I wanted to go see a concert tonight for the first time ever. The venue offered tickets online through ticketmaster (henceforth referred to as ticketbastard) with a note that any remaining tickets are available at the box office once the show starts. Checking their website more, I found that they sell tickets in-person during posted hours, so I figured I could just go buy a real ticket and avoid the ticketbastard garbage.
Two hours later I’m realizing that A) The in-person ticket is like 25% cheaper than if I bought it online B) It’s still through ticketbastard despite me showing up in person C) I can still only get in by getting a barcode through the fucking ticketbastard app. They have no web portal. D) They offer no refunds.
Why bother with big concerts? Unless you’re rich you’re sitting a half mile away watching them on a jumbo screen next to the stage. I prefer small stage venues. You can get close to the action and often talk to the band at the merch table. Go often enough and you’ll see familiar faces. Those are scene-sters that make the rounds and know the up and coming bands worth seeing, local bands too. You might even catch acts before they get big, everybody starts somewhere. Not everyone show is a winner but you won’t spend a week’s pay
I’m sorry to tell you but Ticketmaster controls many of the smaller venues as well.
Yep. Here the tickets for the smaller venues are often still Ticketmaster. I don’t do arena or stadium shows, ever. They have their fingers in everything.
Occasionally the tickets are sold through Eventbrite or the very small local ticketing alternative, and there are a couple who handle their own box office but more often than you think, it’s fucking Ticketmaster.
It’s more about the artist than the venue. Some artists don’t go to small venues if they’ve blown up too much
Not every concert is in a football stadium