Phantom Regiment wins the 2008 DCI Championship

Drum Corp International ^ | Aug 9, 2008 | None

[rlmorel]

Yes...their 1975 show was good, but...they all had moustaches...

It was common knowledge, and someone waited until the last moment to blow the whistle on them.

Gotta play by the rules...:)

[The Great RJ]

Seeing a DCI competition is quite an event. However, you need to appreciate all the work these young people do to be part of these groups. We have hosted several DCI events in our community and these corp members spend hours in practice sometimes in blazing heat, sleep mainly in gymnasiums at local host schools and travel throughout the country by bus. They actually PAY for the privilege of doing this. In our community we have a fund raiser at the annual DCI event for scholarships for local marching band members participating in DCI.

[STARWISE]

Thanks so much for the thread !

How well I remember those years ... Cavvies Mom of drum-corps-infected son (marched and consulted for winter guard and drum corps) of over 20 years!

I saw the quarter finals in a theater ... excellent substitute for the real thing. Still get goosebumps at the excellence and the sounds of these awesome performers.

But nothing .. NOTHING .. beats seeing the performances LIVE. Talk about goosebumps and tears !

Of course, my son was in Bloomington for the championships reuniting with all his buds, as they do every year for the last 20 yrs ... and performed in the Cavvies 60th anniversary Alumni/Anniversary Corps Friday night (there were a couple of troopers near 80 yr. olds in that 125-member group!!), and they were awesome in performance last week in Naperville, IL.

I attribute my son’s maturity, goal setting, teamwork, independence, flexibility, responsibility, loyalty, improvisational and huge circle of friends and friendship/life skills in HUGE part to his participation for all those summers (and winters in a co-ed winter guard) in this great activity.

They have to grow up and be accountable for themselves and their own essential needs. And in the co-ed corps, they get to know and get along with the opposite sex ... as friends ... through all the sweating, camping out in gym floors, doing their laundry, trials, emotions, and winning and losing in competitions. They form life long, wonderful friendships.

I cannot praise this involvement enough for young folks today ... it’s an incredible as a major life building block.

These corps could NOT get by without the unfailing and loving support of the volunteer parents and alumni.

This was my son’s aging-out year .. his last performance with the real Cavaliers for the “Firebird” routine, in 1988. He’s the rifle solo who wraps the banners around himself. Aaah .... the memories... and I was blessed to be there and see it all in Arrowhead Stadium.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8218377898668083232&ei=hwSfSKDyHYuE4QKCkbky&q=the+cavaliers+1988&hl=en

GREAT accomplishment for the Phantom Regiment .. it’s a jaw-dropping, stirring show. Congratulations ... fantastic achievement, and the 1st clear #1 spot for them !!

Here’s the announcement of the Phantom Regiment “I Am
Spartacus” win and the group’s reaction afterward ... awesome !

http://www.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=95b6a866-ed90-41ec-8f88-498480c87c77

Article

http://www.rrstar.com/communities/x33718036/Phantom-Regiment-wins-championship

[tang-soo]

Starwise, thanks for all the info. Can see your video yet cause the video won’t load on my system. Will check it out when I return to work. In one article you posted, it was pointed out that Phantom had not defeated the Cavaliers in 11 years until this year’s quarterfinals. That’s an amazing run.

[real saxophonist]

Thanks for posting.

Spirit of Atlanta Contrabass, 1983-1986

[tang-soo]

Cool. I loved the Spirit of Atlanta. The first live show I ever saw in 1976 (maybe 77) started with SoA playing ‘Walk Him Up the Stairs’. I can still hear that soprano solo at the beginning.