Hi, A friend got me three free tickets to MonsterJam at Gillette Stadium (home of the New England Patriots NFL football team who just won the Super Bowl.) They were Clubhouse tickets, so me, my son, and one of his buddies got to sit inside, right with the same view as the TV camera had for the link below. Anyway, a new world record as set right in front of our eyes: a double flip by a Monster truck: http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/06/tom-meents-lands-double-backflip-in-a-monster-truck My 13-year-old son has been fascinated with these shows since he was very little. I believe that I have been to the annual show for the past nine years with him, as a result. They first landed at Gillette Stadium last year having previously been at an indoor stadium. We always bring serious ear protection (though we did not need them in the Clubhouse this year) because the trucks are so loud that it can be painful to be there without noise reducing gear. Despite the world record, I think that the three of us were most impressed by being in the luxury Clubhouse. I have been to Gillette a few times, but always in the cheap seats. Anyway, it was a good time and worth going to once, if you have never been to this event.
Your son is not your typical new englander then. I wouldn't mind watching something like that live once (so that I could say I watched it), but in my mind this type of entertainment is particularly liked by red necks. I say this, but the funny thing is I like to watch NASCAR which is too watched mostly by red necks.
Up here in New England, the crowd is primarily Dad's with young boys. The souvenirs are targeted to young boys, probably 4 to 12-years-old. My son is finding the souvenirs to no longer be that much of interest at age 13, in fact. Nothing girlie, either. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of females, young and old, at the event, but I am talking about the majority of attendees and the obvious focus of the event. It may be a different audience in other regions, but I suspect that the Dad/son combination is a winning one around the country. Left to my own devices, I would have never attended one of these events. Seeing the first one was also enough for me. And, let me add, the show is the same, year after year after year after year. The script never changes, just some of the details. And GraveDigger always wins the big event. However, I do not regret attending 9 (or so) of them because my son (and most little boys) really enjoy the show and it is something that we have always done together. Believe it or not, I have a friend up here (the guy that got me the free MonsterJam tickets) who is also a NASCAR fan. Watches every race he can, has a favorite driver, knows who is ranked what, etc. I have watched a few races with him, though it does nothing for me.
There is no question that it is an endurance test of high speed driving skills, mechanical/maintenance skills, fuel usage strategy, etc., and is filled with a lot of drama and excitement for the participants. It just does not translate into much of anything for me up in the audience. I do find NHRA drag races to be a bit more interesting as they start and finished in seconds and offer a lot of action, etc. But I mostly view vehicles as a mode of transportation, not a form of entertainment.
I was so excited to see this topic as I am from Australia and am a huge Pats fan as my wife is from Mass. Gillette stadium is my favourite and watching the pre season game against the dolphins is something I'll never forget!! I imagine the monster trucks would be epic!!! Thanks for this post, It has increased my excitement for my first ever Boston Christmas this year!!
Monster Mutt was at this show, but I believe that the driver had mechanical problems during the first event and never came back. It is one of my son's favorite trucks.
Where is Mass. is your wife from? Gillette is a nice stadium and the surrounding area has been built up quite a bit by the Krafts. Right in the complex is a Bass Pro Shops that my son and I visit a lot. Christmas in Boston can be really nice, sentimental, etc. Hopefully, after the nightmare snowstorms that we had last winter, this year will be a mild, but pretty Christmas. I hope that you have a great time here!
Carver. I can't wait for the winter christmas, it's always really hot here and doesn't really have the same feel. I have been to the bass pro shop!!! I also caught my first striped bass last time I was there for the summer. I joined digital point forum as I'm interested in affiliate marketing etc but saw this post and had to comment. Hoping to make it to wahlburgers too!!! Thanks too!!
Absolutely true. The fact is, that these events, in my experience, are mostly attended by fathers and sons. Yes, there are a fair amount of women in attendance, but it is primarily a male thing. And the males are all ages.
I have not been to Wahlburgers, so I cannot comment. However, you should check out the other DP thread that I link to in my signature. My posts are all about food that you should definitely try when in New England. Note that when you are at Gillette, you are only about 15 minutes from the Rhode Island border.
What I was surprised to see was a small number of young couples who attended the event as a "date." I assumed that the females were attending as a favor to their boyfriends, but I could be mistaken. There were not a lot of such couples, but there were a few.