First things first--here's the link to PopTarts.com, where the presale password for the Pop Tarts Presents American Idols Live concerts is freely available. Actually, it's freely available here, too--it's CRAZYGOOD, all capitals, no spaces--but go to PopTarts.com anyway for the info on how to use it. And for heaven's sake, don't buy the password on [famous online auction site], y'all!And we're back! Thanks for being patient during our technical difficulties; at least there was a little news waiting for us. More tour dates, to be specific--the August 16th Indianapolis show is a new one, and there could be more additional shows in the works. (Bookmark that Fox page for the quickest updates, and congratulations, Indy folks!)
Funny thing is--at this point, there's no way of knowing exactly how hot a ticket the Season 5 tour will be. If you're reading (or writing) a blog called Buckymania, of course, the chances are pretty good that it'll be a hot ticket for us, but for the more general Idol fans, there are a number of factors that come into play--everything from the kid/teen appeal of the remaining contestants (will tickets be sold five at a time to families who adore Mandisa en masse, or will it be a date-night affair for Elliott-loving romantics?), ticket prices (a major factor--they're said to be much higher than previous years' Idol show seats), and gas prices. Not to mention the fact that despite the wishes of Cowell, Fuller and company, the Idol tour isn't the only sought-after concert event this summer...
No matter what's happening (or not happening) at the box office or the pump, one thing's for sure--the good Idol concert seats will always be a hot ticket. (Hey, we non-Bashgoers haven't seen Bucky on stage since mid-April--can you blame us for wanting to get as close as possible?) If you're lucky enough to have a friend who always seems to score great seats at face value, good on ya; if not, a little homework is in order.
The intrawebs are a great place for general concert-going info (and a few infomercial-style "secrets the brokers use!" cheesy sales pitches, as well--don't bother), and over the course of the next few weeks, I'll be sharing what I find out, online and off. (Yes, I have a selfish motive--I don't want to be all by myself, applauding for Bucky amidst a sea of glaring [fill-in-the-blank] fans. We need to be together up there,
Here's a terrific article written during the (apparently very stressful) U2 ticket rush last year. (You'll remember that the oft-quoted USA Today ticket article was also inspired by the difficulty of snagging decent U2 seats--kudos to those who were able to go, after all that work!) I'll quote his Ticketmaster-specific tips here:
Get there ahead of time: Don't be one of those people staring at a frozen Web page. Log onto the Web site at least five minutes before the sale to avoid the rush of competitors. Stay logged on and don't stray from the site until after the tickets are purchased (or not).
Don't be too eager to buy: It's not always wise to purchase the first tickets Ticketmaster offers. Refresh the Web page a few times to see if better seats are available. Sometimes the site will offer a seat in Row H when Row B isn't filled yet. (But when buying tickets for let's say, U2, pounce on the first thing available. It's better being in the nosebleeds than sitting in the bedroom listening to your iPod.)
Don't give up hope: When Ticketmaster claims that the "tickets are not available," don't automatically assume they're sold out. Oftentimes only a certain amount is sold at the beginning of the sale, and the rest is released over a period of time. The cause of this phenomenon is unknown, but presumably it is done to prevent an overloading in the beginning. Whatever the reason, the point is this: Come back and check once a day for those supposedly sold-out tickets, they just might resurface.
He goes on to mention the scalper and eBay options--with any luck, that won't be a pertinent section for you or me, but I'll be sure to address it as the shows sell out and the tour begins. (Edited to add a link to a good thread on the official boards; if you're a member there, bump it and see if anyone has anything new to say...)
And what should we expect from the show? I haven't been to an American Idols Live concert since way back in the days of old (i.e. the second season); there are a couple of reviews of the Season Four shows that looked pretty interesting. "Superstition" was performed by Anwar Robinson and Vonzell Solomon during last year's set, which may mean Bucky will get something else to sing as one of his solo numbers. (I like Bucky's version a lot, but after Stevie Wonder night, Regis, Ellen and the Encores CD, I'm up for something new live on stage.)
We'll definitely get more hints on what's in store as the TV season winds up and the concert season begins. Stay tuned!
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