I listen to the music of Bruce Springsteen.  I have been to Bruce Springsteen concerts.  One could rightly assume that I am of fan of Bruce Springsteen.  But assuming no longer counts- now you must declare your love for The Boss- you must become verified.

What am I talking about?

In order to combat scalping, usurious second hand market ticket prices, and allow actual fans to attend concerts, the brain trust that is Ticketmaster has come up with a new idea.  It reminds me of when I was in third grade and I ripped a page out of Tiger Beat magazine.  I mailed it in, and I became an Official Member of the David Cassidy Fan Club.  I had a card and everything.  Now- you need to become a verified fan.

So how do you become an Official Member of the Bruce Springsteen fan club?  OK I’ll tell you- but keep it quiet- it’s very under the radar…..

  1. At about 2 in the morning you will receive an email from an unknown source.  “We hear that you are a fan of a certain performer of rock music who often references New Jersey in his lyrics.  If this is true, please fill out the following 9 page questionnaire, send it in to us my 6am.  We will look it over to confirm that you are worthy enough to actually be a fan of said rock musician.  We want to make sure you are not a robot.  We have specifically included questions and little covered word things that no robot ever will be able to crack.  This email will delete in 30 seconds.  Your mission begins NOW.”
  2. You quickly fill out a form that is so complex only a robot will be able to finish it.  You finish at 5:58.  You hit send.
  3. You wait.
  4. You wait
  5. You begin to doubt that you are truly loyal because you couldn’t remember what pocket the bandana was in on the cover of  “Born in the USA”.  You don’t remember actually looking at the bandana when that cover comes to mind….You think that the love of his backside could cost you your slot at verification.  Shouldn’t love of his backside count?
  6. Finally you receive an email.  “You are now a verified fan of Bruce Springsteen.  Congratulations.  Please await further instructions.  Thank you for your loyalty.”
  7. You wait.
  8. You wait.
  9. You get an email which you can only assume contains the secret code to being able to purchase tickets.  Assume being the operative word.  “You now have the ability to qualify to be one of the people allowed to try to purchase tickets to the upcoming Bruce shows.  We will email you if you are chosen to have the ability to buy tickets.  We do not guarantee that you will have the ability to buy tickets.”
  10. What?  There’s a lottery to see who MIGHT be able to buy tickets?
  11. You wait.
  12. You wait.
  13. “You do not have the ability to purchase tickets.  But, you did qualify for standby.  Please keep all electronic devices with you at all times, and keep your credit card handy because at some point of August 32, you may receive a text or an email with your access code and thus give you the opportunity to purchase tickets.”  (I wish I was joking about this one, but the actual email I got was actually pretty similar to this- you can’t make the good stuff up)
  14. You wait.
  15. You wait.
  16. You actually get picked off the standby line- you get your code and you click the link.  There are SO MANY instructions, but the bottom line is, you can buy a maximum of 2 tickets- yeah two, so screw your other best friend.  There will be 2 pricing categories, “ludicrous” and “my mortgage payment isn’t that high”
  17. You write down the 8 character access code, because your stupid phone is not allowing you to copy it. (which might not be the phone, it might be another invention to not allow anyone to actually purchase tickets)
  18. You crack the enigma code
  19. Credit card in hand, you make to the actual “Enter Number of Tickets”- you check off 2 in the ludicrous section.
  20. You get a notice that you have exceeded number of tickets?
  21. What?  WHAT?  How?  I picked 2!!!!!!!!
  22. It takes you 3 seconds to realize that the number of tickets defaults to 2 in the higher than my mortgage payment section, so it looks like you want to buy 4 tickets.
  23. In the second it takes you to correct mistake, all tickets have sold out.  All.  For like 40 shows at a Broadway theater.

So even though I have pledged my allegiance to all things Bruce Springsteen, I am not going to his concert.  They added shows, but I was not picked to have the opportunity to possibly buy tickets to his show.

I am so glad that they’re making it easier for regular people to get tickets to concerts.

 

35 thoughts on “Verified”

  2. Diabolical. And heart breaking. But even getting tickets is no guarantee these days. He was supposed to play in Dublin in 2016 but he cancelled both concerts in solidarity with the Luas (Dublin tram) drivers who were on strike at the time.

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  4. I remember when you could just go to a ticket window and buy tickets for any concert. Phil Collins was my last concert, years and years ago and that was as an adult. It wasn’t the same as being 16 and full of awe because I was one tiny speck in a rafter seat watching The Eagles and Peter Frampton and getting a contact high… 🙂

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  5. OMG. At least you are a verified fan now. Hopefully it will carry over to his next tour. Ever watch Christmas Story? That’s what I thought of. Ralphy waits and waits. Get the decoder. It’s a commercial for Ovaltin. So disappointing.

    We are big Jimmy Buffet fans. Everyone is on their computer at the moment tickets go on sale. Luck of the draw. Everyone tries to get their two tickets at the same time. Sold out in less than 5 minutes. Even people not going to the concert are on trying to get tickets for friends that want them. Insanity. I’m not a verified fan. I am a parrot head. I own the parrot that you wear on you head. LOL. That’s what his fans are called.

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  6. since this isn’t my blog I will reveal that I am indeed also huge B.S. fan. Many, many shows. Many ❤ Only one of my friends got 2 tix for the Broadway deal. I've always said I could listen to Bruce read the phone book…but I wasn't so happy about the Broadway format. I just knew I'd never get a tix and you know how a show will cause you to have anxiety when you're trying to buy tickets of ticketmaster. The same people will likely get all the great seats….

    I'm going this month to the Brucebook convention. 🙂

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      1. See, that’s why I didn’t even try. :sigh: We can read about the shows. No, it wont be the same. Life will go on. 🙂 Bring us some regular shows, now!

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Because I am ancient of days, I have not been to a concert since Huey Lewis was a hit! And I am pretty sure my hubs just went and bought them at the ticket booth a few days before the show. Granted, it probably wasn’t a sell out show and I live in a pretty small city (less than 85,000) so maybe even back then tickets were harder to get for BIG name concerts. Life is just so much more damn difficult.

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  9. ummm ye wot?! I consider myself a fan of Bruce Springsteen- but there’s no way I have the time to wait around and jump through hoops like this for Ticketmaster. Plus- this happens every time when there’s some kind of waiting process for a ticket- my sister loves to go to all concerts and *never* gets anything if there’s a system like this :/ I think your last line summed it up.

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  11. David Cassidy? There’s a blast from the past! Incidentally, I went out with a lad who looked a little (and I mean you have to squint and use your imagination) like David Cassidy. His name was David. 🙂 The last concert I went to was Duran Duran in 1994! OMG! X

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