The World Series of Drum Corps

[skywhopper]

This is both depressing and confusing. Depressing that these corps obviously feel DCI is a sinking ship. Confusing in that I don't understand their logic at all.

All the stuff about Facebook friends and marketing databases is just meaningless. How many Facebook friends and email addresses do the other 16 WC corps have "in aggregate"?

Plus, if they are going to do a series of shows, they are insane for not doing a west coast leg. I realize that's incredibly expensive for the five midwest/east coast corps, but how much pent up demand must there be to see Cadets or Phantom or Crown in LA and SF and Seattle? They could sell out those shows easily.

But in general, I don't really care for the top 7 approach. I like the typical shows with 2-3 open class/all-age corps and 4-5 WC corps with a variety of skill levels. It's better for the health of drum corps in general. As they say themselves, two or three G7 corps will draw a lot of folks who wouldn't come to see the rest of the bill, but may well end up becoming fans of. An all-G7 show, though, would kill attendance at all-non-G7 shows in the area.

Personally, I'd prefer to see these organizations that are so incredibly well run sharing their expertise and money instead of hoarding it. Not to mention that SCV and Phantom are suddenly going to become the bottom of the barrel in this new tour (at least this year--Crown and Bluecoats are most likely to drop back to 6th and 7th or worse of the rest).

Eh, just a bunch of disjointed thoughts in response to a "proposal" that makes no sense. I mean, if these corps can organize the events, what's to stop them? Why compare themselves to DCI at all?

[bandbuck]

Well this is depressing.

Why is coming up with a new idea depressing? Isn't it worth a shot to try something new? Don't people now admire Star for trying 'drum corps on stage' and creating something new and exciting many years ago?

Shouldn't the 'depressing' part come from DCI running the ticket special with the $25 gas card trying to get people to buy finals tickets? To me that's a pretty strong signal that ticket sales are lagging again. Something needs to change!

And about the continued claims about elitism, one only has to read many of the reviews on here when people start their review with "I missed the first four corps....sorry" to see that many people do get there for the top corps. Just look at how the crowd fills in this week in Indy and you'll see it happen. They're not making that up. I, for one, sit through everyone and love them all, but many people show up after the last break.

It's also funny that so many on these forums complain about the current state of DCI, but once someone comes up with a new idea, they hate it. Hmmmm...

I say let's try it and see what happens! It might work. It might not. Only after trying it for a summer will we all know.

[byline]

I say let's try it and see what happens! It might work. It might not. Only after trying it for a summer will we all know.

The problem is that drum corps, as a niche activity, is not in a position to split its fan base even further, the way G7 proposes. And this isn't some idea that, "Eh, if we try it and it doesn't work, we go back to the way things were." Given the huge outcry I've heard against the proposal, once implemented, that's very much a point of no return.

[dbc03]

This looks like the parts of the original G7 proposal I liked without the parts I didn't like so I approve

[TerriTroop]

That's it folks. The 7 corps have more Facebook friends than DCI. That means everything. I'm dying to know what idiot typed that (originally - not Mr. Ream)

Oh, but see, it fits the G7 model perfectly! I can only befriend DCI once (unless I create multiple online personalities) but I can befriend all of the G7 corps - soooo..... I get multiple votes!

[mobrien]

I have repeatedly demanded that the proponents of the G7 plan provide some sort of quantifiable justification for their baseless claims of being "the draw". Every time I have made this request, it has gone unanswered.

Though I don't necessarily see the World Series concept as being a move that's good for drum corps, I think it's worth pointing out that some people are trying to play both ends of the argument:

1. These corps are too big for their britches, and they're not as popular as they think they are, and

2. If they pull out, lots of other corps will suffer because of the reduced revenues at DCI engendered by their defection.

Well, it's one or the other. IF they really aren't all that big a draw, then no one should be worried about them putting together these shows, since no one will show up at the gate and they won't draw any audience away from the rest of the shows out there, right?

There's no shame in agreeing that these seven have significant impact on ticket sales. Would half the people going to Indy this week bother with the trip if each of the seven corps who are currently seeded in the top seven positions said "nah, we're not gonna compete this week"? My guess is that a lot of fans, particularly younger fans, would opt out, since Indy's not all that in the first place, and a year in which an otherwise 8th place corps can be world champs seems like a let-down.

Seems it's coming down to a game of chicken now, and it'll be interesting to see who blinks first. My hope is that the two sides might find a mediator to help them steer a middle path, but it seems the clock is ticking on that front.

[Daave]

This looks like the parts of the original G7 proposal I liked without the parts I didn't like so I approve

Of course you will. Were you or the bandbucks of the forum to say... be marks fof Mandarins or Academy or Pioneer, would you think otherwise? Given the totality of the situation?

[skywhopper]

The Series will combine elements of a broad range of performance arts with traditional, competitive drum corps

This frightens me.

The World Series of Drum Corps events will create ... year long audience appeal

Umm, how does that work?

bringing new excitement to traditional audiences while attracting new audiences from other idioms.

What does this even mean? Dancers? Actors? Poetry slam?

[dbc03]

Of course you will. Were you or the bandbucks of the forum to say... be marks fof Mandarins or Academy or Pioneer, would you think otherwise? Given the totality of the situation?

The totality of the situation being...? There are a handful of shows that those corps won't be participating in?

Why haven't any of you been making a big deal out of the Murfreesboro show for the past however many years? It is basically the same concept as these new shows in terms of who is invited.

[Daave]

The totality of the situation being...? There are a handful of shows that those corps won't be participating in?

Why haven't any of you been making a big deal out of the Murfreesboro show for the past however many years? It is basically the same concept as these new shows in terms of who is invited.

Answering questions with questions. Got it.