Two days before I made sure that I knew where my presale code was and that my ticketmaster.com password was working. I made sure it was the presale code and not the fan club store code. I do know the difference and I checked carefully.
The night before I double checked the website and found rather ambiguous instructions as to how to access the pre-sale.
Even though I am a night owl and generally don't get to bed before the wee hours of the morning, I set my alarm at 8 a.m. to participate in the presale.
I got to my computer 15 minutes before the sale.
I checked the bulletin board about the presale and found that someone had posted a link to a page with links to purchase tickets for all the concerts.
I got everything started. I copied my pre-sale code into my clipboard and manually onto my paper calendar. I took out my credit card and set it on my desk. I opened several windows on my computer. One with my FOJG profile, one with the buy links to all the concerts, and one with the Live Nation page for my preferred concert in Wallingford, CT.
I made sure my phone was working.
I waited patiently until precisely 10 a.m. Then I pressed refresh. I tried entering my code where the code was asked for. The site did not recognize it. I tried several times. I tried cutting and pasting. I tried entering manually. My code was all digits. There were no letters that might mistakenly be capitalized or not capitalized. The site did not recognize my code
I sent an e-mail to the customer service link on the website.
I went on twitter and contacted @audiotaco, who I think is the FOJG representative for Warner Music. I also contacted @MAF11, who is always right on top of everything in the fan club. She reads everything and is very attentive and helpful.
Other fans were also having trouble.
After about half an hour, another fan said her code had started working. So I hit refresh on my Live Nation page and the site did take my code.
By that time, I could not get 2 tickets at my preferred venue.
I wanted 2 tickets at Wallingford, CT in the balcony. I couldn't find 2 seats together at all.
I could not find two seats in Albany either.
I ended up with one seat in the orchestra at the Beacon Theater in NYC.
I hate the Beacon Theater: even though it's closer to my house. Both times I've been there the concerts were over-amplified and I had to wear ear plugs.
One of these concerts was an Il Divo concert, which you wouldn't expect to be loud at all, but it was deafening. I have another blog about that experience. It wasn't just me and my sensitive ears. My friend who was with me, who is not an Aspie, was having the same problem.
Another concert I went to at the Beacon was the Cindy Lauper "Home for the Holidays" concert that Josh was in. Josh premiered "Hidden Away" at that concert. I took the ear plugs out for Josh, because he was a bit quieter than the other acts. Josh's words were completely incomprehensible, because the sound system was so crappy.
I'm really disappointed that Josh chose that theater for his concert.
I really wanted cheaper seats, also. I was hoping to spend about $100, not over $200.
There were other participants in this presale, not just FOJG. I have to conclude that the other participants were given preference at the presale, shutting out FOJG members from the best seats.
I should say that I am using a mac with the Yosemite operating system and Chrome browser. In the past, Chrome was the most successful browser in dealing with presale issues, but perhaps I should have tried a different browser. I don't know, but, as I said, the code did start working after half an hour, so it was clearly not entirely the browser.
I am hoping that cheaper seats may become available later. Possibly they only put the more expensive seats into the presale.
Addendum
==========
The idea, tho, that they tried to squeeze fans into the more expensive seats during the presale is not an attractive one. Josh knows or should know that a large portion of his fans are older women of limited means. Our society is structured so that older women are often at or near poverty. Josh should not be trying to squeeze such people for expensive tickets.
There were other participants in this presale, not just FOJG. I have to conclude that the other participants were given preference at the presale, shutting out FOJG members from the best seats.
I should say that I am using a mac with the Yosemite operating system and Chrome browser. In the past, Chrome was the most successful browser in dealing with presale issues, but perhaps I should have tried a different browser. I don't know, but, as I said, the code did start working after half an hour, so it was clearly not entirely the browser.
I am hoping that cheaper seats may become available later. Possibly they only put the more expensive seats into the presale.
Addendum
==========
The idea, tho, that they tried to squeeze fans into the more expensive seats during the presale is not an attractive one. Josh knows or should know that a large portion of his fans are older women of limited means. Our society is structured so that older women are often at or near poverty. Josh should not be trying to squeeze such people for expensive tickets.
