dcifanforlife

To early for scores

You need to have the financial part of it taken care of before you audition with Crown or other top world class corps. You can have all the talent in the world but if you don't have a financial plan nobody will show much interest in you. Being a member of a world class corps today is extremely expensive. Simpe fact of life.

Ticketmaster has reprogramed their seating charts several times in the past two years at the request of DCI to display the best available seat for their specific events not a football game. Saturday in Atlanta at 3:00 PM I walked up to the ticket window and asked for the best available seat and the system displayed everything that was available. I got a seat on the 50 yard line row 20 which I purchased. Two weeks ago in San Antonio I didn't get to the stadium until 6:30 PM that night all of the top priced tickets where already sold but the system did display the best available seat. There is nothing wrong with Tickmaster availablity. You can't expect to purchase tickets two weeks before finals and get a good seat. I purchased my 50 year tickets in January. Buy your tickets early and then sell if you end up not going. DCI is not marketing to fans like you. Stop going to Finals it is an overated event and not worth the money. Go to Atlanta, semi finals or quarter finals where you get the same shows for a better price. The Blue Devils will probably make no changes to the show that they put on in Atlanta they will just receive a higher scroe. Problem you now have is that your seats are so bad that no one will buy them unless you can find a parent who must have them.

With two extra corps this weekend it is going to be a long night. Tickets say 4:00 PM Start. If not for the extra corps breaks would be the same as San Antonio

I think one or more judges will change their score with regard to Boston and Blue Strars no more close scores one is going to be up by over a point.

It is each corps responsibilty to keep the Fan Network updated not DCI's. Madison has chosen to spend their money in other areas rather than have a person on tour full time creating videos. It is strictly an issue of priorities.

Starting Thursday night in Columbia SC you have the Blue Stars and Boston Crusaders going head to head for eight straight shows. Almost identical scores all season long. This is going to be a huge battle heading into San Antonio.

If a corps elects to go to the West Coast like the Bluecoats did this year and Phatom did last year that tends to impact somewhat the matchups. Early in the season corps want to travel as little as possible yet still be in areas with a strong fan base to help souvenir sales.

Since the season is almost half over I would ask for a huge discount in price from the vendor.

Madison Scouts looks like dead men walking. No momentum at all. They have five days to make changes before next show. Are they going to be in 8th place at Drums Across the Rockies?

I found Tom's review refreshing. It gives me a base from which to form my own opinions when I see the corps in person in the next week. What I find amasing is the constant reference of many reviewers to compare 2009 productions with productions from fifteen to twenty years ago. To compare the Blue Stars 2009 show with the Cadets amd Bluecoats 1995 shows is insane. I have been attending shows for over forty years and all I remember about most shows is that they where very good and I found them entertaining at the time. To use up one's brain cells to remember intricate details of past shows is a waste. Enjoy the moment and stop making reference to things most people could care less about.

You can walk to and from the MARTA Station without actually going out side. The tunnels/passages are well lite and there is all kinds of security. The OP doesn't know what he or she is talking about and probably has never been there. I took MARTA last year from a hotel down by the airport. Just bid on Price Line and you can get a 4 Star within the walking distance of the Dome for $60 plus tax. $ 100 will get you a 5 Star

I was able to buy a ticket on right on fifty upper deck row 7 one hour before the show started. Sat five rows above the judges. DCI lost a ton of money on this show. Nice stadium but it is in the wrong location. To close to the ocean all the hotels want a two night minimun so in order to stay one has to get a room closer to DC or Baltimore. DCI can't except people to attend shows when the are going to give them away for free on the Fan Network.

We get two full weeks of the five judge panels. This is what the corps voted for. Everyone seems to forget that DCI is an association of voting members. Nothing is done unless it is voted on by the members. Does a five judges panel affect certain corps differently? Yes, but in two weeks nobody will care.

DCI has asked all the corps to learn two songs other than their show music to play at encores and other events. You are going to see many corps playing favorites from years past.

For me one of the most compelling stories will be the fan turnout the first three weeks of the season. These are all long term DCI partners or corps sponsored shows that most fans have attended year after year. If economic conditions keep fans away that will not bode well for the balance of the season. Corps need funds from souvenir sales at every show to make their budgets. I for one can't find a compelling reason to attend more than one show before July 11th.

I have sponsored members for the last four years. I am in the position of being able to sponsor members, donate to multiple corps, buy souviners, volunteer and attend as many shows as I want to attend. I fly to all the shows, get a rental car so I watch practice, stay in fancy hotels and sit in the VIP section and wonder why anyone would buy a ticket on the 30 yard line when there are always tickets on the fifty. I am not a Friend of DCI but I still get great seats all the time. Most of the members that I have sponsored have been deeply moved by my generosity. A couple didn't even say thank you but I know that they were able to have a life changing experience by marching and it was time to move on with their lifes. All I expect from those that I sponsor is that they give 100% all the time on tour. What I don't understand with the OP is why did he/she post here first and not his/her corps forum? All corps have payment plans so I don't think that is an issue. Better chance of getting money from alumni of that corps. Drum Corps is a great activity and everyone should give as much as they can whenever they can. For those of us that can afford to give more should also give more. The difference between a $100 donation and a $10,000 is that you just have to add two zero's when writing the check.

Don't buy through TicketMaster buy directly from one of the DCI corps they control huge blocks of good seats. Visit the various websites to see which corps have finals tickets for sale. Some corps sell tickets from their souvenir trailers all summener long or if you want to wait just buy tickets from the people selling outside the stadium. Pairs are easy to get it is only when you want four or six seats together that becomes a problem. For me if I don't have a ticket between the forties it is not worth seeing the show.