Lucas Oil Thoughts

[Bannedforlife]

DCI isn't a sport.

GET OUT.

[Jeff Ream]

FYI - Those windows are retractable as well.

http://www.asce.org/uploadedImages/About_Civil_Engineering/Featured_Images/Small-Lucas-Oil-Stadium---bnpositive.jpg

it doesn't matter. that stadium with an open roof is a nightmare soundwise from seeing some concert reviews

[Jeff Ream]

I guess the thing that bothers me the most is the deal with the devil was signed YEARS before the stadium was even complete. There was significant PR fed to us that claimed this would be THE most acoustically advanced stadium for the marching arts as a whole, with BOA and DCI providing significant input along with the world's best engineers and audio specialists to feed into this design for what people acoustically wanted to see achieved.

The stadium was then built and all these modifications still had to be done to make it better (curtains, more curtains, and now the entire back and sideline seats being covered as well) when there shouldn't have been the need to improve anything since supposedly there was significant effort and cost that went into designing this thing to be perfect for the "biggest displays of pageantry and marching arts in the world".

I like Lucas Oil Stadium for what it is. It is great for indoor marching band in November when it's snowing outside. I'm comfortable, and it's 15 minutes away from my house. But Drum corps? It's just middle of the road for me, and it likely will always be that way. There's nothing wrong with us seeing differently about this. I just enjoy having that outdoor pop that you don't get in a dampened, yet still echo chambered environment. And sound can still be great if you're in the right spots.

i'm with you. But DCi isn't.

still...compared to the fiasco that was DCA 96 being put in a stadium that wasn't done yet....it's tame.

try being sold a baseball stadium, then find out they change the layout and the front sidelines goes from first to third across the pitchers mound...and hey...don't write past the 10 yard line, we don't have anything past that.

[ShortAndFast]

I guess the thing that bothers me the most is the deal with the devil was signed YEARS before the stadium was even complete. There was significant PR fed to us that claimed this would be THE most acoustically advanced stadium for the marching arts as a whole, with BOA and DCI providing significant input along with the world's best engineers and audio specialists to feed into this design for what people acoustically wanted to see achieved.

The stadium was then built and all these modifications still had to be done to make it better (curtains, more curtains, and now the entire back and sideline seats being covered as well) when there shouldn't have been the need to improve anything since supposedly there was significant effort and cost that went into designing this thing to be perfect for the "biggest displays of pageantry and marching arts in the world".

I like Lucas Oil Stadium for what it is. It is great for indoor marching band in November when it's snowing outside. I'm comfortable, and it's 15 minutes away from my house. But Drum corps? It's just middle of the road for me, and it likely will always be that way. There's nothing wrong with us seeing differently about this. I just enjoy having that outdoor pop that you don't get in a dampened, yet still echo chambered environment. And sound can still be great if you're in the right spots.

I agree with your that there was a whole lot of PR & BS around the stadium when the LOS arrangement was first announced. But was any of that something Indy guaranteed to DCI in its contract? In contrast, I'd bet that Indianapolis/LOS have met every financial obligation of the deal. So I suspect it's a combination of DCI wanting the deal for financial reasons, and doing its best to sell it to the audience, and of DCI being a little too credulous about what could/would be done for marching acoustics in a dome.

[DCImonkey]

I have sat in 139, 440, and 6??. The only crappy experience was the 600 level. You get what you pay for.

I love not sweating, I love the comfortable seats, I love the indoor market place, I love that I'll never look at a dark storm cloud and get frightened like that black cloud I was staring at over the Citrus Bowl in 1998 when Phantom Regiment was performing. Luckily it went away.

Let's face it, opening the roof will NOT CHANGE a thing acoustically. There is way too much structure still in place to reverb off of. And the shadows would give Tom Blair a headache not seen since Buffalo 2001.

There is NO reason to open the roof. The slight gains would pale in comparison to the cons.

I'd like to see DCI rotate out of Indy every few years. I'd like to see a West coast stop once every 5-6 years. I'd like to see an east coast stop as well. I think it's safe to say nobody wants it in the south, but if they are and are comfortable with indoor stadiums, perhaps the NEW Falcons stadium will be acoustically wonderful when it opens. I think there is a hole in the roof.

Overall, I don't see it moving from Indy for a very very very very long time.

[IMcomguy]

I have sat in 139, 440, and 6??. The only crappy experience was the 600 level. You get what you pay for.

I love not sweating, I love the comfortable seats, I love the indoor market place, I love that I'll never look at a dark storm cloud and get frightened like that black cloud I was staring at over the Citrus Bowl in 1998 when Phantom Regiment was performing. Luckily it went away.

Let's face it, opening the roof will NOT CHANGE a thing acoustically. There is way too much structure still in place to reverb off of. And the shadows would give Tom Blair a headache not seen since Buffalo 2001.

There is NO reason to open the roof. The slight gains would pale in comparison to the cons.

I'd like to see DCI rotate out of Indy every few years. I'd like to see a West coast stop once every 5-6 years. I'd like to see an east coast stop as well. I think it's safe to say nobody wants it in the south, but if they are and are comfortable with indoor stadiums, perhaps the NEW Falcons stadium will be acoustically wonderful when it opens. I think there is a hole in the roof.

Overall, I don't see it moving from Indy for a very very very very long time.

I strongly disagree that it will not change a thing acoustically. Allowing sound to escape would be the thing that would alter it most. Yes, the walls and structure are still there, but sound being able to go somewhere without bouncing around 100 times before fading out would create immeasurable enhancement in acoustics. An acoustics engineer commented on this topic a few months back and gave a very detailed analysis of why the acoustics would be altered.

But whatever, all I can rely on is my friends with Glassmen that said they loved the roof being open while sitting in the upper 200 levels during rehearsal... they said that it sounded much more like an outdoor facility, as in, that "pop" was there, without the constant bouncing of sound we would get normally.

It just makes sense to at least try it to give it a chance. Maybe do it at Prelims just once. Close it for Semis and Finals if it indeed sucks.

I do agree the shadows might be an issue. But again, give it one shot. So far, we have had 0 chance to assess it as a fanbase/paying customer.

[oldbandguy]

I hope DCI signs an extension to their contract with LOS now. Events at stadiums like this are booked YEARS in advance, not weeks and months. Who is to say that some other event might not just be waiting for an opening to take the 2nd week of August on an annual basis?

DCI must consider not only the ramifications of a rain out with ticket holders, but now (even larger #s) also the cinema broadcast, FanNetwork, Pay Per View, as well as logistics with Performers Showcase, Drumline Battle and Sound Sport.

Indianapolis has become the official home of the "marching arts"...they WANT us. That has to mean a lot!

[jwillis35]

I think at some point DCI will have a little more say with the city about the roof being open when possible.

I agree with others that Lucas Oil will likely be the venue for the foreseeable future. There are many positives, too. Sure it's not the best way to end the season (the dome effect), but here are some positives:

• Big venue in a nice town with lots of hotels and good restaurants
• Indoors means we never worry about weather (obviously we all know the negative)
• seating areas have room with real seats
• great lounge areas and big walk ways with excellent space for souvies, the DCI Store, and plenty of room for long lines at the food stands
• great public transportation, excellent airport
• air conditioning
• incredible media tools and video monitors for DCI to run all kinds of specials/advertisements
• easy access for the corps to enter and exit, with buses being able to drop-off and pick-up by a large ramp and then being able to park in back
• DCI does not have to pack tons of stuff and move it to another city and then find a place to setup shop
• Ticket lines are smooth with plenty of space outside the stadium
• lots of local schools for the corps to sleep and practice. Indiana bands are mostly corps style and DCI receives huge support from them and BOA for this weekend.

Yes, outdoors is best for sound and the environment of drum corps excitement. West coast cities can be amazing because the weather is so good out there. Less chance of rain. Texas can work if Finals were held in San Antonio, Dallas (Jerry's World), or Houston (Texans stadium).

As to the question the OP presented...what would the protocol be if Finals were rained out some Saturday in another city? I'm not sure I know the answer, or that one has every been given. You'd think they would tell the corps that Sunday is potentially a day that we may have to settle things at some high school stadium (since they would likely not have the big venue past Saturday), with only staff and a few fans in attendance. It's never really come to that. Most likely the practical thing would be to delay until you can compete, and if that takes until 4am, then so be it.

In 2003 in Orlando this almost happened. I remember lots of rain for semifinals (I think it was semis), and I remember Blue Devils performing shortly after midnight. I might have that wrong, but it was something like that. There were two delays that night, one of them was over 2 hours long.

[Rifuarian]

I gave it a couple of tries and decided it wasn't for me. So even though finals is an hour away I don't go, except to check out the warmups. Which is something I never do at any other contest. The cons, for me, are the limited number of seats that are in the "sweet spot" for visual and sound, most of which are taken up by Friends of DCI. There are good and bad seats in any stadium, but there are far more bad than good in the Thunderbarn. Another problem is that the crowd seems so muted and tame, especially when you're higher up. The audience is heavily segmented, and in some spots it was like I was watching finals in a half empty theater rather than actually being there. I don't really care about the air conditioning, nice seats etc. I'd rather have the outdoor experience rather than enjoy a few hours of minor comforts that I already have at home.

On the positive DCI saves big bucks not having to scramble for a venue every year, so unless attendance drops precipitously having finals in the Thunderbarn is a good thing. A good thing that I, personally, don't enjoy but a good thing nonetheless.

Edited August 11, 2014 by Rifuarian

[jwillis35]

I hope DCI signs an extension to their contract with LOS now. Events at stadiums like this are booked YEARS in advance, not weeks and months. Who is to say that some other event might not just be waiting for an opening to take the 2nd week of August on an annual basis?

DCI must consider not only the ramifications of a rain out with ticket holders, but now (even larger #s) also the cinema broadcast, FanNetwork, Pay Per View, as well as logistics with Performers Showcase, Drumline Battle and Sound Sport.

Indianapolis has become the official home of the "marching arts"...they WANT us. That has to mean a lot!

THIS!! Excellent points. With all the media being broadcast in theaters, on the web, and other events, DCI definitely has to have some guarantee that Finals week activities at the stadium and abroad will run smoothly. Indoors may ultimately be the best way, even if it's not the best way for sound. It's the best way for so many other things.