Indianapolis, Vol. 1

[Fred Windish]

Now that some who actually attended Finals in person are waking up, can we get a few comments on this years TOTAL championship experience?

For example, did the sound improve with more fans in the stands?

Did you feel you paid way to much for your seat location?

Did you like the back curtain?

Was the temperature inside comfortable, seats wide enough, etc.

Did you have enough post-show opportunities to unwind, like adult beverages and food within walking distance?

Your overall impression of the Indy downtown, vs. spending your time on a college campus?

Most importantly, are you anxious to return next year?

Thanks!

[wolfgang]

Personally, I had a great time. Took a person to her first ever marching event of any kind and she was blown away.

Sat in the middle in the upper level. From where I was, the sound was pretty good. Had no trouble hearing soloists and the balance between acoustic and electronic was fairly good.

AC was on throughout, and I thougt it was comfortable considering it was 90 outside. Like the curtain as it gives the venue a more intimate (if such a word can be used for a gigantic building) feel, almost like a theater setting. Having been to BOA/ISSMA shows here last year, during the break I knew where to go to the restroom without having to wait in a long line.

I imagine the complainers will have a field day with this topic, and if I paid $125 to sit on the 5 yard line, I would be irked as well, but I had a wonderful experience.

Only gripe for me- food prices, but I would say that about the movie theater too.

Edited August 9, 2009 by wolfgang

[Phillygwm]

Now that some who actually attended Finals in person are waking up, can we get a few comments on this years TOTAL championship experience?

For example, did the sound improve with more fans in the stands?

Did you feel you paid way to much for your seat location?

Did you like the back curtain?

Was the temperature inside comfortable, seats wide enough, etc.

Did you have enough post-show opportunities to unwind, like adult beverages and food within walking distance?

Your overall impression of the Indy downtown, vs. spending your time on a college campus?

Most importantly, are you anxious to return next year?

Thanks!

I'm not sure whether I'd just become immune to the "dome effect", or whether the fans or corps quality served to improve the experience but Saturday seemed much better than Thursday in terms of sound.

Aside from the sound, the overall experience was a good one. Parking was affordable, the stadium was comfortable, and I liked the curtain. I spent little time in the city; I stayed in the burbs and aside from lunch at the Slippery Noodle, I didn't do anything in the city.

But I will not be back next year. There are a few reasons:

1) Electronics - Don't like em and it detracted from my 2009 experience. I'm not giving up on the activity, but I'm going to scale back considerably and this is 90% of the reason why.

2) Venue -- Not just the roof, but Indianapolis isn't a place I need to see every year.

3) Tickets -- My super-premium seats were on the 35 and if I want similar tix next year, I'll need to join FDCI. It's not the cost; this is my vacation and I'll spend the money, but if I can't have good seats, it makes all the other expenses (airfare, hotel, etc.) seem like a waste. But I realize this is good for DCI, so as long as they have enough demand, then good for them.

4) "Enjoyment factor" - Maybe it was just an off year but I only found myself enjoying about 5-6 shows this year. I don't think it's a function of my age. I'm pushing mid-40's, but most of my favorite shows have been over the past 5 years. Just not this year.

Edited August 9, 2009 by Phillygwm

[Boybugle63]

Now that some who actually attended Finals in person are waking up, can we get a few comments on this years TOTAL championship experience?

For example, did the sound improve with more fans in the stands?

Did you feel you paid way to much for your seat location?

Did you like the back curtain?

Was the temperature inside comfortable, seats wide enough, etc.

Did you have enough post-show opportunities to unwind, like adult beverages and food within walking distance?

Your overall impression of the Indy downtown, vs. spending your time on a college campus?

Most importantly, are you anxious to return next year?

Thanks!

Had a great experience in Indy ...

Sound ... with more fans in the stands, the sound did seem to improve ... BUT, Thursday was scary and actually upsetting ... maybe like someone else said, good possibility I may have adjusted to the sound issues ...

On thing that I did notice ... this was during HNC's performance on Thursday ... when corps were playing to the back field, seem like many times their sound was boucing around in the ceiling ...

Seats --- Very happy with my seats --- I've been a several year member of "Friends." I was worried that the 200 sections would be too low ... playing over our heads, but that was not the case ....

Curtain was fine ... I "think" it helped ...

Stadium Comfort ... Thursday, it was freezing!!! With gusts from the air outlets in the ceiling ... The seats were awesome!! Cushions rocked!!

One issue that just P**sed me and everyone off around me ... Because of a NFL rule, the vendors would remove the bottle caps of sodas or water ... because we wouldn't throw the caps on the field!!!! THIS WAS A DCI Event!

Downtown Indy .... Great restaurants in the Dowtown Area ... much more pedestrian friendly than expected ... we easily walked to the stadium ...

Indy vs Bloomingon ... just an example ... if it were only based on Stadium, I would take Bloomington ... that's just me ...

Plans are to come back next year ....

[chaos001]

I absolutely will not come back to Indy for Finals.

I will, however, be at Murfreesboro next year. Drum Corps needs to be played outdoors.

[loveDCI]

I doubt I'll return. While Indy is a great spot with easy access to the stadium and lots of cheap hotel rooms, for me the deciding factor is the 'dome'. When DCI set up this long term plan, I felt they misled us into believing that it will be an open-air facility, with the roof only closing for inclement weather. Obviously that was a lie. The sound inside was a mess, and that's not what drum corps should sound like. It's really a bummer that the acoustic side of the activity has taken a back seat to everything else. I doubt the world's top orchestras would concede to having their 'world championship' in a high school gym...

[mobrien]

Positives

The stadium is new, and everything works. The seats are comfortable, and sightlines from the upper deck are excellent. Having the ability to control the climate on a day like yesterday when the heat and humidity were oppressive, is a MAJOR plus (with an obvious tradeoff in sound). Indy is a comfortable little city - there are enough restaurants within walking distance of the stadium that it makes it easy to make an afternoon/evening out of the event. Lighting on the field is excellent. Position of the jumbotrons make it easy to get a dual track experience of the shows, being able to see big picture as well as details that will be on the DVD. Paid $10 for parking literally a half block from the stadium.

Negatives

The sound is terrific for soloists - the more minimal the sound, in fact, the better the acoustics. But if you are trying to play with any sorts of extreme dynamics - dropping to mp right after a fff hit, forget about it - everything after the big hit just disappears for a good number of seconds. Lower brass sounds don't register at all. I'd imagine over the next couple of years the corps will adjust for the building and plan their shows accordingly. Look for a certain amount of modulation in dynamics.

My major complaint with the evening really wasn't with the building though, it was with DCI's event management. Bringing the corps on to the field for finale was a 25 minute affair - each one coming on one at a time, slowly, with a fog machine and spotlight to try and lend the moment drama - sorry, FAIL. The folks who paid the money for the seats wanted to get them out there and get the scores - the method employed for getting the corps out there was self-indulgent and aggravating. Lots of negative comments from where I was sitting - which didn't get better when scores were delayed for a video montage featuring a song by (yech) Miley Cyrus. My teenage kids cringed - DCI is run by a bunch of old people if they think the music played during the finale entrance was cool.

Since Indy isn't a far drive for me (200 miles), I'll go back again. The acoustics are what they are, you make some internal adjustments of your own and go on.

[Fred Windish]

Some VERY excellent responses, so far!

I'm having second thoughts about using the terms "how bad was it"? Should have used " how good/bad was it", to be fair. I just found all of the past few days' negativity here troubling. Now that it's over, perhaps responses will be a little more predicated with

"All things considered . . . ."

Besides, can there ever be a perfect location for this event?

[PJD2888]

Can you make this into a poll? Who liked it and going back and who didn't and will not go back? I would like to see the percentages of who went and hated it.

[FinanceBuzz]

Now that some who actually attended Finals in person are waking up, can we get a few comments on this years TOTAL championship experience?

For example, did the sound improve with more fans in the stands?

Did you feel you paid way to much for your seat location?

Did you like the back curtain?

Was the temperature inside comfortable, seats wide enough, etc.

Did you have enough post-show opportunities to unwind, like adult beverages and food within walking distance?

Your overall impression of the Indy downtown, vs. spending your time on a college campus?

Most importantly, are you anxious to return next year?

Thanks!

Here are a couple of thoughts. Understand, I drove in from Atlanta, staying in KY Friday night, got to Indy about 3:30, went straight to the stadium, and left and stayed an hour south of Indy last night. So I cannot really comment on the nightlife directly related to drum corps. More on that below.

1. I thought the sound quality was awful. Doesn't Lucas Oil have a retractable roof? Why wasn't it open? Drum corps, even more so than football, should be outdoors. It was too boomy and echoy in there. I have been to DCI Southeaastern in Atlanta the last three events and, while it is boomy there, the sound is better than it was at Lucas Oil. Granted my seats for DCI Atlanta have generally been better than for Finals last night. If they are going to take Finals to a dome - and yes, Lucas Oil is a fantastic facility and going to a state of the art NFL facility brings a lot of advantages to DCI fans - keep the roof open.

2. Tickets are too expensive. I have been to shows all over the country this year - DCI West, Masters, DCI Atlanta and Finals. This was, understandably, the most expensive ticket but by too wide a margin. And I was BEYOND the right endzone. At DCI West, I was on the 40 and in Atlanta I was on about 25 or 30.

3. I really did like the back curtain. I thought it gave a nice staging effect and I thought the DCI championship sign they had there was really classy!

4. Temperature was fine...even got a little chilly at one point but no problem. Seat was comfortable in Section 434. Also, when I went and sat in the club level for BD's encore, the cushioned seat was really nice...sure those are $$$ though.

5. Cannot speak to this weekend's entertainment. However, I have been to Indy three times in the last four years. I was here for the Formula 1 US Grand Prix in 06 and stayed in Indy when Georgia Tech played at Notre Dame in 07. I am not a big "night life" guy, but there seems to be a lot of options downtown on the main drag. Some nice restaurants. Overall, I am not a huge fan of Indy as a destination. I love travelling to new cities but once you have seen Indy once, there is not much else to see, hence my arrival for the show and departure immediately afterward. Granted, if I spent some more time exploring Indy I might find more of interest. So take these comments with grain of salt.

Blue Devils - 2009 DCI World Champions!!

1+9+3+0=13!!!