Schedule input

[OdeToArsenal47]

The Patriots would like to request a home show in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at Franklin Field, on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania.

Also, The Cosmonauts would like to request a quasi-home show in Knoxville, Tennessee, at Neyland Stadium, on the campus of the University of Tennessee. And perhaps we could joint-host with the Orange Knights, who are from Knoxville.

[ftwdrummer]

This seems to be a popular idea. Do we think there's enough demand to have two European shows each day of the tour, to avoid having 50+ corps at every show for the whole trip? Or would that be preferred?

Hate to be mean to the people who want to do both...but what if we scheduled the Alaska/west Canada tour simultaneously with the European tour? It splits the corps neatly into two separate routings (like the normal DCI season does)...

And then maybe have a weekend with two "quasi-focus" shows (like how DCI Orlando and Drums Along the Rockies are on the same night) in one of the big northeastern stadiums (personally leaning towards East Rutherford here...but anywhere with a major airport with European service works) and Seattle?

[s3si1u]

northern mexico?

and i agree with the canada/alaska tour

how about some california shows later in the season, instead of having them all near the first half of the tour?

[Galen]

Hate to be mean to the people who want to do both...but what if we scheduled the Alaska/west Canada tour simultaneously with the European tour? It splits the corps neatly into two separate routings (like the normal DCI season does)...

And then maybe have a weekend with two "quasi-focus" shows (like how DCI Orlando and Drums Along the Rockies are on the same night) in one of the big northeastern stadiums (personally leaning towards East Rutherford here...but anywhere with a major airport with European service works) and Seattle?

Here's how I see the "skeleton" of the tour mapping out so far. Remember- this is all tenative.

Weeks 1-3: Regional tour (extended from 2 weeks from the last few seasons)

Weeks 4-5: "Global tour" (Europe, Canada/Alaska, Latin America). Weeks 6-7: States, 2 focus shows, probably focusing on 1-2 regions exclusively, either East/West or Midwest/West.

Week 8: Finals week

If this were a live season, it would probably be feasible to offer all three of the global tours and possibly have a "stateside" option left over. But historically, the off-season numbers of participating corps don't come anywhere close to that of live seasons, so I'm not sure that all 3 would be feasible. Of the three, Europe seems to have the best response so far (after about 2 days- this may of course change).

What I propose is that when registration of corps starts for the next season, we have directors include a statement of intent with their registration, saying that their corps definitely will or will not participate in one of the global tours ("participate" being defined as attending at least 50% of the shows during the global tour and competing in the championship event at the end). Were I the Grand Poobah of DCPI , I would want that statement to essentially be binding, if for nothing else than to ensure that there will definitely be attendance at those events. The European tour eventually dropped off the calendar because of low attendance. Low attendance = low fun. I'd rather see 20 corps at a show battling it out than 5 corps and one corps wins by 4 points. For the most part we've gotten rid of the shows where there are a small number of corps- there are a few still around that I either haven't weeded out yet or continue to keep on the schedule because I want that state/region represented and/or I want the corps from that state to have the ability to host and promote a home show. It's an ongoing process, but I'd like to think that progress has been made.

[hostrauser]

Hmm, it'll be a tough choice between Canada and Europe.

Having been to Latin America, the last thing I'd want to force ANYONE to do is march in that heat and humidity. It puts the gulf coast to shame.

[mellophone1]

Something in the Fingerlakes region of New York?

Like Rochester, Paetec is there, and there are several high schools in the area with nice fields.

[Eddie]

Hmm, it'll be a tough choice between Canada and Europe.

Having been to Latin America, the last thing I'd want to force ANYONE to do is march in that heat and humidity. It puts the gulf coast to shame.

beer hats assimilated into each headwear for water??

[StarOrg]

This seems to be a popular idea. Do we think there's enough demand to have two European shows each day of the tour, to avoid having 50+ corps at every show for the whole trip? Or would that be preferred?

Past European Tours offered multiple sites per day.

[Mello123]

Blue Wave would like to host a show in Long Beach, CA at Long Beach Veterans Stadium which is a fairly nice stadium.

And we would like a European Tour as well.

Edited August 12, 2009 by Mello123

[OdeToArsenal47]

Ooh, Cold War Productions is all for a European tour. And if we do go Euro, can we please have a competition in Deutschland?

I suggest the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

Maybe France, too, in the Stade de France.

Or in Monaco, which is pretty much France except a lot richer and prettier. And we could do it in Stade Louis II, one of the prettiest stadiums in the world, in one of the prettiest cities (Monte Carlo) in the world.

And finally, The Cosmonauts would LOVE a show in the Motherland. Russia, ahoy! Imagine Russia in winter. A lot of flat horns! And I recommend Lokomotiv Stadium in Moscow.