JimF-LowBari Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 (edited) OK I discovered Drum Corps late 1973 at the tail end of what I call the local corps era. In the 50s/60, the cities started declining which killed or badly hurt corps sponsors (AL, VFW, church, etc) from "downtown". In the 70s as I started, the price of gas about tripled and the economy went in the crapper. As a result the number of corps still left with a local financial base and local members took a huge nose drive. Today costs are horrible, prices of shows can no longer be a cheapo night for a family compared to other events, start up costs are about prohibitive and corps have to find members further and further away. Last part is more noticible in the DCA world but top Jrs in the 70s had more local members. Add the financial mess DCI was in back in the 90s(?) and 13 corps Prelims DCA had in the early 90s.. Edit: Forgot to add in the "Sue happy" state we are in where any organization is one lawsuit away from folding (even if they would win the suit). To be brutely honest.... I'm surprised Drum Corps is still around let alone as good a shape as it is today. OK - peanut gallery time.... PS - Yeah last month or so I posted I wouldn't start any more DCI threads. Let's just say people who try to stay open minded tend to change their mind. Edited September 27, 2011 by JimF-LowBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Brace Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 OK I discovered Drum Corps late 1973 at the tail end of what I call the local corps era. In the 50s/60, the cities started declining which killed or badly hurt corps sponsors (AL, VFW, church, etc) from "downtown". In the 70s as I started, the price of gas about tripled and the economy went in the crapper. As a result the number of corps still left with a local financial base and local members took a huge nose drive. Today costs are horrible, prices of shows can no longer be a cheapo night for a family compared to other events, start up costs are about prohibitive and corps have to find members further and further away. Last part is more noticible in the DCA world but top Jrs in the 70s had more local members. Add the financial mess DCI was in back in the 90s(?) and 13 corps Prelims DCA had in the early 90s.. Edit: Forgot to add in the "Sue happy" state we are in where any organization is one lawsuit away from folding (even if they would win the suit). To be brutely honest.... I'm surprised Drum Corps is still around let alone as good a shape as it is today. OK - peanut gallery time.... PS - Yeah last month or so I posted I wouldn't start any more DCI threads. Let's just say people who try to stay open minded tend to change their mind. you synopsize the decades worth of challenges succinctly. I am sure others will add their's as well. I think drum corps has also had a lot of "dumb luck" along the way as well. And I think the luck comes as we have a lot of really good, honest and hard working people who do the heavy lifting which produces some lucky breaks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 you synopsize the decades worth of challenges succinctly. I am sure others will add their's as well. Thanks, if somone hits the right notes (pun intended) I'll throw in what I learned when being VP on council of a city church going downhill. Actually had training on why traditional (in my case Lutheran) city churches have been going down the crapper. Wasn't following corps at the time but when I came back I was surprised how much it "fit". I think drum corps has also had a lot of "dumb luck" along the way as well. And I think the luck comes as we have a lot of really good, honest and hard working people who do the heavy lifting which produces some lucky breaks. Or in the case of one corps I'm familiar with, a lot of personal loans. Also had the luck to ride with some BoD members during my early years. As a shy HS-er (IOW - kept my mouth shut) I learned more behind the door stuff than many adults could guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 (edited) prices of shows can no longer be a cheapo night for a family compared to other events Two DCA shows I attended this past summer... the Barnum Festival in July in CT and the Bushwackers-sponsored show in NJ in August... took what I would consider to be positive steps toward bringing in more families to attend those shows. The Barnum took a drastic step, one that, admittedly, would probably not work for a number of shows: they lowered the ticket prices for the show to $5... five bucks! All seats, with all seats general admission. I don't have official attendence figures for the show, but from an anecdotal standpoint, the place was full (and it's a pretty good-sized stadium)... and most definitely a larger crowd than in recent years at the same show. And from what I understand, the Barnum committee was quite pleased with the results. At their show, the Bushwackers and their show partners, the Toms River East high school band, made admission free to any child under six years old. My sister, who had brought her five-year-old granddaughter (my great-niece) to the show, was really happy about this. And she said the money she saved on a ticket prompted her to buy more stuff at the show (food, souvies). Again... that's an anectodal "snapshot".... but I think both shows did the right thing. Edited September 27, 2011 by Fran Haring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flammaster Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 My first experience was a drum and bell competition in 1970 which I thought was really cool and then after there was this new exhibition corps playing called the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle corps. I was so blown away I wanted to join. The summer of 71 was so interesting. it seemed that every other town had a marching unit of one kind or other. (D&B or a drill team or a full on Bugle Corps as we called em back then) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 (edited) To follow up on Frans post, first show I ever watched was Hershey 1974. Think the price was around $4 reserved and $3 general admission. Kicker was general admission was on the OTHER side of the field. My family of four shows up hour before the show and finds out that the reserved side (about 8,000) is sold out so... off to the back stands we go with about 1,000-2,000 other paying guests. Just a regular 5 corps DCA show with an added attraction of Cabs and Buccs going neck and neck at the time. Another hardship I missed was the fact that with low expenses the local shows would be pretty sure of making a profit unless there was a rain out. Was at a lot of shows sponsored by fire companies, community groups, inactive corps (like Hershey) etc. For some of them the DC show was THE money raiser for the year (easier than having a carnival). Then as the profit dried up, the shows were discontinued. Not sure how big of a profit margin there is today. Bizzaro piece of my first show was there was a heavy rock concert (forget who) going on the same time in the Arena. Those of you who have been at Hershey know how close THAT is and both sites share the parking lot. Rockies left out about the time corps were leaving retreat and playing. Oh yeah, for the non-DCA folks, Barnum Fest was one of the name shows in the past, good to see that name again. Edited September 28, 2011 by JimF-LowBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glory Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 To follow up on Frans post, first show I ever watched was Hershey 1974. Think the price was around $4 reserved and $3 general admission... $4? Adjusting for inflation, $4 in 1974 is the equivalent of more than $18 today. That's well above the price of a movie ticket (then and now). Maybe things haven't changed that much in this regard? HH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 (edited) $4? Adjusting for inflation, $4 in 1974 is the equivalent of more than $18 today. That's well above the price of a movie ticket (then and now). Maybe things haven't changed that much in this regard? HH The $4 was a rough estimate and I guessed high, might have been as low as $3-$3.50. Not at home right now to see if my 70s programs have prices listed. Hershey show was one of the premier shows with top DCA talent and renting that stadium from the same company that makes the chocolate is pricy as Hades. Shows with non-DCA (lesser) corps at municipal or High School stadiums would have been in the $2.50-$3.00 range (again a guess until I get home). On NanciDs history blog there are a bunch of mid 60s shows listed at $1-$1.50 so that would be a better guide. Edit: Some shows had cheaper seats for kids, just remembered that.... What's the average price of a non-regional show today? Asking because I'm not sure. Also add in the cost of hotel if the nearest show is farther than you want to drive overnight. Edited September 28, 2011 by JimF-LowBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozarkbugler Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 What's the average price of a non-regional show today? Asking because I'm not sure. Also add in the cost of hotel if the nearest show is farther than you want to drive overnight. We paid $25 for our "local" show [two hours away] this year. There were six corps there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mephistopheles Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 And the costs that corps have that they didn't back in the day when your show was $4, $18.00 adjusted for inflation. Insurance out the ying-yang. Music licensing rights to be paid yearly. Paid Staff. Food for corps members. Fancy Stadiums with high rents. A fleet of vehicles to fuel and have driven. Guard Equipment of various types. An entire pit's worth of percussion to purchase. Ticketing companies taking a slice out of your ticket sales. A professionally run governing body. As well as... Many, many more things for people to do other than attend the corps show, especially in smaller towns. So, in the end, $25 is cheap for the entertainment a corps show provides. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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