[barigirl78]

I've seen a few people ask in other threads about attendance to Finals. I thought I'd post some observations.

I don't know ANY official figures. I only am going to give my impression.

Going into the weekend, I only bought a ticket to semis from a drum corps in their "block" for sale. Semis are a good value, IMO. $55 gave me the opportunity to see 25 corps.

I planned to figure out Finals tickets if the Crossmen (the corps I support the most) would make finals--something that was far from guaranteed.

Well, you all know what happened. From my "semis" seats in a section that was only 50% occupied, I heard the Blue Stars score and the rest is history.

Getting tickets to finals was not hard. Two of my friends got them from somebody whose friends left him holding two tickets. I ended up getting a ticket from a kind stranger who had an extra. It wasn't a great ticket, but I got in.

I found it very interesting. Since many of the people I came with were in different sections, I heard many reports from them of empty seats around them. Non-empty seats were occupied by people who didn't have tickets. They would move if someone came along, but, often, no one did.

My own section was more empty than occupied. It was down low and corps staff would use the empty seats.

(I could launch into a whole other discussion about people who buy expensive tickets and don't even bother to show up for the first few corps, but I won't. It's there money.)

The stadium security didn't really care if people were supposed to be in a section. Not one official person ever asked to see my tickets. I suspect a lot of people filling empty seats were corps members who didn't make finals and had no tickets at all.

Lucas Oil is a huge stadium. I don't know how many seats there are between the 20's on the concert side, but it was definitely not sold out on that side.

This was my first finals in years. I usually attend the Allentown show and there are usually no empty seats in the good sections. Granted, that's a smaller stadium. But, it's what I'm accustomed to.

I wonder if this stadium is too big for the activity if there are so many empty seats at what is supposed to be the premiere event for the activity.

This post has been edited by barigirl78: 12 August 2012 - 08:53 PM

[kaseyW]

barigirl78, on 12 August 2012 - 08:49 PM, said:

I've seen a few people ask in other threads about attendance to Finals. I thought I'd post some observations.

I don't know ANY official figures. I only am going to give my impression.

Going into the weekend, I only bought a ticket to semis from a drum corps in their "block" for sale. Semis are a good value, IMO. $55 gave me the opportunity to see 25 corps.

I planned to figure out Finals tickets if the Crossmen (the corps I support the most) would make finals--something that was far from guaranteed.

Well, you all know what happened. From my "semis" seats in a section that was only 50% occupied, I heard the Blue Stars score and the rest is history.

Getting tickets to finals was not hard. Two of my friends got them from somebody whose friends left him holding two tickets. I ended up getting a ticket from a kind stranger who had an extra. It wasn't a great ticket, but I got in.

I found it very interesting. Since many of the people I came with were in different sections, I heard many reports from them of empty seats around them. Non-empty seats were occupied by people who didn't have tickets. They would move if someone came along, but, often, no one did.

My own section was more empty than occupied. It was down low and corps staff would use the empty seats.

(I could launch into a whole other discussion about people who buy expensive tickets and don't even bother to show up for the first few corps, but I won't. It's there money.)

The stadium security didn't really care if people were supposed to be in a section. Not one official person ever asked to see my tickets. I suspect a lot of people filling empty seats were corps members who didn't make finals and had no tickets at all.

Lucas Oil is a huge stadium. I don't know how many seats there are between the 20's on the concert side, but it was definitely not sold out on that side.

This was my first finals in years. I usually attend the Allentown show and there are usually no empty seats in the good sections. Granted, that's a smaller stadium. But, it's what I'm accustomed to.

I wonder if this stadium is too big for the activity if there are so many empty seats at what is supposed to be the premiere event for the activity.

No, LOS holds around 63,000+, and bigger college stadiums have hosted DCI before. Rose bowl holds around 94,118 and camp Randall holds around 80,321. Sports Authority Field holds 76,125. LOS is one of the small venues that finals have been.

[bstar82]

I had VIP access to the entire stadium and sat in the press level most of my two nights there. Looking straight down at the crowd, there were numerous empty seats in the 100 level in the closest 5 sections to the 50 yard line. The 300 wasn't much better and I talked to a couple of scalpers I know who travel all over the country to work major sporting events. They both told me it was the worst year in terms of getting good seats and reselling the ones they had at a decent markup.

[supersop]

DCI got their hopes up with a great turnout for the regional events. The fact is .. people hate the Oil Can. Everyone I know .. and I mean EVERYONE .. that is a DCI fan will not and never will go to finals in that venue. It's a waste of money. I live in Michigan and thankfully we have one or two decent shows here every year .. and the route to Indy late season gives us the opportunity to see corps at their finest within a 4 hour drive ... 5 max ... and we can see them 3-5 times the week before finals at a much cheaper price. So yeah ..... why would I go to that cruddy enclosed stadium with horrible acoustics and overpriced seating just to see a predetermined outcome (for the most part)?

I would venture a guess that they had about 13,000 in the seats .. with about 9-10K paid for. It's a far cry from the figures at Camp randall, Buffalo or even KC. Those were 20K+ events. And the Rose Bowl I believe was a record. I can't remember the figure but I believe it was upwards of 30K in attendance.

[Crown Phan]

supersop, on 13 August 2012 - 12:07 AM, said:

DCI got their hopes up with a great turnout for the regional events. The fact is .. people hate the Oil Can. Everyone I know .. and I mean EVERYONE .. that is a DCI fan will not and never will go to finals in that venue. It's a waste of money. I live in Michigan and thankfully we have one or two decent shows here every year .. and the route to Indy late season gives us the opportunity to see corps at their finest within a 4 hour drive ... 5 max ... and we can see them 3-5 times the week before finals at a much cheaper price. So yeah ..... why would I go to that cruddy enclosed stadium with horrible acoustics and overpriced seating just to see a predetermined outcome (for the most part)?

I would venture a guess that they had about 13,000 in the seats .. with about 9-10K paid for. It's a far cry from the figures at Camp randall, Buffalo or even KC. Those were 20K+ events. And the Rose Bowl I believe was a record. I can't remember the figure but I believe it was upwards of 30K in attendance.

I was second row on the 50 and things looked pretty good attendance wise from where I was. Granted I didn't have a spectacular view of the seating. If DCI chose to leave the Oil Can I definitely wouldn't complain, however, I don't see them ever holding finals outside unless its in like Arizona or Texas. I love my seats and will continue to go every year in the same seats because of the energy. It radiates off the corps. The sound isn't too bad either from where I sit. The stadium is contracted until 2018 and if the move it fine, if they dont fine. I will go every year either way.

[bdlykdad]

supersop, on 13 August 2012 - 12:07 AM, said:

DCI got their hopes up with a great turnout for the regional events. The fact is .. people hate the Oil Can. Everyone I know .. and I mean EVERYONE .. that is a DCI fan will not and never will go to finals in that venue. It's a waste of money. I live in Michigan and thankfully we have one or two decent shows here every year .. and the route to Indy late season gives us the opportunity to see corps at their finest within a 4 hour drive ... 5 max ... and we can see them 3-5 times the week before finals at a much cheaper price. So yeah ..... why would I go to that cruddy enclosed stadium with horrible acoustics and overpriced seating just to see a predetermined outcome (for the most part)?

I would venture a guess that they had about 13,000 in the seats .. with about 9-10K paid for. It's a far cry from the figures at Camp randall, Buffalo or even KC. Those were 20K+ events. And the Rose Bowl I believe was a record. I can't remember the figure but I believe it was upwards of 30K in attendance.

I'm speaking off the top of my head, but I seem to remember that Montreal was over 40k in 1982.

[En929]

barigirl78, on 12 August 2012 - 08:49 PM, said:

I've seen a few people ask in other threads about attendance to Finals. I thought I'd post some observations.

I don't know ANY official figures. I only am going to give my impression.

Going into the weekend, I only bought a ticket to semis from a drum corps in their "block" for sale. Semis are a good value, IMO. $55 gave me the opportunity to see 25 corps.

I planned to figure out Finals tickets if the Crossmen (the corps I support the most) would make finals--something that was far from guaranteed.

Well, you all know what happened. From my "semis" seats in a section that was only 50% occupied, I heard the Blue Stars score and the rest is history.

Getting tickets to finals was not hard. Two of my friends got them from somebody whose friends left him holding two tickets. I ended up getting a ticket from a kind stranger who had an extra. It wasn't a great ticket, but I got in.

I found it very interesting. Since many of the people I came with were in different sections, I heard many reports from them of empty seats around them. Non-empty seats were occupied by people who didn't have tickets. They would move if someone came along, but, often, no one did.

My own section was more empty than occupied. It was down low and corps staff would use the empty seats.

(I could launch into a whole other discussion about people who buy expensive tickets and don't even bother to show up for the first few corps, but I won't. It's there money.)

The stadium security didn't really care if people were supposed to be in a section. Not one official person ever asked to see my tickets. I suspect a lot of people filling empty seats were corps members who didn't make finals and had no tickets at all.

Lucas Oil is a huge stadium. I don't know how many seats there are between the 20's on the concert side, but it was definitely not sold out on that side.

This was my first finals in years. I usually attend the Allentown show and there are usually no empty seats in the good sections. Granted, that's a smaller stadium. But, it's what I'm accustomed to.

I wonder if this stadium is too big for the activity if there are so many empty seats at what is supposed to be the premiere event for the activity.

I'm not sure of why there were so many empty seats, but it could also be a sign of the times in which these day, more people are trying to save money because of the economy, etc. For example, I myself wanted to go to the finals this year and usually go each year, but I had to try to find a new job, etc. So, I sadly didn't make it to finals but would have loved to have gone. And it's a similar story with many of my friends who usually go to finals each year.

[Liahona]

supersop, on 13 August 2012 - 12:07 AM, said:

DCI got their hopes up with a great turnout for the regional events. The fact is .. people hate the Oil Can. Everyone I know .. and I mean EVERYONE .. that is a DCI fan will not and never will go to finals in that venue. It's a waste of money. I live in Michigan and thankfully we have one or two decent shows here every year .. and the route to Indy late season gives us the opportunity to see corps at their finest within a 4 hour drive ... 5 max ... and we can see them 3-5 times the week before finals at a much cheaper price. So yeah ..... why would I go to that cruddy enclosed stadium with horrible acoustics and overpriced seating just to see a predetermined outcome (for the most part)?

I would venture a guess that they had about 13,000 in the seats .. with about 9-10K paid for. It's a far cry from the figures at Camp randall, Buffalo or even KC. Those were 20K+ events. And the Rose Bowl I believe was a record. I can't remember the figure but I believe it was upwards of 30K in attendance.

The Lucas Oil venue has gotten such bad publicity in terms of acoustics...I won't go til they move it.

As a Northeasterner I'm real lucky. I'll get my late season fill of LIVE drum corps with BAC's show in Lawrence, MA...2 nights in the Allentown Regional...and then the TOC in East Rutherford, NJ. 4 Great Shows all within driving distance! The guy sitting next to me at TOC did the same thing and he lives in Rhode Island and I'm in Connecticut.

Why would I even think of going to Indy?

[Rhumbline]

bdlykdad, on 13 August 2012 - 01:05 AM, said:

I'm speaking off the top of my head, but I seem to remember that Montreal was over 40k in 1982.

I was at Montreal, and it was the largest finals I have ever attended. Easly over 30,000

[jonnyboy]

I have no intentions of seeing drumcorps indoors. I too live close to Allentown and really consider it the "outdoor championships", so why bother with Indy? Since finals will be there tip 2018, never say never, we might make the trip to check it out but it's doubtful.