Stadium fields complaints about Chesney concert

David Lindquist

September 15, 2008 by David Lindquist

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Garbled sound marred the debut concert at Lucas Oil Stadium, and building officials say they're interested in hearing complaints.

Country star Kenny Chesney headlined Saturday's eight-hour event that featured six performers and 52,000 attendees.

Unwanted echoes bounced down from the stadium's roof when supporting acts LeAnn Rimes, Gary Allan, Luke Bryan and Brother Trouble played.

Acoustics-related problems decreased after the retractable roof opened for performances by Chesney and Keith Urban.

Lucas Oil Stadium executive director Barney Levengood said feedback from concert attendees will help the facility in its quest to be considered as a tour stop when music's biggest acts are on the road.

"We have heard from people that their sound and location was great; we have heard from others that it was not," Levengood said. "We take those suggestions seriously. We're going to take a look at the building and try to determine the cause. Was it the production, was it the building or a combination thereof?"

To register a complaint, Levengood advised ticketholders to call the Lucas Oil Stadium switchboard at (317) 262-8600.

Indianapolis resident Jeana Reed tried to make her voice heard during the show.

Seated with her daughter in the building's 600 level -- or highest balcony -- Reed had problems when Brother Trouble arrived onstage at 4 p.m.

"We could not understand one word they were saying or singing," Reed said.

After walking to a customer service desk, Reed said she waited for 45 minutes amid dozens of other ticketholders with similar concerns.

"I wish someone in a suit just would have come down and said, 'You know what? We have problems,'" Reed said. "We were told management was going to come down, but no one ever did."

Louis Messina, the concert's Houston-based promoter, wrote in an e-mail Monday that his production crew knew about the echo issues.

"From our end, the building was great and we addressed early sound problems." Messina wrote.

Levengood said his staff at Lucas Oil Stadium plans to review complaints and pass them on to Messina.

"At this moment, there are no refunds and we haven't given any," Levengood said.

Chesney fan Reed, who paid $146 for two tickets plus $20 for parking, left the stadium at 5:30 p.m. After learning that Urban played at 7:30 p.m. under an opened roof, Reed didn't regret her decision to leave.

She avoided two additional hours of music under a closed roof.

"I think I probably would have been deaf this morning," Reed said.

Forum: Music

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Lucas Oil Stadium, Kenny Chesney

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1 comment

mbnjmntrb
mbnjmntrb, September 17
0 votes

hello new place that sounds like the fieldhouse that sounds like market square.

really? dave, your video piece leads people to believe that concerts are going to sound great in lucas oil ... sure its easier to load in and out and set up 'iesgnwhatever' lines....but really? did it sound that bad?

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