Why can't we have an organ player in the Smoothie King Center?

Everytime I watch the Hawks, I am jealous as all hell of their amazing organ player and how he reps ATL culture with his playing. We have the greatest musicians in the country in this city, yet our stadium still plays that dumb "Clap, Clap, Clap, Clap your heads" BS. Why can't we get Joe Krown, Jon Cleary, or the legend Papa Gros to play live organ during games? Is it that hard to do? Please, just make the games less annoying from that "DAYOOOOOO" crap and make the game feel like its being played in New Orleans. That's all I ask. Make it something worth going too if you want to see some New Orleans culture.

How do you clap your head?

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Originally Posted by sunillionaire

Everytime I watch the Hawks, I am jealous as all hell of their amazing organ player and how he reps ATL culture with his playing. We have the greatest musicians in the country in this city, yet our stadium still plays that dumb "Clap, Clap, Clap, Clap your heads" BS. Why can't we get Joe Krown, Jon Cleary, or the legend Papa Gros to play live organ during games? Is it that hard to do? Please, just make the games less annoying from that "DAYOOOOOO" crap and make the game feel like its being played in New Orleans. That's all I ask. Make it something worth going too if you want to see some New Orleans culture.

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It's clear, our organization doesn't take itself serious as a brand. I been saying this for years, our music and sound guys are clearly some old folks that's stuck in 2003 and not from New Orleans.

Do you know how easy it is for us to have a cultural stamp on our brand and fan interaction? Yet we choose to play outdated stupid songs from Gwen Stefani, Ludacris, and Coolio.

It's actually really embarrassing and frustrating that no one addresses this. New Orleans itself has jazz legends like Dr John, Trombone Shorty, etc and also they have bounce and hip hop artists as well as freaking zydeco (which I'm not a big fan off) and brass bands. Heck if you don't wanna do that can you at least get with the times and play some recent artists?


This is one of the signs how this franchise just doesn't "care" enough that much

I said this in another thread about Okafor.

Championships are nice, and by all means the organization should purse them, but all I'm really asking is to be entertained.

New Orleans should have great food and music in the arena!!!

For one season they had house band that played but they quickly phased that out. In addition to that I would also dim the lights on the crowd and have the lights on the court ala lakers/knicks.

Joe Krown happens to be a Pelicans fan, so I know that he would love the gig.

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Originally Posted by shanesy

For one season they had house band that played but they quickly phased that out. In addition to that I would also dim the lights on the crowd and have the lights on the court ala lakers/knicks.

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I forgot about the house band. I don't think it made it through the entire season. At the very least, they could have a roaming brass band like they have at Saints games. That was my favorite part of the game when the Saints were losing.

I've always wondered why more teams don't dim the lights on the crowd.

Well they probably figure there just aren't many hardcore basketball fans here. So they cater the experience to kids and families. Thus they will NEVER dim those lights. Half the game the cameras and lights are on the fans trying to get themselves on the big screens.

A place like MSG is the complete opposite. I'm not shocked at all Oakley got thrown out. You can't even leave your seat and come back while the ball is in play. That place is for hardcore basketball fans (willing to pay top dollar) period.

We ain't going to get that or any organs any time soon.

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Originally Posted by shanesy

For one season they had house band that played but they quickly phased that out. In addition to that I would also dim the lights on the crowd and have the lights on the court ala lakers/knicks.

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yes please. the game is the show people come to watch, no need to have lights all over the audience. especially since no one shows up to our games anyway.

Am I hearing an organ playing during the Rising Stars game?

Also, man, I love that lighting. Makes our arena look totally different.

how about a piccolo player?!

Let us keep that floor.

But seriously, I hope this weekend is seen as a learning moment. Two simple changes and we look more like an NBA city and don't even need to trade a 1st rounder to do it.

I love the lighting in the arena as well. We are such a 2 bit franchise, it's sad.

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Originally Posted by UNO Gracias

I love the lighting in the arena as well. We are such a 2 bit franchise, it's sad.

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The atmosphere at the games has always been a pet peeve of mine... the lighting in particular. New Orleans is such a unique and eclectic city and the vibe at the arena has never matched that.

I feel they can create a very special environment for game nights if they would incorporate themes that match the culture of the city, with lighting, local musical tastes, entertainment, and pre game line ups. Basketball games in New Orleans should be like no where else in the world, not like Oklahoma City with a quarter of the crowd...

Like the time we had Rob Nice running the in game activities, and he moved on because we are poo.

It can happen. Fans need to demand it if the folks in charge are too corny to know this. I also noticed the floor looks a lot cleaner. The different lighting takes away that annoying glare on the floor from the LED strips.

I say again, the games here are really geared towards families with kids.

I wonder if it's a cost issue. Seems lighting would be cheaper on the utility bill. Can people in the stands not see around them in the Outback Stakehouse lighting?

LoL has anyone been to a basketball game outside of the Pelicans. I have been to a bunch of stadiums and he same stuff happens at 90% of them. We definitely are not the only franchise that doesn't dim the lights and plays music not everyone likes. I would like for us to change those also but if you wanna act like we're incompetent then 90% of the NBA is. It is obviously an entertainment model that many teams follow.

You would think that dimmed lights would be ideal seeing as how we don't have great attendance, and half those attending are on their phones anyway.

#dimsomelights

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Originally Posted by GuardianAngel25

LoL has anyone been to a basketball game outside of the Pelicans. I have been to a bunch of stadiums and he same stuff happens at 90% of them. We definitely are not the only franchise that doesn't dim the lights and plays music not everyone likes. I would like for us to change those also but if you wanna act like we're incompetent then 90% of the NBA is. It is obviously an entertainment model that many teams follow.

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i see what you're saying, but that's kinda my point as well. new orleans isn't like any other city. those other cities have to follow standardized models like that cause their cities are just oversized strip malls. our city is a god of entertainment, yet our in-game stuff doesn't match the rest of the city. it would be an easy fix, just hire an organ player and play some Meters or Fess when the pels are on offense. people will be jamming out in their seats whether we win or lose.

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Originally Posted by UNO Gracias

Like the time we had Rob Nice running the in game activities, and he moved on because we are poo.

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Actually he came back to do Saints games. Anyway check out the Hawks organist

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Originally Posted by Champ

Actually he came back to do Saints games. Anyway check out the Hawks organist

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He's great, but that's far from an organ. That's an electric keyboard with a strings setting and a beat track.

In any event, I fully agree that the atmosphere at the games sucks horribly. Part of that is the product on the floor, and part of it is the lack of attendance. It could be dramatically improved, however, if the lighting/sound/music/etc. issues were addressed. That was something I absolutely couldn't stand about the team under Shinn and one of the first things I assumed would change once we got different ownership. It's not surprising that someone like Shinn was happy to settle for such a canned, mass produced, Applebee's-type experience; it's rather shocking, however, that someone local would be content to maintain that status quo without attempting to tweak really any of it.

Seriously, the team, the commitment to improvement, the gameday experience, etc. are all SOOOO lacking that if the owner were anyone other than who it is, one would be positively CONVINCED that the intention was to tank the attendance so badly that a case could easily be made for relocating the team. The level of gross incompetence at every level just boggles the mind... :bah::bah::bah:

I feel like The Blender experience is too much catered to kids.