i have had, for some reason, EXTREMELY good luck getting tickets to upcoming shows, lately. i am not sure what’s going on, but it’s fucking fantastic.
it all started out a week or two ago when i got an email alert about a show at Northerly Islandthe Charter One Pavillion about a show with The Fray and OK Go. i’m not hugely fond of either band but i thought it might be fun to see them live, and i really like that venue (it’s really tough to beat a lovely summer night, outside show, on the lakefront), and the tickets were like $25 or something, so i thought, “ok, i’ll go for it, it’ll be fun.”
then, i managed to score Bloc Party tickets for next later this month, at the Congress Theatre. now this is a real score because i love bloc party (i do not care what you say) and i spent months last year counting down until i could buy tickets for a september show — i found a reference to it early in the year, stuck notes in my dayrunner, and kept checking back and checking back … and was eventually completely heartbroken to realize that it had been about a show in september 2005, and i was not going to be seeing them on the 25th. i dwelt bitterly upon this failure for ages, until i saw this come up, and swooped in for the kill. you cannot stop the rocking out!
and next, Arcade Fire are coming to town and tickets were going to go on sale last saturday at 11AM, but i had an appointment to take my cats to the vet’s at 10AM, and it’s illegal to drive and phone in chicago so i figured i was going to miss my shot to get tickets. (it’s probably extra illegal to drive and phone ticketmaster, since dealing with ticketmaster is effectively a guarantee to drive any otherwise sensible human completely mad, or at least off the road while screaming at them.) i attempted to con someone into get a friend to buy tickets on my behalf but that fell through, and of course by the time i got home and got online around noon, all three shows were sold out. i sulked angrily for a little while — i really love arcade fire — and contemplated getting tickets to see them in toronto or montreal or someplace and taking a road trip. and then i realized: ticket broker. yeah, it’s expensive. but. i love the band. i really want to see them live, and i have wanted to do so for a long time. and fuck it, you only live once. so i did it. i scored two tickets (only sold in sets, alas) to see them play Chicago Theatre in may. front row balcony seats, even. TICKET BROKERS OFFICIALLY ROCK.
and today? today, i was all, “man, i want to see Scissor Sisters. i wonder if they’re touring soon.” they weren’t the last time i had checked — last time i checked, all i knew about was a uk/european tour coming up, but no US dates — but today? today i looked and … they are in town next friday. of course it was already sold out, but i’d already lost my ticket broker virginity, so… called Best Friend in All Things Girly Squee (and Dance Music) Rachel, and popped the question. she is fabulous and therefore simply answered, “yes.” i clicked “Submit,” and landed us two tickets to the sold out show at the Riv for next friday night. we will dance until we can dance no more. it will be fantastic!
and i cannot contain my squee at my brilliant luck at getting tickets. this is going to be great.
p.s. i bought all my tickets in pairs, as i hate seeing shows alone. want the second one? let me know!
p.p.s. i had to invent the category “squee” just for this post. SQUEE!
