History of the Bridgemen

The 1980's – The Slow Decline and End of the Junior Corps

1980

"Thunder and Blazes" led the parade of circus animals onto the field in 1980, along with our mascot "Birdie" (color guard member Bernadette "Bernie" Bracero wearing a yellow, red, and blue costume). The drum solo of "The Pursuit of the Woman with the Feathered Hat" broke new ground in technical demand and showmanship while "In The Stone" would be remembered as an all-time crowd favorite. "Big Noise From Winnetka" and the return of "Civil War Suite", rounded out this amazing show that still stands out after all these years. Jim Prime stepped up as brass caption head (Prime later made a name for himself with The Garfield Cadets and Star of Indiana). The Bridgemen wrested their fifth World Open title, dueling the 27th Lancers for eastern supremacy and keeping close tabs on the Blue Devils with the Spirit of Atlanta in hot pursuit. The DCI finals saw the top four corps separated by less than 2 points, the Blue Devils emerging victorious, 27th Lancers a few tenths behind in second, the Bridgemen a few tenths behind 27th Lancers placing third, their highest finish in DCI Finals history. The Bridgemen drum line won their first of three successive high percussion awards that year with hopes high for things to come in 1981. Drum Captain Donald Mindiak led a line of drummers filled with a fiery determination to win. Instructors Bob Dubinski and Pat Scollin were important parts of the drumline's success. Their discipline, motivational abilities, and emphasis on technique with perfection helped set in motion a 3-year Bridgemen drum dynasty in DCI. The 1980 Bridgemen were at the zenith of their popularity. They knew how to have fun, but had the tenacity to work hard to achieve their goals. Many words are synonymous with "the Bananas" in their best years: unique, groundbreaking, zany, outlandish. Some say they revolutionized the activity, while others resisted their show style and influence on other corps shows. But one thing was certain, The Bridgemen were out to give any audience a good time by connecting with them and performing an accessible show anyone could relate to. The music, uniforms, wicked drumline, and gimmicks they're remembered for were secondary to The Bridgemen Attitude that people remember fondly: a reckless commitment to entertaining.

1981

After a very successful 3rd place finish in 1980, there were high expectations for the corps in 1981. Having missed a win at DCI finals the previous year by just tenths of a point, Bobby Hoffman was determined to make a run at the title. But disagreements between Bobby Hoffman, the Board of Directors, administration, and support staff on how to accomplish this, hobbled the lofty goal. The one factor that contributed to an underachieving 1981 season can be attributed to a change in corps chemistry. Gone were those members who had been with the corps when it was Saint Andrew's. In their place were members who had come to the Bridgemen from other corps, taught different methods as to those familiar with the Bridgemen way. This culture gap led to repeated internal disagreements among the members and between staff members. This had a pronounced effect on the corps and its performance on the field. Arguably more talented than the 1980 corps, it just didn't have the same Bridgemen magic of the previous 4 years. New yellow coats were purchased for the 64-man hornline because the 1976 coats were showing their age. Al DiCroce stepped in as brass caption head. Baritone Brian Law joined the brass staff, staying on for several years as a horn instructor. The corps kept half the show from 1980 and replaced the "Civil War Suite" with "West Side Story". Inconsistent performances were common for the corps in 1981. It was at the DCI Midwest regional held in Whitewater Wisconsin that the corps was bested for the first time since 1976 by the Garfield Cadets. The 0.5 point victory emboldened the Cadets to purposely march by the Bridgemen buses and revel in delight. This act as well as the appearance of an impaled banana caricature on their food truck at the 1981 CYO Nationals served to motivate the corps and enable others to resolve their differences. The Cadets did not beat the corps again that year. The Bridgemen put on a show before the show even started. The corps would diagonally enter the field in a box formation doing the Bridgemen "knock". Suddenly everyone jumped around and let mayhem ensue for 16 counts, then the box snapped back into formation at Count 1, moving the box backfield while doing the "knock" in unison. The crowd's enthusiasm was deafening! The corps finished 5th in prelims at the DCI Championship, held in Montreal, beating Phantom Regiment by 1 point. Finals were at a different site: Montreal's Olympic Stadium, which had a dome that badly muffled the hornline and turned the audience's conversations into a dull roar. Somehow the electricity that was always there between the audience and the Bridgemen was squelched. In finals, the corps did a lackluster performance losing to Phantom Regiment by .005. The corps had a .1 penalty due to a shoe coming off a member. It was a fitting way to end what had been described as a disappointing season. The percussion section, which had been the strength of the corps throughout the whole year, had the biggest highlight of the year by winning their 2nd high drums trophy. The drumline, which was even better than the 1980 year, was near the top in every show they were in. A highlight from 1981 was the corps winning their 5th World Open title (1973, 1977, 1978, 1980, & 1981). It would also be the corps last title of any kind. After the year was over, Jack Dames who became the 2nd director in corps history, resigned.

1982

The Bridgemen drumline's popularity and supremacy in the activity helped Dennis Delucia to seal an endorsement deal to obtain a new set of black-rimmed Slingerland drums with brass trim. As the 1982 season came, gone were those members who had caused some of the internal friction of the previous season. The new rookies coming into the corps were excited to be Bridgemen and understood what it took to be a member of the Bridgemen. The members attitudes were great, with the rallying cry "The Magic Is Back". The magic was certainly back on the field. The color guard was now outfitted with tight red & silver uniforms that allowed them to perform the athletic dance steps asked of them. The opener of "Shaft" showcased the raucous enthusiasm only the Bridgemen could bring to the field. The production number of "Sophisticated Ladies", featured large tables that the color guard girls danced on in perfect unison. Soprano Kevin Serfass stealthily played the demanding solo in "It Don't Mean A Thing" that seemed to be coming from the black-clad color guard Captain Beth's horn! A popular publicity photo that year featured soprano George Lavelle atop the large table, snapping his fingers. The hypnotic drum solo of "Black Market Juggler" introduced more percussion voices with the roto toms and showcased the fast hands of our intense drumline. "Broadway Medley" featured a dynamic wedge moving forward during "New York, New York" a la The Skyliners. This was a show for the members to perform and have fun with. Audiences loved this show! The corps looked like it was headed towards a top 6 finish as Championship neared, but a so-so performance at prelims placed the corps in 9th place behind the Freelancers. True to Bridgemen style, they came out in finals to give the fans their money's worth, performing their best show of 1982. At the end of the show the corps put in the Bridgemen faint, then got up and ran off the field. The place went nuts!!! This great show and the percussion winning high drums for the 3rd year in a row, moved the corps up 1 spot past the Freelancers for 8th place. This was the first time since the corps became "the Bananas" that they were out of the top 6; a six year feat had come to an end. It didn't matter to the members. After all the problems that the corps had in 1981, it was fun to be a Bridgemen again. The percussion line of 1982 was unbelievable. Their score at Championship that year was 19.5. This tied the Hawthorne Muchachos for the highest drum score ever at Championship. At a show in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, the drums played a 1-tick show. Which in the day of the tick system, that was unheard of. Their score that day was 19.8 out of 20, which was the highest score ever for drums in the day of the tick system. The drumline was in the year 3 of their 4-year dynasty. This line of 1982 is considered by many to be the best during this run.

1983

Many changes happened during 1983 for the corps and for drum corps in general. Bobby Hoffman, the architect of "the Bananas", and long time brass arranger Larry Kerchner were replaced with Dave Bandy and Frank Dorittie. The staff also wanted to change the corps on the field. Gone would be the gimmicks that people were so used to and in its place a show that would be more sophisticated. At the same time, DCI had decided to do away with the tick system. In its place was an opinionated system. Both of those decisions would be fatal for the corps until midseason. At the first show in Lynn, Massachusetts, the corps scored a 47.15, which was at the time the lowest score the corps ever received. Dave Bandy sought to make the Bridgemen style more palatable to judges. But membership was declining from its peak years earlier. Still, we were chock full of lively people happy to be here. The show featured the driving tempo of "Caravan" as the opener that featured a baritone quartet with John Riccardi and Jerome Kimbrough. Then "Waiting for Godot" introduced a latin flavor to the show. Dennis Delucia's "Black Market/The Juggler" drum solo again challenged the drumline to new heights. The corps is in the history books, as being the corps who had the lowest score 47.15 to start the season and still make DCI finals. The judges did not know where to put the Bridgemen in the new system. One night they had the corps up on some corps then down on others. This "up and down" was by many points. The low of this happened at the DCI Midwest Championship held in Whitewater, Wisconsin, where disaster always struck the corps. Here the corps failed to make the cut, placing 13th, losing to the Geneso Knights by 2.5. This was the first time since 1974 that the corps missed a finals show of any kind. The next night in Rockford, Illinois, the corps beat the Knights by 4 points, a 6.5 point turnaround in one night. At midseason, with the sophisticated approach not working on the field, the staff changed half the show by putting in some gimmicks and making the show more appealing to the audience. Jeff Dawson taught us the words to "So what you see is what you get, & you ain't seen nothin' yet!" which we sang coming on the field. A couple of days after the Midwest injustice, two judges came and talked to the corps and explained and apologized for the inconsistency of the system and promised that it would not happen again. The members who had dealt with all of this had the heart of a champion (which most all of the Bridgemen corps had, except for 1981), and kept working hard to make sure the corps would make finals. At the DCI championship, held in Miami that year, the corps did a good job in prelims. The corps came in 11th place ahead of the Sky Ryders and Crossmen, who the corps had battled all year. In finals, the corps put in some more gimmicks, with the Bridgemen Bird making a return by jumping out of a big present box. Also, the snare drummers put on blindfolds and played on roto toms during the fast part of their drum solo, never missing a beat. At the end of the show there was a ripple Bridgemen faint. The corps stayed in 11th place. Lost in the mix was the Color Guard's 3rd place finish. The guard led by a young gentlemen by the name of Scott Chandler, (he of Blue Devil fame) had their highest placement for a Bridgemen guard. The percussion's quest for a 4th high drum trophy ended with a 3rd place finish. This was mostly due to the corps going on so early in finals; they didn't get the score they deserved. Many believe that they were the best line in the country and should have won the title. But the Blue Devils drumline maintained their dominance in 1983 to capture high drums. This ended a remarkable 4-year percussion dynasty. This dynasty was led by their caption head and arranger Dennis DeLucia, and his right hand man Bob Dubinski. It was also supported by many other instructors and alumni who came back to help continue this dynasty for 4 years.

1984

1984 saw another chapter of the corps come to an end. Many of the members, who had grown up in the feeder corps the Kidets, and were from Bayonne, had decided to move on to other things in their lives. This left only a handful of people left from the great town of Bayonne, a complete reverse from when the corps was started when everyone was from Bayonne. Once again it was decided to have the corps do a more sophisticated show instead of the gimmicks that was tried unsuccessfully in 1983; this type of show was received with more success in 1984. The show was "Overture" from "Merrily We Roll Along", "Boogie Down", "Aw Quitcher Moanin'" (drum solo), and "The Civil War Suite", which the corps did in 1979 & 1980. An iconic moment of the show was in the closer, when a giant American Flag was unfurled while the color guard spun their blue umbrellas with white stars. Ray Fallon, who had taught the corps in 1977 & 1978, was brought back to run the horn program. With Ray at the helm, and the talent base better then years past, the hornline became a big asset. Their highlight of the season was at a show held at the Meadowlands, at that show they won high horns for the first time since 1980, beating 1984's finalists Cavaliers, 27th Lancers, & Crossmen. The corps battled 27th Lancers all year as both were fighting for one of the last spots for finals. At the DCI Midwest regional, again held at Whitewater Wisconsin, the corps missed the cutoff again as it had in 1983, placing 13th. The corps that knocked them out was the Velvet Knights, whose philosophy was that of the Bridgemen: ENTERTAINMENT!!!
This year was also the first year the corps had their own food bus. It turned out to be a huge mistake; most of the food was left out and became rotten, leaving the corps hungry. One night on tour the corps came in from a hard day of practice and each member was served a plate of popcorn. Not only were the members in a fight to make finals, but now they did not have food. The organization could not replace the food that was lost, due to the financial troubles it was having. Other corps were helping out sending food over to the corps. It left the corps in an unstable state in the eyes of DCI. When the corps reached DCI prelims that year in Atlanta, they knew they couldn't give up. The corps did a good enough performance to get into finals, or so they thought. As the corps was getting their picture taken, their score was announced and they realized they did not make it. Shock and disbelief came over the corps. They ended up in 14th place losing to the Velvet Knights, who basically now had the identity introduced by the Bridgemen, and to the Troopers. It was a sad ending to a season that the members had fought so hard to make successful.

1985

The rumor mills falsely claimed year after year that the Bridgemen had disbanded and it was finally catching up to them. Plus speculation about money problems meant the corps was no longer drawing the level of talent and cross-country members they once had. Most of the staff from the 1984 season, including Dennis DeLucia, who had been with the corps since 1976 were gone. Dennis would later have success with many other corps which included the Star of Indiana & Crossmen. The board brought back Bobby Hoffman. They hoped that he would be able to create the magic again as he had when he was with the corps form 1976-1982. The show that year was a great show for the Bridgemen. The show was "Christmas in July", complete with a great big Christmas box that the corps would start the show under, hornline and drumline in elf outfits and the guard in Mrs. Claus outfits. They had snowball fights, Santa Claus, and even Baby New Year. After the first half of the show, the corps changed out of their getups and back into the yellow coats. The 2nd half of the show was "Come On Dance With Me", followed by "Imagination". This corps did not have the guns to pull it off. If this show was done any other year, it would have succeeded. It was not to be. This year the corps was not very competitive. The corps finished near the bottom at every show. At a show in Waterbury CT, the corps scored a 32.40, which is the lowest score the corps had ever received. It is ironic that this would be where (just the previous year) the corps won their last show ever. The corps hit bottom at DCI East, in Allentown PA, where the corps had one of if not the greatest moments in their history in 1977 when they won the DCI East title. This year the corps had one of its worst performances ever. The corps placed 25th out of 26th. At DCI championship in Madison, the corps placed in 26th place, which was last place. The corps took the field for prelims right after the Madison Scouts, who were having a strong year. The board had made the wrong decision by not giving the staff of 1984 another year. The outcome might have been a lot better had the staff from 1984 returned. After the 1985 season, it was decided the corps would go inactive for the 1986 season.

1986

The Bridgemen were folded in 1986.

1987

After a year's absence the corps started up again, being the first corps in history to come back after folding. With a new staff and a new financial backer, the corps set out to capture the magic it once had. The show this year was in 2 parts. The first was a recap of the Bridgemen's greatest hits, the 2nd part was "High Crime", "Mozaik', and "Motown". Crowds liked the show and were very happy that the corps had made a reappearance. A meeting that was held in April that year, with administration and staff to make a decision on what division to compete in, decided the fate of the corps. The corps had only 65 members and could not compete against open corps of 128. The right decision would have had the corps compete in A-60 and go against corps the same size and re-establish the corps instead of going against the big boys and getting slaughtered. The decision was made to go Open. Ego rather than reality prevailed, the attitude that the Bridgemen should not lower themselves by being anything less than an Open corps won the day. This proved to be devastating to the corps. They were soundly defeated in every open competition. At DCI East, the corps finished in last and finished 23rd out of 24th in Quarterfinals. When you add the top 12 corps who were already into Semi's, the corps actually placed 35th. If the decision had been decided on the other path, to compete A-60 the corps might have had a chance to be Champions of A-60. Due to the corps not coming out the year before and not being a member (falling out of top 25 in 1985), the corps was forced to compete in the A-60/A-90 tour now know as the Division 2 & 3 tour. On this tour, the corps beat corps that would wind up in the top 3 of A-60, including the Mandarins, who would go on to capture the Class A-60 title that year, a week before the DCI Championships at the U.S Open competition by 7 points. This would be the Bridgemen's last show performance at DCI. This year was also the first year the corps had its own buses. The buses purchased from Avante Garde, proved to be another bad mistake made. In West Virginia, one bus that was parked came out of park and rolled down a hill into a wall. The bus was totaled. The other bus would catch fire when in park and when the gears were not shifted right to go forward. These and many other vehicle breakdowns were a regular routine for the corps. These problems contributed to the corps losing much needed practice time. This year was a very tough year on its members. What got the corps through 1987 was heart.

1988 – The End of the Junior Corps

The corps started out with better numbers than the year before, having close to 85 kids showing up at the first camp. Buoyed by this, a more talented hornline, a more challenging brass book and more talented brass staff, many members were optimistic about their competitive changes this year, with some confident they would capture the Class A-60 Championship that year. However, The corps' numbers did not last as over the next few months the numbers started to dwindle and they started to have money problems again. The executive director informed the staff at the end of the February camp that he would be folding the corps. The staff pleaded with him to give it one more month and give the kids a chance to obtain the money that was needed to go on. He gave in and at the March camp, money was brought in by the members who, with the staff, thought they had done enough to have the corps continue. It was also decided that the corps would compete in A-60, a decision that was made a year too late. At the end of camp, the corps marched in the West Orange St. Patrick's Day parade, where the camp was held. It was here that the Bridgemen made their last public appearance, because the executive director folded the corps the next day. He just forgot to tell the members, the staff or the other members of the board of directors. Many members didn't find out that their corps had folded until they were contacted by other corps trying to recruit them. What a sad ending for the greatest entertaining corps of all time. A corps who was ahead of its time. A corps who changed drum corps for the better.

Epitaph

The Bridgemen will always be remembered as: Entertainers, Innovators, a corps who just had fun, & the rebels against the drum corps establishment. But most important, it was a corps that always had heart. Heart that was started in 1965, and continued all the way to the end in 1988. This look back at the Bridgemen is dedicated to 3 gentlemen, whose visions helped make this a great drum corps. The first 2 gentlemen are Edward Holmes & Father Joseph Donovan, who had a vision to start a drum corps out of the Saint Andrew parish and who gave the corps its heart and soul. They also made it a family atmosphere. The 3rd gentleman is Bobby Hoffman, whose vision was to take the corps to absolute craziness and create a corps whose main purpose was to entertain audiences. However, while the world thought that the Bridgemen were gone forever, they would defy history once again would prove it otherwise.

Continue to: "The 1990's" ⇒