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April 26, 2007
Concert Ticket Blues
Remember when to get a good seat for a show, you just had to be in line early? Remember when, if you were one of the first ones in line, you would get a good seat?
Hoo, boy, are those days gone.
Have you tried to buy a concert ticket lately? Here's how it works: First of all, you not only have to find out the date and time the tickets go on sale, but the dates and times of the presale. There is always a presale event, and, often, more than one.
The idea behind the presale is that you'll get better tickets, since you're buying them first, before everyone else. It doesn't work that way. Each group putting on a presale has a preselected block of tickets to sell. It could be a good block. It could be a terrible block. The fun part is - you have no way of knowing! Each presale has its own little secret password, or other requirements, such as fan club membership.
Last week I bought tickets for a show. I knew of three - three - separate presales. I wanted good seats to this one, so I found times and scrounged passwords and codes for all three. At the first and second presales (remember, this is before tickets go on sale to the general public) I came up with seats around the 30th row.
Eh? Excuse me? I tried the next presale - same thing. Finally, through the third presale, I managed to get into the 26th row. Oooh. I belong to a large online community of fans, and everyone reported similar results. When the point of the presale is to get the best seats because you've got first crack, well, somethin' ain't right.
Just to see, I checked the tickets at the general onsale as well, right when they went live. 30th row and beyond.
This means that none of the places selling to fans sold seats in the first 20 rows. As it turns out, this particular venue took most of those seats for itself, to hand out to season pass owners, corporate sponsors, etc.
So the venue grabs a chunk of seats. Each organization with a presale grabs a chunk of seats. General onsale is whatever is left over by then.
There are always scalpers, brokers, and the like. There's a group called "I Love All Access" that specializes in charging out outrageous fees for a seat in the first 10 rows. The fans fall all over themselves to buy these "special packages."
In other words, if you want a good seat at a concert, at least in Detroit, you should be prepared to pay upwards of $150 a seat ($350-$600 a seat for the first five rows). And, of course, people pay it.
It's insane. I'm not even sure who can afford to go to shows these days. Heck, even lawn seats are often $50.
What a racket.
Posted by lynx at April 26, 2007 8:05 AM
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Comments
I got an email from a blogger friend a while back that explained the whole ticketmaster scam and how to beat it. He claims to never sit worse than about 10 rows back from the stage, and never pays more than list price. If I can find the email I'll forward it to you.
Posted by: COD at April 26, 2007 9:36 AM
When I got tickets for McCartney, (sheesh, fifteen years ago?) there was a lottery. Go to the one ticket outlet in town (in person) and get a wristband. On THE DAY, show up (in person) and line up in wristband number order for the lottery drawing.
Say that 100 wristbands were distributed. Number 78 was drawn. Band 78 gets to go first to buy, then number 79 and so on. After number 100 comes number 1, then number 77 goes last. Then the non-wristband people can buy, first come, first served.
I was 10th in line to buy and it was still got mid-range tickets.
Posted by: Heidicrafts at April 26, 2007 11:41 AM
I know what you mean.
Once we got free lawn seats as a promotion. But we weren't allowed lawn chairs--even the really low ones. We either had to sit on the grass or "upgrade" for a hefty fee!
By the way, what is the show?
Posted by: Elisheva Levin at April 26, 2007 2:37 PM
Why yes, Chris, I would like to see that email. I'm told that at DTE, you have no hope unless you know the right people at corporate. Certainly I've never had *this* much trouble. Last year I saw two shows. For one show I did a presale and ended up with front row - but that was in Arkansas ;-) For the other, at DTE, I had to bite the bullet and go with a broker to get *any* seat.
Heidi - I did that same McCartney lottery thing :) I'm pretty sure we ended up in the balcony. I don't remember where we ended up in line, but I clearly remember leaving my service fraternity's party at 5am to go get the wristbands.
Elisheva, why, these tickets are for Def Leppard. Again :) They keep playing here on our anniversary. I'm trying to decide if there's some odd cosmic thing going on there.
We're also going to go see Stevie Nicks and Chris Isaac, and Rush. Three shows! That hasn't happened in ... wow.
Posted by: Stephanie at April 26, 2007 3:15 PM
Most venues long ago quit selling to "the fans", but to the corporate donors who can pay big money for great packages - and then write it all off as an entertainment expense.
Since you are a homeschooler, I wonder if you could take one of the kids, then write a concert off as a music/educational expense :)
Posted by: Mark L ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.caerdroia.org/116/nav-commenters.gif)
at April 26, 2007 7:17 PM
Dang, Stephanie! I thought it might be Winger! ;) I would love to see Def Leppard...never managed it.
I'm just lame enough these days to find out that *insert band/performer here* is performing, like, the very next evening. :-/
Debra (in TX)
Posted by: Debra in TX at April 27, 2007 3:26 PM
Heh. They were here in February, and I *very nearly* made my husband take me to the show. I was afraid I'd lose all credibility with Chris, though. And my husband threatened to commit ritual suicide. (And yet I bought him the Stevie Nicks tickets.)
Posted by: Stephanie at April 27, 2007 6:01 PM
Guess I should look for that email. I'm pretty sure it's in a saved mail folder - but I haven't booted into Windows XP in a week. I'm playing around with Linux again.
And yes, admitting to paying for Wiger tickets would have gotten you unmercifully ridiculed on my blog ;)
Posted by: COD at April 30, 2007 12:15 PM