From another thread comes this by Bob Shreffler:

I added some comments to a few of the 70s pictures that I could identify. Who can name the corps marching past the White Whale in the 1971 picture?

The Corps is the Spectacle City Mariners, from South Milwaukee, WI. They were a very unique and entertaining drum corps! Their drum major was Joe Bruno, aka Captain Crunch!

What did you do in the Corps? drummer: later: Quartermaster, assistant drum instructor

What years were you a Corps member? 1958- 63

I live in St. Francis WI, a Milwaukee burb just north of South Milwaukee.

South Milwaukee still has a drum corps show every year. The Spectacle City Drum Corps Show is tied to a week long South Milwaukee city festival...Lions Club Days....or Heritage Days...I forget at the moment. The Spectacle City Mariners are still fondly remembered in the area and I have talked to several of their alumni. One alum I talked to said that a lot of Mariners were also members of the Lake Band. The Lake Band seems to be much more well known in this area. Evidently, the Lake Band were a very successful band that won several championships..from what I've heard.

Anyway, last summer South Milwaukee had their show and Pioneer had their show earlier in the summer at Cudahy High School just a few miles from South Milwaukee High School. Add the Kilty Klassic just down the road a little and you can still catch three drum corps shows in the Milwaukee area..with a very local feel since all three shows are probably no more than a half an hour drive from each other.

What did you do in the Corps? 2nd Sop

What years were you a Corps member? 1979

Keith, South Milwaukee was always a GREAT drum corps site. The annual Spectacle of Music was a great show .. both for drum corps and bands. The Lake Band was always great. A fine band. The Racine Elks band too.

What did you do in the Corps? drummer: later: Quartermaster, assistant drum instructor

What years were you a Corps member? 1958- 63

If I remember correctly, the Lake Band wasn't tied to a specific school, but was a community band that actually performed in the summer with the drum corps. I used to write percussion parts for them when I was arranging with Dr. Cliff Colnot at Northwestern.

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

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

You're correct Bob..the Lake Band was not tied to a school. The band practiced in the Bay View area of Milwaukee but had members from all over the south side of Milwaukee. The name Lake Band came from the city called "Town of Lake"..which was re-named "St. Francis" (where I now live) in the 1950's.

Like a lot of drum corps..the Lake Band folded in the 90's. If I remember correctly, Roman had their equipment truck stored at Pioneerland for a long time and it may still be there...its Lake Band lettering faded.

On a personal note, when I was 11 or 12 and living in the Waukegan area, I was given the choice of living with my grandmother for the summer in Bay View and joining the Lake Band - or - staying at home and joining the Scarlet Knights. I went to a Lake Band practice and while they were large and impressive, I remember having the feeling that they could care less if I joined or not. On the other hand John Emery of the Scarlet Knights went out of his way to recruit me in the corps....and besides...I decided very early on that I really didn't care for the squeaky woodwinds of the band..I decided to join the younger, smaller, and less experienced drum corps mostly because of the recruiting effort..

John Emery and Jerry Davidson of the Scarlet Knights, Jim Fiduccia of the Imperials, and Roman Blenski with the Pioneers all did a fantastic job recruiting me when there were other less challenging options for a young teenager at the time...

What did you do in the Corps? 2nd Sop

What years were you a Corps member? 1979