Brockton, MA
August 11, 2005
Division II 1. Spartans 96.275 2. East Coast Jazz 95.625 3. Blue Stars 92.675 4. Fever 91.850 5. Teal Sound 91.650 6. Impulse 90.375 7. Oregon Crusaders 88.575 8. Jersey Surf 88.325 9. Memphis Sound 87.025 Division III 1. Raiders 87.750 2. Taipei Yuehfu 87.600 3. Yamato 85.675 4. Revolution 84.950 5. Capital Sound 82.900 6. Allegiance Elite 80.650 7. Pride of the Lions 80.075 8. Dutch Boy 78.500 9. Lake Erie Regiment 77.500
Brockton, MA
August 9, 2005
Division II 1. Taipei Yuehfu 87.250 2. Raiders 85.900 3. Yamato 85.025 4. Revolution 82.875 5. Capital Sound 80.250 6. Allegiance Elite 79.725 7. Pride of the Lions 78.475 8. Dutch Boy 76.900 9. Lake Erie Regiment 10. Citations 74.500 11. Les Stentors 70.575 12. Cadets of NYC 70.425 13. Stragnas 67.225 14. Spirit of Newark 66.700 15. Saint John's 65.925 16. Racine Scouts 64.775 17. 7th Regiment 63.725 18. HYPE 62.700 19. Targets 56.850 20. Blue Saints 41.425 Division III 1. Spartans 94.450 2. East Coast Jazz 94.100 3. Blue Stars 92.600 4. Fever 90.750 5. Teal Sound 89.675 6. Impulse 88.075 7. Oregon Crusaders 87.875 8. Jersey Surf 86.225 9. Memphis Sound 84.925
Members of the Chicago Royal-Airs Senior Exhibition Corps had the most gray hair of any of the groups performing Friday night at Hopkins Park, but most said they feel like teenagers when they take to the field.
Seven drum and bugle corps gave spectators a sneak peek of the performances they will be giving during the Drum Corps Midwest Championships tonight. Most of those performing were junior corps with members under 21 years old.
Rich Tessitore said playing the baritone bugle takes him back to when he participated with the Norwood Park Imperials. He left the group when he “aged-out” at 21.
The 60-year-old Palatine resident is a member of the Chicago Royal-Airs alumni group, which formed in 2002. The group, which was started in Chicago’s northwest side neighborhood of Humboldt Park, was together for 10 years.
“We’re mostly all old drum corps people,” Lisa Nuske, 40, said.
“You gotta say old?” Tessitore said.
“Just look at him,” she said and laughed. He pointed at her with the cigar he was smoking.
The group has about 100 members; about 50 performed in Friday night’s concert. They take the field tonight at Huskie Stadium at the conclusion of the 28th annual championships.
Nuske said the average age of group members is about 56.
“We’re all well over 21,” she said.
Corps members are from throughout Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. Some members come from California and there’s a Canadian in the group, too.
Nick Tomasi, 65, drove in from Defiance, Ohio – about 260 miles from DeKalb.
Tessitore, who runs a machine shop, said he always looks forward to performing.
Nuske agree.
“It makes us feel like we’re kids again,” she said as the group walked across Sycamore Road to Hopkins Park after warming up. “It brings us back to when you were in junior corps … When you’re here it brings you back to being 16 years old.”
Tomasi interrupts: “Really? My body doesn’t feel like it,” he said and laughed.
Other members of the corps start laughing. They make jokes about who their sponsors should be and start naming various geriatric drugs.
“Here you forget about your arthritis and aches,” Nuske said.
Tony Laskowi, 61, of Aurora said that since rejoining the corps, his doctor has said his blood-sugar levels have remained low.
“He asks, ‘What have you been doing?’” he said and laughed.
John Olker, 55, of Kalamazoo, Mich., said he appreciates the other group members’ dedication and the fact that the group also has a full field show. He said if the group just played music, most members wouldn’t participate.
Olker said he participated in several groups after the Royal-Airs disbanded in 1968. His last performance was in 1979 when he left the now defunct Chicago Connection corps.
“Basically three-fourths of this group I grew up with,” Olker said. “I consider them friends. How many friends do you have more than 40 years?”
He and other members said being a member of the corps takes up a lot of time, but it’s worth it.
“At first I couldn’t believe we were doing this again,” Laskowi said.
“Now I don’t want to quit,” Olker said. “I will continue to do it.”
Other members who heard him agreed, nodded and lined up to get on stage.
Scranton, PA
September 4, 2004
Open Class 1. Empire Statesmen 96.513 2. Syracuse Brigadiers 96.188 3. Reading Buccaneers 95.450 4. Hawthorne Caballeros 95.100 5. Minnesota Brass 91.438 6. Renegades 91.225 7. Yokahama Inspires 89.588 8. Bushwackers 88.638 9. Connecticut Hurricanes 84.475 10. Corpsvets 83.075 Class A 1. Kingston Grenadiers 79.850 2. Govenaires 75.163
Scranton, PA
September 3, 2004
Open Class 1. Empire Statesmen 96.863 2. Syracuse Brigadiers 95.575 3. Hawthorne Caballeros 94.888 4. Reading Buccaneers 94.788 5. Renegades 93.913 6. Minnesota Brass 93.338 7. Yokahama Inspires 92.375 8. Bushwackers 89.688 9. Connecticut Hurricanes 87.700 10. Corpsvets 86.013 11. Carolina Gold 81.088 11. New York Skyliners 81.088 13. Kilties 77.263 Class A 1. Kingston Grenadiers 80.900 2. Govenaires 76.763 3. Sunrisers 73.563 4. Heat Wave 73.500 5. Dream 73.300 6. Gulf Coast Sound 65.263 7. Shenandoah Sound 62.675
Denver, CO
August 7, 2004
1. Cavaliers 98.700 2. Blue Devils 98.525 3. Santa Clara Vanguard 96.825 4. Cadets 95.600 5. Phantom Regiment 93.575 6. Bluecoats 92.125 7. Carolina Crown 91.225 8. Madison Scouts 91.175 9. Boston Crusaders 90.525 10. Blue Knights 87.600 11. Crossmen 87.425 12. Glassmen 85.950
Denver, CO
August 7, 2004
1. Spartans 96.550 2. East Coast Jazz 96.525 3. Vanguard Cadets 94.725 4. Fever 92.475 5. Blue Stars 91.500 6. Impulse 89.050 7. Oregon Crusaders 87.425 8. Blue Devils B 87.200 9. Yamato 85.975 10. Jersey Surf 85.875 11. Memphis Sound 84.500 12. Teal Sound 84.200
Denver, CO
August 6, 2004
1. Cavaliers 98.525 2. Blue Devils 98.200 3. Santa Clara Vanguard 97.375 4. Cadets 96.125 5. Phantom Regiment 93.575 6. Carolina Crown 92.175 7. Bluecoats 91.925 8. Boston Crusaders 91.250 9. Madison Scouts 90.675 10. Crossmen 88.025 11. Blue Knights 88.000 12. Glassmen 86.375 13. Spirit 86.300 14. Capital Regiment 83.250 15. Seattle Cascades 81.800 16. Colts 81.325 17. Magic of Orlando 77.000
Denver, CO
August 5, 2004
1. Cavaliers 97.750 2. Blue Devils 97.225 3. Santa Clara Vanguard 95.750 4. Cadets 94.600 5. Phantom Regiment 93.200 6. Bluecoats 90.575 7. Carolina Crown 90.525 8. Madison Scouts 90.475 8. Boston Crusaders 90.475 10. Crossmen 88.000 11. Blue Knights 87.225 12. Glassmen 86.550 13. Spirit 85.875 14. Capital Regiment 83.800 15. Seattle Cascades 82.825 16. Colts 82.375 17. Magic of Orlando 78.500 18. Southwind 78.050 19. Pacific Crest 77.850 20. Mandarins 77.750 21. Esperanza 76.325 22. Kiwanis Kavaliers 75.350 23. Troopers 74.925 24. Pioneer 71.600
Denver, CO
August 4, 2004
Division II 1. Spartans 96.325 2. East Coast Jazz 95.000 3. Fever 92.850 4. Vanguard Cadets 92.475 5. Blue Stars 91.025 6. Impulse 90.325 7. Blue Devils B 88.375 8. Jersey Surf 86.700 9. Memphis Sound 84.475 Division III 1. Oregon Crusaders 86.575 2. Yamato 85.350 3. Teal Sound 83.200 4. Court of Honor 82.425 5. Lehigh Valley Knights 82.275 6. Americanos 79.650 7. Raiders 78.900 8. Marion Glory Cadets 77.375 9. Fusion 74.900