1994 All Star Drum and Bugle Corps Macy's Parade

[patwright1]

Do you happen to have video of the whole parade from this year? I have a friend who marched and would love to get my hands on footage.

[insipidboy]

@patwright1 Sorry :( I only have what is posted.

[RBVTBONE]

I like how he was all speechless there for a second. xD Yes.

[depewfilm]

I love this!!! I marched Mellophone! I don't think they do this anymore because of the really high expense, but they really should do this. It's a great opportunity for all people in drum and bugle corps to meet each other. So much has changed since that day 17 years ago, and the world needs to be reacquainted with drum corps again!!!!

[JohnDonovanDotBiz]

17 years ago!!!!!!!!! great memories and the most insane 3 days of my life!!!!! id do it again in heart beat!!!!

[ferox965]

I marched in this (on 2nd soprano)! i did this in 91 and 92 as well...marched empire loyalists from amherstview ontario. rehearsals were in new jersey (same place for the times i did it-an armoury) and intense. we were mailed the music ahead of time to memorize (i don't think anyone did) and off we went. your heart just pounds in that power and volume...i'll cherish it always. thanks for posting this.

[HE360]

Why don't they do All-Star drum and bugle corps events like this anymore?

[foinnbrendam]

did anyone notice the guy in the black hat, mexican style shirt at :55 give a big pelvic thrust with "his note?"

[ilovetrainstoo]

Fantastic now, fantastic then. It was great to see the group march through the NBC studio and perform outside that morning..I had video taped it, but can't find it after all these years ! They have to do this again !My heart really goes nuts when I see this !I really love the old style drum corp!

[drksdofthmoon]

not one from BD?

[JohnDonovanDotBiz]

happy 16 year anniversary to all who were part of this.... have faith it will happen again.......

[snayls]

...oh dear lord... i believe those are around 30-32" cymbals

[djmynd]

Suncoast Sound was representing in there. "Take em to the Beach Suncoast"! Miss you all...

[Romeofud]

Most may not remember, but the day before (Turkey Eve) was freezing! Temps was somewhere in the 20s with a cold ass wind. I would've loved to see these people's faces to be caught in that kind of weather. They might blow away with the balloons.

[stretch45g]

@Romeofud We did the Today Show the day before the parade....had a 03:00 am wakeup call.....and everyone absolutely froze standing in an unrelenting wind and cold....in the outdoor Today's show studio for a couple of hours.....

[PNKEEE07]

what song is this?? it's slipped my mind

[fossdaboos]

8-13-10 It is so nice to see some former 27th Lancer alumni here. DCI did a nice tribute to one of it's founding fathers. GOD bless you George Bonfiglio you will always be remembered as long as there is a DCI.

[euphoniumification]

Wow. Awesome drum corps. G bugles ftw.

[cankor1]

Well....since I was in the corps, I'll comment. For those who think we sounded and looked terrible. Yes, try to put 150 horns together from all over NA after 3 days rehearsal. I thought it wasn't bad. And if you had an audience of over a million wouldn't you be so excited to blow as hard as you can? And the music was a medley of "lil ol NY". Not anything else I saw mentioned. We also played Danny Boy on route.

[whitfkl318nu]

Incidentally, I don't dislike the sound. As with the drumcore idium, they are very conscious of intonation. It's the size that's rediculous here. At some point the decibels alone make what the ears can pick up offensive.

And the mixture of Senior and Junior means a thousand and one different playing styles goulashed together, and every single one of them playing as loud as they possibly can to, in their minds, "be heard", creates more confusion than harmony or balance.

Yuck. I'm ashamed.

[jadebrew]

@whitfkl318nu

Come on, give me a break... You should be ashamed for making such a whacked out comment. Either way, the members of this corps worked very hard for 3 days getting ready. The crowd loved them and so did I.

[mjbari3]

OK, I will respect your opinion, but you make yourself look lilke an idiot when you cannot spell words like 'Malaguena', 'repertoire', and 'slaughtered'. I won't check out X-Men '97, because I do hate Birdland, no matter who plays it!

[whitfkl318nu]

This is just too much power to pack together. Every year the finest of the finest in the world end up sounding like a typicle oversized marching band. There is severe overblowing and a roar where precussions should be. They seriously need to downsize the unit, soften the Forte, and give the spectators a taste of the crisp precision that make drum corps superior. Play Birdland or something for goodness sakes. This march drive me nuts every year. Let the band behind you play that stuff.

[Flashwarior]

Not to mention the point of a uniform is to look, well, uniform. It just annoys me how they all have different uniforms on.

[mjbari3]

What do you mean "every year"? This All-Star Drum and Bugle corps has not been together since this performance in 1994.

Birdland???? Are you serious??? Every crappy marching band plays Birdland!

[whitfkl318nu]

I say "every year" because I have seen this more than once. Don't know how many--don't follow that close--point is they sound terrible.

Birdland is a classic and timeless piece--like Malaguania. Your hear it everywhere. Starwars, Westside Story, Appalachian Spring--it's never the repetire, but the bands that suck. You don't hate Birdland, you hate hearing it slughtered by out-of-tune, overbearing units like this one. Check out "Crossmen 1997 part 1", for the best rendition I've ever heard.

[aznick114]

i hate dca

its all about dci

Go cadets though.

[whitfkl318nu]

Yea, I hear you. But DCA ain't nothing to sneeze at, considering they only get together about eight days a month to put together a show. Frankly, I'd like to march again and learn to do some of the stuff you guys are doing today, but at this age, I'd break something.

[atlvalet]

Dude, have you ever marched with a good DCA corps? I had more fun playing in my DCA lines than I did in DCI. And yes, I marched in a top 12 drumline. In the two times I marched in DCA, we threw down some serious beats...and seriously clean beats. Plus, 3 of the younger folks in the drumline went on to march Vanguard the next year.

DCI is great, don't get me wrong, but DCA does have some good stuff. And Cadets do rule. Excpet for that whole narration crap.

[goldsmith1210]

F#CK BIG BIRD.

GO DRUM CORPS!!!

[larryryals44]

@goldsmith1210 Hahaha!! LMFAO!!

[SizzlEO3]

Can i ask a question what song would play in this... video all song please thanks

[kinigit]

This is "You're a Grand Old Flag" and "Stars and Stripes Forever."

[flaggboy1994]

were yall get tha flags from

[svolypet]

Cadets uniform didn't change at all, lol

[revillajan]

wew!1994 the year when im born!!!!wew!!

[KauaiBallerof2012]

haha me 2!

DCI RULES

GO BLUE DEVILS!!!

[JohnDonovanDotBiz]

ok...i gotta get this off my chest...look at 1:40 i was the only one in the corps that steped off early..

[kylosme]

wait where u in the snareline?

[JohnDonovanDotBiz]

no.. #2 cymbals

[mjbari3]

LOL! I am marching right next to you! No big deal...

[JohnDonovanDotBiz]

about the cymbals.. i just marched with larry eckhert last st pats day and asked what size.. he said 30

[mjbari3]

Jeez, I love watching this clip! Truly one of the best times of my life, those few days. I had never been around so much talent before. What a great time!

[tdog889]

jeez the only uni i recognize from this vid is the cadets (self explanatory) lol

[mjbari3]

I saw some people wanting to know about Al DiSantis' (sp?) cymbals. I asked him about them, and he told me they were custom made by Sabian. I think they were 52", but I really can't be sure.

[bigg3469]

I rather listen to DCI'S version of "Auld Lang Syne" tonight than that CRAPPY HORRID Guy Lombardo DEATH version! It's way better and way more festive! Happy 2009!

[mbdj12]

look at some of those old uni's - bandette's, blue star and more. That is great!

[mjbari3]

One guy had Jolly Jesters uniform from the 1960's. It was a clown uniform!

[bigg3469]

AWESOME!!!!!! DCI ROCKS!!!! LOVE THIER VERSION OF "AULD LANG SYNE" Way better than Guy Lombardo "yeech DEATH" version. Where can i get a copy of DCI'S "Auld Lang Syne"???

[wheelholder12]

by the way this is also dca. the cymble player is from the hurricanes

[bigg3469]

I was wondering where did he got those cymbals?? Those were the BIGGEST cymbals that I ever seen!!

[drumhead89]

Does anyone know the size of those cymbals?

[bigg3469]

Thats what I want to know too! Those cymbals were HUGE!

[xCheezy]

Damn that's amazing. Imagine being right there? Right in front of them?

[NROhiobando]

Is that the 1992 Crossmen drumline "bow" I see at the end there?

[rstandlee1983]

Nice, however on the close-ups you can tell who doesn't know their music. tee hee. Also, the guy with the gigantic cymbals looks as if he's gonna knock his head off..haha

[hrnguy500]

nice. I love the gigantic cymbals

[VolCrazy156]

At 0:52, the sop player on the left is wearing a 27th lancers uniform isn't he?

[wheelholder12]

he wasn't the only one

[kimmi323]

I remember getting up SO EARLY that day, that was the worst part, I remember huddling over a subway grate because every time a train went by, there was hot air that came up. I would do it all over again! I was in the Spartans sop line

[JohnDonovanDotBiz]

amazing memories....

#2 cymbals....im glad my grandmother got to see this before she passed...

[whitfkl318nu]

Now I love Drum corp with all my heart; but that was just too much power. You don't load a gopher hole with C-4 on a golf course. You don't drive a NASCAR to church on Sunday. You don't bring a gun to a knife fight. And you don't put 500 DCI and DCA brass players in a confined space with repetiore. This too is unsafe.

[goldsmith1210]

You just named every reason why it was awesome.

[LadyBethaliz]

hahaha only the Cadets haven't changed ;]

[wilsonkm]

The Cadets will never change.:) They will always be Holy Name, Garfield, Bergen County, and The Cadets.

[schantzman87]

Cavies havnet changed i dont think.

[BarracksSi]

(parts 2 and 1 below ;) )

Normally, music groups are only allowed to participate in this parade once every ten years. That way, they don't end up with a few rich school bands hogging the band spots year after year.

Macy's and NBC were so impressed that they made an exception for us, and the All-Star corps made several consecutive returns.

Kudos to Jim Mason and his efforts to put these groups together.

[BarracksSi]

The corps really made a big impression. It was the broadcast producer himself that made the airtime switches in our favor (he actually came out of the truck and grabbed the camera from the on-street cameraman to show him the shot he wanted; the cameraman was simply too frightened to come close!).

Willard Scott, chatterbox that he is, was at a loss for words as we were leaving the NBC "stage" in front of Macy's.

[BarracksSi]

I amrched in the first one, which was after the '91 season (also the first "All-Star" corps in the 87-88 Cotton Bowl parade).

Lots of fun, and fast-paced hard work in the few rehearsals we had.

Best part of the '91 performance was doing the runthrough for NBC that Tuesday night. After one run, they took a minute of airtime from Ninja Turtles and gave it to us; after the second run, they gave us another thirty seconds from Taz Mania.

[mjbari3]

I was there, playing cymbals, in my Steel City Ambassadors uniform! I was 24..It was the best thing I ever did in my life! I got about 4 hours of sleep the whole time we were there. We were up for the Today show the day before at 3, and I think we were up at 3 for the parade the next day. Great time!

You should have heard the final run-through on the steps of the Post Office! I have a video of it, but no way I could post it.

[wjlosier]

I had a great time marching in this. I can't believe it's been 14 years!!! I got some tv love... soprano line feature in SSFE... 3rd sop in from left... GO HAWTHORNE!!!

[kidneyrebel]

god the old bluecoats uniform powder blue...and the big sacramento freelancers cymbal gotta love it all

[mjbari3]

That is the uni of the Connecticut Hurricanes. His name is Al DiSantis, and he was their corps director at the time.

[mkl62]

I remember this at my grandmother's. Three years later, she was dead; 5-24-97. Only 1 week from turning 92. We spent a lot of Thanksgivings at her house. She saw a lot of Thanksgivings in her life & her family was the one thing she was thankful for. That's the one holiday that I will always associate with her. We love you, MaMa. your youngest grandchild, mkl62

[WBBugleBoy]

This is AMAZING.

[ickaris11]

i freakin' love this video- i bet they blew everybody's faces off... sigh...

how insane is it that i still get choked up at the end there every time i see it? i'd REALLY love to see another all-star group like this do Macy's...

any first hand comments from someone who marched in this group?

[insipidboy]

My favorite memory is when we got to the staging area and got in the arc for warmup with tons of highschool bands around and proceeded to blow everyone's face off (Well that and the insane party that night at the hotel :P Can't get into that here!)

[lkaa2]

Awesome! No band will ever sound as loud as a drum corp hornline!

[prepboys1]

I KNOW!!! Yet they still label them as DCI. Pisses me off so much.

[DanDigity]

Hurricanes all the way!

[doublebassheeltoe]

Ah... so many corps that I forgot even existed...

[doublebassheeltoe]

I also realized, this has colleges in it too because i saw a umass suniform.

[insipidboy]

No, that is Nick Angelis from Star...he didn't have his Star uniform so he used his UMASS uniform. There were no colleges there...all drum corps.

[doublebassheeltoe]

Oh ok, that makes sense.

[bigg3469]

I was wondering about that too! thanks for the 411 of the Umass uniform mystery!

[jsowinski]

the story i heard was that his mom shipped him the wrong uniform. darned if i can remember who it is though!

[mjbari3]

@insipidboy I was there playing cymbals. His Mom brought his uniform, and it was the wrong one, the one from UMASS!

[GMBtone]

by div 1 2 and 3 do u mean NYSFBC? or just drum and bugle corpses?

[cru4you]

drum corps son

[Jmartin7447]

Was the guy with the big ass cymbols from Cascades?

[insipidboy]

The Cascades didn't exist back then I am sure :) He was from the Hurricanes, a DCA corps if I remember correctly.

[Jmartin7447]

The cascades started in 1969 as The Seattle Imperials, then changed to Thunder Birds, then To The Seattle Cascades in 1983, then to Cascades... They existed, I'm sure

[iloldirl]

@insipidboy

The Cascades have existed since 1957.

[homfencing]

@insipidboy Cacades existed, but these guys are primarily from the midwest and east. Lots of Srs represented. The BIG plates were indeed from Hurcs.

[SUNSNARE06]

hes definitely from the Hurricanes, hes a staple with the Hurricanes during parades for carrying those massive cymbals

[esroberto1]

OMG. Man, there were some ppl right in front of those horns that were sorry they came!! What amazing volume! What rich sonority! And that key change after the soprano feature on S&SF just floored me!

[mfenelus]

i remember lke yesterday...thanks for posting this

[trumpeterdude]

my god those are big plates

[Bmax76]

Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I had a blast that week and in 1992 as well. I marched soprano with Suncoast Sound back then.

[drweirdharold]

it would be nice age out and be able to march 1 r 2 years with a all star drum and bugle corp that would just be awesome,to be able march with the guys & girls that you competed with.

[RETROGEMS]

I miss seeing Willard Scott on the Today Show! the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parades were IMMEASURABLY better when I was little. My favorite is the 1996 parade! Cool clip!

[ejeff123]

what, no cavaliers

[stretch45g]

I marched in the 94 Macy corps (I am still cold from the Today Show gig). We had one Cavalier in our corps. Also one Phantom Reg and one SCV. Two of the most interesting groups represented was a Jolly Jester and NYPD Drum & Bugle corps member. They can be seen at 39 sec in this vid. Look behind and between the Spirit (Left) and Delta Brigd (Right) sop guys and you will see them standing together. Biggest memory..warming up with the hornline in NYC at TV rehearsal the night before the parade

[stretch45g]

We had one Cavie baritone player...

[greentrombone]

check those plates! 4 feet in diameter? :) AMAZING!

[Tekneek74]

I wish they still did this. Seems like it used to be a DCE all star corps, didn't it?

[peeeyeempee99]

wow i was in this... 15 yrs old... no camera love though.. check me third horn from the right front row... HOLLAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

[ThesNazud]

I do miss marching myself. Wish I could find the allstar coprs pre finals performance from 1997. I was lucky enough to be the 2nd Drum Major to the disney conductor, one oof the BEST moments in my life!!!!!

[Bischbone]

i would love to do something like this

[bgranata]

you can STILL do this ... look for your local senior drum & bugle corps. There are good ones around, like the Westchester Brassmen in New York.

[SUNSNARE06]

parade corps though, I think he wants a competing DCA corps

[schantzman87]

Crusaders or emipre here in NY

[dllasfan87]

I think it was 2 years ago...maybe a little more...but the cadets did the macys parade one year...and I agree they need more corps...and more this in macys

[kimmi323]

Wow that was one of the best times in my life!! it was so long ago and seems like it was only last year! I was in The Soprano line and was with the Spartans from Nashua NH then....oh what good times!

[Loujaue]

I was here for this. I had Marched wit hthe Bushwackers during this summer and was picked from the Steel City Ambassadors from Pittsburgh to play for this.

I really hope to do it again in the Future.

[dobyns]

whoa bandettes!!!!

I remember a few of our ageouts getting to march this...

my rookie year.

man I miss corps.

KEY OF G AND NO ELECTRONICS FOREVER BABY!!!

GO PIONEER!

[27thCrown]

I do remember this and weting my chonies. I had a recording of it then accidently ereased. Key of G is better.

[bugleboy624]

I remember watching this on TV. I SOOOOOO wanted to be part of this. I think the reason why it's not done now is, if you'll notice, the playlist was rather heavy on the DCA/Alumni corps side. But I think the only reason that is is because we're the only ones left with signature tunes. That and DCI thinks they're better than us. Have for quite awhile. Sad, really. We could always use the influx of members. Oh well. Such is life. This video still rocks!!

[nespyland]

I was in the 1994 All Star Corps. I've got a video with clips from our week of rehearsal and our performance from the Today Show the day before Thanksgiving. I'll work on getting that from VHS to the computer.

[rio197]

they should do this more often.

[randycop]

Wow, wow, wow, wow! That is one 'in-your-face' performance. And to march away with the Kilties closer makes my eyes want to water. Impressive show. Needs to happen again. The bands I saw at this years Macy's parade, to be polite, "sucked". Need more corps in these parades.

[prepboys1]

I think they took them out because the Corps embarrassed the High School bands. Which I have no problem doing because I hate a few of them because everyone in my state hates this one High School...

All I need say is rich kids who are required to take private lessons from symphony members.

[KennyRimshot]

don't forget . . . that was 12 years ago!

[bbaritone]

whoa! I mean whoa?! I never knew that this happened.. Appalled!

[ickaris11]

thats a freakin mazing...

i heart dci...

[cru4you]

there's dca corps in there too bud, center snare= skyliners

[WHEELHOLDER1]

the color guard is from sky

[Bmax76]

center snare = UMASS, it was Nick Angelus. but alot of DCA there

[cru4you]

k well guy next to him lol

[chickie0464]

Is there any more to this video... I need a 2 hour special...Mar

[chickie0464]

My hair is standing on end and it hasn't done that in quite a long time...Also a tear in my eyes....

[hbarber]

This is drum and bugle corps in the FRIGGIN" KEY OF G like it's suppose to be dammit. AWESOME!!!

[contranimal]

I know Id soooo Fly out and take part in something like that .... just IMAGINE how big a group there would be now possibly.

[NROhiobando]

GOOD GOD!

Why don't we still do this?