Buying tickets to NYC is impossible.

[giddi]

OK, I know people got tickets. But there must be many many like me.

I couldn't get any tickets for the Beacon show thru ticketmaster.

I couldn't get any tickets for the pre-sale today at NYC even though I tried at 10:00.

This is a disgrace.

I don't know what the tour promoters should do, but it's unbelievable that it should be this excruciating for fans of LC to get a ticket to see him. So those that are going to the 100th show of him - good for you - have fun.

I'm going to pay scalpers, and I'm going to pay them whatever they want, because I know that on Monday again there would be no tickets at 10:00 like there never is.... I'm not going to miss out like the Beacon show on the last two chances that I have......

So really, it may not be LC's fault, or whatever, but if this is the way LC wants, admittedly some, of his fans to suffer, for just wanting to have a chance to see him sing live for once, then it's really just a shame. LC should fire his promoting tour company and start doing business otherwise. How? I don't know, but there must be professional ideas on how to solve this. Larger venues, no "Amex" or "Friends" sale, or simply not distribute all tickets at once... so people can actually buy tickets later and still hope to have some.

What's even the point of saying that the pre-sale is between 10AM to 10PM btw? It's between 10 to 10.01 seconds maybe....

And btw, the passwords page was misleading, because it said the password is the NYC and the LA password. but i still put the correct password in 10:00.

So - even though it's probably their fault - I say GO SCALPERS.... buy from them. At least they'll give me what I want. Even though their use of arbitrage in anti-competitive, annoying, vexatious, demeaning and sad.

[woolwork]

I know the frustration...
i bought a ticket to the second Boston show during the presale to be sure i'd get one of leonard cohen's concerts... and got online before 10 - had a window open to ticketmaster and to the Jarkko's page w/ the passwords... refreshed and found the password - went to the ticketmaster page - there was no mention of the fanclub - went back to the LCF password page and used the link that Jarkko provided... got a single ticket in J in pretty far house right but figured - grab it... so completed the transaction. went back online - and looked for a pair - there weren't any available (not that i needed a pair - i was just checking)... asked for a cheap seat - none again...
by then when i looked again for best available there was Row H in the 1st Mezz... just a note: i didn't buy any other tickets... released the ones that popped up...
so i may not be sitting in the center of the hall - the one thing i'd suggest is to go online on Monday at 10am during the public sale and go for the second show - there will be more seats available for that...
DON'T feed the scalpers...
i may not have seen leonard at the beacon - but i also didn't contribute to a corrupt, greed-oriented process either...
go online on Monday at 10am... and buy a ticket to the sunday show...
or better yet, come w/me to boston - the May 30th show isn't sold out yet...

[giddi]

thanks woolwork, I'm taking your advice on Boston 2nd show... but it might be a mistake. I have a problem traveling out of NY, but I'll try it, at least as a backup or something....

[twomules]

That's odd because tickets were still available at least twenty minutes into the presale. (I only bought one). I say try on Monday. If you can't pull any up, keep trying.

[imaginary friend]

Giddi,

Don't know if this applies in your case, but my computer is a Mac, and I was unable to see the password box in the Mac internet program Safari, during the Beacon concert pre-sale. As a result, I missed out on tickets then, but was able to obtain 2 via the Forum, later. I've since learned that Ticketmaster's site is better supported by PC-oriented internet programs, like Explorer and Firefox, rather than Safari. I downloaded Firefox, and used it when purchasing tickets for the Vancouver show (in the general sale, btw). Good luck!

[jason]

I don't know... maybe I've just been lucky. But-- I've been able to get tickets pretty quickly through the Forum presale each time I tried.

First, I got seats to the CT show at the least expensive price range-- b/c the friend I'm going with is a broke musician (!). Got in right away, no problems with the site.

Then, I got tickets for my boss at work to the second Boston show (she's not too technology savvy, and asked me to help her, using her forum login info of course). The Ticketmaster box did keep giving me an error-- which I assumed was just heavy traffic tying it up-- for about twenty minutes, and then I got in all of a sudden, and was able to get her two pretty good seats at the $180 price range.

Today, I got tickets to the Radio City show (again, Ticketmaster site). First two times I received an error-- server being tied up-- and the third time got in, at about 10:03. Clicked on two tickets at the $130 range. Decent seats.

Have I found any tricks? I don't know.
I try to stay calm, not panic.
Each time I've had a fast internet connection. Been using a PC. And Mozilla Firefox.
I've studied the seating chart beforehand to know where, generally, I'd like to sit.
I realize that server errors just mean that the site is tied up, and to keep trying.
I select the price I want and then 'find best available seats at this price range.'
I only have one window open at a time-- I figure two is too complicated.
I take the first seats that the system gives me-- because I figure that if I forego these and try to search again for better, in that period of twenty or thirty seconds, hundreds will probably already have been sold, and my options will just diminish.

What else can I say? Maybe, indeed, PC + Firefox works best, and of course a fast connection is required for optimal results.

Just want to say much thanks to Jarkko for providing these wonderful opportunities for so many and myself to see arguably one of the greatest musicians and all-around-gracious people of the 20th (and 21st century)...

[qbera6]

Hi all,

same here - i went online before 10 am NYC time and was reshreshing ticketmaster and LC Community (waiting for Jarrko's password) and at 10.01 ticketmaster was "looking for my tickets" and I got none!!!!! At 10.01 !!!! So frustrating. I tried maybe another 20 times until 10.30 and then gave up....will try again on Monday but dont think I'll be able to get it.

also cant believe how many tickets touts had on ebay at 10.30 - well i wont be buying them there. My flight from Ireland to NY would be deer enough and i simply cant afford it...ah well it's a pity cos i really wanted to see Leonard once again.

[Mabeanie1]

qbera6 - if you live in Ireland as your profile suggests, you probably would not have been able to buy in the pre-sale (though single tickets were still available well after 10.30 am EST) as sales were restricted to people with US or Canadian addresses. Try again in the public sale on Monday - and keep trying. Be prepared to take singles, as my husband & I often do for popular shows as you are more likely to sneak a good ticket that way.

Good luck!

Wendy

[Mabeanie1]

giddi

darlingkel has a whole batch of surplus tickets available for May 16:

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=13759&start=60

W

[denalynn2001]

It has also been suggested that it helps to log onto Ticketmaster from the link provided above rather than going directly to their url. It worked for me.

In the event of a dire misstep, another boardie pointed out that Ticketmaster will let you cancel an order within 24 hours of purchase if you call them and kiss butt. I did this and wound up throwing back 2 tickets in Row J (Following a full alphabet of double digits, mind you) and keeping much nicer ones for the balcony, 2nd row center. I had to spend about half an hour waiting on the line and talking to a couple of different Ticketmaster employees, but it was well worth it.

[giddi]

there's some good advice here, thanks.

[denalynn2001]

I would not have the tickets I do if not for the help I got here, so I'm more than happy to return the favor. Looks like New York may be one of the toughest markets because it's also one of the likeliest places for a lot of fans to fly in from overseas.

It's also well worth watching the board here, because inevitably there will be some folks that can't make it and boardies will generally sell at non-inflated prices.

Ticketmaster sucks, that's all there is too it. It's a nasty business, but they are the ones who have the infrastructure, so they win. Those of us who are lucky enough to snag tickets win as well, but lots of folks will be left out this time.

I was around in 1992, and I would absolutely not have expected the level of demand for these shows. I'm not sure anyone did.

[malke]

I'm sorry for all of your frustrations. I had the same experience. I tried for the Oakland show three days in a row on three separate presales. I tried bright and early; couldn't get in to any seats other than the VIP. I tried again on the day of the public sale. Again, no go. That was four differen times. I tried at the presale for the second Oakland show, and got in the first time. I didn't do anything differently. I feel very lucky. Maybe you'll be able to get in this final time. I hope so.

[benning]

Just checked out the ticketmaster "Marketplace" for the Radio City shows. It is shocking that one hour after the May 17 sale began these super expensive seats are posted. Maybe it's sour grapes on my part, as I'm not spending $1600+ for a pair of tickets, but I wonder if being in the first row of the pit is wonderful or if there is such a thing as being too close (i.e. craning one's middle-aged neck for 3 hours)?

[giddi]

I got two orchestra tickets in the sale. it was great. Though expensive but not like the scalpers and it'll be worth it probably..

So I feel kind of sorry for this thread, at the end it was possible and I'm thankful... indeed not too minutes later after 10:00 today it too was sold out.