Houston presale

[ashpkt]

Trying to buy concert tickets at The Woodlands Pavillion is a total scam. During the first 30-45min of the presale not once did a center section VIP seat come up. Not to mention that one broker already had over 24 tickets listed on eBay...13 of which were in center section.

 

I refuse to pay $300+ for side section seats...been there and they aren't that great. The Music Today presale wasn't much better. Guess I'll see what the public sale has to offer.

 

I'm totally bummed out on this. Thought for sure this would be the tour I would get up close.

 

 

P.S. For all those fans whom squat on tickets whist they try searching for better, all you are really doing is screwing someone else.

[rtrushfan]

I had trouble with the presale as well. Wouldn't let me get 4 tickets at the top price so I got 2 in the top price and 2 at the bottom price. Now I can get 4 tickets at the top price a couple of rows ahead of me. FML

[Dax]

I noticed that as well. Tried for 2 in the lower section, nothing but the extreme sides. Had to settle for upper section in the middle. Quite a scam.

[metaldad]

Yes they do

[skyswing]

We got tickets in an upper section. My wife did the searching and she sure wouldn't have sat on anything had she known it was impacting someone else. In fact, some of the pages timed out and she had to start over at one point.

I miss the days when you had to stand in line at the department store and get what they had available. Seemed more fair and certainly was cheaper.

So yes, pre-sales do suck.

[Mara]

We didn't have the VIP option here in Atlanta. I passed on everything that came up.

My husband told me tonight to just go for it on Friday and request single tickets to improve my chances of scoring a seat in the pit. He'll take a less desirable seat so I can be up close.

I him.

Edited April 28, 2010 by Mara

[CountFloyd]

The auction on ticketbastard was not to bad in 08 for Houston. Worth watching.

 

http://www.ticketmaster.com/auction/0C0044...ink=edp_auction

 

I went with 6 row out of the pit right section but seats close to the center section.

 

Citibank popped noting but the rear sections from the time gates opened.

[ashpkt]

I've come to the firm conclusion that there were very limited VIP tix released. I had a seat chart in hand and I circled every group that popped up. Seems to me that these early presales are nothing more than a way to generate a sense of urgency to ill-prepared fans who panic as they see their selections getting farther and farther away from stage/center.

 

So basically the venue still has in their hand good seats to release to the public. It's all a pretty sneeky way of off-loading tickets that might otherwise not sell.

 

I've got plenty of cash to spend on whatever seat I want but $500 and up per seat just gets ridiculous. Oh well, plenty of time to shop around now.

 

Anyone who picked up an extra pair while trying to upgrade please PM me and maybe I'll consider buying. Thx

[animateme]

QUOTE (ashpkt @ Apr 27 2010, 01:19 PM)

I refuse to pay $300+ for side section seats...been there and they aren't that great.

Same here, I was only getting either center-far-back or closer to the stage but on the side. I of course panicked and ended up getting the side seats. These are row N and are almost at the side-edge, 2 seats from the side-aisle.

 

askpkt - to you comment about having "been there and they aren't that great", would you say that these row 13(?) side seats are not good? Will I be getting a blocked view and maybe miss part of the back screens? Given that I am not that familiar with the Woodlands Pavillion I would appreciate your comments based on your previous experience so that I can decide if I should look for better tickets or settle with these. Thank you.

Edited April 28, 2010 by animateme

[Necromancer23]

QUOTE (ashpkt @ Apr 28 2010, 09:43 AM)

I've come to the firm conclusion that there were very limited VIP tix released. I had a seat chart in hand and I circled every group that popped up. Seems to me that these early presales are nothing more than a way to generate a sense of urgency to ill-prepared fans who panic as they see their selections getting farther and farther away from stage/center. So basically the venue still has in their hand good seats to release to the public. It's all a pretty sneeky way of off-loading tickets that might otherwise not sell.

I agree with these comments about the pre-sales. I think the pre-sales are a racket to sell mediocre, high priced tickets.

 

Obviously the biggest fans are going to be trying to buy through pre-sales first, thinking the best seats are going to be sold at this time. Obviously that isn't the case for the most part. I've only seen one guy here posting he got in the first 10 rows from the pre-sale. So most of these fans eagerly snap up all these mediocre tickets.

 

Then, when the public onsales come later, the less hardcore fans see better tickets available than the pre-sale and are therefore more inclined to buy than if only mediocre, expensive tickets were available.

 

The "best seats for the best dollars" philosophy has almost completely taken over these days, it's obvious.

 

Before the internet became a popular way of buying tickets, here in Canada (and probably the US too) the Ticketmaster retail outlets had a direct non-internet based connection to the main Ticketmaster computer. This main computer allocated the tickets instantly and in a more sophisticated fashion than the internet method does. For instance, you could even tell it "I want a seat in this particular section" and if it was available, it was yours. The retail PCs' connection was through a direct, fast, private network of some kind, probably the same type that banks used in those days and may still use today. Those retail outlet computers really did try and get you the very best tickets instantly, and there were usually lots of great tickets available at onsale time (even in the first few rows) although they always went VERY fast. If you weren't first in line or first in on the phone you simply wouldn't get great tickets. When those retail computers were used I personally was able to get top tickets in the first 5 rows for big shows like U2 or Rolling Stones by being first in line or getting first crack right at 10AM over the phone.

 

The internet has completely leveled the playing field for ticket buying, for better or worse. I was at a retail outlet last week for the Rush Toronto onsale and it was obvious the retail outlets' computers are now using the internet, not the private network any longer. I was first in line, yet even though I got first crack right at 10 on the dot, the first grab was about 70 rows back! I refused to buy them and let the other 2 guys in line buy next. We tried a few more times afterward with the retail PC to see what seats would come up. I wound up getting a single in section 118 row 24 at the ACC in Toronto which is the section right beside the stage. The guy third in line got a single 15th row floor after many tries. So these are pretty decent seats.

 

In the past lining up at the retail outlet and being first was the VERY BEST way to buy tickets. But there was no advantage at all to lining up at the retail outlet last week. I would have been far better off just trying to grab seats at home as I've done for years via the internet or phone. I've been able to get 14th row floor and 12th row floor several times (which is more like 2nd row at the far left at this venue) using the web for past Rush tours. Persistence is key here. As with today's retail outlet, experience has shown the best seats almost NEVER come up in the first 2 or 3 attempts through the internet. The best seats may come at 10:05 or 10:10 or even 10:15. By 10:25 the best seats always seem to be gone. You just have to keep trying and trying until then.

 

As to the guy who has a client who gets access to top tickets but refuses to divulge his methods, take it from someone like me who used to scalp and do really well at it: he's got an inside source somewhere who's getting paid off. It could be at Ticketmaster, or with a promoter, or even the venue itself. Almost all the old methods of getting top seats don't work anymore. I don't think paying off a retail outlet would be effective anymore. If it was the venue it would have to be a senior person, definitley not someone who works events in a 'line' capacity. I used to bartend at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto and we only had very limited access to tickets in advance of the public, and I don't think they were much (if any) better than what the public could get.

 

In a sense, I can understand why ticket prices in general have gotten so high and why all this scalping/auction stuff happens. The artists really don't have nearly as much money coming in from music sales with all the file sharing going on. Before file sharing happened you never saw Rush touring unless they had a new album out. Post-file sharing, we've seen several Rush tours where they had little or no new material to promote (eg. Feedback tour), and the S&A tour was their longest tour since Hemispheres with 113 shows total. This is no coincidence! Do you really think the boys wanted to do that many shows with mostly the same set list? Maybe they did when they were 25 years old and still trying to 'make it big'. But I doubt that's the case now! There would have to be some serious 'malignant narcicissm' happening for them to want to do that just for the sake of playing the same songs over and over and over again.

 

Twas funny, heard the following lyrics from Anthem while writing this:

 

Well, I know they've always told you

selfishness is wrong

Yet it was for me, not you, I

came to write this song

 

This seems pretty hypocritical in light of the $350 VIP packages and $500 seats.

[StanGetz]

The TM website and the recorded message when I called stated that the Houston show goes on sale Sat, 5/1. The Rush.com site says Fri, 4/30. Does anyone have any reliable info?

[CountFloyd]

pic of the venue

 

dot... dot . . . Geddy's side I am happy with this. Been at this venue a few times and these are not my dream seats but second best to me. Been in the pit.. its ok. I would have liked about 8th-10 row center.

 

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk131/Zissouz/Rush%202010/cwbetter.jpg

 

and 1 more

 

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk131/Zissouz/Rush%202010/cwbest.jpg

 

Perhaps this will help some to make choices on where they are willing to sit.

 

 

[ashpkt]

QUOTE (animateme @ Apr 28 2010, 10:47 AM)

QUOTE (ashpkt @ Apr 27 2010, 01:19 PM) I refuse to pay $300+ for side section seats...been there and they aren't that great. Same here, I was only getting either center-far-back or closer to the stage but on the side. I of course panicked and ended up getting the side seats. These are row N and are almost at the side-edge, 2 seats from the side-aisle.   askpkt - to you comment about having "been there and they aren't that great", would you say that these row 13(?) side seats are not good? Will I be getting a blocked view and maybe miss part of the back screens? Given that I am not that familiar with the Woodlands Pavillion I would appreciate your comments based on your previous experience so that I can decide if I should look for better tickets or settle with these. Thank you. I sat in 101 row R seat 11, 12 for 08 leg of S&A and took several pics. I'll try to dig them up and post so you have a better idea of the view.   If you haven't been to a show for a while then you will probably be perfectly happy just to see them. I tend to be picky so don't get too down based on my word alone. I will say that from this section you will have a chance to catch a t shirt from Alex.

[Dax]

QUOTE

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk131/Zissouz/Rush%202010/cwbest.jpg Perhaps this will help some to make choices on where they are willing to sit.

Thanks for the photos, i'm in row F in the section the photographer is in next to the center aisle. Gives me an idea of what it'll be like.

[animateme]

QUOTE (ashpkt @ Apr 29 2010, 07:20 AM)

QUOTE (animateme @ Apr 28 2010, 11:47 AM) askpkt - to you comment about having "been there and they aren't that great", would you say that these row 13(?) side seats are not good?  Will I be getting a blocked view and maybe miss part of the back screens?  Given that I am not that familiar with the Woodlands Pavillion I would appreciate your comments based on your previous experience so that I can decide if I should look for better tickets or settle with these.  Thank you. I sat in 101 row R seat 11, 12 for 08 leg of S&A and took several pics. I'll try to dig them up and post so you have a better idea of the view. Thank you very much ashpkt, if you are able to post those pictures it would be great. I surely would appreciate it to get an idea of the view.

[CountFloyd]

The pit is great, but... for me that first or second row out of the pit in the center section would be awesome. I honestly would buy that over the pit this time. Reason is.. yes it was cool as hell to be so close to Geddy, but...I know that I missed an aspect of the overall show viewpoint wise that I would have experienced at about 8th row center.

 

Thats just me now a days.

[ashpkt]

QUOTE (CountFloyd @ Apr 27 2010, 11:10 PM)

The auction on ticketbastard was not to bad in 08 for Houston. Worth watching. http://www.ticketmaster.com/auction/0C0044...ink=edp_auction I went with 6 row out of the pit right section but seats close to the center section. Citibank popped noting but the rear sections from the time gates opened.

So much for the auction; I just got bumped off the board. The Houston auction just officially got ridiculous.

 

Don't these idiots realize there are 4 days left in the auction?!?!?!

[skyswing]

QUOTE (Dax @ Apr 29 2010, 07:24 AM)

QUOTE http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk131/Zissouz/Rush%202010/cwbest.jpg Perhaps this will help some to make choices on where they are willing to sit. Thanks for the photos, i'm in row F in the section the photographer is in next to the center aisle. Gives me an idea of what it'll be like. It looks like our seats are to the right of the photographer (he's looking at and possibly (sigh) in the way of the Geddy-side support. Might look at some way to trade up, or maybe we'll just deal.

[CountFloyd]

I agree with this statement from another thread:

http://www.therushforum.com/index.php?showtopic=55145

 

QUOTE

I'm an audio engineer and used to mix FOH for a living. While being up close(1st several rows) puts you closer to the artist, it also puts you in a hole in the sound between what's actually coming off the stage(which often sounds horrible) and what's coming off the main speaker stacks. In other words, the sound usually blows there, especially for someone like me that HATES bad sound. Then of course as someone else said, you don't get the full effect of the light show either. And that is why I prefer being about a dozen rows back. For the Boston show, I am sitting 13th row center.

 

He is correct about the sound and light show.

 

Really the only place I would hate to be at this venue is on the lawn... it is wayyyy back + I have seen the lawn empty fast if good rain comes on.

[ashpkt]

QUOTE (animateme @ Apr 29 2010, 10:31 AM)

Thank you very much ashpkt, if you are able to post those pictures it would be great.  I surely would appreciate it to get an idea of the view.

1st pic is without zoom. The others have some zoom. As you can see, only 2 of the 3 screens are visible from center of row R in sect 101. You can see, just not the whole stage. Another issue I have is the priximity to the stage left speaker tower. It's not that it was too loud, it's that you here it on your left and not so much on your right but, that's to be expected I guess.

 

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg61/ashpkt/IMG_0002.jpg

 

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg61/ashpkt/IMG_0008.jpg

 

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg61/ashpkt/IMG_0030.jpg

 

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg61/ashpkt/IMG_0075.jpg

[animateme]

QUOTE (ashpkt @ Apr 30 2010, 11:33 AM)

QUOTE (animateme @ Apr 29 2010, 10:31 AM) Thank you very much ashpkt, if you are able to post those pictures it would be great.  I surely would appreciate it to get an idea of the view. 1st pic is without zoom. The others have some zoom. As you can see, only 2 of the 3 screens are visible from center of row R in sect 101. You can see, just not the whole stage. Another issue I have is the priximity to the stage left speaker tower. It's not that it was too loud, it's that you here it on your left and not so much on your right but, that's to be expected I guess.   Thank you for posting the pictures ashpkt. This certainly helps me to get a good idea of what to expect from the seats I got which are 3 rows ahead of from where you took these pictures. I just might try to get other tickets that are more towards the center, even if they are further back.   Anyone interested in these 2 Section 101, row N tickets? Thanks.

Edited April 30, 2010 by animateme