HMM

Some of the comments do amaze me on here. I haven't travelled over from UK since 2003 finals till this year and didn't really know what to expect to find as to corps sizes through the ranks, crowd sizes etc and was very pleasantly surprised and compared to the Orlando years for example, attandance seemed much greater and corps sizes, in lets face it what has been and is likely to be ongoing, one of the biggest recessions the world has seen, seemed very healthy Some may be need to take a step back from here and just appreciate what you do have on your doorstep and the relatively healthy state is is actually in bearing in mind current economic conditions. i was shocked at the number of well heeled beggars (pan handlers I think you call them?) on the street corners including some in suits and ties, if that doesn;t tell you something how bad things are for many at the moment then a reality check may be is in order. From a business point of view fixing a major location for years ahead an knowing your fixed costs is a sensible move. It may not be a drum corps fans ideal scenario, and i totally get that especially travelling as far as I do, I would rather see differemt parts of the US. Saying all that, Indy this year absolutely rocked for me and was largely helped by the wonderful corps shows on offer in 2011.

Great review and agree with much of it. PR, CC and Madison also stood out as three of the most entertaining for me also but would also throw in Boston and Spirit in the finalists group and Crossmen and Academy in the semis group PR (closer) and Madison (ESOM) both brought tears to my eyes on all three nights but especially on finals night. Thought BD's hornline was hornline of the night finals night aswell - the ensemble sound is just unbelievable and as for the pwer -well nuff said Have to say i also really enjoyed Blue Stars and Bluecoats this year and thought their horns and drums both were on fire Sadly as good as the blu rays are now - nothing will replicate those live moments that we all heard at LOS last Thursday to Saturday

I was also able to sit through far more of prelims and semis than I have done previously as well. 93 Jackson and the Orlando years certainly spring to mind for uncomfortable viewing for long periods Sounds down reasonably low in the 140 section were awesome to be honest. Having heard some recordings on a certain video site since i returned home I do agree that others who were either higher up or watching on TV/screens etc may not have had the same sound experience I do appreciate - but personally this was my best finals experience overall i would add we saw them open up the large window on the Wednesday for cleaning / airing presumably and presumably it didn't take three days to then cool it back down?

Accoustics from 140 on the 49 yard line about 14 rows back were simply spectacular with very very little echo. Was very worried having read post over past couple of years on here how bad LOS was. Indy as an overall venue - it was by far my best finals week as a whole

Nice job! Was there at Finals week and Blue Devs were simply amazing musically and visually IMO so don't agree with your comments on them but hey would be boring if we all loved the same stuff eh? One thing many seem to agree is the depth of quality of enteratinment and level of perfomance this year was so awesome Also Madison, Phantom and Crown certainly got the biggest crowd responses mostly the three nights of competition in Indy and yes phantom made me cry as well, as did Madison!

First time made finals week live since 2003 so plenty of new things to experience for me including live electronics aswell as LOS. Minuses Only being able to go in and re enter through Eastern entrance. If you have hand stamp and a ticket why not re enter through West as well. I guess DCi wants everyone to go through the market place every time they enter the stadium? As mentioned above lack of ticket checking for each section - other have covered this above That's it really! Pluses Plenty in this section! Indy itself is a great location for finals with loads of hotel rooms downtown all of which make the stadium walkable which is a first for me as was first time i have been over to the US and not hired a car. Express shuttle from airport was only $7 and everything we needed was within a few blocks walk - a huge plus and great money saver for those who normally have to hire a car once they have flown in LOS itself. What a great venue for any event! Comfortable seats and air conditioning in August heat makes a 40 corps prelims do-able. Yes some downsides as to concession service but didn't eat much inside the stadium anyway. Used Bassies who set up for DCI week via Crown (thanks guys!) with some great food and reasonable drink prices. 2 minute walk from Western entrance Biggest plus - the shows themselves. What can I say - such a great great year to return to finals week from top to bottom there were great entertaining shows throughout. Many of the top 17 would have made IMO finals spots in other years. Too many highlights to pick out but corps like Crossmen, Academy, Colts - all highly entertaining and great sounds. Blue Devs B and Oregon Crusaders - wow, are these guys really open class!? As for the finalist corps, well from 12th to 1st I honestly for the first time ever in a finals, didn't care who came where, there were just so many great shows!. Again highlights from finals - Spirit - just a great sound from these guys and really enjoyed the theme. They were on fire all three nights and rightly opened up a sizeable gap to 13th purely on performance energy alone! Blue Stars - I understand the compressed show design due to props etc probably hurt them score wise, but what a great show to watch with so much going on and solo sections featured ion the walk way. A real agressive feel to the music and visual Madison - what can you say that hasn't been said? Just a big thank you to the Scouts from me - a real emotional reaction during ESOM - nuff said Blue Knights - loved the start and finish to the show - real classy. Music choice suited them and they performed it great and rightly got some good reaction from the crowd Boston - another huge highlight of the year for me - so many great moments in this shows from the whistling (really no mic!) / singing at the start into the big hit and the baritone solo whoch was sublime all 3 nights Bluecoats - seriously in 7th with this show!? Not any other year I would say. Creep was just fantastic and wow what a hornline - some huge impacts SCV - only show from top 12 I couldn't get my head round musically even after the third viewing. Visually stunning and loved the theme of the people trying to escape running through the whole show. I just wished I could have enjoyed the music more but still a great performance Phantom - again what hasn't been said already. Even I was tearing up in the closer on finals night - just wow - Phantom doing what it does at its very best Crown - show of the year for me. Hornline OMG! Get past some of the gimmicks and cheese (which i enjoyed I would add) and some of the music they were playing was just out of this world - rightly the best hornline of the night. What a crowd reaction from start to finish and i would say they have stuck with thsi whole crowd favourite image all season and huge thanks from us as paying fans for doing so - you guys rocked (or Rached i guess!) Cavaliers - Again what hasn't been said - huge horns and drums and huge visual show which just shouldn't have been possible in places!! Thoroughly enjoyed all three nights Devs - Only thing that could have made this better would have a been a chord warm up backfield on finals night and I think the crowd would have gone for them more. Horns OMG again - noone quite does an enemble sound like the Devs and some huge hits and volume from them. Drums didn't stop the whole show and the visual with the props - well I kind of liked it and they worked well at different points in the show Cadets - not normally a huge fan of their style but wow - just wow, what a show and a worthy winner. The different layers of this show were just amazing and visually it was just stunning As far as electronics - well I enjoyed the additional dimension especially on hearing the pits. The added synth sounds generally weren't too over powering - I am glad I didn't have to sit through the more experimental years of the singing / narrating etc. The sound In LOS from the 140 section was loud (really loud!!), clear and no noticeable excessive echo's Overall couldn't have asked for more from our brief week in Indy - thank you DCi, thank you Indy, and most importantly thank you to all the corps who entertained us this week

Great thread - thanks all from an "Indy virgin". Will seem wierd ahving everything within walking distance at a Finals venue - never been able to do that before!

Looking like a great year to decide to make the trip thankfully! I'll have a few drafts for you 3rd G BB!! I actually don't mind who wins this year, as without sounding too cheesy, i think drum coprs itself will be the winner. Seems to be so many entertaining shows this year I just hope i;m not disappointed in seeing my first live electronic DCI line so to speak (its been 8 years since last over)

Whoever mentioned the first big DCI corps they saw live probably is on right tracks, as I bet many remember their first taste of full horn lines after listening for many years on tape, vinyl or CD more recently! My first live DCI experience was 1993 and my first full horn line I heard up close and personal was VK in the parade through Jackson. Basically they arced up and then played their F tuning with me standing right behind the DM! Holy c**p that was loud! Star from that year were also seat rumbling loud in the big hit in Medea with the huge front line drums adding somewhat to the stadium shaking! other notable entries for me that i have heard live:- BD 1994 and 1995 Cavaliers 1995 big Mars turn and hit Madison 1995 (pretty much whole show but certainly teh ending which could still hear over the hysterical crowd!) Also went a lot to finals weeks in late nineties but noone standing out as exceptionally loud by comparison Looking forward to another live taste this year!

Probably the plan for us too! But be nice to do something Sunday and certainly check out some nightlife - corps related or not not fussed! Went a lot during the 90's but only once since then, so looking forward to seeing some live action again! One question can you walk through the SkyWalk from downtown through to the stadium itself?

Hi Long time lurker on here so thought I would sign up and speak up! Making the trip over the (rather large) pond in between our two gerat nations for finals week for the first time in a good few years, and wondered what the must see bits are in Indianapolis for the finals week, apart from heading to Lucas Oil of course! Be in town from late Tuesday through Monday morning and staying downtown. Looks like I've picked a good year to come back as some great shows out there