Jeff Ream Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 Fred, that is great news about the downtown area making a comeback!!!! yeah wait til you see what the next zone for improvement currently houses! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 Having participated and marched Drum Corps (1965-1972) and following the activity for the past 50 years, I am well aware of the historical significance of Allentown as a "Drum Corps Mecca" (my personal choice is Camp Randall in Madison, matter of fact 1/5 of my ashes are to be spread on the Camp Randall field, but, please do not share this with anyone, as you may have guessed, I consider Camp Randall "Drum Corps heaven!" ( - : Ok, Back on Topic. I had heard and was under the impression that significant improvements were made to the stadium in time for last year shows. I heard such things as, an upper deck was added, seating capacity increased. However based on what I am reading on this thread I am under the current impression that my information regarding these improvements is based on either false or wildly exaggerated information. I am also aware (correct me here also) that the stadium has no back side, and that due to that fact a good deal of sound volume litterally sucked out of the stadium and doesn't reach the stands. Could someone please set me straight regarding these topics.. Perhaps post a photo or two of the facilities including the Grand Stands. What exactly is the seating capacity of the stands....and surrounding grassy areas. Sadly in all my years of Drum Corps travels and shows I have yet to make it to Allentown....or even to Indy yet. (Please forgive me DCI). P.S. G O A C A D E M Y ! ! !. I haven't been there since last year, and heard of no renovations. there is a wall in the back where the stands used to be, at the top of the hill. it's maybe 8-10 feet high. You don't lose as much sound as you think, but then again i'm always in the lower bowl. my biggest issue the last few years has been with the wealth of land a corps can choose to warm up in, that you still hear corps warming up during shows. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cf144 Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 my biggest issue the last few years has been with the wealth of land a corps can choose to warm up in, that you still hear corps warming up during shows. That drives me bonkers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Windish Posted July 30, 2015 Author Share Posted July 30, 2015 Hey, CorpsRelic! You sure sound old enough (as I) to enjoy a trip to 'StadiumRelic.' The stadium renovation goes back 5-6 years. All the seating was converted from wood to aluminum. New field turf surface installed to replace worn out grass. Stadium lights replaced, a new all-weather running track added, addition of handicapped platforms and wheelchair elevators. Electrical upgrades, new scoreboards. In reality, the place is in excellent condition. It's the lack of amenities that make it a relic. The field itself was moved back to accommodate a regulation size running track. The new track is what made removal of the back stands necessary. Sadly, no money was spent on restrooms. They even removed a few! No money was spent on improving the permanent concessions buildings. No money was spent to replace the tiny ticket booths, nor the stadium field house. YES, the sound impact has been negatively affected compared to the 'old days.' Back then, the field was closer and everyone used G bugles! We really don't hear many complaints about the sound, however. That's mostly an older generation lament. Maybe it's just our ears? One thing about the front sideline being further back, believe it or not, is seats outside the 20s actually get a better view! But, here's what's important . . . . The event would have been long gone from Allentown without the efforts of Dan Acheson and others of DCI. The original plan called for removal of an existing upper level, and not replacing it! Only through a strong lobby effort by DCI (and a few other considerations that would best be kept quiet) the stadium would have been made too small to host a regional event. It was about to be reduced in size from 22,300 seats (16,000 on one side) down to about 14,000 on one side, many of those outside the goal lines. About 400 seats were removed on the concert side, with the renovation, making current concert side seating about 15,500. That's about the same as many bigger college stadiums. I've seen as many as 200 people sitting on the upper grass banks, and a few hundred others standing behind the wall up there. So, in effect 16,000 is still possible on one side. Thank you, Dan Acheson and DCI for saving Allentown as a Regional event. Honestly, THAT'S what took place! Even with it's remaining issues, it's a pretty darn good location for drum corps! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cf144 Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 (edited) Hey, CorpsRelic! You sure sound old enough (as I) to enjoy a trip to 'StadiumRelic.' The stadium renovation goes back 5-6 years. All the seating was converted from wood to aluminum. New field turf surface installed to replace worn out grass. Stadium lights replaced, a new all-weather running track added, addition of handicapped platforms and wheelchair elevators. Electrical upgrades, new scoreboards. In reality, the place is in excellent condition. It's the lack of amenities that make it a relic. The field itself was moved back to accommodate a regulation size running track. The new track is what made removal of the back stands necessary. Actually longer than that. Pretty sure that it was 2000. DCI East was moved to Franklin Field in Philly the year JBC was closed for the renovations and I am almost 100% certain that I saw Garfield (or were they CBC that year?) do the We Are the Future show at Franklin Field. Edited July 30, 2015 by cf144 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Windish Posted July 30, 2015 Author Share Posted July 30, 2015 Actually longer than that. Pretty sure that it was 2000. DCI East was moved to Franklin Field in Philly the year JBC was closed for the renovations and I am almost 100% certain that I saw Garfield (or were they CBC that year?) do the We Are the Future show at Franklin Field. Thanks! Thought it was longer, but was too lazy to research. Now that I think of it all, the stadium is on its second field turf surface since the reno. The years DO run by, don't they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 Hey, CorpsRelic! You sure sound old enough (as I) to enjoy a trip to 'StadiumRelic.' The stadium renovation goes back 5-6 years. All the seating was converted from wood to aluminum. New field turf surface installed to replace worn out grass. Stadium lights replaced, a new all-weather running track added, addition of handicapped platforms and wheelchair elevators. Electrical upgrades, new scoreboards. In reality, the place is in excellent condition. It's the lack of amenities that make it a relic. The field itself was moved back to accommodate a regulation size running track. The new track is what made removal of the back stands necessary. Sadly, no money was spent on restrooms. They even removed a few! No money was spent on improving the permanent concessions buildings. No money was spent to replace the tiny ticket booths, nor the stadium field house. YES, the sound impact has been negatively affected compared to the 'old days.' Back then, the field was closer and everyone used G bugles! We really don't hear many complaints about the sound, however. That's mostly an older generation lament. Maybe it's just our ears? One thing about the front sideline being further back, believe it or not, is seats outside the 20s actually get a better view! But, here's what's important . . . . The event would have been long gone from Allentown without the efforts of Dan Acheson and others of DCI. The original plan called for removal of an existing upper level, and not replacing it! Only through a strong lobby effort by DCI (and a few other considerations that would best be kept quiet) the stadium would have been made too small to host a regional event. It was about to be reduced in size from 22,300 seats (16,000 on one side) down to about 14,000 on one side, many of those outside the goal lines. About 400 seats were removed on the concert side, with the renovation, making current concert side seating about 15,500. That's about the same as many bigger college stadiums. I've seen as many as 200 people sitting on the upper grass banks, and a few hundred others standing behind the wall up there. So, in effect 16,000 is still possible on one side. Thank you, Dan Acheson and DCI for saving Allentown as a Regional event. Honestly, THAT'S what took place! Even with it's remaining issues, it's a pretty darn good location for drum corps! what he said. the upper deck wasn't done I believe until 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 Thanks! Thought it was longer, but was too lazy to research. Now that I think of it all, the stadium is on its second field turf surface since the reno. The years DO run by, don't they? 01 and 02 were Franklin Field, back in 03, upper deck not fully rehabbed until 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BariBone Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 Excellent history lesson on venerable J Birny Crum. I think the current field turf is about 2 years old. Fred, back in the 70s wasnt DCI East televised on the local Allentown PBS ? Was it a live telecast or highlights? I have seen videos of 77 DCA, 80, 81 and 82 DCI East that looked like they were PBS telecasts from Allentown. 1980 was the week before finals where 27 beat BD by over 2 points in prelims. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cf144 Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 01 and 02 were Franklin Field, back in 03, upper deck not fully rehabbed until 2009 I could've sworn I saw We Are the Future at FF. #### that early Alzheimer's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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