Lucas / BOA

[buchmark]

Everyone please bring 2 pillows to Indy this summer when you come to Lucas Oil Stadium: maybe we can deaden the echo by filling the back side and end zone seats...

While the acoustics are a little better than the Dome, it is still an echo chamber. It's pathetic that DCI and BOA will be using this venue for their championships.

If you want to hear drum corps this summer, go somewhere else. The larger bands playing yesterday at BOA were impossible to hear clearly.

[EMStar85]

Of course, you're assuming the lid will be closed. :big hug:

Let's hope that's not the case come August.

Edited November 15, 2008 by EMStar85

[EndzoneEric]

I just spent the last 3 days attending a hiney-numbing number of performances in the Oil Can. I was WAY more than pleasantly surprised... including tonight with an audience, possibly a little smaller than the size of what you would expect to see at DCI prelims on Thursday of championships week... and including a few LOUD college bands on the field that were as large or larger than a full DCI corps over the course of the last 3 days.

Some seats are better than others for listening, but I've gotta tell you that this was far from the dreadful experience that many were forecasting. Yes, it's a barn. A huge barn at that. But, man... it's a state of the art barn that provides a great place to see AND HEAR marching music. I saw some of the DCI bigwigs and judge types checking out several vantage points throughout the weekend and even some of the more recognizable corps instructors were there, along with a few directors as well. After speaking with a few of them in the concourse, it was obvious that some were more enthused than others, but none of them were condemning this to be the biggest drum corps tragedy of our era.

I have a sneaky feeling that when the top designers wrap their arms around this, it's going to be nothing short of spectacular... for the performers AND the fans. And man... I've gotta tell you how continuously impressed I am by the city of Indy. My intrepid drum corps buddies took advantage of the opportunity to make the trek down I-65 to meet up with me and have already scoped out their "apres ski" haunts for next August.

All in all, I'm pretty "banded out." But BRING ON THE CORPS!

[AverageJoe]

I agree.

The stadium is amazing. It's suprising how much goes on in this town. I hear that there is a fire-truck show/convention that starts next monday. One day pageantry........ the next firetrucks.

Some drum corps will do better than others in this stadium. The irish stylings of the Pioneer will resonate with Celtic sonority and clover like tastyness. Look out for the other "green" meat.

[wolfgang]

After several viewings in Lucas Oil Stadium, my opinion has warmed on the place.

I think one's listening may depend on where one sits, but there are some spectacular views, and very good places to hear.

I think a full corps hornline will project up to the top of the stadium nicely.

Great job to Bands of America for a wonderful event.

My only complaint- the escalators.

If one wanted to take the escalator from the top level to the mid level, you had to take it all the way down to the bottom and then back up. I'm pretty sure more people had this issue.

If they had opened the escalator on the SOUTH side of the building, that wouldn't be an issue.

[GT921]

It's a very weird listening environment. When you are on the field you can only hear what is right next to you and everything is lost. I play snare, and when we were marching all you could hear were snares and tenors. The bass drums seemed to get lost. From the front everything sounds normal, but on the field it's just different.

[Peel Paint]

As one of the worriers/doomsayers, this is encouraging to hear. BoA is a good test.

I won't be in Lucas Oil until finals week next summer, but I noticed, watching the Colts game on TV today, that anything coming out of the PA-- words or music-- sounded very boomy and echoey on TV, like any other big, indoor arena. Is this different in person?

[ItsOnTheField]

As one of the worriers/doomsayers, this is encouraging to hear. BoA is a good test.

I won't be in Lucas Oil until finals week next summer, but I noticed, watching the Colts game on TV today, that anything coming out of the PA-- words or music-- sounded very boomy and echoey on TV, like any other big, indoor arena. Is this different in person?

It is not boomy nor echoey. Some of the advertisements that payed were LOUD...but very clear.

This venue is great. Everyone can stop worrying.

[prodigal bari]

I noticed that in some promo pics from BOA that there is a very, very big curtain that is dropped in front of the back stands (much like a stage) that goes almost to field level...is that changing dramtically the acoustics of the site to make it more suitable for corps/bands? (I would imagine that is HAS to; and in a big way.)

[sunguard]

I noticed that in some promo pics from BOA that there is a very, very big curtain that is dropped in front of the back stands (much like a stage) that goes almost to field level...is that changing dramtically the acoustics of the site to make it more suitable for corps/bands? (I would imagine that is HAS to; and in a big way.)

Don't know if made a difference in sound, but it sure made a difference in viewing on the live feed on BOA Fan Network. Was nice not being distracted or losing the flags in the seating behind the field. I also felt it made for a better setting for all the bands to perform as if they were on a stage. Let's hope it will be this way for DCI too!!