Not-so-friendly Show Sites

[Latrobe's Finest]

Boston in 05, we stayed next to a project where the train went by every half hour. It was scary. Oh, and Pioneer saw someone get shot...that was fun to hear...

I heard about that from some vets from '05! Last summer after a parade in Harvard (I think) IL, a group of us saw a huge bar fight and watched some dude smash his own face through a glass window. At out Iowa housing site a few weeks later, some guys kept hanging around the front of the school late at night and were asking me if I was "with the band"

[Sideways]

Rochester, NY. DCA finals.

Being from Detroit, that area of Rochester really did not seem that bad.

[4MalletJim]

I have had some people try to tell me that the University Of Louisville (DCI Louisville) is in the middle of the ghetto...I disagree.

Then again, They were UK fans.

[beagus]

I would have to say DCA Rochester, and in 1990 we were in Rachacha and stayed at a school associated with the Firebirds a Div. 3 corps back then from Rachacha the school was dirty and had wire racks on the windows and the bleachers were all rotted. We did not feel safe there.

[Guard Diva]

I'll agree with Rochester......I rode the bus ot teh show last year but went back to teh hotel with 2 friends in their car, who had parked about 5 blocks from the stadium.....it was a bit unsettling to walk to the car that night after finals......

[VKMello84]

Miami 1983 - the Orange Bowl. After performing at Finals, we had four contras (K-90s) stolen from the horn block. Four contras went to retreat hornless.

Can't help but laugh at that one. Had housing in Hollywood, FL that year, There was some harassment from the locals there. I had also heard a rumor that the Boston drum and bugle corps got into an actual rumble with some locals. Never had that one confirmed to the point where I would consider it fact.

In Atlanta in '84 someone was hit in the chest with a can of Sprite thrown from a speeding car. It left a mark on his chest to where one could see the recognizable imprint of a pull tab.

As for Walnut, I don't even know of how one would drive to that staduim from the freeway and actually pass through neighborhoods, or be likely to pass people on the streets.

[84BDsop]

I'll agree with Rochester......I rode the bus ot teh show last year but went back to teh hotel with 2 friends in their car, who had parked about 5 blocks from the stadium.....it was a bit unsettling to walk to the car that night after finals......

Yeah....Dream's practice site was "Corps in da hood" Back home, we were fairly free with some terminology that was EXTREMELY un-PC...from all ethnic/racial groups in teh corps....but Darkman made it VERY clear when we first pulled up to the practice site that we ALL had to put a lock on it.

Just looking around and realizing we were "the Projects Cadets" for the next couple of days brought that home.

Now back in 84....about the only housing site I remember as being ghetto in any sense was Garfield HS in Garfield, NJ....the 12 foot high concrete walls around teh entire school gave me the feelign we were practicing at San Quentin.

[Minimaster]

The definition of Ghetto was first used in Warsaw during WW2. it spoke of conidtions more then the people living there. in todays terms it describes predominitely black area. but I've been to quite a few white ghettos and we're getting more and more hispanic ghettos

I'm aware of the original definition of ghetto. All kinds of people live in bad neighborhoods. Those kinds of living conditions, seem to

bring out the bad in people. Don't think for a second that this is a race issue.

[Guard Diva]

Ghettos are not defined by race, but by socio-econimc status, which is also not defined by race but it's interesting that certain races do seem to have a lower economic status than others. Wether that has to due with total population of one race compared to another in a given area, I don't know. I think if you looked at percentages, you'd also find that some races definately have higher numbers of lower economical status (and potential "ghetto dwellers") than others. Not saying it right or wrong, or even accurate.............but seems to be from my own observations.......

[ChicagoFan]

As a native of Birmingham I should probably defend my hometown but, unfortunately, I can't. The area surrounding Legion Field is not exactly the garden spot of Alabama. Additionally, many of the neighborhoods in which corps were housed are less-than-desireable locations.

I recall a DCI South show in the early 80s for which Florida Wave was housed at a local community college. The corps returned to the site after performing in the show only to find that their facilities had been robbed. Many members lost all their money, clothing and personal effects. The story was, of course, publicized in the local media and, I'm happy to say, the people of Birmingham donated to a fund to help the kids recoup their losses.