Jump to content

A little perplexed with the sell out shows


Recommended Posts

I haven't been on the forum much, but I did a search to see if this has been discussed and couldn't find anything (granted my search skills may be shoddy from lack of). I've seen Wilco play about 8 X and Tweedy 3 X in the past couple of years and I've never had an issue getting tickets. When I missed the pre-sale for Charleston, I wouldn't settle for balcony seating and figured I'd find good seats on Cragislist close to the show date. That is not looking too promising. Balcony seats selling for over a $100 on ebay??? What the hell is going on? I guess those VW ads did the trick.... :angry

 

I guess I'm glad for the band.....

Link to post
Share on other sites
Where have you been?

 

In the good ole US. Did I miss the threads, or did I miss something else? I spend too much time on the computer at work, I'v e never really spent that much time on the forum.

Link to post
Share on other sites
In the good ole US. Did I miss the threads, or did I miss something else? I spend too much time on the computer at work, I'v e never really spent that much time on the forum.

Just messing with you. Wilco tickets have been getting harder and harder to get the last couple years, especially the last year, and this tour has hit a peak (quick sellouts, etc). Not sure how much can be attributed to the VW adds, but it's a reality.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Just messing with you. Wilco tickets have been getting harder and harder to get the last couple years, especially the last year, and this tour has hit a peak (quick sellouts, etc). Not sure how much can be attributed to the VW adds, but it's a reality.

 

I dunno. I saw them in Charlotte and Charlottesville last year and it was definitely not an issue. I bought tickets for Charlottesville at the door and drinking before the show, the locals were asking me who the hell Wilco was and they're playing 2 doors down.??? Something changed as of late. Probably the Grammys and SBS at Starbucks. I'm just mad I may miss the show!!

Link to post
Share on other sites

In my own personal experience here in Nashville, it was just as hard to get Ryman tickets two years ago as it was this year. In fact, I did a little better this time around. Same with Jeff solo -- tickets did not last long at all. Maybe Wilco is just more popular here, or perhaps it's the size of the venues Wilco/Jeff has played here (and it does seem that generally shows at the Ryman for most any band tend to go pretty quickly).

Link to post
Share on other sites

They've definitely have started to max out the venue size they've played for many years. It's not as big of an issue in the summer with lots of outdoor performances.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm glad someone else has brought this up. After getting totally psyched up to be back on the East Coast and see lots of shows, I got shut out of both presale and regular sale for DC and Philly and was totally shocked by (and too poor to pay) the prices people were asking on Craig's List and the rat-bastard Stub Hub. $100+ each for 9:30 club, $200-$500 a pair for Tower Theater??!! I had the same experience in the fall for Springsteen at the Verizon Center, when I was online the moment tickets went on sale only to get a "no longer available" message by the time I'd gotten to the "select the ticket level" stage of the buying process. Forget even getting TicketMaster's phone to ring.

 

Given the fact that Stub Hub was offering lots of tickets within minutes of the on-sale and folks were posting tickets for sale on Craig's List almost immediately, clearly lots of the traffic on the ticket sites was bots and people buying extras with the intention of reselling. I guess there's nothing to be done about the latter (public shaming? tarring and feathering?), but is when is someone (original ticket sale outlet? venue? band?) going to do something about the professional resellers? Is there even anything that could be done given the uneven anti-scalping laws? I guess it would be even worse to be the parent of a 'tween-aged Hannah Montana fan (NPR said people were re-selling those tickets for $2000 a pop!), but still, this fan is sad that it's getting so hard to get in to shows.

Link to post
Share on other sites
I guess it would be even worse to be the parent of a 'tween-aged Hannah Montana fan (NPR said people were re-selling those tickets for $2000 a pop!), but still, this fan is sad that it's getting so hard to get in to shows.

 

don't be so sure

 

i got my wife and daughter 15th-row tickets for hannah montana in philly for $400. great seats.

 

never dreamed i'd have trouble getting wilco tickets. i guess i missed the memo that they're popular. never did get a ticket for philly, but if bought one it would have been more expensive than hannah

 

wtf

 

hell, i saw wilco at the TLA in 1994 for $12

 

just weird

Link to post
Share on other sites
what's your point? you really think i'd lie about ticket prices?

 

i got 'em the day of the show from a broker after the price plummeted.

 

geeze

 

I think he playfully placed "wife" and "daughter" in quotes, suggesting that perhaps it was really you and a buddy who enjoyed the show.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I am also perplexed. Those of you saying that tickets have been tough to get the last year or 2... that hasn't been my experience until this tour. I saw Wilco September 1st and 2nd in Denver, general admission, and got tickets as easily as always. The same for Atlanta this past June when I was able to get my usual great reserved seats through the presale. I saw them several times in 2006 and had no trouble getting great seats. But for the Residency, I was shut out. When I switched my choice to Charleston, I was able to get the worst seats, literally, in the venue. I wonder if it this tours trouble was due to ticket brokers speculating. There sure were a hell of alot of tickets for all of the shows at various broker sites. "C'est la vie, say the old folks. It goes to show you never can tell".

Link to post
Share on other sites

The Lakewood,OH show was "sold out", but they were selling a few tickets at the door. I think there was another show this tour that released some tickets the day of the show, but I could be wrong. I haven't been shut out yet for a show, but I would rather not go than have Wilco start playing hockey arenas.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I don't post much on this board, but I was lucky enough to get the first nite for the 9:30 club, I was shut out of the second nite, and tried on VC to get someone to give up a pair, to no avail...I was lucky enough to have the right friend in town at the right time, and he made some calls and we were able to get in for the second nite...

 

the problem is playing the small indoor venues, too many people wanting to see them at these great theaters and such...summer tour? anyone got any rumors for the summer?

Link to post
Share on other sites

As people have mentioned, obviously, Wilco is more popular now, but I think another reason for the sold out shows is they are the 'hip new shows to go to'. I can't really prove it, but at least when I saw them in Millennium Park in Chicago, a good chunk of people there didn't know any songs, talked through the concert, played with their cell phones, or left three-quarters of the way through. These people were generally dressed up nicer that one should for a normal concert. I got the impression they were just there because they heard it was the place to be on 9/12 and had to the money.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...