MR

Hey all,

As a lot of you on here know, I'm longtime Journey fanatic - I've seen them 15 times, starting with Steve Perry, through Arnel and everyone in between I never miss a tour if it comes to South Florida or somewhere else in Florida. I've even seen them in Houston, with JSS and Def Leppard in 2006. I have all of the CDs and DVDs including Eclipse, Revelation and all of the remasters - basically, major fan ...

My problem with this year's tour is the fact that they're finally playing another two dates at the Hard Rock Live arena in Hollywood, FL - right down the street from me - this is a great venue, and has good sightlines from any seat - only holds 5,000, so with a two-night stand, they should be able to play to 8,000 people - not as much as 19,000 at the Cruzan Amphitheater in West Palm last year and in 2011, but respectable for casino shows ....

However, in 2011, I paid $40 for a ticket at Cruzan in WPB with an assigned seat (not lawn) and saw Night Ranger and Foreigner with Journey - great value .... In 2012, I paid only $32 for a lawn seat, but got to see Loverboy and Pat Benatar - again, a great value - 3 bands, but a shorter set by Journey - trade-off, but still great performances all the way around, both years. In 2009, I saw them solo at the Hard Rock, and paid in the $50 range or so ... great performance, but still, only 1 hr., 45 min.

This year's shows at the Hard Rock (no opening acts) are priced as follows: $100, $150 and $200 per ticket - NOT COUNTING venue / Ticketmaster fees ...

Even if they play a 2-hour set (not likely given Journey's recent touring history setlists and show length times, even on solo shows / casino shows), this still seems like a SIGNIFICANT increase in ticket pricing from one year to the next, considering that they're not playing any songs from Eclipse, probably no songs from Revelation, etc. Even If Deen sings a few, and if they do some Infinity duets with Jon, what is the incentive / increased value for the sharp rise in tickets to even justify this? I'm a major fan and love to see them on every tour at least once, if I can, but this seems excessive ....

In contrast, I just bought first level seats right near the stage for The Rascals Reunion concert Memorial Day weekend for $64, including fees, at the same venue. This is a major multimedia production and the first series of public shows together in 40 years, since 1970. A major big deal, and a great value!

Even Paul McCartney has inexpensive seats for his Orlando arena shows (2) in May for about $60ish ... I realize that the economics are different for an arena or amphitheater (shed) show from a 4,000 seat casino venue, but still, seems quite excessive and a price gouge of the fans to me ... Just sayin' ...

Journey's tour this year seems more scattered and less structured in terms of dates, cities and venues ... this show is obviously a fly-in, based on their schedule, rather than part of a traditionally routed tour like last year and in 2011, with buses, and shows on either end of the scheduled West Palm Beach date, etc. I know this can also affect the economics of this, and affect pricing, but the fans shouldn't be gouged like this because Journey wanted to add a date or two down here to flesh out their touring schedule, as an after-thought, to make an annual minimum show / date quota ..

Am I crazy for my thinking on this year's Journey tour? Thoughts please ... I want to know your views, even if they differ from mine ...

Best Regards,

Michael G.

mgstar1964 wrote:Hey all,


This year's shows at the Hard Rock (no opening acts) are priced as follows: $100, $150 and $200 per ticket - NOT COUNTING venue / Ticketmaster fees ...

slucero wrote:

mgstar1964 wrote:Hey all,


This year's shows at the Hard Rock (no opening acts) are priced as follows: $100, $150 and $200 per ticket - NOT COUNTING venue / Ticketmaster fees ...

They won't command those prices. Expect the prices to come down as the show nears and they begin to panic because people don't want to pay that much. That would be my bet.

steveo777 wrote:

slucero wrote:

mgstar1964 wrote:Hey all,


This year's shows at the Hard Rock (no opening acts) are priced as follows: $100, $150 and $200 per ticket - NOT COUNTING venue / Ticketmaster fees ...

They won't command those prices. Expect the prices to come down as the show nears and they begin to panic because people don't want to pay that much. That would be my bet.

huh?

what is the venue gonna do.. refund the difference to people that already bought tix at the previous higher prices???

The first shows looks about 50% sold so far, the second show about 30%.

slucero wrote:
what is the venue gonna do.. refund the difference to people that already bought tix at the previous higher prices???

No, but there will probably be plenty of tickets available from third parties at lower prices the week/day of the shows. Happens all the time.

WalrusOct9 wrote:

slucero wrote:
what is the venue gonna do.. refund the difference to people that already bought tix at the previous higher prices???

No, but there will probably be plenty of tickets available from third parties at lower prices the week/day of the shows. Happens all the time.

No shit Sherlock.. but that's not was Steveo was talking about..

slucero wrote:

mgstar1964 wrote:Hey all,


This year's shows at the Hard Rock (no opening acts) are priced as follows: $100, $150 and $200 per ticket - NOT COUNTING venue / Ticketmaster fees ...

Thats crazy i have never paid more than $40 bucks for a tix and always had seats (never sat on the lawn)

This must be a really special Journey concert. But I have to applaude the capitalizim in play here. Something about what the market will bear............ This "test" seems to be working and proving that Journey is a huge asset to the concert going crowd. Irving has to be creaming his jeans!

steveo777 wrote:This must be a really special Journey concert. But I have to applaude the capitalizim in play here. Something about what the market will bear............ This "test" seems to be working and proving that Journey is a huge asset to the concert going crowd. Irving has to be creaming his jeans!

The most expensive ticket for Journey's show at the Illinois State Fairgrounds is $56. I guess the market is self correcting in that regard.

Talk to the promoter. Bands have an 'ask' price. The local promoter looks at that and all other expenses, including the band's rider requirements, then decides what he can offer the band. After the band accepts the offer, the ticket prices are set. And btw, if the promoter, or casino, or whoever else gets a cut, thinks the local market will pay it, they might jack the prices up a little.

I mean, you just can't hardly blame the band. Blame all the consumers that are willing to pay those prices. It's all supply & demand.


later~

Arkansas wrote:Talk to the promoter. Bands have an 'ask' price. The local promoter looks at that and all other expenses, including the band's rider requirements, then decides what he can offer the band. After the band accepts the offer, the ticket prices are set. And btw, if the promoter, or casino, or whoever else gets a cut, thinks the local market will pay it, they might jack the prices up a little.

I mean, you just can't hardly blame the band. Blame all the consumers that are willing to pay those prices. It's all supply & demand.


later~

Good Post.

Gotta pay for all those cars and bikes mentioned in a previous post .

What ever they're paying, Arnel ain't getting enough of it.
50 pesos Kim Jong Il haircut = somebody needs a payraise

Don wrote:What ever they're paying, Arnel ain't getting enough of it.
50 pesos Kim Jong Il haircut = somebody needs a payraise

I'm thinking an opening act may not have been announced yet. In any event, if they don't end up having an opening act, I would certainly expect them to play at least a full 2 hour set, especially at these prices. I'm still debating as to whether or not I'm going to this show because quite frankly, I've become bored with their setlists. If I knew they were going to include a few deep cuts and of course more newer material from Revelation and Eclipse....I would not hesitate.