1992

[perc2100]

Re: new Cavaliers fans at '92 Finals

1992 was my first year of 'traveling' to drum corps shows. My first show was in 1991, a local show, and in 1992 I went to Preview, Finals, and a few other out of town shows for the first time. Living in the mid-west, I got to see Cavaliers, Star, and the other DCM coprs frequently. I got to watch those shows grow: some for the better, some for the worse (IMPO). I got to watch Cadets go from low to high. I got to watch Star do their best to put out what they thought would be a fan friendly show. I got to watch Cavaliers put the finishing touches on something they'd been close to in the previous few seasons, but just a hair out of reach. I have never been a big fan of Star's 92 show, and only in the last several years have I put that show in the CD player and enjoyed the music. Visually I thought the show was cheesy, and it was the kind of thing that just screamed 'bando.' Great execution? Of course. It was a good enough design, I just personally did not care for it.

I was never a huge Cavalier fan, and that year when they were trading victories with Star in the early season, I was interested at the "could this finally be their year" possibility. By late season, Star was looking like their dominant self, and I wondered if Cavaliers could take 'em. A Quarters, I thought Cavaliers would have a shot, and in semis when they came out on top I was happy. For me, it was a possibility of another first time DCI Champion (at that time I had no real sense of history of drum corps pre-DCI), and I was extremely excited to see them on the verge of winning their first championship. On Finals night, I honestly didn't have a big clue what would happen score wise. I thought all three corps had good shows (at the time, I was no where near as critical or knowledgable about execution), and but I thought it was again down to Star & Cavaliers. When Star was announced in 3rd, I was very hyped, cheered really loud, and I had already assumed Cavaliers were going to win. I also liked Cadets show by that point in the season, so I was happy they moved up a little bit too.

So I guess at that tie you could call me a 'fair weather' Cavalier fan finals night, but everyone has to start somewhere/sometime. For me I was more hyped to see a corps win their first championship, and I was cheering loud to spite Star, or in a "yea; I hate Star and I'm glad they dropped." I would bet while some people had that anti-Star mindset, more people had a positive mindset.

Re: 1992

I've always loved that year, but I now assume it's just because of sentimentality. I watch most of those Finalist shows and still love them (with the exception of Star, I absolutely love the entire Top 6, and I really like the other Top 12). To me, it's not necessarily all about execution; I'm willing to overlook some drill or music dirt if I'm really into the show. I'm willing to overlook HORRIBLE transitions, if the pay-off is something as fun as 'When A Man Loves A Woman.' I see a lot of people on here chime in with their favorite shows being the best executing top 5 or 6. But for me, I'll take an entire Top 12 that I enjoy sitting through any day. There are other years I really like (87 comes to mind; I really like 93, though it seems to me at the time it was considered a down year for DCI), but I'll always have a fond place in my heart for 1992.

--

doug

[gellio]

Well, we said that in '90 that if we would have had one more night, we would have won, going by the closing of the gap with Cadets each night. In '91 if we would have had one more night, we would have won for the same reason. In '92, if we would have had one more night, Cadets would have caught us and we would have come in 2nd.

People's big problem with Star was that they were much like the Yankees, all the talent that Bill Cook could buy. I personally know people who were flown to camps in Bill Cook's airplane because they could not afford to fly every month. They were super talented, but people felt that money drove a lot of it. It was way more than the Midwest fans, too! The show got good response at Finals, but had it been, say, the Troopers doing that show, the crowd would have gone NUTS. You have to see the tape of Finale to see how crazy the crowd goes when Star is announced in third.

Yes, we got new "fans" after beating Star in Semis on Friday. I had people from other corps tell me that they didn't like us until we beat Star.

As far as my favorite year overall, I'd have to go with '89. I used to blast it in my car driving home from college.

I'm sorry, I don't agree with your assessment of 1990 or 1991....The Cadets were clearly the best corps in 1990 and Star should have won by a larger margin in 1991 than they did. That was a perfect brass perfomance to an extremely difficult book. Your 1991 show was amazing though - so beautiful - it remains my favorite Cavies show. At the time, I wanted it to win - but now the Star 1991 is one of my favorite shows ever - just brilliant. I also disagree about 1992....you guys would have been in the hunt for the title if there was one more day, one more week, or one more month left. I can see why the Cadets passed up Phantom, BD, and Madison so late, but you, Star, and the Cadets were clearly all championship caliber that season - well the Cavies were since 1989, but still - 1992 was a great finish.

Edited July 5, 2006 by gellio

[727driver]

92 Cavies is still one of my favorite shows, and my favorite Cavies performance to date. I loved Cadets as well. As for Star, I thought it was a bit over the top, well performed but boring. Great brass sound though.

A lot has been said about that year, but I still think the right corps won that night. The Cavaliers were so solid that night, and you couldn't help but root for them. Of course at the time we wanted to beat them (we beat them the show before DCI), but after quarters we knew it wasn't going to happen. So I was happy for them. I just wish we could have beaten Star in brass....sigh. :P

Edited July 6, 2006 by 727driver

[Cardman]

Star got booed by midwest corps "fans" (scout fans, cavalier fans) - they were sick of watching star beat their corps - booed them silly and really never "liked" cavaliers 92 until semis when they upended star - they all suddenly ran to the cavaliers souvie booth to pick up t-shirts (finals night half the crowd seemed to have never worn before cavalier gear on) and suddenly next night were the corps biggest fans ever - clapping them on and off the field, cheering when star was announced in 3rd - etc... I haven't seen such behavior since middle school

To this day I can't watch Scouts without thinking about their fans behavior during this era

That's a pretty big bias to carry around, George. You shouldn't group all Cavalier and Scouts fans together like that, because it isn't fair. I was there, at finals, in 1992, and I don't remember "everyone" booing Star. There were a few idiots, but most people were clapping, as I remember. I do recall an elderly couple that was sitting next to me in the stands saying just before Star's show, "This isn't drumcorps". I remember thinking, "How sad that they have a prejudice against Star...oh well..". I did not like Star's show at all. Not because I don't like Star, in fact, I really like every other show from Star. My problem was their music selection. I just don't like patriotic music. Now, I am patriotic, but I just don't like the songs that are associated with being patriotic. Cadets (my favorite show that year) were not extremely dirty, as I remember. Cavaliers out-performed them visually and percussion-wise, from what I remember. Star was clean on finals night, from what I could tell. Looking back, I wish that the Cadets had won in 1992, as I like their show better than Cavaliers. Best part of Cavaliers' show for me was the percussion break right before the company front...and the huge drill move, of course...but it all left me a little flat. Their ending was particularly anti-climatic, IMO.

As far as 1992 being the "best" year...Hardly, IMO. I've always thought of 1992 as sort of a "down" year. Someone earlier mentioned how good Phantom was...they FELL 2 SPOTS to EIGHTH!! And, I remember the performance being pretty dirty. I love Phanom as much as the next guy, but this year just didn't do it for me. Crossmen were awesome!! Man, what a show. I was glad to see them move up. Vanguard was pretty clean, from what I remember, although I was not nearly as "good" at picking out dirt back then. My fondest memory was of the Velvet Knights, back in finals after being out last year. Those of us that were there remember how fun it was, doing "the wave" before VK's show...and the beach ball...lol...I remember VK holding up a banner that said something like, "Madison, we're baaaaack!!". Also, I remember a group called "Popcorn" handing out little flyers that had surveys on them that asked if people liked "entertaining" shows, or "thinking" shows, basically...Lots of memories...

Edited July 6, 2006 by Cardman

[Tapper7]

90 to 93 had some amazing s--- in there.

92 was great, but for my $$$, 93 was the year -

93 Star - best DC show EVER.

93 Madison + BD - sick Don Ellis charts

And, of course, the Red Team .... edged out of the top spots again ... but they rocked out pretty hard too.

And that was the infamous Dr. Len "beat the heat" year (w/ all it's sordid tales of contra's in silouette, lap after lap around the track, as the cruel southern sun began to rise)

the top corps were unusually good in 93 - despite unfriendly weather conditions.

[Rocketman]

78 great top 5

91 great top 3

RM - ampssuck

[gellio]

I hear ya, but all I know is that it was a great year. Phantom beat our (Cavaliers) butts ALL of first tour. It's amazing that they ended up where they did. That is just a testament of how good everyone was from top to bottom.

Yeah they (Phantom) did, and I went NUTS at DCI Midwest when you guys topped them and Blue Devils! I knew that night that you had both corps beat for the rest of the season. I also remember a Jr. Scouts staff member I talked to at that show (he was on staff when I was there too). I think DCI Midwest was a week after DCM. I asked about the shows, and he said Star was the corps to watch out for and he thought only the Cavies had the goods to beat them at finals. He raved about Star. It was awesome. I had a burning hatred for Phantom for a long time, after going head to head against them and PRC. I always liked their shows, because I'm a huge classical fan, but I hated when then won! Fortunately, that's all gone now and I like everybody, and don't care who wins (as long as BD doesn't beat SCV :)

[gellio]

I never booed Star. It sucked losing to them in 1989 (how we beat them in Quarters I'll never know). 1990 made me a huge fan. That show was incredible. People suck, and I always thought the treatment Star received was atrocious. Their show's were as entertaining as anyones. I'm not a fan of 1993, but 1991 was a miracle, and the crowd should have went nuts for them.

[mobrien]

2. Mr. Brubakers passing made for an emotional victory

Not sure if I agree w/ #2, but I marched 1992 -1994, and that theory was widely promoted by a a lot of people.

Only one problem with theory number 2 - Steve didn't pass away until the following winter. So must have been it a PRE-sympathy ___ for Cavies...B)

[shostahoosier]

Of the top 3 in 92...Cavaliers were the cleanest.

Anyone remember those diagonals that Star attempted to pull off at the end of the drum break?...talk about a visual eye sore. Star of Indiana had a few visual farts that night....which is still incredible because not many corps (if any) could pull of that visual program with THAT brass book.

I have always loved Star 92....but I thought they had way too many props and murals. At least in the circus show...the props were intended to make the show corny.

I liked Cadets music in 92...but I thought the show was a snoozefest...aside from some great guardwork and some incredible visual moments here and there. The brass was good...but its definitely not a show that I enjoy watching over and over again...they should have been ahead of the Blue Devils, but 2nd place I'm not sure about. Music snobs out there can flame away at me all you want.

I think the 1992 championship was Star's to lose. They had the show to win...they just didnt perform it (visually) on finals night the way it needed to be done...I dont think they put out a 3rd place performance though.

Cavaliers had a great package and a championship worthy show, I just lean towards Star...call it cornfield bias

As far as top 12, I would definitely put 92 near the top (if not #1). Top to bottom there were some great shows.