Ralph mentions playing Taps several times on the 4th of July, which was always a busy day for drum corps. What is the most performances anyone remembers doing during your drum corps years on that special day?

Mine was 1976 (the bicentennial year). I was with the Cavaliers that year, and we did 3 parades and 2 shows. We split the corps for the first two parades, then reunited for the third one. Then we marched the first contest, left immediately after performing, and went to the second contest, where they read the scores from BOTH shows. A very long, tiring day.

I can remember even with the Cadets doing two or three parades on that day.

At the other end of the spectrum, in 1980 when I was with Spirit of Atlanta, we had NO performances on the 4th. How was that possible? It just didn't feel right. But that entire summer I felt like a dinosaur compared to the others in that corps.

Anyone else?

What did you do in the Corps? Snare, Drum Major, Drum Instructor/Arranger

What years were you a Corps member? 1970-73, 78-79

During my years in both the Imperials and Cadets we always had at least a couple of parades and usually an exhibition or contest.

From 1962 through 1966 the Imperials always marched in a small parade in Riverside IL. We usually marched in the Evanston Parade too. Fourth of July was a big deal. I recollect marching in the 1962 Circus parade in Milwaukee and parades in Edison Park.

I'll always remember my last year in the corps 1966. That year the 4th was a three day weekend. We had a parade and contest on Saturday and a parade and contest on Sunday. On the 4th (Monday)we had the following schedule:

1. Parade and exhibition in Riverside
2. Parade in Deerfield
3. Parade in Evanston
4. Afternoon contest in Deerfield (we won)
5. Exhibition at Park Ridge fireworks show

I recollect that by the time we got to Park Ridge the uniforms could probably have gone out and done the show. That also was the only time I recollect that some members didn't march in all parades. Half the first sopranos sat out the Deerfield parade and the other half the Evanston parade because of the contest--I'd helped because we finished first over the Vanguard and Royal Airs. I don't recollect if any of the drumline sat out.

DCI isn't the only activity where the fourth of July isn't as big a deal anymore. Major league baseball used to always schedule doubleheaders on the 4th. Now they play a single game and I recollect on ocassion one or two teams might not play on the 4th--travel and pampered athletes I guess.

What years were you a Corps member? 59-66

The recent postings reminded me of Johns comments here. Very accurate. His description was a typical Independence Day for the Corps ... and there were always additional things on the 3rd!

Sadly, there are NO local drum corps available in the Chicago area .. unless the Cavaliers can "fit it into their DCI schedule"!

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-63

"Fourth of July Parade Schedule


Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008 - 12:27 PM
By Don Heitzman

The Cavaliers will be in 3 parades on July 4th.

9:00 In Niles,IL

12:00 in Elmwood Park,IL

3:00 in Evanston,IL"

source: Cavaliers.org

from 1974 to 1979 we would march three parades every 4th of July

9:00 am Niles
12:00 pm Skokie
2:00 pm Morton Grove

WE ALSO DID AND EXHIBITION OR CONTEST I REMEMBER EVANSTON AND SOUTHEAST WI

I BELIEVE THE 1976 CADETS OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY WE DID ALL OF THE ABOVE

I believe the Cavaliers do these parades every year. I don't know if other corps do the same or not.

What did you do in the Corps? Snare, Drum Major, Drum Instructor/Arranger

What years were you a Corps member? 1970-73; 78-79

Happy Independence Day to all Imperials alumni!

Remember all the times when we had to march multiple parades and contests in a few days over the Independence Day weekend! That was great fun!

Not sure if any drum corps will be in the area this year for parades .. could be as they "pass through " on their way to contests.

------------------------------------------------------------------

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-63

We're enjoying this week in the Keys!

I just looked at the Cavaliers website and noticed they made some changes to their uniforms this year - unfortunately, they look more "bandish" now, which was probably intentional.

What did you do in the Corps? 1970-73; 78-79

What years were you a Corps member? Snare; Drum Major; Drum Instructor/Arranger

Saw that the Cavaliers will be in the area for some parades on July 4. Some other corps might show up too .. as they gp through the area.

Date: 7/4/10
Time: 09:00 AM
Venue:
Address:
City: Chicago, IL
Event Info:
Additional Info:
Niles, IL-9:00am On Main Street between Ozark Ave & Harlem Ave.

Mt Prospect, IL-1:00pm NW Hwy from Mt Prospect Rd LEFT onto Central.

Evanston, IL -- 3:00pm On Central St east to Ryan Field.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-63

I just looked at the DCI website, and there are actually many corps marching in parades today, including many in the Chicago area (but, unfortunately, none here in the Florida Keys). I was pleasantly surprised! Many are in Skokie, Niles, and Evanston.

Happy Fourth everybody!

What did you do in the Corps? 1970-73; 78-79

What years were you a Corps member? Snare; Drum Major; Drum Instructor/Arranger

There was a show in Pasadena CA in the Rose Bowl today that featured the upper division California Corps--Blue Devils, Santa Clara, Pacific Crest, Mandarins, etc. They've been doing that for the past few years on the 4th of July.

Well, my wife and I spent the Independence Day weekend visiting some friends who own a lake home in Wisconsin. On July 4th, we went to Whitewater, WI and watched their home town parade. We haven't done that for some time.

Great fun, lots of "people watching" fun too. Very patriotic focus. The parade had a lot of local groups, lots of farm tractors! 6 bands (mostly local) but the Sun Pairie community band was one of them ... a fine MBA band. The Univ of Wisconsin Whitewater band was also fun!
--------------------------------------------------------------

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-63

Whitewater - my all-time favorite stadium to march in!

What did you do in the Corps? 1970-73; 78-79

What years were you a Corps member? Snare; Drum Major; Drum Instructor/Arranger

As it turned out, the TEAL SOUND (from Florida) marched in the Arlington Heights parade. They were probably used to the heat!

Ah yes, Whitewater. Warhawk Stadium. What a great place to watch a drum corps show .. or judge one.

The acoustics were / are wonderful. The field is great too .. and the close proximity of the audience makes it great for the corps members too.

Dave:

Too bad you didn't stay home for the 4th as you could have walked a few blocks and caught the Cavi's in the Mt. Prospect parade. Or is that why you left town?

Peter

What did you do in the Corps? Baritone

What years were you a Corps member? 70's

Peter: no, we were in Wisconsin to visit friends for the holiday. But, glad that I missed the Cavaliers.

Found out later that a number of DCI corps were in the area for the holiday parades. Cadets were among them (Glenview, etc.)

Do they still have the parade in Evanston down Central Street? Last time I saw that parade was 1975. That year they had a DCI show right after the parade in Northwestern's football stadium that included the Madison Scouts.

John, yes, the Evanston Parade continues to be held on Central St.
I don't think they have as many drum corps and bands as in the past though.

John, I marched in the Evanston parade with the cadets in 75. My brother, Pete Lambesis and myself went to the show that night. I remember Madison, Oakland Crusaders, Cavaliers, Bluestars and Troopers being there. It was a great show. It was one of the first DCI shows I saw.

What did you do in the Corps? Brass

What years were you a Corps member? 1972-1981

Joe,

I believe that Bob S also saw that show (we've mentioned it in another string or two). Madison's volume shook the stadium.

Sort of got me interested in drum corps again. I was living in Washington DC area at the time and when I returned got a ticket to the Yankee Rebel's show in Baltimore--Hawthorne, Rochester, Skyliners, Reading and all the old senior corps were still active. Ended up getting tickets for DCI in Philadelphia in 1976. Came back to midwest in 1979 and saw a great show at Whitewater (not the DCI regional championships but it had Atlanta, Blue Devils and Santa Clara, Madison, et al) and Stillwater in 1980. That time frame was perhaps the best for the activity as they were still using 2 valved horns, no pit, no dancing and color guard generally wore uniforms that matched the rest of the corps. Plus corps would "park and blow".

I went to that show at Whitewater in 79. It was called Showdown, and it was. Matter of fact I went with a bunch Imperials....including Bob.

The Whitewater show was the first show that I took my wife to see and was a pretty impressive lineup for someone new to the activity. I thought it was her first show, but it turns out that when she was growing up in Ohio she'd seen contests in Marion Ohio including the shows I marched in during 1964 and 1966 (we won that year).

1) Always looked forward to the Evanston parade (a rarity). Sorry if this is sexist, but they had the best-looking girls along the street! And yes, I marched in that show in 1975.

2) I remember that Whitewater show in 1979 - it was the night I decided on Spirit for my age-out year. I was considering Santa Clara, who I always loved, but their drum line had switched to matched grip (which I was NEVER going to do), and Spirit was just so much more fun! And I do remember lots of Imperials going up there for that one - for some reason, it must have been in the middle of the week, because we didn't have a show.

What did you do in the Corps? Snare; Drum Major; Drum Instructor/Arranger

What years were you a Corps member? 1970-73; 78-79

The Whitewater show was on a Thursday night. It was August 2, 1979. I don't have that great a memory but got the date by Googling Thurman Munson (former New York Yankees catcher) as I recollect that while driving to the show all that seemed to be on the radio was the story of him being killed in a plane crash earlier that day.