Three Simple Ways to Score Great Concert Tickets

Ah, the smell of over-priced hot dogs, hamburgers and funnel cakes. Miles and miles of cars backed up along highways. It's that time again - the summer concert season is coming soon to an amphitheatre near you.

Whether it's a reunion tour, a festival blitz or the hottest band on the block, chances are there will be a concert for everyone this year. But, what do you do when it is not just any old concert?

If you are desperate to see the expression on Paul McCartney's face as he rocks through "Hey Jude" or if you fantasize daily about reaching out and touching Bono then you know that lawn or mezzanine seats will never do.

You need to be up close to your favorite artist or band! So, how do you go about getting great seats? Believe it or not, you do not have to be the half-cousin twice removed of McCartney's personal bodyguard and more importantly, you do not have to go through a ticket broker and fork over your life savings either.

The following are three simple ways to score those elusive up front tickets.

1) Ticketmaster.com

Obvious? Yes and no. While it may be the site that we love to hate and hate to love in equal amounts, it can be your best friend if you learn how to use it correctly. Ticketmaster is the ultimate hypster - whipping eager concert goers into a frenzy with their "pre-sale dates" and "on sale to the general public" dates.

What they do not want you to know is that the best seats in the house never go on sale that first day. You may, by sheer luck, be able to pull up tickets in the back of the orchestra on the first day of sale, but if you want those golden seats in the first 1-3 rows then just sit back and be patient. It works like this, the best seats are held back for VIP's of the band or venue and chances are all of those seats are never used - especially if you live in one of the smaller markets where a band isn't likely to have scores of friends or family.

These are the seats that you want and Ticketmaster will start making them available for purchase by us ordinary Joe's about a week (sometimes up to ten days) before the event date. This is when you want to sit on Ticketmaster and constantly go hunting for tickets.

If the sit back and wait approach makes you nervous, you can always purchase a cheap seat when the tickets first go on sale and if you do score a better seat, you probably will not have any trouble selling the ticket to a fellow fan the night of the show. If you do decide to sell a ticket at the concert though, please be sure to complete the
transaction away from the venue as some cities are tougher on scalpers than others.

2) Venue Box Office

Think there isn't a way to avoid Ticketmaster's extensive and expensive fees. There can be! While it's true that most venues give the first few days of sale exclusively to Ticketmaster, there is a point on the day of the event when all sales are turned over to the venue.

If it's the day of the show and you still don't have tickets to that big event - don't panic. Go to the box office of the venue as soon as it opens on the day of the event. They will most likely have some tickets that they have been holding back - and it will usually be very good seats.

A couple of years ago, I was able to score a front row center ticket to what was supposedly a sold-out Fleetwood Mac concert simply by going to the box office on the day of the show. I paid face value for the ticket and no Ticketmaster fees! A couple I met at the show had used a ticket broker and paid three times as much as me for tenth row seats way off to the side.

3) Fan Forums

Whether your favorite singer is Tom Jones, Justin Timberlake or someone in between, there is probably a place on the net where you can go to show your love and affection. Your favorite band or artist probably has an official (read - artist sanctioned) website with a fan forum or chat room but even if they don't, a quick Google search will probably reveal a whole list of sites created by fans.

And why are these sites so helpful? Simple - fans are always in the know and they can be very generous. It is not unusual to find fan forums where someone will have an extra ticket they are offering for sale at face value to fellow chat board members.

I have even run across instances where fans have given away their extras for free because sharing with someone who is really into the music is more important to them than dollars and cents. This does not mean that you should wait until two days before the Duran Duran concert and then barge your way onto every fan forum by posting a subject with the heading "Need Free Tix Now".

If you are lucky, you will be ignored but you will most likely be flamed. In the best case scenario, you have already built up a network of cyber friends who share your musical passions and everyone already knows that you are a true blue loyal supporter of Green Day or whomever.

If this is not the case, start the post by introducing yourself. Tell a short story about how you came to love the band and then explain your difficulty in scoring good seats and politely ask if anyone has advice on getting tickets. You will probably get a warm welcome, some leads on tickets and possibly some new concert-going friends.
Hopefully, by using one of the above three methods you will be rocking out up close with your favorite band this summer. Whatever you decide, leave no stone unturned. There is nothing worse than watching your favorite band or artist from the last row wondering would I be up there in front if I had tried this or that. Remember - nothing ventured, nothing gained - especially when it comes to scoring great concert tickets. Good luck and happy hunting!