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1988 .. an incredible year of change


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Just some memories from 88:

Like said earlier my god it was hot. I remember practicing on the field at Tulsa Union and the "Omniturf" temp being something like 130 degrees. Burned your feet through your shoes.

Sky - We went through Texas with them. Loved that show and still hum the jazzy version of "A few of my favorite things" from time to time.

I also remember dorking around at prelims, think I was headed to get a coke or something, and hearing someone open up and thinking "#### who is that. that's ####### sweet." Well it was Dutch Boy. Immediatly had to grab a seat and watch. We had been in the south and never saw or heard the show till then. It is one of my favorite non-finalist shows of all time!!!! :rolleyes:

I think 88 was one of best years DCI has ever had. That whole stretch 87-93ish.

Anyone else discover the bar on the back side of Arrowhead? Was connected to the suites area.

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Do you remember how long we had to stand on the bleachers waiting for the shadow of that building to move out of the frame? Geeze what a snafu that was. The picture on my wall still shows a huge shadow in the corner.

Yep I just looked at that picture the other day (I was the #1 bass in the DCM all star corps in 1988). That trip was a blast. Loved hanging out in miami after the parade for new years eve.

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"Is This What DCI is Missing Today":

In a word: Yes. :blink:

Elphaba

WWW

Wait! Hold it! You need to answer the second half of the question on the post you responded to...

Was it because there was so much departure from the norm?

THIS is a "yes" answer. Because of the departure corps like Blue Devils, Star, Spirit and VK made that year, they all had more uniqueness to their identity than in years prior. Don't think for a minute that these corps were unique because they were "old school". Not saying you are thinking this. I'm just trying to point out that what made this year so grand was because of how "different" it was from the norm. And how quickly we forget, people complained about the "departures" of that year. Such as BD getting new unis for the first time in many years...leading to many more unis to come. VK was "SORT of humorous but not quite the slapstick people were used to" (other than the bullfighter getting ###### on). Spirit left their southern musical style for a more symphonic sound (I LOVE this show, by the way). Star left their "entertaining show style" (Disney, movie themes and circus shows etc...) for a more "serious" approach that would get even more deep in years to come. Suncoast left their Kentonesque "symphonic jazz" sounds for a more "symphonic"show.

People in that day hated that year because it was "different". Yet, we sit here now and recognize that those corps were all "unique". All that to say, the more things "change", the more they stay the same (as the old saying goes). If you guys want a drum corps activity with some "uniqueness" and corps with their own "unique identity", take a lesson from 1988 (one of the most "departing" years ever) and stop fighting the changes that are being made and proposed in todays activity.

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Wait! Hold it! You need to answer the second half of the question on the post you responded to...

THIS is a "yes" answer. Because of the departure corps like Blue Devils, Star, Spirit and VK made that year, they all had more uniqueness to their identity than in years prior. Don't think for a minute that these corps were unique because they were "old school". Not saying you are thinking this. I'm just trying to point out that what made this year so grand was because of how "different" it was from the norm. And how quickly we forget, people complained about the "departures" of that year. Such as BD getting new unis for the first time in many years...leading to many more unis to come. VK was "SORT of humorous but not quite the slapstick people were used to" (other than the bullfighter getting ###### on). Spirit left their southern musical style for a more symphonic sound (I LOVE this show, by the way). Star left their "entertaining show style" (Disney, movie themes and circus shows etc...) for a more "serious" approach that would get even more deep in years to come. Suncoast left their Kentonesque "symphonic jazz" sounds for a more "symphonic"show.

Very good points! I like the examples you cited. I think also that was the first year the Cavies really took visual and musical integration to a new level. That was the year that transformed the Cavies into what they are today, IMO.

I still like '85-'87 better than '88, but I think any years '88 through even '92 were DCI's best years, in terms of competitiveness and entertainment value. Think about it, the 11th place corps in 1988 beat the 5th, 6th and 7th place corps. That would NEVER happen today. If Glassmen came out the first show this year more prepared than the Cadets, they would NEVER beat them. DCI has become too slotted. A corps is scored based on where they should be rather than where they are that given night. Plain and simple.

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I am born in the United States and a proud 'jarhead'. I am a total meat and potatos kind of guy, BUT, I don't eat a steak every night. Actually, I have had some Indian and Thai this week. I know many who haven't tried either and boy are they missing out. I may have a cheeseburger tonight, but may have sushi tomorrow.

Luckily, I still wear my shirts well after eating all of that but here's my point: change is good - things change - people change and sometimes even a tiger's stripes change. History repeats. Around 92/93, some kids thought that Bohemian Rhapsody was a new tune - HA! How 'bout that Special K commercial where the mom finds her old jeans in the attic and the daughter digs them?

I've recently accepted that there are things I can control, but there's more that I can't control. I'm not gonna fight it. I may raise a brow, but oh well...I can still slap in a 90 BD show and play to it when I feel like being back in the 90's and no one will stop me (except the landlord).

iQue Sera, Sera!

Hope this doesn't create an infamous DCP tangent!

Semper Fi - Carry on...

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For the record, this thread was created to celebrate a wonderful year in DCI history. Nowhere in the original post will you find anything that remotely resembles a slight or back on change in DCI nor toward the current progression of the activity. That's why it's in the Historical Forum.

So...............

Let's not make this into something it is NOT.

Back OT ........ please

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For the record, this thread was created to celebrate a wonderful year in DCI history. Nowhere in the original post will you find anything that remotely resembles a slight or back on change in DCI nor toward the current progression of the activity. That's why it's in the Historical Forum.

So...............

Let's not make this into something it is NOT.

Back On Topic ........ please

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Great year of shows...except Finals.......GRRRRRR!! :blush::grouphug::grouphug: :mmm:

Nobody in the other room even lets me ask the question--Geoff keeps blasting me off to Internet Mongolia. Is the angry emoticon saying what I think he's saying??? Look carefully!

Oops, sorry! That kind of follows up the last post really poorly.

Edited by silvertrombone
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Very good points! I like the examples you cited. I think also that was the first year the Cavies really took visual and musical integration to a new level. That was the year that transformed the Cavies into what they are today, IMO.

I still like '85-'87 better than '88, but I think any years '88 through even '92 were DCI's best years, in terms of competitiveness and entertainment value. Think about it, the 11th place corps in 1988 beat the 5th, 6th and 7th place corps. That would NEVER happen today. If Glassmen came out the first show this year more prepared than the Cadets, they would NEVER beat them. DCI has become too slotted. A corps is scored based on where they should be rather than where they are that given night. Plain and simple.

With all due respect to the great response you gave, I have to disagree with you on your last point about drum corps being more "slotted" than in decades past. I actually think it's the opposite. In recent years, you've had corps like the Glassmen (which is one even you mentioned), Boston, Carolina Crown, Blue Knights and Bluecoats place in the top 6 and beat some very heavy hitters (one of which was "the Cadets" who you also mentioned...getting beat by Bluecoats last year). In decades past, that type of thing didn't happen much if at all. In the late 80s and early 90s, the top 6 (actually...top 7) was basically reserved for Star, Cavies, Blue Devils, Santa Clara, Phantom, Cadets and Madison. If you were not one of those corps, you did not stand a chance unless you were extremely and undoubtably better than one of the others. Crossmen is the one corps that comes to mind (beating Vanguard and Phantom in 92) and at the time that was the most wide eyed upset of the century. So, I tend to think that with these examples (especially looking at what Bluecoats have accomplished the last two years), that the activity is actually much less slotted than in years past. Heck, they even had the guts to dump Madison out of finals recently, which at one time would have never even been fathomed.

Edited by torn8o
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Well, WE were out of the DCI forever at this point. Argonauts became a summer marching band, instead of a drum corps.

I spent the beginning of the next season with Marauders, learning their version of the Dracula story for the field. But it just wasn't the same, and I didn't march the summer at all.

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