so local and close knit.

I'm happy I didn't have to see the corps go thru all of the changes that have happened since 1986. 1986 broke my heart enough. We kind of ended more true to our identity as it should be.

I still wish there were more videos of 81. Although I have 2 (thank you Malibu), I would still love to have Montreal, although I do love both videos, I just think it's so unfair that for people that aged out that year, there was no live show, nor a video for Through the Years, etc. Instead, an early showing from Midwest or East. It's really a shame! And not just for the age outs, but for anyone that marched finals that evening. Hindsight is 20/20, but really, there should have been a plan in place. (or is there something I don't know and there is video of prelims or finals from Montreal?)

Bravo to all that marched in 1981, it was a great year, a great top 12, and although I hated to be in the stands, it was a good first year to be in them!!

[Malibu]

I still wish there were more videos of 81.  Although I have 2 (thank you Malibu), I would still love to have Montreal, although I do love both videos, I just think it's so unfair that for people that aged out that year, there was no live show, nor a video for Through the Years, etc.  Instead, an early showing from Midwest or East.  It's really a shame!  And not just for the age outs, but for anyone that marched finals that evening.  Hindsight is 20/20, but really, there should have been a plan in place.  (or is there something I don't know and there is video of prelims or finals from Montreal?)

Bravo to all that marched in 1981, it was a great year, a great top 12, and although I hated to be in the stands, it was a good first year to be in them!! 

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Yes, it is ashamed that no finals videos ever surfaced from that year. However, there are videos out there of prelims. Even though I have a copy of prelims & finals that our staff made of our corps..... I bought one off of ebay two months ago of prelims of all the top 12. Quality is no where near what DCI "could have" produced, but it is better than nothing. Not only that, but I can appreciate it more so than the Midwest video.

Thanks Nancy for recognizing a great year and also my age out year!

[George82]

On first tour we did a show in Verdun, Quebec (a Montreal suburb). In the show was the Boston Crusaders, Les Eclipse, the 27th Lancers, the Madison Scouts and us. I think there were more corps but my memory has become a bit hazy....

Anyway, it was a full corps retreat (remember those???) and the stands were full. Before the scores could be read BAM!!!! the lights go out.....the area was in a blackout! b**bs

Everyone on the field began milling around, figuring out what was going on...the fans were singing chants and holding up lighters!

They ended up bringing vehicles onto the field with their lights on so that the corps could see how to leave the field and get out of the stadium!

One of the most interesting retreats I've ever been on.

[FEVER]

1982 will be on Tuesday of next week. 

Valley Fever will have to wait until then.  As well as the Raiders (I miss them).

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Valley Fever was around in 1981. They started as a winter guard in 1979. Went to nats in 1980 and made top 24 in 1981. So why wait!

[apoch003]

Valley Fever was around in 1981. They started as a winter guard in 1979. Went to nats in 1980 and made top 24 in 1981. So why wait!

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Well really, just to torment you for another 24 hours! :P

Because it was in 82 that the marching band became a drum corps and "Birdland" became a hit.

[byline]

1981 was kind of a heartbreaker for me in so many ways. (I can really relate to a lot of what Nancy wrote.) It was my first year after aging out, my corps hadn't folded yet, but it was competing in a different division and had taken a much lower profile. No real opportunity for me to see my own corps. Yet so many of my fellow corps members were now marching in other corps. The following year, I would see so many people I knew marching in Garfield.

I almost literally ached to march, not only in corps but also winter guard. But I couldn't. The shows were becoming so beautifully developed, flag was really coming into its own, and I wanted to get out there and do that work! I was bitten by the guard bug relatively late in life--I was 19 at the time--and I felt a little bit cheated; three years was too short a time to fully experience all that. It was selfish of me, I know, but I wanted more, wanted it so badly, knew I could do the work and nail it, and felt that it was unfair to no longer have that opportunity.

That was a big reason why I went into and stayed with guard instruction. I couldn't march, myself, but I could still experience a tiny bit of that vicariously, through writing and teaching.

It's strange, but I went to three shows that summer--Evansville, Louisville and Michigan City, I believe it was--and I wrote about all of them for "Drum Corps World" (another way I could continue to vicariously experience drum corps), yet I remember so little about them. I vividly recall seeing Two-Seven in Michigan City and being blown away by the guard, and also by the brass brilliance of "Niner-Two." I also vividly recall seeing Santa Clara, also in Michigan City, and being blown away by their total package. The other thing I remember is seeing Blue Devils in Louisville, and thinking how stunning the guard looked in those new uniforms. I felt they looked incredibly tall, and were so graceful and dynamic in their performance combining dance and equipment work. But again, that's all I remember. The rest is just a blank.

Edited May 2, 2005 by byline