Wednesday, June 30, 1982
Tuesday, June 29, 1982
June 29 - Raleigh, NC
Arrived at Meredith College about 1:00am - Very nice digs. Randy and I shared a dorm room. Real Beds!!!! Rehearsed at West Cary Jr. High all day. The show tonight was at Carter-Finley Stadium where NC State plays football. Granny & Papa Thompson came down from Lynchburg for the show. So did Cole and Steve. John Blair was on Percussion Execution and he killed us.
Corps
1. Bridgemen 70.45
2. 27th Lancers 69.70
3. Crossmen 69.20
4. Spirit of Atlanta 64.60
5. North Star 56.55
6. Avant Garde 40.00
Drums
1. Bridgemen 15.8
2. 27th Lancers 15.2
3. Crossmen 15.1
Corps
1. Bridgemen 70.45
2. 27th Lancers 69.70
3. Crossmen 69.20
4. Spirit of Atlanta 64.60
5. North Star 56.55
6. Avant Garde 40.00
Drums
1. Bridgemen 15.8
2. 27th Lancers 15.2
3. Crossmen 15.1
Monday, June 28, 1982
June 28 - Burke, VA
We practiced here at Lake Braddock all day. We changed a big part of "Russian". Leaving for Raleigh, NC soon.
Sunday, June 27, 1982
June 27 - Burke, VA
We practiced this morning on the asphalt field at Lake Braddock HS. The show began at 3:00pm. Smokin' drum show. We beat Bridgemen in drums! That stopped a 42 show win streak. Solid show overall but corps was 3rd behind 27th and Bridgemen.
Corps
1. Bridgemen - 70.95
2. 27th Lancers - 70.70
3. Crossmen - 70.60
4. North STar - 59.75
5. Black Watch - 32.80
Drums
1. Crossmen 16.6
2. Bridgemen 15.2
Corps
1. Bridgemen - 70.95
2. 27th Lancers - 70.70
3. Crossmen - 70.60
4. North STar - 59.75
5. Black Watch - 32.80
Drums
1. Crossmen 16.6
2. Bridgemen 15.2
Saturday, June 26, 1982
June 26 - Fairfax, VA
Interesting day today. We played for the Grand Opening of Wild World Amusement Park in Bowie, MD. We did a standstill performance of the show at the front gates, then marched through the park. It was torture standing there in those black uniforms watching all of the kiddies splashing around in the water park.
We practiced at Lake Braddock HS most of the afternoon. Then afterwards, we had some neighborhood invite us to a cookout. We played a standstill and then got to hit the pool. I'm not sure they really knew what they were getting themselves into by letting a bunch of drum corps kids loose in the pool. I swear it looked like the Caddy Day scene from the movie Caddyshack. Complete mayhem.
Housing site is the Fairfax County Police Association.
We practiced at Lake Braddock HS most of the afternoon. Then afterwards, we had some neighborhood invite us to a cookout. We played a standstill and then got to hit the pool. I'm not sure they really knew what they were getting themselves into by letting a bunch of drum corps kids loose in the pool. I swear it looked like the Caddy Day scene from the movie Caddyshack. Complete mayhem.
Housing site is the Fairfax County Police Association.
Sunday, June 20, 1982
June 20 - Ramsey, NJ
Day show in Ramsey NJ. As I was getting my drum off of the equipment truck, I severely gashed my knee on the metal shelving. Mrs. Whitaker looked at it and suggested I go to the hospital for stitches. No way I was going to miss the show. So I had her bandage me up and I marched the show. Not a bad show but we were behind Garfield and Bridgemen. Funniest moment was having Black Watch play the other corps onto the field for retreat. Bad...not good.
Corps
1. Garfield Cadets - 71.5
2. Bridgemen - 69.4
3. Crossmen - 65.9
4. Fantasia III - 34.8
5. Black Watch - 25.7
Drums
1. Bridgemen 16.4
2. Crossmen 14.8
3. Garfield Cadets 14.0
Corps
1. Garfield Cadets - 71.5
2. Bridgemen - 69.4
3. Crossmen - 65.9
4. Fantasia III - 34.8
5. Black Watch - 25.7
Drums
1. Bridgemen 16.4
2. Crossmen 14.8
3. Garfield Cadets 14.0
Saturday, June 19, 1982
June 19 - Hershey, PA
Exhibition at a Senior Corps show in Hershey. We rehearsed at Milton Hershey School on a hill overlooking Hershey Park. The gnats here are UNBELIEVABLE! We had a very good show!
Sunday, June 13, 1982
June 13 - Troy, NY
Parade in Troy, NY today. It rained all day so we did the parade in street clothes with trash bags covering the drums. Not fun at all. And to top off the day, bus 4 broke down on the way home.
Saturday, June 12, 1982
June 12 - Saratoga Springs, NY
My first "official" show as a member of the Crossmen Drum & Bugle Corps. There was a lot of trash talking from Alliance in the lot. They seriously thought they were going to beat us. After retreat as they left the field, they were so mad that we won, they stopped in front of us and played their entire show. Hey Alliance...how'd that whole thing work out for you?
1. Crossmen - 62.0
2. Alliance - 59.8
3. Les Eclipse - 50.0
4. Fantasia III - 38.3
5. Volunteers - 36.4
6. Fusion - 32.4
1. Crossmen - 62.0
2. Alliance - 59.8
3. Les Eclipse - 50.0
4. Fantasia III - 38.3
5. Volunteers - 36.4
6. Fusion - 32.4
Sunday, June 6, 1982
June 6 - Westminster, MD
Just as we were about to go on, it began to rain so we had to do another exhibition. The drum line was HOT!!! Rumor has it that the judges say we would have beaten Bridgemen's line had we been scored.
Saturday, June 5, 1982
June 5 - Bayonne, NJ
It rained all day. We practiced in Bayonne Park. Had to do the show tonight in street clothes because the field was so muddy. Just so they could select a winner, we were judged by the G.E. judges.
1. Garfield Cadets
2. 27th Lancers
3. Crossmen
1. Garfield Cadets
2. 27th Lancers
3. Crossmen
Friday, June 4, 1982
June 4 - Prelude
I came to the Crossmen in a strange way. I had been a drum corps fan ever since I was introduced to it by the Drum Captain of my high school drumline, Frank McCarthy, back in 1977. I was an impressionable lad and worshiped the ground Frank walked on. So when he suggested the drum line watch the 1977 DCI Finals broadcast on PBS together, I was all about it. From the first moment of the broadcast, I was hooked. I don't remember a lot about the 1977 Finals, except that the Bridgemen were disqualified for over-age members and the Blue Devils won. But from that moment on, drum corps was in my blood.
In 1978, I saw my first live corps. The Bridgemen gave a clinic in Chesapeake, Va. I was awestruck. To this day, the '78 Bridgemen remain one of my all-time favorte drum corps shows. At the show that night, I was introduced to a brand new corps from Atlanta, Ga. The Spirit of Atlanta. Their cool southern style, incredibly loud horn line and smokin' drum line totally appealed to me. They quickly became my favorite. Later that summer, a bunch of us Band-o's again watched the DCI Finals broadcast. One of the coolest moments that night was when the Crossmen drumline painted their faces. Little did I know, that this corps would play such a big part of my life just a few years later.
By 1979, I was a full fledged drum corps nut. I listened to it in my car constantly. It was all I could think of. Going into my Senior marching band season, I was made Drum Captain and I think for the first time, I really started considering the possibility of marching with a drum corps. But my parents were dead set against it. I told my mom that I wanted to march with Spirit of Atlanta and was told in no uncertain terms that it would not happen. I remember sitting in my car with '79 Spirit blasting on the stereo, crying like a baby because I would not get to march. But that only served to strengthen my resolve to someway, somehow make it happen.
In August of 1980, a bunch of us went to Allentown, PA to see DCI East. By then I knew I wanted to march with Spirit but I really did not know how to go about it. While there at Allentown Prelims, we struck up a conversation with some folks sitting near us that seemed to know an awful lot about joining a drum corps. When I mentioned that I wanted to audition for Spirit, they pointed out that Tom Float (Spirit's Percussion Caption Head) expected his drummers to move to Atlanta in January. Now, I have no idea if that is true or not. But it sure threw cold water on my plans because I was going to be in college and would not be able to move in until May. It was suggested that I look into the Crossmen since they were not quite as strict about when members had to move in. I had always liked the Crossmen ever since I saw them with the painted faces on the 1978 DCI Finals telecast. They had a cool jazz sound, a really good drum line and a certain "swagger" that I found appealing. So there in Allentown in 1980, I took a closer look.
It did not hurt at all that the 1980 Crossmen had such a great show that year. It is still one of my all-time favorites. And the Soprano feature in Jack Miraculous is, in my opinion, one of the greatest drum corps moments of all time. So the decision was made there in Allentown, that I would attempt to audition for the 1981 Crossmen.
Thanksgiving weekend, 1980 found me, Frank McVeigh, Frankie Jones, Steve Canard, Jeff Bernas and Cole Candler at Indian Lane Elementary School in Media PA. Things went extremely well and it looked like we would all make the corps. But pretty quickly, Steve, Cole Frankie and Jeff called it quits. Frank and I hung around for a few more camps. But the big hangup, was that all but me were still in high school. It was their Senior year and I think they felt like it would be tough to do that and corps. I think I even recall Frank saying that he could not miss graduation for corps. Now I don't know if anyone even bothered to ask the corps if it would be a problem. I think we all assumed that it was a zero tolerance situation and we HAD to be there. I kinda wished we had looked into it, because knowing what I know now, makes me think it could have worked out. But we didn't and one by one, we all dropped out. I stayed the longest, making it all the way to the March camp. But my situation was really hampered by the fact that I did not have anyone to make the 6 hour trip to Philly with me. Also, my parents were still dead set against it and were not willing to help me financially. So even I had to bail out eventually. Seeing the Crossmen on tour that summer just killed me. Knowing I was so close to realizing my dream but having it not work out was really tough. But again, it just served to strengthen my resolve.
Thanksgiving weekend 1981 saw Frank and I back to audition again. It has been clear from the start that 1982 is going to be a very big year for the Crossmen. There are a TON of vets returning to the drum line and there is a real focus on trying to win high drums. Winter camps have gone quickly, it's a great show, and I can't wait to get this thing rolling. It should be a lot of fun.
In 1978, I saw my first live corps. The Bridgemen gave a clinic in Chesapeake, Va. I was awestruck. To this day, the '78 Bridgemen remain one of my all-time favorte drum corps shows. At the show that night, I was introduced to a brand new corps from Atlanta, Ga. The Spirit of Atlanta. Their cool southern style, incredibly loud horn line and smokin' drum line totally appealed to me. They quickly became my favorite. Later that summer, a bunch of us Band-o's again watched the DCI Finals broadcast. One of the coolest moments that night was when the Crossmen drumline painted their faces. Little did I know, that this corps would play such a big part of my life just a few years later.
By 1979, I was a full fledged drum corps nut. I listened to it in my car constantly. It was all I could think of. Going into my Senior marching band season, I was made Drum Captain and I think for the first time, I really started considering the possibility of marching with a drum corps. But my parents were dead set against it. I told my mom that I wanted to march with Spirit of Atlanta and was told in no uncertain terms that it would not happen. I remember sitting in my car with '79 Spirit blasting on the stereo, crying like a baby because I would not get to march. But that only served to strengthen my resolve to someway, somehow make it happen.
In August of 1980, a bunch of us went to Allentown, PA to see DCI East. By then I knew I wanted to march with Spirit but I really did not know how to go about it. While there at Allentown Prelims, we struck up a conversation with some folks sitting near us that seemed to know an awful lot about joining a drum corps. When I mentioned that I wanted to audition for Spirit, they pointed out that Tom Float (Spirit's Percussion Caption Head) expected his drummers to move to Atlanta in January. Now, I have no idea if that is true or not. But it sure threw cold water on my plans because I was going to be in college and would not be able to move in until May. It was suggested that I look into the Crossmen since they were not quite as strict about when members had to move in. I had always liked the Crossmen ever since I saw them with the painted faces on the 1978 DCI Finals telecast. They had a cool jazz sound, a really good drum line and a certain "swagger" that I found appealing. So there in Allentown in 1980, I took a closer look.
It did not hurt at all that the 1980 Crossmen had such a great show that year. It is still one of my all-time favorites. And the Soprano feature in Jack Miraculous is, in my opinion, one of the greatest drum corps moments of all time. So the decision was made there in Allentown, that I would attempt to audition for the 1981 Crossmen.
Thanksgiving weekend, 1980 found me, Frank McVeigh, Frankie Jones, Steve Canard, Jeff Bernas and Cole Candler at Indian Lane Elementary School in Media PA. Things went extremely well and it looked like we would all make the corps. But pretty quickly, Steve, Cole Frankie and Jeff called it quits. Frank and I hung around for a few more camps. But the big hangup, was that all but me were still in high school. It was their Senior year and I think they felt like it would be tough to do that and corps. I think I even recall Frank saying that he could not miss graduation for corps. Now I don't know if anyone even bothered to ask the corps if it would be a problem. I think we all assumed that it was a zero tolerance situation and we HAD to be there. I kinda wished we had looked into it, because knowing what I know now, makes me think it could have worked out. But we didn't and one by one, we all dropped out. I stayed the longest, making it all the way to the March camp. But my situation was really hampered by the fact that I did not have anyone to make the 6 hour trip to Philly with me. Also, my parents were still dead set against it and were not willing to help me financially. So even I had to bail out eventually. Seeing the Crossmen on tour that summer just killed me. Knowing I was so close to realizing my dream but having it not work out was really tough. But again, it just served to strengthen my resolve.
Thanksgiving weekend 1981 saw Frank and I back to audition again. It has been clear from the start that 1982 is going to be a very big year for the Crossmen. There are a TON of vets returning to the drum line and there is a real focus on trying to win high drums. Winter camps have gone quickly, it's a great show, and I can't wait to get this thing rolling. It should be a lot of fun.
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