From: owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org (LuckyTown Digest) To: luckytown-digest@luckytown.org Subject: LuckyTown Digest V9 #41 Reply-To: luckytown@luckytown.org Sender: owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org Errors-To: owner-luckytown-digest@luckytown.org Precedence: bulk LuckyTown Digest Friday, July 19 2002 Volume 09 : Number 041 NOTE: Sale/trade posts should be emailed to luckytown-ads, *NOT* to luckytown. That includes tix wanted/tix grovels, post them to luckytown-ads, please. Contents: One thing to remember about GA ["Matt Kelley (OLG)" ] RE: LuckyTown Digest V9 #40 [Clark Rector ] Comments on Ticket Buying Experiences [Jim Genuardi ] ASBURY PARK MUSICAL PROGRAM ["Deborah Robinson" ] GA [JerzykB@aol.com] Lyrics v Music, and Sept. 11 too ["Rob Carnachan" ] The GA system ["Magnus Lauglo" ] Convention Center show [RichPghFan@aol.com] Seriously ill fan hoipin' for a miracle... [Tom Ucko Subject: One thing to remember about GA Greetings all, It might be worth reminding everyone that just the FLOOR of this tour is general admission -- people boycotting shows because of this should just buy tickets in the seated area; it's not that hard (in fact, it's a lot easier than getting GA!!!)! I would guess that 80-85% of the crowd at these shows will be in the seated areas. I think this because when I went to see U2 (as I'm sure Bruce & his people did) and they drastically UNDERSOLD the floor. The idea that a whole hockey rink is going to be packed like sardines is just not going to happen in this day and age. I expect all of us in the seats will be looking down at the floor and wondering why it's only 3/4 full -- I know that's how I felt at the U2 show! The reason is that they were very VERY careful about capacity, and unless Bono was reaching into the crowd right beside you, all reports were that people were pleasant, good-natured and considerate. This isn't Motley Crue's Shout at the Devil tour, after all. In the wake of Roskilde and Big Day Out, concert security is paramount, as all parties involved are aware. See you at the shows, Matt ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Jul 2002 22:36:32 -0700 From: "Joe Piechowski" Subject: RE: LuckyTown Digest V9 #40 In LTD V9 #40, trigelle@juno.com wrote: > Subject: Question about ticket policy > So my question is, was it that bad for the last tour? > Is this time worse? > and if so, why would Bruce & Mgt change something that seemed to work so > well? Well, I'd say that, so far, it has been incredibly more difficult to get decent seats. Last tour, the JB tix were usually pretty available because they were only available by phone and were Will Call only. This lowered their desirability to anyone looking to make a buck. Now, we have a four ticket limit throughout the arena and all seats are being sold at outlets, over the phones and through the net. Personally, I think that this ticketing procedure is a case where the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I think the intention of having the floor as general admission tickets was a good one, but the way it has been implemented has allowed scalpers to thrive. I wish Bruce & Mgmt would have considered what would happen as far as GA tix and made the entire floor Will Call, phone/net sales only with a 2 ticket limit. In fact, I would prefer to have the entire arena have a 2 ticket limit. The shows would still be selling out quick but you wouldn't have a situation where tickets go on sale at 10 am and by 10:01 the only thing left is Upper level seating like we saw at the Forum on Sunday. I really hope that Jon Landau goes to Ebay and takes a look at the excess that's there. As of right now, there are almost 1700 different auctions on Ebay. It's a joke. http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?GetResult&query=springsteen&ht1&st=2&category105&Top10=&SortProperty=MetaEndSort To answer your final question, I can only say that I think a lot of us are scratching are heads wondering why they felt compelled to fix what wasn't broken. By all means, tweak it...but if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Joe ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2002 14:37:35 -0400 From: Clark Rector Subject: RE: LuckyTown Digest V9 #40 Robert Curtis expressed concerns about how The Rising and the theme of 9/11 will be received and translate into a concert setting. I have a couple of thoughts. First, remember that this is not the first time Bruce has dealt with stark or depressing themes (see Darkness, Nebraska, GOTJ) He has always been able to bring that material to a concert setting and create an experience that is profound and moving yet joyful and cathartic (and you can dance to it). Until proven otherwise I trust his ability to do it again (course it looks like I'll have to depend on ya'lls reports till next summer since so far I've been shut out of DC tix) Second, I think we need to get beyond the mindset that the album is "about" 9/11. Bruce has said that the songs take place in a post 9/11 context, but are not about 9/11 per se. The genius of much of his work is that it works on many levels. It can be simultaneously specific and universal. It can be simultaneously upbeat and downbeat (see Glory Days music v lyrics). I trust that the new album will be no different. For example, the literal reading of Into the Fire is the story of a firefighter. But it can also be read metaphorically as a story of sacrifice. As a Christian, I don't think it's too much of a stretch to read it as the story of Christ sacrifice. It's well and good to speculate (and helps pass the time till the album comes out), but let's be careful about making too many assumptions and judging work that we haven't even heard yet. Clark ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2002 12:13:31 -0400 From: Jim Genuardi Subject: Comments on Ticket Buying Experiences I wanted to respond to some of the comments that were posted in response to my description of my ticket buying experience for the DC show last Sat. Carmen wrote: > It really doesn't make > sense how TM allocates or distributes the tickets. You would have thought > that all of the GAs would have been gone but by a stroke of luck they > appeared. But more dumbfounding is that fact that no lowers appeared > anywhere. Plenty of tickets for the lower level in DC were available at the TM outlet I was at. They just didn't come up on the screen in a logical sequence. Chris wrote: > Anyway, we had a cluster of three people in our group. The > first person, who was now the 13th person in line, got 4 nosebleed seats in the > MCI Upper deck, farthest from the stage. The second person got 4 floor general > admission. The third person got 4 upper deck seats, but closer to the stage. So > the first person of the three got the worst tickets. Certainly lends itself to > thinking the ticket dispersal, at least for the DC show, was random. Sounds very much like what I observed at the outlet I was at. Seats were jumping around all over the arena rather than coming up in nearby sections from one person to the next. > An interesting aside: > The people in the front of the line were trying to convince TM to eschew the > lottery and go first come, first serve. Can't blame them! Some got there as > early as 6 a.m. But TM stuck to its policy, and one woman in line was livid. I checked the Hecht's at Fair Oaks Mall the morning tickets went on sale and every door there had a sign stating that a lottery would be used if there were 2 or more people in line a half hour before tickets went on sale. If the same signs were posted at the store you were at there should not have been any complaints. > I don't think she ended up getting a ticket. But the guy > who was first in line kept his cool, went up to someone in front of us, and > politely asked how many tickets they were getting. They said two. Mind if go in > with you? He said. And he got tickets. > There's a lesson to be learned there. Exactly! Since I was only getting 3 tickets I asked the guy in front of me and the guy in back of me in the lottery line (both had drawn high numbers) if they needed only a single ticket. One guy only wanted 1 ticket so I bought him one. Always pays to ask around. robin klein wrote: > Subject: Ticketmaster in D.C. > > I had witnessed moments earlier > better tickets being pre-printed at this Ticketmaster > and when I asked to buy these better seats I was told > by the Ticketmaster employee that she had printed them > for her boss and for "other people who work in the > building," none of whom were present at the time. The > woman working at Ticketmaster did all this in a > matter-of-fact, routine way that suggested this was > normal operating procedure. I didn't see anything like this happen at the outlet I was at, but someone in line waiting for tickets said that he used to know someone who worked at a TM outlet outside Baltimore. He said this person always pulled tickets at the start of a sale for anyone he knew that wanted tickets. I think it probably happens fairly often. "Dave DiCarlo" wrote: > > I think this was partly to due with people ordering tickets online. > I know if you can be in the process of purchasing tickets on line and can be > shut off > or lose your internet connection. When this happens ticketmaster will dump > these seats > back into general pot that all ticketmaster outlets are pulling from. So, > someone who tries > to purchase tickets later on could get better seats than someone who was > ahead of them in line. I realize this happens, but with the 5 min. limit that TM online now imposes on ticket purchases I think online purchasing doesn't have as much impact since people can't hold tickets for very long when ordering online. In addition, someone in line at the TM outlet was on the phone with a friend trying to order tickets online. The online friend said that by about 11:15 he couldn't pull up any more tickets for the show. However, the agents at the TM outlet were still pulling up tickets at around 11:25 or 11:30, including some GA tickets which I had missed both times I was at the ticket window. I still think there were some ticket allocation rules applied to the sales last Sat. that were different than most of us would expect. I think the lesson to learn for future sales is that your spot in line at an outlet may guarantee that you get a ticket but it may not guarantee that the ticket you get is better than the ticket someone much further back in line gets. If the outlet you are at is not very busy, it may pay to check at the window off and on while tickets are on sale to see how the availability changes while tickets remain on sale. Jim ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2002 09:50:49 -0400 From: "Deborah Robinson" Subject: ASBURY PARK MUSICAL PROGRAM > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE > > > > HISTORICAL SOCIETY SPOTLIGHTS ASBURY PARK'S MUSICAL HERITAGE > > > ASBURY PARK, N.J. - Music and its importance to Asbury Park's history > will be the featured subject of the Asbury Park Historical Society's > next general membership program. > > The event, which is open to the public, will take place on Monday, July > 22nd at one of the world's most well known rock music venues, The Stone > Pony, at Ocean and Second Avenues in Asbury Park. The meeting will begin > at 7 p.m. > > The program will be presented by Jean Mikle and Stan Goldstein, two area > residents who regularly guide visitors on tours of music landmarks in > Asbury Park and nearby communities. Mikle and Goldstein also plan to > present a preview of their "Rock and Roll Guide to the Jersey Shore," > which they expect to have in print shortly. > > "Popular music has been part of Asbury Park's history for decades," said > Jim Nappi, who serves as president of the Historical Society's board of > trustees. "We feel this program is especially timely, since just a few > days later Bruce Springsteen will be releasing his new CD and performing > on the Today Show live from Convention Hall right here in Asbury Park." > > Admission is free and open to all. Refreshments will be served. Those > who are not current members of the Society may sign up at the event. > Dues are $15 a year, $5 for senior citizens and students. > > For more information about the Asbury Park Historical Society, contact > Robert Stewart of the Asbury Park Public Library at 732-774-4221. > > > ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2002 08:10:08 EDT From: JerzykB@aol.com Subject: Those Erratic Ticket Sales Perhaps the explanation for the seemingly erratic ticket sales (eg, better seats showing up on TM after less desireable seats) is the up-to-5-minute "hold" TM online allows buyers -- when tickets are not purchased, they are released back into the general pool. I once read that the TM outlets and TM Online are simultaneously drawing from the same pool of tickets. Jerry ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2002 09:56:44 +0100 From: "Craig Statham" Subject: European Tour Hi all Have I missed something or have the European venues not been released yet? Does anyone have any info? Craig ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2002 08:17:26 EDT From: JerzykB@aol.com Subject: GA In #40, seebo47 eloquently described the problems GA causes for people with disabilities, and no one can dismiss thiose concerns. But I think seebo and his friends/family made a bad call -- seebo says he passed up GA tickets because a friend he wanted to go with couldn't do GA. Very noble (I mean it), but short-sighted -- seebo, you should have taken them and traded! There are plenty of people with seats who would trade for GA. Jerry ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2002 10:58:33 -0600 From: "Rob Carnachan" Subject: Lyrics v Music, and Sept. 11 too Arlen Schumer and some other posters have commented that the lyric display at the Sony listening sessions was distracting and unnecessary, noting that nobody bothers to read the lyrics on the first listen of new Bruce material anyhow. I have to weigh in here -- I haven't attended any of the listening sessions (did ANYBODY attend the Denver event?) so I can't speak to the distraction issue, but I always read the lyrics of a new Bruce album first, before even playing the disc. This is because Bruce's lyrics are the primary reason I am a fan. I have always been more interested in WHAT Bruce has to say rather than HOW he chooses to say it. The music, for me, is secondary. Perhaps this is why I loved both "Nebraska" and "The Ghost of Tom Joad" the first time I heard each album. Focusing on the snappy tunes certainly would not have done it for me, or probably most other fans. Some people miss the adventurous musical arrangements on the first three albums -- I don't particularly. To me, that came from an early, relatively immature period of Bruce's career (the "Jersey-centric" phase, I call it). I enjoy hearing those songs, yes, but they don't connect with me the way his music from 1978 onward does. Bruce matured in his worldview and the subjects he wanted to write about reflected this maturation -- he moved beyond the Delaware River out into the rest of America. I am concerned a little about the pervasiveness of the September 11 attacks theme on the new album. While I acknowledge the fact that the events of that day were a national tragedy (not quite up there with the Civil War or Indian Wars, mind you) and I ache for those who lost families, friends, loved ones, etc., I don't think about or dwell on that day very much. Living in California at the time, most of us simply weren't very affected by it, at least directly (save for those with connections to people on the planes bound for our state). It didn't change anything about my life (other than the pain-in-the-ass security checks and attendant loss of civil liberties), nor do I view that date as "the day everything changed and nothing will be the same". Please. Obviously, Bruce was in a position to be more directly affected -- he has said so as much in interviews. I admire him even more (if that's possible) for the work he has done, much of it without publicity, to ease the pain and suffering of those in his community who were directly impacted by the events of that day. I'm hoping that the songs on the new album will have a resonance beyond the Sept. 11th imagery, however. I trust that they will, but all of the talk about firefighters ascending the WTC stairs makes me a little nervous (BTW, why is it always the firefighters people eulogize? -- they chose and were paid to do that job, knew the risks, and their families are well taken care of -- what about the 2,000 other innocent victims who had no expectation of ever being in that situation?). I trust that the tour will be a riveting, fulfilling experience. I agree that the setlist will probably be static, owing to the one show per city concept. However, I will be happy if it is an entirely different show from the reunion tour. Why would anyone want a repeat of the 1999-2000 shows? They were great, but so was the dinner I had Monday night. I don't want to eat the warmed-over leftovers a week later, nor do I want to see the same type of show (complete with testimony from Reverend Springsteen) I saw just two years ago. I trust that Bruce will integrate similar themed material from his back catalogue with the new songs. As with the wonderful acoustic GOTJ tour, I expect he will also throw in a few moments of levity and brightness to leaven the somber mood. This is Bruce, after all. Rob Carnachan _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2002 10:24:43 -0400 From: "Magnus Lauglo" Subject: The GA system Hi all, Thank you Bruce for trying the GA system out. With a generally older audience then many other bands (for instance The Who in 1979), isn't the floor likely to be much calmer than it is for many other concerts? The new GA system seems to be unpopular with lots of American fans who are still haunted by what happened at one individual Who concert over 20 years ago. I for one, am very happy to see the new GA system, and I look forward to seeing the Detroit show from the floor. There wil always be the potential for bad incidents at concerts, I remember seeing a fight break out in the middle of BTR on the last tour in some lower level seating section. But if people can just respect each other, and concentrate on having a good time, it really shouldn't be a problem. Now perhaps it isn't quite so well suited to Bruce's present demographic audience. Perhaps it is more inconvenient for a 30 or 40 something with a family to take a full day off for a show, and stuff. But you know what, if you don't want to do the GA, try to get tix to the side seats. Those of you who complain about not being able to go, or bring family members to shows because of the GA system, try trading your GAs for seated tickets. I thought the GA tix were supposed to be the hot tickets! The drop line (which I think we all are very grateful for), also "discriminates" against anyone who isn't able to get there as early as the next fan. Last tour, I don't think I saw a single show (out of 15) on the floor, and I certainly never got jailbaits or MiBed. Now if I get GA tix to a show, I know that if I take the effort and time to go to the venue early in the morning, or perhaps the night before, I will get pretty close to the stage. It can't be more fair than that. "The early bird catches the fucking worm." Now perhaps this (along with the barnstorming touring tactic) is meant to appeal to newer younger fans. I'd love to see Bruce getting some more recognition among the under 30s crowd. Fear not, this will not become '85 all over again, but I would love to be able to look around me and see more people around my age and younger at the shows. If the GA system really does not work well at the US shows, they have the opportunity to change that next year anyway, when many of us LTDers will be seeing far more shows than this year. Re: Gabor Palasti "All in all, to me the fixed seat Bruce rock concerts that I have attended were like being tied to a chair while beautiful women were undressing themselves in front of me - me not being able to reach out to them or touch them. A truly mazochist experience." ROFLOL, c'mon man, it wasn't that bad(/good?)! I'm looking forward to seeing old tour buddies on the road! Magnus _________________________________________________________________ Join the world's largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2002 22:36:25 -0400 From: RichPghFan@aol.com Subject: Convention Center show As someone who actually was one of only 5 finalists (local radio) to actually win tix to the Asbury Park show next Friday (only to come up disappointed), I am having a hard time letting it go. Especially due to the fact that I will already be vacationing at the Jersey shore, only about an hour from Asbury Park. Is there any news floating around about any other tix to the show becoming available? I recall that there was a similar "rehearsal" show before the last tour -- what was the ticket situation like then? It seems that tix became available that day for those who braved the lines. It is hard to believe that only select radio winners will be attending the show. The news on this show has been relatively quiet. Any info will be greatly appreciated. Rich ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2002 16:17:51 -0400 From: Tom Ucko Subject: Seriously ill fan hoipin' for a miracle... People, a fellow Bruce fan needs some help. I haven't posted to LTD for awhile, but I have been reading so I know this is a place where people care. Another hangout of mine on the Internet is Idiots Delight Digest (whose members are fans of long-time NYC FM free-form DJ Vin Scelsa). One of our members there, Rose, is trying to make a wish come true for a seriously ill Bruce fan, her friend Leslie. Leslie wants very much to see Bruce at either the NJ or NYC shows - this may be her last chance - but was shutout with the ticket sales. I'm hoping someone here will read Rose's post below and may be able to help. If you think you can help, please contact me or contact Rose directly at: RadioHcate@aol.com Sorry to take up bandwidth with this plea, but I just had to try. Remember, nobody wins unless everybody wins... Tom ***************************** From Rose: My dear friend Leslie was diagnosed with lung cancer. She's still a young woman, but the prognosis is not good. The tumor is very large, at times it cuts off her blood supply and causes her to faint. It's so wrapped in major blood vessels that it's inoperable. She's been to all the heavy hitter doctors... mainstream medicine as well as alternative. She's been blitzed with every kind of heavy duty Chemotherapy, and is having intensive radiation to try and reduce the tumor and give her more time... until maybe something else comes along to help her. This beautiful, gutsy, courageous woman is even undergoing experimental treatments and has the outlook... hey, if they don't help me to live, maybe they will help further along the research... and maybe what I'm doing now might ultimately help others. That's what kind of great human being she is. How she continues to carry on so bravely and enthusiastically every single day of her life that has become so difficult, is a never ending source of amazement to me. It is also a daily, hourly, and sometimes minute to minute source of inspiration, faith, hope, and love... and a confirmation of the incredible strength, determination, and innate goodness of the human spirit. To know this woman is to love her. Leslie is a huge Bruce fan from way back, and she really perked up at the thought of a new album... and a new tour. We were talking about it, and she said: damn... I'd really love to see The Boss! I am determined to get her in, by hook or by crook. I don't even care if I'm only able to just get one decent ticket only for her... I'll drive her there and wait outside. As long as someone can help wheel her in, in case she gets too week from her Chemo, etc. I'm sure I could arrange that with the venue if need be. OK... I'm putting out feelers everywhere for 2 tickets. Or just one ticket. I was online and on phone when they went on sale at Ticketmaster, all to no avail. Came up with zip, zilch, bupkis. Please help in any way you can... suggestions, ideas, etc. I don't have the music biz connections that I used to have when I was young and wild and innocent and E Street shuffling. Looking for names of good ticket brokers, reliable scalpers, a friend with an in to the Springsteen camp... the whole nine yards. This is no scam to try and get a Bruce ticket. Anyone who can help and needs to see documentation of her medical condition... I'll get it to you. I'll mortgage my house to pay big bucks for a good seat for her, if I have to. And I'd much rather pay money to an IDD-er who can use it, than to some anonymous scalper... excuse me, ahem, I mean "Ticket Broker." I need to get her into a Bruce show locally... NOW. She may not make it for the next leg of the tour, when it comes back to New York. E-mail me privately so as not to take up lot's of IDD space. And, please keep my friend Leslie in your prayers. Thanks in advance for any help you can offer! Be WELL... and God Bless, Rose - -- Thomas D. Ucko tomucko@comcast.net ------------------------------ End of LuckyTown Digest V9 #41 ****************************** ********************************************************************* ** LuckyTown WWW URL ** The LuckyTown FAQ, back issues, web-based subscription/unsubscription, and many other things can be found on the LuckyTown WWW Page: http://www.luckytown.org ** LuckyTown mailing list addresses ** You can send email to go into the next LuckyTown Digest to: luckytown@luckytown.org You can send email to go into the next LuckyTown-Ads Digest to: luckytown-ads@luckytown.org Any questions for the list admin should be emailed to: owner-luckytown@luckytown.org To unsubscribe, send email to majordomo@luckytown.org with message body: unsubscribe luckytown-digest To get further information on how to subscribe/unsubscribe/change your subscription address, as well as the other available commands, send email to majordomo@luckytown.org with message body: help ********************************************************************* The contents of this digest are not necessarily approved by the list admin.