chadwick

Not able to watch this while at work so thanks for those posting thoughts from the show! How is the attendance right now? Are they posting any scores yet?

Vanguard Cadets and BDB are definitely in. After that it gets a bit more tricky as 3rd - 6th place OC corps are so close. One more is definitely in (probably Spartans) plus I think the 4th OC corps will outscore Pioneer. After that, it is a tough call and it will be exciting to see how close the scores are for the last couple positions in semi-finals. Will Jersey Surf and Cascades be outscored? Will Genesis, Legends and/or 7th Regiment make it in? I really want to see Cascades make Semi-Finals this year. They have made a huge improvement from last year and I want to see that pay off with a Friday performance. I'd also like to see Legends squeeze in as they too made huge improvements from 2014 and it would be great to see them make the cut.

But Open Class corps don't get performance fees at shows, correct? If that is the case, then it hurts Pioneer financially to move to Open Class.

It is probably something they are planning/considering for the future. Keep in mind there are a lot of costs to film and stream live so it is not as simple as just throwing up a camera and one microphone. You should send them a note that to be sure they know you, as a fan, are interested in seeing this as they may not ever know by just your post on here.

I really don't expect to see too many close scores with this match-up. I think the closest pair may be Mandarins and Spirit of Atlanta though SOA put some distance between the two at the last head-to-head match up so we'll see. Perhaps Cavies will get close to BK but I feel the illness they have been dealing with will still keep them off their game a bit.

What I expect to happen: 1. Blue Devils 2. Cadets 3. Carolina Crown 4. Bluecoats 5. SCV 6. Blue Knights 7. Phantom Regiment 8. Cavaliers 9. Madison Scouts 10. Boston Crusaders 11. Blue Stars 12. Crossmen What I want, and think should happen: 1. Carolina Crown 2. Bluecoats 3. The Cadets 4. Blue Devils 5. Santa Clara Vanguard 6. Blue Knights 7. The Cavaliers 8. Phantom Regiment 9. Madison Scouts 10. Blue Stars 11. Boston Crusaders 12. The Academy

I wish it was the close but IMO, it isn't. When all the corps perform together, the scores are much more spread out and the Top 12 is more defined with Colts, Troopers, and The Academy looking in. Not saying it is impossible with a week and a half left, but pretty unlikely.

I have to agree, I think our Top 12 is set with Boston, Crossmen and Blue Stars filling the 10th-12th spots. That order may change often over the next couple weeks. I think Colts/Troopers/The Academy are too far back (averaging 2-3 points) from 12th. I'd love to see The Academy over Crossmen in 12th but oh well.

The Academy's show this year is probably my favorite of the corps placing 13th to 22nd (Mandarins a close second). I would even have them ahead of Crossmen and maybe Boston but perhaps they don't have the difficulty that those shows do.

The gate opening time is set by DCI, not the GA Dome. Probably worth a note to them as I agree, 30 minutes isn't long enough.

I agree with you that MARTA's schedule isn't perfect, but it has greatly improved over the last year or so. I would have expected more trains to be running as the V103 event is known for heavy ridership. The DCI event though probably hasn't had huge ridership in the past. As to no a/c I thought all trains had a/c, maybe not the stations which is pretty rare to see anywhere. I have to disagree with you that the 'city doesn't handle large events well'...if this were the case, we wouldn't be hosting some of the premiere events we do host and are likely to host in the next few years (huge concerts, conventions that top 50,000 attendees on a regular basis, NCAA bowl games and championship game, Super Bowl, etc...). Are there areas to improve in, of course, but Atlanta knows how to host large events. I'm certainly not disagreeing with you on more traffic officers making the egress experience more pleasant and fast but looking at who takes the cost is always the challenge. The GWCCA Police can only cover so much area that is in their jurisdiction while the City of Atlanta has to do the rest (Most of Ivan Allen Blvd is not on the GWCCA campus). If the event is willing to take on that cost great, if not, it isn't always going to happen unfortunately.

Is alcohol served at any DCI event?

The Georgia Dome does not have a choice but to enforce certain NFL rules including the mirror checks as you enter the Dome loading docks from the GWCC docks at all times and for all events. On a daily basis, every truck, whether it is loading an event in or delivering Bud Light or a FedEx truck has to have the vehicle checked with the mirror scan. They also enforce the same bag check rules as they would for an NFL game - certain items are not permitted into the facility and bags can only be so large. The Dome is HUGE when it comes to the safety of their guests, event participants and staff. The fact that Lucas Oil does not enforce such rules is a little scary especially given the things happening around the country and world. I wouldn't expect it at the local DCI events around the country, but when you are at a large venue like the GA Dome, Lucas Oil, DATR or San Antonio, I'd sure expect and want the 'inconvenience' of having my bag checked and vehicles that are pulling into the loading docks of the venue checked.

The V103 event had just under 25,000 in attendance plus DCI at 18,000 plus a few graduations at the GWCC = tough on parking. Next year I recommend going on the GWCC website and pre-purchase a parking pass so you are guaranteed a spot in the Red Deck or any of the surface lots. Also, a new deck by the Dome with 600 spaces will be open (opens in a couple months).

Oh there is sooo much I want to respond to in this thread. I just now noticed it....not sure how I overlooked it until now. First, regarding what the OP stated. The GA Dome has very small loading docks. That long set of loading docks that you drove in that the corps members had to drive down belong to the GWCC and the dock bays you see on both sides are contracted out to the shows moving in/moving out of those exhibit halls. This year there is a huge medical conference in Building B that will bring far more economic impact to the city than DCI. They rented those docks - they get to use them. On the Building C side of the loading docks was the V103 Car & Bike show. There has been many safety issues with this event when it breaks and this was the concern of the GWCC with the corps walking to the Dome from the parking lot. While some of the officers may have seemed overly aggressive it was b/c they were responsible for the safety of the corps members as they walked by and the safety of the car/bike owners as they exited. The V103 folks actually changed their operations so that DCI could utilize some of their loading docks on the end of the building closer to the Dome for equipment trucks - they didn't have to do that. Second, to those that think Atlanta is a scary, crime filled city - do some research, get out and see what is in this city. The city is booming - both downtown and the multitude of neighborhoods around the city. The restaurant scene is top notch. They are building high-end and high-rise apartment buildings all over the place particularly in Midtown and real estate is going crazy in sooo many neighborhoods. You have the Beltline, Ponce City Market, Krog Market, Piedmont Park, Centennial Olympic Park, the museums around Centennial Park....the list can go for a long time. Third, to the poster that said his car was broken into in '09. That sucks. But you left a GPS and iPhone visible in your car while you went to event for several hours. How are you surprised? You could have done this at any mall in suburban America and it would have likely still happened. Fourth, to the poster that complained about traffic control following the event and compared it to Falcons games. Note that the officers are paid for by the event so you shouldn't be surprised that DCI did not want to pay for a whole bunch of traffic control officers. They kept this to the minimum they had to do. If you live in the burbs, go to the nearest MARTA station on your way into town and get off at the stop right next to the Dome. You won't have to sit in any traffic, problem solved. And lastly, to the poster that said the GWCC could care less about the Dome event. I assure you, you are mistaken. There were many, MANY meetings held to ensure the safety of all folks with as much activity was going on in those loading docks. There, I feel better

I have been attending the Atlanta Regional since it started in the mid-2000s and it has always been fun to see how many tickets are sold. It was great to hear yet another record was broken and I hope we can hit the 20,000 mark soon! This year the crowd was definitely into the shows, though it annoys me when people don't at least stand up at the end of a show (all shows) to recognize the performers for what they do. As a poster earlier mentioned, the CSC Guard posted at the tunnel entrance at our section also was really into the shows. I could tell he was very surprised with the level of entertainment he was witnessing. Made me wonder what he may have mentioned to family or friends later. I do wonder what the plans are for 2017 and beyond when the Georgia Dome is no longer in existence. As I mentioned in the Southeast Regional Thread on here, DCI is not considered one of the legacy events of the Georgia Dome and therefore the management of the new stadium being built, to be managed by the Atlanta Falcons, has no obligation to host upcoming DCI events as they do for the legacy events (Supercross, Monster Jam, Chick-fil-A Bowl, etc...). I'm not even sure if the Bands of America event is a legacy event either. I sure hope the event continues at the new stadium but since they will host the new major league soccer team, there may be scheduling conflicts with this.

Does anyone know why when purchasing tickets on the Fathom website when you click 'Buy' on some of the theater locations it says 'No Show Times Listed' while others give you the option to buy a ticket? I figured if the theater was listed on the schedule of shows it was showing the DCI event, but maybe not?

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This year was the first time I have ever seen Mandarins live and I LOVED their show. I could tell I wasn't the only one at the Atlanta show that was surprised when they performed - the sound, the design....quite honestly, I think they should be ahead of Spirit. I also really like the Cascades this year and wish they were placing a bit higher. One of my favorites of all World Class is The Academy. It doesn't appear they will pull it off, but I feel this show should be in 12th and make Finals. I enjoyed it so much more than Crossmen and feel it should be scoring higher than them.

Couple interesting things worth mentioning. The GA Dome will have the shroud installed - an interior cover of the whole Dome ceiling which does not let natural light in. This was installed for a conference event in the Dome last weekend. The Gold Cup soccer semi finals were just at the Dome this Wednesday with natural grass. The natural grass was just removed yesterday though so back to the artificial turf. For those coming to the event, you will see the new stadium next door going up quickly (opens in 2017). The question is, once complete, will DCI perform there? The new stadium will be managed by the Atlanta Falcons, not the state of Georiga as the Dome is currently. DCI is not considered a GA Dome legacy event so they have no commitments to host the DCI event. The new stadium will also be home to the new MLS soccer team in Atlanta, which I believe is in season currently.

Ugh...seriously teared up listening to him talk about what they have accomplished and his excitement about the upcoming tour. I'd love to hear about any members that find a home with another corps to finish out the season. Certainly there are some spots out there!

Madison Scouts are from Wyoming?

Sorry to keep the rant going, but the more that I look at their intended schedule, the more that doesn't make much sense for such a new organization. None of their shows were in the southeast, and thus attracting new members wasn't going to happen. They could have begun their tour this week with shows in Mississippi, Alabama, the Atlanta Regional and wrapped up at the Nightbeat show in Winston-Salem on Sunday (though this is a Tour of Champions event). Only a week-long tour but so much more responsible. Oh well.....

Agree with many of you above that the newer corps that are spending a few years (if not remaining that way permanently) with shorter, local tours are playing it very smart. I'm honestly surprised that DCI approved their tour schedule this year if they ran into significant financial problems last year. Not blaming DCI for the issue, just wonder if they could have stepped in to recommend a different tour schedule this year so they can build financial stability. The southeast DCI tour is short so this would have limited their shows, especially with other Open Class corps.

Wow...very disappointing to see this. Two days before their first scheduled show, correct? Reading previous posts on their FB page makes it that much more disheartening. Feel very bad for the members that put so much time into this to not get a chance to tour.