Attendance at Finals

[kickhaltsforlife]

Well if finals was anywhere in a stadium without a roof this past week from Indy to the east, there would have been some nasty weather interference. If we were in Bloomington quarters probably would have been a bust.

And I hate drum corps indoors....

If we are going to have it outdoors it has got to be in nice weather.. or more predictable weather areas. Much of the country does not have the benefit of that right now. It worked for years, I know.. but climate change is happening... weather patterns are also changing. Thankfully the past two year finals week was indoors. I hate to say that.

Hey, and the recordings have come out awesome since they have been in the oil can. A whole lot better than the live performance. Still doesn't replace seeing Crown and BD at Allentown. Completely different experience than in the movies, or on FN, or DVD. Blu rays are great... but nothing can replace that live outdoor environment

[Phillygwm]

here's the catch...everyone is comparing LOS to stadiums that do not have a roof.

That's a good point and, as someone else noted, it's better to have Finals in a dome than to have it rained out. DCI was incredibly lucky over 35 years of its existence not to have a full cancellation but there were some close calls in Buffalo, Orlando, Jackson and Foxboro (at least.) It's worse today because, with electronics, the show can't go on in a steady drizzle. As those present at MetLife this year can attest, watching corps like Bluecoats and Cavies do an "unplugged" show is, well, interesting.

Retractible roofs are a good idea in theory -- remember, LOS has one -- but I'm not sure that the problem with LOS is entirely attributable to the roof. Atlanta's dome doesn't seem to be as bad, neither was SA as I recall. Was LOS any better the year they had the roof open (was it 2010?)

Of course, there are always desert locales to mitigate the prospect of rain, but I'm told Tempe and Las Vegas get a bit toasty in August...

Edited August 15, 2012 by Phillygwm

[LaSqueegee]

That's a good point and, as someone else noted, it's better to have Finals in a dome than to have it rained out. DCI was incredibly lucky over 35 years of its existence not to have a full cancellation but there were some close calls in Buffalo, Orlando, Jackson and Foxboro (at least.) It's worse today because, with electronics, the show can't go on in a steady drizzle. As those present at MetLife this year can attest, watching corps like Bluecoats and Cavies do an "unplugged" show is, well, interesting.

Retractible roofs are a good idea in theory -- remember, LOS has one -- but I'm not sure that the problem with LOS is entirely attributable to the roof. Atlanta's dome doesn't seem to be as bad, neither was SA as I recall. Was LOS any better the year they had the roof open (was it 2010?)

Of course, there are always desert locales to mitigate the prospect of rain, but I'm told Tempe and Las Vegas get a bit toasty in August...

The roof was never open in 2010. The only corps to play in the stadium with a open roof was Glassmen in 2010 (a practice) and the Blue Devils this past Sunday for the Colts halftime show.

[mobrien]

Another issue that hasn't been yet addressed is the actual concert side capacity of the given venues. You're not going to be able to get 24,000 people in LOS on concert side, between the end zones, simply because it doesn't have bleachers - it has modern, wide based, individual seats. There are only so many bodies you're going to be able to fit in the areas that people want to be.

So think about this: If you're thinking of going to Finals, and it's June, and you check the DCI website and see that the best seats are in the endzones - for $50 - you're probably not going. It's not worth a trip to see a sidelong glance of everyone's shows for that kind of money. However, I was on the field at Finals in '81, and the two reasons there were people in the endzones and around to the back of the field was that 1) there were more corps competing that year than ever before, so they had a captive crowd, and 2) those limited view tickets were selling for $4 - about $10 today, adjusted for inflation.

Well, now if I could go to Finals for $10 or $15 for crappy seats, it would probably still be worth the trip, since at least I'd have my own seat and there are Jumbotrons showing what's being recorded for the DVDs. If DCI tried to make Finals more of a huge party (rather than a somewhat grim, Soviet-style event), with a half-time show featuring non-drum corps entertainment during the intermission rather than dead air, and pushing that you go to Finals for the same reason you go to the Super Bowl - because it's a celebration - maybe they'd stand a chance of pushing the numbers back up.

(I've done a few Super Bowls and Kentucky Derbys, and trust me - the seats are the least of the consideration; it's all about the party atmosphere at the event.)

Make Finals more fun and cheaper for those who just want to have a good time rather than sit in the best seats, and you might stand a chance of getting back to the 30-35k mark for the night.

[Phillygwm]

The roof was never open in 2010. The only corps to play in the stadium with a open roof was Glassmen in 2010 (a practice) and the Blue Devils this past Sunday for the Colts halftime show.

Thanks for the clarification. After attending for the previous 15 years, I went to the first LOS championship in '09 and haven't returned since (though I promised my niece a trip in 2015 for her HS graduation present.) I would have sworn that I read that DCI had agreed to open the roof due to the acoustic controversy but apparently it was reconsidered.

I do see the point of keeping it closed: it wouldn't be fair to judge half the corps in the open air and the other half under cover if a storm blew through. I'm sure there are financial considerations re: opening/closing the roof as well.

[LaSqueegee]

Thanks for the clarification. After attending for the previous 15 years, I went to the first LOS championship in '09 and haven't returned since (though I promised my niece a trip in 2015 for her HS graduation present.) I would have sworn that I read that DCI had agreed to open the roof due to the acoustic controversy but apparently it was reconsidered.

I do see the point of keeping it closed: it wouldn't be fair to judge half the corps in the open air and the other half under cover if a storm blew through. I'm sure there are financial considerations re: opening/closing the roof as well.

They were suppose to open the roof at Quarterfinals only in 2010...I think during the theater event. However, it was 95+ degrees in Indy that day and they were not allowed to open it!

[LaSqueegee]

Thanks for the clarification. After attending for the previous 15 years, I went to the first LOS championship in '09 and haven't returned since (though I promised my niece a trip in 2015 for her HS graduation present.) I would have sworn that I read that DCI had agreed to open the roof due to the acoustic controversy but apparently it was reconsidered.

I do see the point of keeping it closed: it wouldn't be fair to judge half the corps in the open air and the other half under cover if a storm blew through. I'm sure there are financial considerations re: opening/closing the roof as well.

They were suppose to open the roof at Quarterfinals only in 2010...I think during the theater event. However, it was 95+ degrees in Indy that day and they were not allowed to open it!

[Jeff Ream]

That's a good point and, as someone else noted, it's better to have Finals in a dome than to have it rained out. DCI was incredibly lucky over 35 years of its existence not to have a full cancellation but there were some close calls in Buffalo, Orlando, Jackson and Foxboro (at least.) It's worse today because, with electronics, the show can't go on in a steady drizzle. As those present at MetLife this year can attest, watching corps like Bluecoats and Cavies do an "unplugged" show is, well, interesting.

Retractible roofs are a good idea in theory -- remember, LOS has one -- but I'm not sure that the problem with LOS is entirely attributable to the roof. Atlanta's dome doesn't seem to be as bad, neither was SA as I recall. Was LOS any better the year they had the roof open (was it 2010?)

Of course, there are always desert locales to mitigate the prospect of rain, but I'm told Tempe and Las Vegas get a bit toasty in August...

here's the thing...

we've had more instances of rain issues SINCE the move to Indy than we had in all those years NOT in Indy.

so explain that?

[Tony Flores]

I would bet good money that even after the the contract is up in 2018....DCI renews the contract as they are probably getting a sweet deal to stay in Indy. Given that the HQ is in Indy as well, why leave? Why setup temporary operations in far away town for a full week or more.

[Phillygwm]

here's the thing...

we've had more instances of rain issues SINCE the move to Indy than we had in all those years NOT in Indy.

so explain that?

I think the Crossmen shows of the early-mid 90's, as well as this year, speak to that :-) The irony is that most of the country has drought conditions at the moment, including Indiana.