You know, you start ridin' the Internet at one second after 10 AM. Those good tickets are going to be yours this time. You can just feel it. A few "System Too Busy" messages later, you finally get in. Excellent!!
There were no tickets available that matched your request.
There were no tickets available that matched your request.
There were no tickets available that matched your request.
There were no tickets available that matched your request.
Sigh...OK, let's just go for "Best Available", whatever that means. Well, it turns out that it means two seats in the very last row of the balcony of Boston's TD Banknorth Garden. Kinda disappointing, as I was buying these tickets as a Christmas present for Stepson #2. It was either this or shell out some crazy amount of cash for seats near the stage. Oh well, better luck next tour.
So last night, right after we'd frozen our keisters off walking the length of the Alewife Station T-Stop (Did I mention that it was about 10 degrees outside? With a 35-bazillion miles per hour wind?), waited for the third train on the Green Line at Government Center (they made everybody exit the first train we boarded at Park Street, of course with no explanation...because why would an employee of the M.B.T.A ever want to be helpful), waded though the security check, spent 20 minutes in the T-shirt concession/moshpit, paid too much for a crummy Coors Light (and don't get me started on the stupid rule that says my 22-year old stepson can't drink because he's not from the state of Massachusetts)...we get to the top of the last escalator leading to the balcony and section 307.
"Row 15" doesn't sound too bad if you don't put much thought into it. Then I turn around and see the section number, "307", emblazoned on the concrete wall directly behind Row 15. We trudge up there, take off our coats and sit down to begin the "getting used to it" phase of arena-induced vertigo.
Not more than 10 seconds later a man wearing a security badge approaches us and asks if we'd like some "better seats". Of course we would. We've been upgraded. A random act of kindness. Or something. Anyhow, we reverse our trudge, find the appropriate escalators and stairwells and end up at the "loge" level. Two steps through the curtain hanging across the doorway marked "15" (Funny,eh? 15?) and we find ourselves about 30 feet from stage right.
Article comments
1 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
fantastic review, Sir Saleski. i never much dug the stones, nor the arena-rock-extravaganza, but nonetheless, the wit de Saleski enchants a fella as ever.
2 - Mat Brewster
Excellent! I don't think I'll ever be able to bear the price tag that comes with a Stones concert this century, but it sounds like it just might be worth it.
3 - Andy Marsh
Like the Duke...I'm not much of a Stones fan...sounds like it was a great concert though! What's the deal with your step son not being able to drink because he's not from MA?
4 - Mark Saleski
i snagged this bit from the tweeter center (outdoor music venue) website:
Out of state licenses are acceptable only if the patron is at least 25 years of age and another form of identification (e.g., credit card) will be required if the patron is between 25 and 30 years of age.
not sure of the reasoning behind this, or even exactly where it's applied. concert venues only? don't know.
5 - DJRadiohead
I am a huge Stones fan and would love to have seen them. Ticket prices were an issue for me. I like the set list you got. "Rocks Off" would have sent me over the edge. I like A Bigger Bang pretty well although I think (like Voodoo Lounge before it) the album is too long.
6 - Mark Saleski
yep, i agree about the ticket prices, which is why i initially ended up in the cheap seats.
won't complain about the ticket fairy visitation tho...
7 - Lisa McKay
Great review, Mark, and way to go with the seat upgrade! I've been a huge Stones fan forever (they were the first band I ever saw live, and I'm not going to tell you what year that was), and decided to skip this tour because of the ticket prices (and I'm too much of a spoiled brat to sit in the nosebleed seats).
The setlist seems a bit short (well, by Bruce's standards, anyway) - how long were they onstage?
8 - Mark Saleski
i'd say it was about two hours. wish i'd been paying attention.
not up to Bruce standards, but it didn't really feel short either.
9 - Aaron Fleming
Sounded like a cool gig, I wouldn't be enough of a fan to go and see them for any price beyond free, and they're one of those bands that can easily charge exorbitant rates for tickets and still fill a stadium to capacity.
10 - Regina Paradis
Great writing Mark! Sounds like lots of fun. The energy that Bruce evokes can't be beat though! Good to hear the Stones can still hammer it out!
11 - Rob Mattheu
Nice review. I got tickets for the show at Churchill Downs last week. They officially went on sale today and are all sold out except obstructed view. It'll be my first Stones show, and the first rock concert I'm aware of to be done at Churchill this way (they're setting up the stage to face the stands and setting up seats on the track.)