RE: Ticketbastard

[Kurt Finchum <finchumk@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I've heard some horror stories about ticket sales being screwed up, but I've 
usually done OK.  The worst that happened to me was in 1990 when Clapton went 
onsale.   Apparently one site went onsale early while everyone else was still 
waiting, and everyone else ended up with crap seats.   Ticketmaster bought back 
our tickets and replaced them with 4th row on the side, with a clear view of 
Clapton's guitars.    

On another occasion in 1990, the newspaper announced that Billy Joel's Storm 
Front tour was going onsale on a Saturday.  And also Santana.  I drove to 
Ticketmaster on the Friday night before and asked how the Santana tickets would 
work.  The dude said "That was a misprint; Santana tickets are onsale NOW."   
As it turned out, not a single one had been sold and I ended up with front row 
center.   

For Robert and the BOJ in 2010, I have to thank this list.  When the tour dates 
were posted here, I clicked on the link and apparently tickets were already 
onsale and again nobody knew about it.  I ended up with 3rd row center.   It 
was *days* before there was any local announcement.   That was a strange one.  

Oh, and a few months ago I checked the website for a local arts venue on a 
daily basis because I knew the next season was going to be announced.  I knew 
the Basie band was going to appear, and as it turned out, the new schedule went 
onsale days before the schedules were mailed out, and I ended up with front row 
center for Count Basie.   That's this coming weekend, thank you very much.  

I'm sure I'll get screwed at some point, but there just aren't that many shows 
that I care about anymore.  Rush just went onsale today, but I don't want to 
pay $100 to see them.   I've seen them before, and they basically play the 
studio version of their tunes.   Great band, but I don't see what the live 
appeal is.  Apparently I'm not the only one.  There are still floor seats 
available 2 hours after they went onsale.