Rush Extends N American Tour!

[velorush]

So what's the strategy on buying concert tickets these days?

My daughter [16 - yes, a female Rush fan - how odd is that? and under the age of 40 - she's likely the only member of that subset] wants me to take her to see Rush and St. Louis is as close to me as they're going to get this tour. I thought about ponying up for the premium seating, that is until I saw the price of $325 each (and they're sold out to boot - what recession?).

So I get on the Ticketmaster site and find some 'best available' seats that are kind of 'meh' for $99 each. Then I happen upon the vividseats.com site and find a complete listing of seats available and at a range of prices.

Anyone do business with vividseats? Are there some better strategies for buying concert tickets these days? For acts coming to Memphis, I used to just call a scalper (legal in Tennessee), but it's been a really long time since I've actually bought concert tickets.

[Steve Haynie]

Sign up for the Rush mailing list. If you have a Citi credit card they have select presales, Rush included. Getting a good ticket has become a hassle lately because you have to know EVERY possible presale or pay to join a fan club and buy a high dollar package.

My first shot at a good seat for Atlanta comes up on Monday. Charlotte sale dates have not been announced yet.

A week's pay for a three hour show is not worth it. A day's pay for a crappy seat is not worth it. Just because you get a special T-shirt amd poster it does not justify the price.

[cynic]

I've never done business with vividseats, but I've used others with the same business model and had good results. I go to so few events anymore that when I do I typically get on ebay and pay whatever exorbitant amount someone is asking for premium seats. I can't be bothered with wasting time on the Ticketmaster website, and tix on eBay can be had for less than most of those ticket sites. I wish it was still as easy as going to Sears to buy a $6.50 general admission ticket at their customer service counter.

In the end, I've spent no time or effort, only money, and I get great seats.

[Steve Haynie]

^{Sometimes, as with KISS, the special package seats that did not sell end up going on sale about a week before the show at the regular price. With Rush there likely will be no unsold $325 tickets.}

[velorush]

Thanks for the input. I am a member of the Rush Fan Club (not an actual fan club, but a web site), but the advance sale was just for the Preimum $325 deal.

I agree, Steve, $325 is too much for a great seat and $100 is too much for a crappy seat.

I'm inclined to pay $30 for the BEST seat: it's called 'waiting for the DVD to come out.' Honestly, I've got R30 and Snakes & Arrows Live and the 5.1 surround and multiple camera angles... no seat in the house, regardless of price, will have that nice of a concert experience!

I paid $12 to see them on Moving Pictures, but that was when bands could make money on album sales and hoped to break even on concerts.

[Armitage]

$325 each... hows a High Schooler supposed to take a girl to a concert?

Heck, I'm so old I remember seeing KiSS at $7...

[jisham]

I buy and get premium tickets all the time on Ticketmaster.com. Just gotta have the mouse ready when the sale for any given show starts. Also, American Express and CitiCard usually have presale codes (these tix go on sale typically three to four days before the "public" sale starts). You can also get presale codes by signing up for LiveNation.com and ticketmaster.com mail lists.

Having said that, I've also had very good luck with CraigsList if needed.

[hamerican gigolo]

My first concert ever was to see Rush in '84. Tickets were $10 apiece. Wow!

[velorush]

So, I've never been in Scottrade Center (St. Louis). Would the 31st row of Section A (the Lerxst side) of the floor be better, or row H of Section 117? I'm thinking Section 117 due to the angled seats, but what do I know? Section 117 seats are about $30 more each (and I'm buying two tickets). They also have row B of section 116 that look really nice and are only $5 more than section 117.

I've never sat (stood) on the floor (the tickets always got bought up before they got to any outlets around our tiny town). Concerts I've attended since being a grown up have been in smaller venues. This will be my first 'arena' show in a really long time.

[Steve Haynie]

Either the 31st Row in Section A or Row B in section 116 (about the same distance) would be better than Row H in 117 if you want to hear the show. If you want to see Alex Lifeson all night go with 117. My choice is always to go for the floor.

My friends are split on floor seats. Sometimes you get the 6'9" guy in front of you. The show is usually played toward the floor seats no matter whether the band tries to play to the sides every now and then.

[velorush]

I'm just trying to visualize the stage 31 rows back and having a hard time (6'9" guy in front, or not).

Of course, with all the screens and cameras, 31 rows back is probably about as good as the 20th row.

[DaveL]

I highly recommend stubhub, if the show has the option to "print tickets" it gives you

some major flexibility in buying just before the event, the benefit being, the seller doesn't

want to eat them and will price them to move... you just gotta be ready. A couple months

ago, I scored a pair of phillies spring training tickets for $8 a piece and sat in the second

row behing the dugout... I got em, the day before the game...

[velorush]

I was looking on Ticketnetwork. I had checked StubHub, but the prices (for worthwhile seats) were extremely high.

So their prices will come down as we get near the event date? They definitely have excellent seats (section B row 4! - but $883 ea.). Do you know how often they revise their pricing? So far, the cheapest seats they have are in the Plaza (Red Section, above) 104 for $158.88 each. The 31st Row Section A are cheaper than that on Ticketnetwork.

[Steve Haynie]

Of course, with all the screens and cameras, 31 rows back is probably about as good as the 20th row.

Do not pay for a ticket to watch a giant TV screen. The whole point of a live show is to see the band with your own eyes!

[hrtatak]

The Scottrade Center has good sight lines with no steel support beams blocking your view. I would go for the tickets in sections 116 or 117 myself. I just saw Van Halen there and was seated in section 103.

I forget where the walkway cuts thru between the 1st and 2nd sections on the floor. It seems like it is usually between rows 15 and 16, so row 31 will put you in the middle of the 2nd section on the floor. I won't do floor seats unless they are closer than row 20.

I have used Stubhub and had no problems but usually try to get tickets from Ticketmaster the day they go onsale.

[velorush]

YES!

Cygnus-X1.net posted yesterday Rush have decided to extend their North American tour... and they've added... NASHVILLE!

Got tickets (Lerxst's side of the stage, too!) for my daughter and me through the "fan club" presale.

Super stoked.

That is all!

[Thundernotes]

Never heard of VividSeats. Must be a new division of Vivid Entertainment

I saw Rush on the first night of this tour - great show.

[Turdus]

This is very cool that you are able to take your daughter. I caught them on the 2nd night of the tour. Although I was not blown away by the song selection.. what was cool for me was that my 15 year old son got to see them... plus the fact that I'd seen them 35 years ago, at roughly age 15... Back then my parents just dropped me off at concerts.

[Steve Haynie]

They were in Charlotte at the end of October. For this 2013 tour there are no dates any closer to me than Raleigh or Nashville. Aw, shucks.