Elton John: Anyone manage to get tickets?

I was up and ready at my computer Monday morning when tickets went on sale for Sir Elton’s upcoming Duluth performance on May 6. Unfortunately,  after much ‘refreshing’ and ‘searching’ I did not secure tickets for my wife and I. Looks like tickets are readily available for a much larger price on Stubhub; not sure if I’m willing to drop that much cash though.

Anyone else have a similar experience, or were you able to land tickets?

61 Comments

Lojasmo

about 13 years ago

I know a facebook friend (family friend) and frequent commenter here, got some.

Max Caven

about 13 years ago

I got some online without any problems.

Need

about 13 years ago

Floor seats! Thanks Ticketmaster. And quick Mac computer. Also, thanks to Corey for sending me the text message which reminded me to buy tickets. I'll take offers, of course.

Barrett Chase

about 13 years ago

LCD Soundsystem discovered the problem with scalpers buying up tickets just last week when even friends and family of the band couldn't get tickets for their farewell show at Madison Square Garden. They responded by adding four more farewell shows, hoping "to deflate the market for those scalping scumfucks."

ParkpointAl

about 13 years ago

Pretty much the same experience.  Logged on by 10:15, but came up empty.

Bruce

about 13 years ago

So I went online to "Ticketmaster Dot Com" - to buy 3 tickets at 10:00 a.m. but I couldn't get any. You couldn't buy 1 or 2 or 3 tickets to Elton John via the net even at 10:05 a.m. - and I have a high speed cable connection.

But as I looked online at ticket resale organizations like "gotthetix.com" or "ticketliquidator.com" or "arenaduluth.com" I quickly realized that they had tickets on the main floor that regularly would have sold for $127 plus tax/fees now on sale from $480.00 per seat to $820.00 per seat.

Disappointed, but I've seen him a couple times before and he is good!

Dan

about 13 years ago

Was logged in and ready to go before 10 am and had absolutely no luck. Tried for over an hour. Ticketmaster can suck it.

Marian

about 13 years ago

I have a friend who went to the DECC at 8:30 and couldn't get tickets- sold out by 10:45.  Apparently there was no advantage to actually being at the ticket window at the DECC as the sales people there were trying to get through to Ticketmaster on the same phone and computer lines as everyone else- RIDICULOUS.   Shouldn't there have been some tickets set aside for Duluth folks who were able to go to the DECC and wait in line?  I HATE Ticketmaster--

girlfromnorthcountry

about 13 years ago

Everyone hates ticketmaster but that's the only ticket company the DECC/Amsoil will go through.  If you organize an event at the DECC you must use ticketmaster, and your patrons will incur the fee.  It's ridiculous.

Tyler

about 13 years ago

My girlfriend was refreshing ticketmaster even before 10, and no luck. That LCD Soundsystem fiasco was a warning for this one. Legalized scalping represents all that is soulless in our society. The tickets were going to be for my mom, who's wanted to see EJ since she was a teenager, but since I'm not an investment banker or a neurosurgeon, I can't afford the scalpers' price. If there are any scalpers or mothers of scalpers reading this, I sincerely hope you go to hell. And I don't even believe in hell. I would alter my entire belief system if I knew scalpers were going to hell.

digit3

about 13 years ago

Hey "Need," it's your connection speed, luck, and perhaps manual dexterity that might have helped you score tix. Has nothing to do with the brand, OS, or operating speed of your computer. Just sayin'.

Bruce

about 13 years ago

According to the Duluth News Tribune this morning, only "300" tickets were sold at the DECC?  

Seating for 7.500 - so that means that approximately 7,100 were bought up by others online or resellers?

That's nuts. Locals got nothing to speak of.

hunter

about 13 years ago

How is the decc for sound? Sport buildings for music are usually my least favorite shows...

Need

about 13 years ago

Looks like tix are still available for his next nearest show April 6th in Bismark ND. That's why they sold so quickly. Only Midwest show. Obviously not just Locals wanted them tickets.

Bruce

about 13 years ago

The people that wanted them, were the "ticket resellers" so they could "profit" off of them.

Ginger

about 13 years ago

My co-workers got 4 tickets online at about 10:30am thru ticketmaster. Not sure what made them so lucky...

adam

about 13 years ago

Hey, anyone lend me, like, $50,000 over weekend? Totally pay you back by — goddamnit..

Best old advice used to be: spam call out-of-area TicketBastard number until tele rep said tix were on sale; cute voice could get you mid-process a minute or two early.

nodnetni

about 13 years ago

I hate Ticketmaster and I hate that scalping is legal. Whats the point in the Band/Performance/Sport/etc setting a price for the tickets? They set a good price so everybody that wants to can attend, then d-bag scalpers jack up the prices to the point where only the elite can go.

Bruce

about 13 years ago

nodnetni, I agree 100%.

Somebody in St. Paul should take a look at the "scalping law" and repeal.

Marian

about 13 years ago

I also agree about repealing the scalping law. It just seems to wrong. Another point to be made is that we taxpayers helped build the Amsoil arena so shouldn't we get some benefit as far as access to tickets goes?  There's no reason why Ticketmaster should have 100% control of a concert in a public arena.

Bruce

about 13 years ago

Marian, that is a very good point. I really don't understand (unless the performer has some control/contractual) why the DECC/Amsoil does not use the local ticket office to sell the tickets. You can buy the ticket cheaper at the DECC/Amsoil facility without all those "Ticketmaster" fees.

It's a public facility (probably tax exempt entity) and to have someone "gouge" the public with ticket prices 5 and 6 times greater than face value just stinks of profiteering.

Shane

about 13 years ago

Crap, I feel like an idiot. I could have gotten tickets, but decided not to. I was online at 10:04 and got 2 on the main floor left, row 15 I think.  I wanted center seats and was not too buzzed about the $285 price. That could buy a lot of beer at Homegrown. Had I know out of town scalpers would buy most of the seats, I would have bought them and resold them to some local person for what I paid for them.
Perhaps another show might happen.

Henry Jenkins

about 13 years ago

^Traitors! 

Homegrown > Elton John.

Need

about 13 years ago

Levon likes his money.

wildgoose

about 13 years ago

I'm mad about ticketmaster.  I didn't know if I was going to go to this show or not, but I would have at least liked the option of going.  Or better put, I would have liked to be competing for tickets with people who were actually buying their own tickets to go to the show themselves and not scalping profiteers.  As far as I know I have been p.o'd about Ticketmaster for over 20 years now.  And it seems to keep getting worse with bots and scalping programs.  

One time about 10 years ago, I think it was when Aerosmith was coming here, I got contracted as a DJ to do the whole "camping out for tickets" thing.  The radio station that was co-promoting the show was making it a sort of festival atmosphere and it was.  All until the ticket windows opened and a lot of the people who were there on site, cash/credit card in hand could not buy tickets because it sold out so fast.  

Now, as citizens, we own the Arena/DECC, do citizens have some say in who they contract with for tickets, or is the TM hold too powerful to buck.  I know Pearl Jam tried in the 90s and had some good luck but ultimately had to give in once or twice.  

--

Henry, -silver lining- I'm wondering if EJ might boost Homegrown sales, though.  Kinda in a blues fest sorta way, a lot of people coming in from out of town and they're gonna want to do something after the show. Sure there are cultural differences but at some point most true music lovers love all different kinds of good music.  Don't we?

Marian

about 13 years ago

Can we collectively take any action as citizens of Duluth and tax payers in the state of MN to voice our dissatisfaction?  Who would we contact? Someone at the DECC/Amsoil Arena?  Please weigh in if you know who the proper contact would be--Maybe there's a chance that we could see this doesn't happen again with the next big concert-- or am I being totally naive?

krlars2

about 13 years ago

Do people really have $800/ticket to spend on floor seats via a broker?  I can think of much better things to do with the $1600 my husband I would spend on a couple of hours of entertainment, not including parking lol.  I can't think of anyone in Duluth that would spend that much.  Do people fly in to do this?

adam

about 13 years ago

Homegrown boosts EJ sales.

Claire

about 13 years ago

I was lucky enough to score two tix on the main floor. I got onto TM by 10 am and just refreshed and refreshed the page on my lightning fast Mac laptop until I was able to get in -- by like 10:05. Wish I'd bought up to six now, so I could have resold them to friends who got shut out. I have a lot of disappointed friends who didn't get lucky. 

I used to buy my concert tickets at ticket outlets, but now only buy online since I went to the DECC to buy tickets and their line snaked all the way around the building. Ran to my office downtown, jumped on my computer, and had two tickets within minutes. Taught me not to even bother standing in line, even though it's a blast hanging out with other fans.

Maybe they should just go back to selling tickets at outlets so these scalpers in far away places can't fuck over people by buying up masses of tickets online. The current system totally sucks.

woodtick

about 13 years ago

Master of Tickets, Friend of No One

Marian

about 13 years ago

Love the humor in this string-- it's a dismal situation but laughter helps!!

Claire

about 13 years ago

I forgot to mention in my last comment (above), the last time I tried to score tickets in person at the DECC was for Cher. I knew it'd be even crazier there for Elton John.

speechie

about 13 years ago

I did get tickets for Elton, but it took two tries and manipulating ticket options to get through. This comes on the shirttails of my NOT getting tickets for Adele at First Ave. Those went on sale last week, I was ready, online, logged in, and couldn't get them despite their being available for 3x their value on scalper sites. I even was on the phone and through the system within five minutes of sale time. It's absolute BS.

Bruce

about 13 years ago

So, how does all of this get conveyed to the DECC/Amsoil?

Jamie

about 13 years ago

I was online & ready to purchase the moment they went on sale, and had absolutely no luck whatsoever. Really disappointing, as I've been to countless concerts and never once have I set out to get tickets & been unsuccessful! I know of one person who got a pair right away, and another person who was able to purchase 4 at 10:30 or so. Lucky bums... Fortunately I've seen him before - one of the best shows I've attended!

Also, the tickets on the ticket broker sites are usually not "guaranteed." Oftentimes the only bad part of the experience with a broker is being grossly over-charged, but I know of several instances where tickets acquired from a ticket broker have not been honored at the event. So buyer beware...

Bruce

about 13 years ago

These "brokers" wouldn't be in business - if their "tickets" were bad, or fraudulent.

They've been in existence for years on the internet.

Dan

about 13 years ago

There should be a 24 hour waiting period for online ticket sales for any event. Let the ticket offices sell them first, then online.

Claire

about 13 years ago

I like the idea of selling tickets online, but you have to pick them up the day of (OK, day before too) and show id and credit card. After all, I've bought tickets online for shows in NYC and NJ -- but I have to be there for the show, right?

ruby2sd4y

about 13 years ago

F.in.A.
I can't believe so many are crying over missing seeing a has-been @ such exorbitant prices. Yes, I've seen him a few times years ago *late 70's-early 80's* when concert prices were more proportionate, and luckily I didn't pay. Yes he was entertaining then, but not at the overpriced tickets now.

Just wait, in a few years he'll be at the Hinckley Casino, then downtown like Eddie Money for free, like all big acts whose venue performances grow smaller and smaller.

Seriously,
Once was enough.

It does suck that the online presences have gobbled up tix that the locals should/could have had, but, that's life/free enterprise/business/the net for ya. Note how sympathetic DECC people were. NOT! They don't care as long as they get their money. If they did, (especially for this first seemingly huge event) they could have set aside blocks of tix for locals - perhaps even only selling off the suck area (nose bleed/obscured view) tickets to the entities, knowing that the good tickets would surely be sold to appreciative and 'deserving' locals. This would have also served to bring locals back for future events. Now, what motivation is there for locals to attend future events, knowing how suck-ass this turned out for them after their efforts. Does the DECC care about locals, obviously not, it's all about the dollar. Embrace your new arena. <3 *gag*

There are so many better newer bands that could come to Duluth, and the prices would (maybe) be much more reasonable for all, but they still probably won't come, for whatever reasons - that or the promoters have such a small minded approach as to what is good/popular, and what will draw in their pickings, so as to not even pursue them or have a clue.

It cracks me up how excited that people are getting about this overall, and also that the bands coming/being sought out are so...well, passé.

Chalk it up to Duluth being years behind the times as always, and not really being 'for' her people.

Arch Stanton

about 13 years ago

If Black Sabbath was opening the show and it was '74 I might think about it, otherwise I lack the talent to rediscover the euphoric feelings these songs gave me 30 years ago.  Creedence still turns me on though.

Paul Lundgren

about 13 years ago

So, how many tickets are really out there on the Internet at jacked up prices? Just because you can find 50 doesn't mean there are 2,000. 

Based on the number of people in town complaining that they couldn't get tickets, and the number of people who actually did, it's probably safe to say there was ridiculous demand for this show. 

I don't know where this notion comes from that people at the DECC must be heartless because it was hard to get tickets for a show. I've found the people at the DECC to be 100 percent nice.

But there was definitely something weird going on with Ticketmaster, because a lot of potential online buyers were informed tickets were not available at 10:01, while other people were buying them 20 minutes later. 

Bruce

about 13 years ago

Paul, I think the DNT said they sold "300" tickets the first morning.

Paul Lundgren

about 13 years ago

The DNT reported the DECC only sold 300 tickets at its ticket office. That doesn't mean the rest were gobbled up by scalpers; it means the rest were sold via Ticketmaster to a mix of legitimate buyers and to scalpers. The number 300 doesn't tell us anything about how many scalpers got tickets.

TimK

about 13 years ago

"Chalk it up to Duluth being years behind the times as always, and not really being 'for' her people." Not sure how I feel about this statement, Ruby2sd4y.

Claire

about 13 years ago

I found it disturbing reading that the DECC people were using the same phone numbers and website as consumers were, that there weren't dedicated phone lines or a dedicated site for the venue to sell tickets to people in person.

Barrett Chase

about 13 years ago

Claire, what's the source of that information? It has the smell of unfounded rumor about it.

Barrett Chase

about 13 years ago

@Paul: "So, how many tickets are really out there on the Internet at jacked up prices?"

In less than five minutes, I was able to find over 500. I stopped counting, but it seemed like there were many more than that available.

Marian

about 13 years ago

I spoke with Linda at the DECC yesterday.  She is in the Ticket office.  She told me that Ticketmaster is the software program they use and so, except for about 300 tickets which were set aside for people who came to the box office, the ticket window people were competing with the people who were on line and also on the phone.  Linda told me she feels very badly that so few people who came to the DECC actually walked away with tickets.  I suggested that setting aside a larger number of tickets for local people would be a help (as someone earlier mentioned.) I had quite a long conversation with her and she was very nice and definitely concerned about the scalpers.  According to her, since scalping was made legal 3 years ago, there's nothing much they can do.  I don't know what the answer is -- it's a very complicated  situation but I think the DECC should begin with setting aside a bigger block of tickets.

Claire

about 13 years ago

Thanks Marian. I thought I'd read it in the DNT article, I know someone was complaining about it. Glad you got the scoop from the horse's mouth.

Gary

about 13 years ago

@Claire, I don't think Linda would like you calling her a horse...

Craig S.

about 13 years ago

The largest "secondary"  (scalper) ticket seller in the world is ticketsnow.com, owned by Ticketmaster. 

Scalpers (secondaries) use bots to buy tickets and can scoop hundreds of ticket in seconds. Their software is much savvier than any high-speed connection or brand of computer. 

Springsteen had some issues with TM in a similar circumstance:

Ticketmaster and TicketsNow Settle FTC Charges of Deceptive Sales Tactics

Arch Stanton

about 13 years ago

For me, good rock and roll blossoms from the wellspring of hunger.  My last image of Elton was of him returning from a shopping spree with Ozzy's kids and Ozzy was like, 'Elton, you shouldn't have!"   I revel in every dollar I haven't given to ThicketMaster in over 20 years. Domesticated fuddy duddies aside,  Big Top Chautauqua/Homegrown are WickedMaster free. I don't think anyone likes being bullied, but some are willing to pay the cost to show their shorts to the boss. I would still name my hound dog after Elton though.

John

about 13 years ago

I thought that was a very good read, Craig.  I have always been cautious of ticket brokers because of reasons like that.  I had a sketchy issue one time and have never looked into doing it again.  I work in the self-service ticketing industry and hope to never get the reputation of these large online brokerages.

Either way this concert would be kickass to attend.

Peace,

John
Sell Tickets Online - http://www.ticketbud.com

Craig S.

about 13 years ago

Thanks John,

Ticketing is a pretty f'd up business. I think the good news is twofold: the DECC is blowing off TM as soon as their contract expires. Secondly, companies like yours, eventbrite, ticketfly and ticketleap make TM moot. They offer great service w/o all of those silly fees. Why should a ticket buyer pay upwards of 50% premium to go to a concert? The band doesn't see the money, nor the promoter, all in TM's pocket.

Paul Lundgren

about 13 years ago

First Avenue is dropping Ticketmaster effective April 1 -- unless it's an April Fools Day joke (which would not be funny at all).

First Avenue parting ways with Ticketmaster

Some of you might recall that I certainly made my feelings on the subject quite clear in 2009.

chadp

about 13 years ago

The MN legislature apparently has a bill to deal with this very issue.    

Ticket scalpers are bending legislators' ears

Claire

about 13 years ago

I'd like to know how legislators vote on that bill, chadp -- and who introduced it anyway? Outrageous if it passes.

David

about 13 years ago

The bill was introduced to legislators by scalpers (stubhub and ticketnetwork). I can assure you, that the issue of you not being able to buy tickets is not an issue with Ticketmaster. It is an issue with ticket scalpers who utilize computer bot programs to purchase all the great seats for concerts. They then resell them to you, the fan, for a LOT of money. If Elton's management had authorized the use of Ticketmaster's paperless, non-transferable tickets, I would surmise that you could probably still get tickets today at face value through Ticketmaster. You should contact Senator Gerlach to voice your concern as to why he is siding with ticket scalpers on this issue and trying to make it illegal for this fan friendly technology to exist ([email protected])

Claire

about 13 years ago

More than 40 tickets still available on EBay and almost 50 tickets still available on StubHub for tonight's concert. I hope the scalpers take a bath, and this kind of thing doesn't happen in Duluth in the future.

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