Tour and ticket news, 5/28

It sure looks like the burning question--"will this summer's American Idols Live show be a hot ticket?"--has been answered with a quite resounding yes, indeed. An Australian news site called the smash-hit finale "a two-hour promotional video for [Idol's] next concert tour", and if the reports of shows selling out in under an hour are any indication, it was a pretty effective one.

(Bucky certainly sold a number of those tickets; his finale performance created a very sweet buzz, and his "Superstition" track on the Encores CD just racked up yet another favorable review. From the Houston Chronicle: "Bucky — as in country crooner and eighth-place finisher Covington — exudes confidence and charm during a rocked-up rendition of Stevie Wonder's Superstition. The aw-shucks cowboy's live performances were often marred by an incomprehensible delivery, but he cleans up nicely." [Thanks to Grace for the link.])

If you're one of the Bucky fans who missed the presales and you've grown tired of gazing at the red text on the "no tickets available" screen at Ticketmaster, here are some alternatives to a night at home with your mp3s...

Option 1: Persevere. There are probably still some seats available, even for "sold out" shows; the trick is to be there at Ticketmaster's site (or on the phone), when the inevitable declined-card and unclaimed promo tickets get thrown back into the pool. The only way to catch a fish is to be at the pond--so check Ticketmaster every morning from now until show date, and keep those weird-word typing fingers nimble. You could be in for a very pleasant surprise.

The upside: If you do get a ticket, it'll be at face value, so you can feel secure in the knowledge that your wallet has not been shredded to smithereens. (Whether "face value" plus Ticketmaster's "convenience/facility/oxygen" fees are a big bargain is another issue...)

The downside: The waiting game can be stressful, especially if you really, really want to be there (and if you're reading this blog, you probably fall into that category.) Also, sold out can sometimes truly mean sold out.

Option 2: Network. If you're not painfully shy, your social graces can be your ticket, quite literally. Got friends on the message boards? Bucky fans are some of the kindest people online--I speak from experience--and there's a definite spirit of "the more blue-clad Buckaneers at the shows, the merrier" out there. Don't be afraid to ask your online and offline friends to keep an eye out for a spare seat--and if you're lucky enough to have a ticket, return the favor. (Another sweet favor is to check Ticketmaster on behalf of fans in other towns--should a great seat pop up, email, PM or post, or just grab them and offer them to a fellow fan if you're feeling really generous. One good turn deserves another!)

The chances of ticket exchange threads popping up on message boards are very high; many who've upgraded to better seats are very happy to sell their old seats at face value or close to it. Look for fan-offered tickets to pop up as the show dates get closer. (If you're new to the exchange thing, here's a great example from last year's INXS boards.)

The upside: It's the sweetest way to get a seat--and perhaps make a friend or two along the way.

The downside: The luck factor, mainly--you'll still have to be in the right place at the right time.


Option 3: Spend the big bucks. This is where ticket brokers and eBay come in--and the some of the prices right now are not for the fainthearted. (Very nice seats, and if we win the lottery, perhaps we can share them...) If your pockets are especially deep, I'd say the best idea is to try...yep, Ticketmaster auctions first--they've apparently adopted an "if you can't beat the scalpers, join them" attitude, and a number of front row and second row seats are reserved for the highest bidder. Ticketmaster's auctions have two main advantages--first, you know for sure you'll get your tickets (we'll get to the big eBay risk factor in a moment); also, the venue, the promoters and the performers (meaning Bucky and the Idols, y'all) get a share of the extra proceeds.

Ticket brokers (Google link) have plenty to offer at the moment, but there's enough time before the tour starts to explore other options first, unless money's no object at all. I've never used their services, so I can't offer an opinion on which one's best. (If you have, please leave a comment...I'm curious!)

The third and slighly less expensive big-bucks option, eBay, is a decent last-minute source for seats--but be sure to play it as safe as possible. The site has a fairly rosy guide to buying tickets available for your perusal; I'd add that it's crucial to read your seller's feedback for reassurance (i.e. no complaints for non-delivery, counterfeit tickets, etc.) and never pay with a money order, personal check or cash, unless you're meeting at the venue and can examine the tickets in 3D. Your credit card's protection plan is a big help here, and eBay's PayPal payment system offers some buyer protection as well.

If you're buying tickets on eBay, hard tickets (the printed traditional type) are preferable to the TicketFast emailed kind; there were some reports of fake TicketFast U2 tickets last year. Having said all that, many, many people have gotten great Idol seats at surprisingly good prices on eBay--so be careful, but keep it in mind.

The upside: If you pay a king's ransom, you'll undoubtedly get incredible seats.

The downside: It's a wee bit pricey, isn't it?

Finally, there's the good old fashioned lucky way--win your seats! We found two contests right off the bat: one for Kentucky residents , and another in Pittsburgh; and we'll keep looking for more. Be sure to open your local pop radio stations' spam mails, too--and hit your Fox affiliate station's site. Tickets are being given away every day--why not have fun and grab a freebie?

Whichever way you get there, I'm hoping you get there. Bucky's first arena tour is something we've been dreaming about enjoying since we first saw him take the Idol stage in the semi-finals. It's going to be an amazing feeling, cheering him on in real life.

See you there!