Share your concert ticket scoring secrets...

Thinking of going to catch Dylan this weekend as a single. Lately, instead of getting tickets in advance, I try to wait as close to showtime as possible, and find a ticket on Craigs list or Stubhub. On the latter, the tickets definitely depreciate as show time nears. Go to see Ben Folds/Elvis Costello with the LA Phil recently, great seats for $40. And the last time I saw Dylan (the Americana Tour with Wilco and My Morning Jacket), I got sixth row for a ridiculous price.

Does anyone have any good tips to share on getting tickets? Also wondering if anyone has insight on what the Box Office does with scattered singles once the show gets close to starting?

 

here is the only way I know how to get good tickets anymore, especially in LA.......dont even bother with the opening day sales, just buy them from a broker or on carigs list at a ridiculous price and get the exact seat you want. Is it fair? NO WAY!!!! does it suck to high heaven, and is it a sign of rampant greed and corruption, like everything else seemingly these days? YES OF COURSE!

I paid 5 times the face value for a sold out show at the Troubadour and about twice face value for Plant's recent sold out show here...... and those were both general admission. had they been assigned it would have been more

 

5x face for GA tickets?!! What artists are leaving that much money on the table, booking into venues where the demand exceeds supply by that much?

 

Stumbling through the parking lot with my finger in the air, whilst declaring "I need a miracle!"

 

"Fan Club" pre-sales. I've done really, really well with fan club tickets for Petty, Allman Bros., Mellencamp, Rush, Opeth and quite a few others.

Amex and other pre-sales are worthless, but the fan clubs seem to actually block out some very nice seats.

 

Rival Sons, but 5X was just what I was willing to pay. I am no cheapskate and if I want it I will lay the money down, no questions asked. Other tickets may have been out there cheaper but I like to be one and done. It was sold out early and tickets were scarce and ONLY available intermittently on craigslist....like 2 a week. no need to screw around, so I threw out a high offer to secure.

 

Pretty sure they try to sell them. Last minute discount tickets would just result in more people waiting to the last minute so they sell them or eat them.

 

My buddy and I got inspired to see the Beach Boys 50th Anniversary tour four days before the show at a big place with regular seating and lawn tickets beyond that. We checked ..lawn seats only, so we passed.
My friend calls me at midnight on Saturday/Sunday the day of the show and says he can get 7th row center through normal ticket channels for face value..60 bucks each or something. Yes, says I.

As promised, there we are, 7th row dead center. We assume they were holding back the "meet and greet package" seats that were hundreds of dollars but not all the meet and greet seats got sold, so they release them for us commoners close to show time.

So, we are sitting right with the people that paid hundreds for their seats , but we didn't get a quick picture snap with the "boys" or the "must have" Beach Boys tote bag or whatever useless items that got thrown in. Somehow, the concert was just as good without those things.

The moral of the story is...call or go online or whatever my friend did close to the time of the show and you might get lucky.

 

I've done pretty well using the ticket master and Live Nation apps.

 

I don't have to pay a ridiculous price to get great seats. If you read my OP, I do just fine at the last minute. When Prince played the Forum for 20 nights a few years ago, I was able to use the LiveNation app to score the $225 VIP seats for $25. I went four times, each time closer than the next (the fact that there were amazing guest stars like Stevie Wonder, Sheila E, Gwen Steffani, etc.)

LOL. Yes, I know they try to sell them. I didn't assume they were giving them away. Wondering if they typically discount them, or just eat what they can't sell at cover price?

 

This is a good method. Kate Bush fans got those golden tickets by subscribing to her fan club via email. I got to see Damon Albarn play in a tiny venue this way.

 

Guessing Prince. He's done after shows at the Troubadour. Capacity is less than 400 there. But it's classic LA club, big acts don't generally play there for the cash.

 

I knew I'd seen you before.

 

I should have titled the thread "...Cheap Concert Ticket Secrets..."

When money is not an object, as shinedaddy said, it's easy to get whatever seat you want.

 

Depends on the artist/promoter/venue contracts, I would imagine.

Haven't seen any last-minute discounts at the box office myself. If there's just a few tix left, they probably take their chances & try to sell 'em at full price. If there's more than a few, just days before the show? Hello, Living Social...

 

Ticketmaster and all the normal outlets don't always send presale codes although they say they will, so sometimes I've been able to figure out a presale code by using parts of the tour name, the act name, etc.

I've done OK figuring them out and being able to do a presale days or even a week before a public sale.

Otherwise, signing up for that act's email list will net you presale codes for the VIP tickets, regular presale, etc.

 

Yep, exactly. That's how I got $225 VIP seats for Prince four different nights for $25 each.

 

Become a fan of unpopular, uncelebrated acts that play in small clubs in out of the way bohunk towns. It's worked for me.

 

Actually, I can't think of any show in the past 40 years (yikes) where I paid more than face value when I went by myself. Of course, when I had one or two people with me, that was a different $tory.

 

I always enjoyed the spirit of kindness in the Dead crowd. I gave away several miracles, and I received a few myself. Nice...

 

1970s - 1980s - camp out at the venue overnight - get front 3 rows, or gen admission - camp out day of the show and run fast

late 1990s have a friend who works at ticketbastard or log in the split second a show goes on sale

early 2000s wait for nice slightly more expensive tickets to show up on stub hub - before stub hub went crazy price wise

2010s - dip into children's college fund to get mediocre tickets or try to buy singles the day of the show

most special presales now are bogus - they just want to fill the middle to the back of the hall
try to get good seats at the show sale time online and if you don't look for plan b - last minute or a dip at the snub hub or similar site

 

Not Prince...I had said it was the Rival Sons above your guess. Thats the band I paid so much for, one of many

 

I usually roll the dice right when they go on sale. If they aren't to my liking I just pass on the show. Most shows are ridiculously over priced these days anyway. Plus, depending on the show, I'm certain tickets for the first so many rows are held back for VIP package deals and radio giveaways anymore.

 

That's why you need to read posts # 8 and # 10 .

 

In Maine & NH, venue presales have been working for me. Usually row 15 or better.