Rainouts and Refunds

[CRasin]

I thought this might be a timely subject given last night's Omaha rainout and Sunday's rainout in Naperville. I help run the Cavalier home shows (Naperville, IL, Michigan City, IN and Denton, TX) and have had to deal with this issue two years in a row at the same show in Naperville. This year we were able to have some of the corps do a standstill concert in the newly built fieldhouse but no such option was available last year. Since the show sponsor's still have a contract cost with DCI, stadium rental costs and school housing costs, ticket refunds are not possible. Fans will also ask for a rain check or a make up date. Of course we all know that there is no make up date as the DCI tour moves on that night. But many local people think they can just come back next week. And the severe weather plays havoc with the corps more than anyone as they try to protect their equipment, uniforms and themselves. So safety always comes first and what was suppose to be a fun night of drum corps ends on a sad note. So please give those volunteer workers a break as they try to handle a bad situation. And let's hope we have sunny skies the rest of the season.

[Hook'emCavies]

I thought this might be a timely subject given last night's Omaha rainout and Sunday's rainout in Naperville. I help run the Cavalier home shows (Naperville, IL, Michigan City, IN and Denton, TX) and have had to deal with this issue two years in a row at the same show in Naperville. This year we were able to have some of the corps do a standstill concert in the newly built fieldhouse but no such option was available last year. Since the show sponsor's still have a contract cost with DCI, stadium rental costs and school housing costs, ticket refunds are not possible. Fans will also ask for a rain check or a make up date. Of course we all know that there is no make up date as the DCI tour moves on that night. But many local people think they can just come back next week. And the severe weather plays havoc with the corps more than anyone as they try to protect their equipment, uniforms and themselves. So safety always comes first and what was suppose to be a fun night of drum corps ends on a sad note. So please give those volunteer workers a break as they try to handle a bad situation. And let's hope we have sunny skies the rest of the season.

Thanks for helping out! Its because of people like you we actually have shows!

[cowtown]

It was dealt with much better at Naperville this year than last but it could have been better.

I'm hesitant to go into this because some will use rainouts to push their indoor d/c agenda, (at least outdoors I'll buy a ticket and risk eating it) but to kind-of quote one of those local people that sat next to me…we saw one corps last years and two and a half this year; why don't they put the good corps on first if they might have to cancel so we at least see them?

seemed reasonable to me, considering the delay, day and radar, there was enough time for corps to adjust...it was doubtful they'd get the entire show in anyway

I didn't stay for the standstill…I rushed out as soon as it was officially called…as I rushed towards my car I heard some corps person remark 'Blank corps was smart to leave already

*cringe*

I would have liked to gotten on the road and ahead of that storm too

[Plankton]

Shows used to go on in the rain; without lightning, of course. Now, the mere threat of rain will cause panic among the protectors of all the expensive and precious electronic "drum corps" equipment.

[cowtown]

I've seen shows called for wet fields (grass and turf), when it stopped raining before the show was even to start, seems this started to happen a lot more around/after 2001 (pre-amps)

[TastyWaves]

Shows used to go on in the rain; without lightning, of course. Now, the mere threat of rain will cause panic among the protectors of all the expensive and precious electronic "drum corps" equipment.

Its more safety than anything.

Back in the day there was no physical danger to the performers due to the nature of the movement programs.

Lightning also cancels everything regardless of the rain. Thats a mandate from most stadiums. Especially at high schools/colleges etc.

[CRasin]

I forgot about the "electronics factor'. I was also the guy that had to unplug the extension cords on the wet track. Not too wild about that. And if you tried to flip flop the order of the corps, the contest director and the other corps directors would have a fit. Plus when the pit equipment is still loaded on the truck that is parked a a half mile away, you can't tell the corps "You're on in 15 minutes". The behind the scenes of a drum corps show has a lot of moving parts as most of you know.

[HockeyDad]

Shows used to go on in the rain; without lightning, of course. Now, the mere threat of rain will cause panic among the protectors of all the expensive and precious electronic "drum corps" equipment.

Remember, it's not the voltage that kills you; it's the current.

[Plankton]

Remember, it's not the voltage that kills you; it's the current.

More precisely, it's the amperage.

[Stu]

why don't they put the good corps on first if they might have to cancel so we at least see them?

Nice! Thank you so very much for proving Hopkins, Gibbs, Fiedler, Valenzuela, Glasgow, DeGrauwe, and Smith/Coats correct in their egotistical self righteousness. Apparently there are no "good" corps' below them anyway, so I am sure that the "bad" corps' would be more than happy to relinquish their performance times! In fact, why don't they just tour only the 7 "good" corps and to H*** with the rest of the "bad" corps!