jj — You need a friend who lives in Orlando who will pick up the tix for you from the Hard Rock Live box office. Good luck!

MoneyWhereYourMouthIs — Neither the fans nor the bands will be able to stop themselves from dealing with these big arenas. What’s the alternative? At this point, there is none. That’s a big problem and I don’t see an answer at this point. The bands can’t not tour, especially now with album sales plummeting, and the fans can’t not go to their favorite band’s show. (Well, I can’t not go, anyway.) Smaller shows are better, I agree, but that makes for the inevitable numerous fans who get shut out.
And plenty of us who actually convsider ourselves music fans see PLENTY of shows at smaller venues. It’s the more casual listeners you find going to the bigger venues.

Yes, I agree that we need to get on the case. In fact, after I wrote my rant, my editor and I discussed digging deeper into the matter, and I’m already on the case — stay tuned.

Daniel — I miss cheap gen admission tickets, too! The more expensive tix wouldnt be so bad if the service charges didn’t bump up the price so dang much.

It’s time someone took these cunts to task.

These are so many issues. I know it gets laughed off, but there is a serious class action lawsuit written all over this conglomerate.

As for Joe Bardi, this short posting from the Leftstez Blog sheds a lot of light on the issue.

If CL really wants to do something about this issue, which will really help music fans (particularly during these “trying” economic times), then why not take it up as a cause?

Whining on a blog is one thing.
Writing a series of articles about TicketBastard’s nasty tactics, and the ways that readers can combat them, is a lot more meaningful.

And why not use CL’s collective reach to have some real impact – enlist the other CL newspapers around the country to join you in beating back TicketBastard.

It would be a lot more helpful than, you know, snarky one-paragraph “previews” of bands you hate.

Step 2 (because wimpy bands will be too scared of financial loss to buck TicketBastard): Fans need to STOP going to big arena shows where TicketBastard is on board for ticketing.

Yes, it will hurt in the short run. But suffering financially is the only way that bands and venues are going to get off their TicketMaster addiction. In the long run, everyone will win.

So will bands have the courage to stop? Will fans?

(and generally speaking, the smaller shows are far better and less predictable than shows at the Ford Amphitheater or St. Pete Times Forum. Spend your money at the smaller venues. You’ll see more shows, and hear better music.)

the day they go bankrupt i will dance a jig.

and now since you have brought to light the amount of money for those modest mouse tickets, i am starting to get to be on the fence.