Oh, also, the index cards were great days. Not because the index cards were easy. But because nobody was in the fan club. If you were in the fan club, you pretty much got seats. And they did 30-40 show tours, and you could only get 1 show.
(please don't go back to only 1 show per tour, thank you!)
With almost anything, there is always a way to make it better. The lottery is so much better then the F5 days BUT The fact that people won two shows when others get totally shut out of the same two shows sucks.
Here is my take:
I agree with others, that they should combine the choices and just have one choice per show with the option to choose if your preference of GA or Reserved until one or the option is gone. Then your preference doesn't matter.
Round 1 Pick all the show priority 1 winners and if tickets remain for that show, move all the people that didn't wins priority 2 to a priority 1 and re-draw just those people. And keep going with priority 3 and up until the tickets are gone or everyone has gotten 1 show. (unless the tickets are gone for all shows you went for before your name gets picked) - only way you get shut out completely.
Round 2 If tickets still remain from above process, then start the process over just like above for the chance to win your second show.
Ive been on for one year almost. I was sad that I didnt get St Paul tickets(born and still live in mpls) but i did get GA moline. this was my first lottery. i dont participate much on the boards. im new to this whole forum thing. but there was so much sass and anger that i didnt even want to post that i got one. i already got called a newbie once today for asking a question.
Congrats and have fun in Moline! Hope you can still score a hometown show. I apologize for the sass - people can really show their ugly side when they don't get what they want. There's usually a lot of positivity here, honest!
WI 6/27/98 WI 10/8/00 MO 10/11/00 IL 4/23/03 MN 6/26/06 MN 6/27/06 WI 6/30/06 IL 8/5/07 IL 8/21/08 (EV) IL 8/22/08 (EV) IL 8/23/09 IL 8/24/09 IN 5/7/10 IL 6/28/11 (EV) IL 6/29/11 (EV) WI 9/3/11 WI 9/4/11 IL 7/19/13 NE 10/09/14 IL 10/17/14 MN 10/19/14 FL 4/11/16 IL 8/20/16 IL 8/22/16 IL 08/18/18 IL 08/20/18 IT 07/05/2020AT 07/07/2020
Won my only choice, Denver GA . Who's "partying" with Guacamlejoe in Colorado <:-P </p>
Hey Guac. I've looked for you on here w/o any success. I've now found you. You may not remember me, but I am the guy who was sitting next to you at Red Rocks for MMJ, night 1.
How bout the fact that Ticketmaster changed the game about 10 years ago and only made 10% of the venue available to any bands fanclub? In 2003 you could go to 5 shows easy because whoever wanted to go could go because there was no fanclub allocation ticket cap. In 2000 same thing. I went to 7 shows no problem because of the no cap. Im not trying to be a PJ apologist. There is too much of that. But some of it is not their fault or ten clubs fault. Though I think lottery blows (I didn't have a dog in the Lottery fight this time around. No shows within 10 hr drive). And F5 blows. There is really not much ten club can do. There will always be people shut out as PJ are the greatest band on earth and people want t o see them. But, people can always get a ticket to a show they want to attend whether though TM, stubhub, Lost Dogs, etc. (I had an extra fanclub ticket for Charlottesville and couldnt give it away outside the venue right before the show).
I fully sympathize with people who didn't get any tickets -- you have a right to feel frustrated and angry, and I think this is the proper forum to vent.
But no one got shut out of 3+ lotteries if they only bid on high-demand shows -- most cities were so in demand that the drawing never rolled over to third or fourth priority. It sucks if you missed out on your first or second choices, but after that you didn't "lose" the lottery, because the tickets were already assigned to people who put those shows as top priority. The benefit of the odds feature was that we all knew we were almost guaranteed reserved seats for three of the ten shows -- how cool is that?
I still feel bad for people who didn't get drawn for their hometown shows, but let's remember how lucky we are that our favorite band puts in the effort to give us all a chance to get tickets. I certainly couldn't afford the seats I get through the 10C at fair market value.
Actually, I got shut out of 4 shows (including Lincoln) and I'm now 2 for 19 in the lottery. So, yeah.
I put in for GA and reserved for Denver, Moline, and Detroit, and GA for Lincoln. I didn't get any of them. I've seen the band over 100 times in the past 21 years, and I've had some great experiences, so I'm not really going to freak out. That said, I do think the lottery is a little bit flawed - I'm not sure what the perfect system is. I'm not thrilled about paying $20 a year for basically the same free lottery as Phish does, but I guess this is where we're at in 2014.
Anybody can enter the Phish lottery, and they are notorious for handing out lawn seats like candy to lottery winners. Totally different system.
I'm aware of how the Phish lottery works. Yes, you can get lawns, but most of the better seats in the house are usually PTBM as well, and either way, you're in the building. Both bands are insanely difficult to buy for in-demand shows through public onsales, especially since PJ now insists on doing ever onsale at 10 AM local time, so if you want multiple shows in a time zone, good luck with that. Based on the results myself and most of the members I am friends with have gotten, we are now paying $20 (or $40) to basically get 10% of the shows we want, and not even have the first choice guaranteed - or get shut out of entire tours. Seems worth every penny to me.
I'm aware of how the Phish lottery works. Yes, you can get lawns, but most of the better seats in the house are usually PTBM as well, and either way, you're in the building. Both bands are insanely difficult to buy for in-demand shows through public onsales, especially since PJ now insists on doing ever onsale at 10 AM local time, so if you want multiple shows in a time zone, good luck with that. Based on the results myself and most of the members I am friends with have gotten, we are now paying $20 (or $40) to basically get 10% of the shows we want, and not even have the first choice guaranteed - or get shut out of entire tours. Seems worth every penny to me.
Phish seems to get a random sample of a few thousand seats at every venue. I've gotten great seats, and shitty ones.
You are paying membership dues for:
1) At least 1 newsletter 2) Holiday single or mp3s 3) A CHANCE to get tickets to shows
At no point in their history have they been able to absolutely guarantee tickets to members. They do their best. You can't supply 20k people with 5k tickets. The bigger markets are going to have higher demand. It's always been that way. Every year sees more fans join than leave.
Getting "shut out of entire tours" is just silly. There are almost ALWAYS ways to get tickets...and almost always for face value. It just takes a little patience. I had to do TM for 4 shows last year, out of 5 I wanted to go to. Over time I was able to upgrade for 2 of them and sell my extras to members of this forum. And the 2 nosebleed shows I had (Brooklyn 1 and 2)? I still had a blast and hung out with people before and after the shows.
Bright eyed kid: "Wow Typo Man, you're the best!"
Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
I'm not sure how I feel about the lottery. I don't like the idea of leaving it into someone elses hands. I liked the day of F5 and it was up to me and my internet connection. All of that said yesterday I got St Louis Res-won Tulsa res-won Memphis res-won BUT I also have gotten everything I've tried for with F5 too. And another but, I don't try for the most popular shows. When Eddie did his first solo tour, Chicago is closet to me, but I knew it would be a huge seller, so I chose Milwaukee. I never try for MSG. I am super lucky thatall the shows I picked are close to me and on week nights so they weren't chosen. And super lucky that my first choice is 20 minutes from me.
To 10c; "Your PJ tshirt should be tight enough to show you're a woman and loose enough to show you're a lady." - bionicamy
1st choice: St. Louis - GA: Lost 2nd choice: St. Louis - RES: Won 3rd choice: Memphis - GA: Lost 4th choice: Moline - GA: Lost 5th choice: Memphis - RES: Won 6th choice: Moline - RES: Lost
I live in St. Louis, so securing tickets to that show was my top priority. Obviously, I wish that I had secured a ticket to Moline, but I'm not at all upset with the results. This current system seems fairly equitable to me.
If anyone would be interested in trading a single Moline ticket (either GA or RES) for one of my tickets to either of the St. Louis or Memphis shows, please feel free to PM me. I have a pretty great 10 Club number (55xxx), so I anticipate having pretty good seats for those shows.
Really kind of wish I wouldn't come in here and see people trying to unload their lottery wins, really? Would have been nice for someone going to the show to benefit from winning the tickets. Just my thought.
2003 Clarkston MI #2 | 2004 Grand Rapids MI | 2013 London ON | 2014 Detroit MI | 2016 Toronto ON #1
Really kind of wish I wouldn't come in here and see people trying to unload their lottery wins, really? Would have been nice for someone going to the show to benefit from winning the tickets. Just my thought.
I think this is because them and their ticket buddy both put in for the same shows hoping at least one of them would win, and then they both did. Me and my usual ticket buddy did all the same shows and both won all but she's taking her mom and I'm taking my kids.
To 10c; "Your PJ tshirt should be tight enough to show you're a woman and loose enough to show you're a lady." - bionicamy
I'm aware of how the Phish lottery works. Yes, you can get lawns, but most of the better seats in the house are usually PTBM as well, and either way, you're in the building. Both bands are insanely difficult to buy for in-demand shows through public onsales, especially since PJ now insists on doing ever onsale at 10 AM local time, so if you want multiple shows in a time zone, good luck with that. Based on the results myself and most of the members I am friends with have gotten, we are now paying $20 (or $40) to basically get 10% of the shows we want, and not even have the first choice guaranteed - or get shut out of entire tours. Seems worth every penny to me.
Phish seems to get a random sample of a few thousand seats at every venue. I've gotten great seats, and shitty ones.
You are paying membership dues for:
1) At least 1 newsletter 2) Holiday single or mp3s 3) A CHANCE to get tickets to shows
At no point in their history have they been able to absolutely guarantee tickets to members. They do their best. You can't supply 20k people with 5k tickets. The bigger markets are going to have higher demand. It's always been that way. Every year sees more fans join than leave.
Getting "shut out of entire tours" is just silly. There are almost ALWAYS ways to get tickets...and almost always for face value. It just takes a little patience. I had to do TM for 4 shows last year, out of 5 I wanted to go to. Over time I was able to upgrade for 2 of them and sell my extras to members of this forum. And the 2 nosebleed shows I had (Brooklyn 1 and 2)? I still had a blast and hung out with people before and after the shows.
I've seen PJ over 100 times in 21 years all over this planet, I know how to get into shows, thanks. It's just a ton more work than it used to be, and it's not quite as easy as it was when I was 20-25 to just spend all day on a drop line.
There has never been a point where you had guaranteed tickets, but in 2003 some shows (MSG) had as many as 8000 Ten Club tickets. When the band was getting that kind of allotment (and not trading in their share of tickets for a higher upfront fee), it was much easier to do full tours. Even in 2000, when everyone was virtually guaranteed their first choice, you could easily do ticket buddies, etc - and because the internet community was so much smaller there was ALWAYS extras on the 10C line, in much greater numbers than today where people post about having an extra an there's 40 replies within 10 minutes. (It's great that the community helps each other, don't get me wrong).
I just think paying $20 for this membership is a lot. I use Phish as an example because their lottery gets you in the building (which everyone keeps saying is all they care about), the ticket comes with a free MP3 download of the show, oh, and livephish.com releases free archival samplers for every tour (LiveBait series is fucking awesome). All that is free, as is access to their merch store, where t-shirts are usually less than half the price of PJ's. Just seems like we pay a bit of a premium to be fans of the band.
Either way, I'm sure the tour will be great, and I've had a TON of great PJ experiences with too many awesome people to count. I just think the system can be improved - if it's going to be a crapshoot, might as well make it free.
1998 ~ Barrie
2003 ~ Toronto
2005 ~ London, Toronto
2006 ~ Toronto
2008 ~ Hartford, Mansfied I,
2009 ~ Toronto, Chicago I, Chicago II
2010 ~ Cleveland, Buffalo
2011 ~ Toronto I, Toronto II, Ottawa, Hamilton
2013 - London, Pittsburgh, Buffalo
maybe not F5, but this current lottery format can be improved, no?
I got one show this time around, and lost out on 5, and even I am ok with the way this works.
Look, Pearl Jam is getting bigger, the fan club is getting bigger. Tours are getting smaller. Shows are getting more intimate. (Moline? Seriously???)
People are going to lose out. I lost out on a few shows. I lost out on the Vic, because I had to go back to work. I went to a freaking library to try to get tickets because site blockers at work. That is no way to run a system. And I got almost all of my shows I wanted back then.
The reason? There were more shows back then. They used to do more shows, so you didn't have 10 bil people trying to go to Moline.
I have no problem with the way PJ does their tours. They are small, short tours. I'm ok with that. But increasing the amount of shows is the only way to help alleviate the problem. I'm guessing that if you had a Chicago show, a Toronto show, 2-3 NY shows and 2 Philly shows on this tour, tickets to ALL other shows would be much easier to get.
Pearl jam isn't getting bigger they are just doing 10-25% of the shows they use to.
is there a reason why 10C couldn't do the lottery, and then have ticketmaster do a presale for 10C members that missed out? Ticketmaster would still get to sell/distribute the tickets and get all associated fees, but 10C members get the next best seats after the lottery.
"...what a different life had i not found this love with you..."
is there a reason why 10C couldn't do the lottery, and then have ticketmaster do a presale for 10C members that missed out? Ticketmaster would still get to sell/distribute the tickets and get all associated fees, but 10C members get the next best seats after the lottery.
Something like this would be good but not sure about the logistics, I'm honestly surprised ticketmaster doesn't have other presales through there many partners for Pearl Jam shows
maybe not F5, but this current lottery format can be improved, no?
I got one show this time around, and lost out on 5, and even I am ok with the way this works.
Look, Pearl Jam is getting bigger, the fan club is getting bigger. Tours are getting smaller. Shows are getting more intimate. (Moline? Seriously???)
People are going to lose out. I lost out on a few shows. I lost out on the Vic, because I had to go back to work. I went to a freaking library to try to get tickets because site blockers at work. That is no way to run a system. And I got almost all of my shows I wanted back then.
The reason? There were more shows back then. They used to do more shows, so you didn't have 10 bil people trying to go to Moline.
I have no problem with the way PJ does their tours. They are small, short tours. I'm ok with that. But increasing the amount of shows is the only way to help alleviate the problem. I'm guessing that if you had a Chicago show, a Toronto show, 2-3 NY shows and 2 Philly shows on this tour, tickets to ALL other shows would be much easier to get.
Then maybe they should play more than 10 fucking shows in a year!!
ABQ 93, Las Cruces 95, ABQ 98, Bridge School 10/30/99, Lubbock 00, ABQ 00, Denver 03, State College 03, San Diego 03, Vegas 03, PHX 03, D.C. 03, Camden 7/5/03, NYC 7/8/03 + 7/9/03, Vegas 06, San Francisco 7/15/06 + 7/16/06 + 7/18/06, Kansas City 10, EV:ABQ 11/6/12, Chicago 13, PHX 13, Denver 14--PJ24!, Telluride 16, Chicago 8/20/16, Chicago 8/18/18, Denver 20, Phoenix 20
New Mexico Pearl Jam Fans (New Mexico, USA) on Facebook!
How about a wins and losses thread? Post your results here!
I am all in on Denver...
I only entered for one show, Denver, as local as Pearl Jam gets to Albuquerque for the last 15 years, 1st choice reserved (got a low number), 2nd choice GA... LOST BOTH. I was pissed and sweating bullets till an hour later (this was about 4 hours after people were saying they got Denver tix btw), when my wife found out she won GA for Denver. And to think we almost didn't both enter for the show, she was afraid we would get stuck with extra tickets (had to convince her we would find someone to buy them face value no problem if we both got drawn).
Have only entered lotto for two shows since they started the lotto system, Phoenix last year and Denver this year, and only got drawn once... 50/50 odds. Kinda surprising and disappointing. I can't complain cause I am getting ten club tickets to the show, but if I had only entered or my wife didn't renew her membership a couple months ago, I'd be kinda fucked for my one show of the tour in "practically" my backyard.
ABQ 93, Las Cruces 95, ABQ 98, Bridge School 10/30/99, Lubbock 00, ABQ 00, Denver 03, State College 03, San Diego 03, Vegas 03, PHX 03, D.C. 03, Camden 7/5/03, NYC 7/8/03 + 7/9/03, Vegas 06, San Francisco 7/15/06 + 7/16/06 + 7/18/06, Kansas City 10, EV:ABQ 11/6/12, Chicago 13, PHX 13, Denver 14--PJ24!, Telluride 16, Chicago 8/20/16, Chicago 8/18/18, Denver 20, Phoenix 20
New Mexico Pearl Jam Fans (New Mexico, USA) on Facebook!
You have no idea that the loyalty you've had towards this band since you discovered them is ANY different than the loyalty this other guy has had for the band since he discovered them. So you'd like to criticize him for being too young? Give me a break - that's ageism at its finest. Am I biased in this? Absolutely - I'm 24, and I was born in '90 back when Pearl Jam is Mookie Blaylock. But I'm no less a fan than anyone else here, that much I can assure you.
No one is questioning your fandom or devotion to the band. The simple fact is a fan that's supported the band longer than you have deserves to be rewarded with closer seats than you do in the eyes of the band. You're not being penalized, but at the same time the band doesn't exist in a vacuum. If you don't agree with said policy, vote with your wallet.
Otherwise, we all get the same opportunity at tickets.
Post edited by 100 Pacer on
To quote the 10C from Newsletter #8: "Please understand we have a lot of members and it is very hard to please everybody. If you are one of those unhappy people...please call 1-900-IDN-TCAR."
"Me knowing the truth, I can not concur."
1996: Toronto - 1998: Chicago, Montreal, Barrie - 2000: Montreal, Toronto - 2002: Seattle X2 (Key Arena) - 2003: Cleveland, Buffalo, Toronto, Montreal, Seattle (Benaroya Hall) - 2004: Reading, Toledo, Grand Rapids - 2005: Kitchener, London, Hamilton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Quebec City - 2006: Toronto X2, Albany, Hartford, Grand Rapids, Cleveland - 2007: Chicago (Vic Theatre) - 2008: NYC X2, Hartford, Mansfield X2 - 2009: Toronto, Chicago X2, Seattle X2, Philadelphia X4 - 2010: Columbus, Noblesville, Cleveland, Buffalo, Hartford - 2011: Montreal, Toronto X2, Ottawa, Hamilton - 2012: Missoula - 2013: London, Chicago, Buffalo, Hartford - 2014: Detroit, Moline - 2015: NYC (Global Citizen Festival) - 2016: Greenville, Toronto X2, Chicago 1 - 2017: Brooklyn (RRHOF Induction) - 2018: Chicago 1, Boston 1 - 2022: Fresno, Ottawa, Hamilton, Toronto, NYC, Camden - 2023: St. Paul X2, Austin X2 - 2024: Vancouver X2, Portland, Sacramento, Noblesville, Philadelphia X2, Baltimore
I've seen PJ over 100 times in 21 years all over this planet, I know how to get into shows, thanks. It's just a ton more work than it used to be, and it's not quite as easy as it was when I was 20-25 to just spend all day on a drop line.
I have been around as well. I have no doubt you know how to get into shows. The simple fact is that the PJ world has changed and it is not as easy to get a run of shows anymore...but it can be done and you know that as well as I do.
There has never been a point where you had guaranteed tickets, but in 2003 some shows (MSG) had as many as 8000 Ten Club tickets. When the band was getting that kind of allotment (and not trading in their share of tickets for a higher upfront fee), it was much easier to do full tours. Even in 2000, when everyone was virtually guaranteed their first choice, you could easily do ticket buddies, etc - and because the internet community was so much smaller there was ALWAYS extras on the 10C line, in much greater numbers than today where people post about having an extra an there's 40 replies within 10 minutes. (It's great that the community helps each other, don't get me wrong).
The band doesn't tour as much, and I think that is what leads to them not getting the same allotment of tickets (along with TM's policy of course). when you play 70 shows a year, it's easier to use your clout to demand a littlem ore. 25-30 shows? Not so much. but the community has generally been helpful all along, and that's why I like PJ fans. Phish fans are legit too.
I just think paying $20 for this membership is a lot. I use Phish as an example because their lottery gets you in the building (which everyone keeps saying is all they care about), the ticket comes with a free MP3 download of the show, oh, and livephish.com releases free archival samplers for every tour (LiveBait series is fucking awesome). All that is free, as is access to their merch store, where t-shirts are usually less than half the price of PJ's. Just seems like we pay a bit of a premium to be fans of the band.
$20 is nothing. Heck, even the analog fee is a drop in the bucket compared to almost every single other band's membership fees. To me it's worth it just to have the CHANCE of getting 10C tix, even if it only works out for 1-2 shows nowadays compared to many shows historically. There is no lottery/f5/card system that will work perfectly for everyone, and PJ does not have the option of playing 20k seating fan-club only venues. It just doesn't work that way. Someone always gets screwed.
Either way, I'm sure the tour will be great, and I've had a TON of great PJ experiences with too many awesome people to count. I just think the system can be improved - if it's going to be a crapshoot, might as well make it free.
If it was free, we'd be even more screwed. The nominal (in my mind) fee we pay HAS to keep some people out of it. That alone is worth it, to me.
And yes, we can both agree that PJ tours are special. It's my happy place. I'm only able to do 1 show on this run (tour is not near me, I have 2 small kids, etc etc), but I'll give it my all in Memphis. Hopefully another northeast tour quenches my thirst next year.
Bright eyed kid: "Wow Typo Man, you're the best!"
Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
I am a little late to the party (vacationing in Jamaica... I know rough). Wife won Moline GA and I got reserved Milwaukee! I really can't wait for Moline!!!
1995 Soldier Field, Chicago
1998 Alpine Valley, WI
2000 Indianapolis, IN
2011 PJ20 Alpine Valley
2013 Wrigley Field
2013 Voodoo Fest New Orleans, LA
2014 Moline, IL (No Code)
2014 Milwaukee, WI (Yield)
2016 Greenville, SC (Vs)
2016 Columbia, SC
2016 Bonnaroo
2016 Wrigley I & II
Thanks god, got lucky today finally. A pair for the hometown show in the lower bowl, and two singles for Moline. Phew! It feels like that was the hardest time ever to get tickets.
Please, Pearl Jam, consider a Benaroya Hall vinyl reissue!
Comments
(please don't go back to only 1 show per tour, thank you!)
Here to die.
Scared alive.
The lottery is so much better then the F5 days BUT
The fact that people won two shows when others get totally shut out of the same two shows sucks.
Here is my take:
I agree with others, that they should combine the choices and just have one choice per show with the option to choose if your preference of GA or Reserved until one or the option is gone. Then your preference doesn't matter.
Round 1
Pick all the show priority 1 winners and if tickets remain for that show, move all the people that didn't wins priority 2 to a priority 1 and re-draw just those people. And keep going with priority 3 and up until the tickets are gone or everyone has gotten 1 show.
(unless the tickets are gone for all shows you went for before your name gets picked) - only way you get shut out completely.
Round 2
If tickets still remain from above process, then start the process over just like above for the chance to win your second show.
2nd Choice Tulsa, OK - Reserved Seating N/A
What You Giving
I suggest you step out on your Porch.
Run away my son. See it all. Oh, See the World!
Wassup!
You are paying membership dues for:
1) At least 1 newsletter
2) Holiday single or mp3s
3) A CHANCE to get tickets to shows
At no point in their history have they been able to absolutely guarantee tickets to members. They do their best. You can't supply 20k people with 5k tickets. The bigger markets are going to have higher demand. It's always been that way. Every year sees more fans join than leave.
Getting "shut out of entire tours" is just silly. There are almost ALWAYS ways to get tickets...and almost always for face value. It just takes a little patience. I had to do TM for 4 shows last year, out of 5 I wanted to go to. Over time I was able to upgrade for 2 of them and sell my extras to members of this forum. And the 2 nosebleed shows I had (Brooklyn 1 and 2)? I still had a blast and hung out with people before and after the shows.
Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
All of that said yesterday I got
St Louis Res-won
Tulsa res-won
Memphis res-won
BUT I also have gotten everything I've tried for with F5 too. And another but, I don't try for the most popular shows. When Eddie did his first solo tour, Chicago is closet to me, but I knew it would be a huge seller, so I chose Milwaukee. I never try for MSG. I am super lucky thatall the shows I picked are close to me and on week nights so they weren't chosen. And super lucky that my first choice is 20 minutes from me.
2nd choice: St. Louis - RES: Won
3rd choice: Memphis - GA: Lost
4th choice: Moline - GA: Lost
5th choice: Memphis - RES: Won
6th choice: Moline - RES: Lost
I live in St. Louis, so securing tickets to that show was my top priority. Obviously, I wish that I had secured a ticket to Moline, but I'm not at all upset with the results. This current system seems fairly equitable to me.
If anyone would be interested in trading a single Moline ticket (either GA or RES) for one of my tickets to either of the St. Louis or Memphis shows, please feel free to PM me. I have a pretty great 10 Club number (55xxx), so I anticipate having pretty good seats for those shows.
There has never been a point where you had guaranteed tickets, but in 2003 some shows (MSG) had as many as 8000 Ten Club tickets. When the band was getting that kind of allotment (and not trading in their share of tickets for a higher upfront fee), it was much easier to do full tours. Even in 2000, when everyone was virtually guaranteed their first choice, you could easily do ticket buddies, etc - and because the internet community was so much smaller there was ALWAYS extras on the 10C line, in much greater numbers than today where people post about having an extra an there's 40 replies within 10 minutes. (It's great that the community helps each other, don't get me wrong).
I just think paying $20 for this membership is a lot. I use Phish as an example because their lottery gets you in the building (which everyone keeps saying is all they care about), the ticket comes with a free MP3 download of the show, oh, and livephish.com releases free archival samplers for every tour (LiveBait series is fucking awesome). All that is free, as is access to their merch store, where t-shirts are usually less than half the price of PJ's. Just seems like we pay a bit of a premium to be fans of the band.
Either way, I'm sure the tour will be great, and I've had a TON of great PJ experiences with too many awesome people to count. I just think the system can be improved - if it's going to be a crapshoot, might as well make it free.
2003 ~ Toronto
2005 ~ London, Toronto
2006 ~ Toronto
2008 ~ Hartford, Mansfied I,
2009 ~ Toronto, Chicago I, Chicago II
2010 ~ Cleveland, Buffalo
2011 ~ Toronto I, Toronto II, Ottawa, Hamilton
2013 - London, Pittsburgh, Buffalo
2nd choice - Milwaukee Resvd won
3rd choice - Lincoln Resvd won
4th choice - Tulsa Resvd won
I guess this makes up for being shut
out in Dallas and OKC.
New Mexico Pearl Jam Fans (New Mexico, USA) on Facebook!
Have only entered lotto for two shows since they started the lotto system, Phoenix last year and Denver this year, and only got drawn once... 50/50 odds. Kinda surprising and disappointing. I can't complain cause I am getting ten club tickets to the show, but if I had only entered or my wife didn't renew her membership a couple months ago, I'd be kinda fucked for my one show of the tour in "practically" my backyard.
New Mexico Pearl Jam Fans (New Mexico, USA) on Facebook!
Otherwise, we all get the same opportunity at tickets.
"Me knowing the truth, I can not concur."
1996: Toronto - 1998: Chicago, Montreal, Barrie - 2000: Montreal, Toronto - 2002: Seattle X2 (Key Arena) - 2003: Cleveland, Buffalo, Toronto, Montreal, Seattle (Benaroya Hall) - 2004: Reading, Toledo, Grand Rapids - 2005: Kitchener, London, Hamilton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Quebec City - 2006: Toronto X2, Albany, Hartford, Grand Rapids, Cleveland - 2007: Chicago (Vic Theatre) - 2008: NYC X2, Hartford, Mansfield X2 - 2009: Toronto, Chicago X2, Seattle X2, Philadelphia X4 - 2010: Columbus, Noblesville, Cleveland, Buffalo, Hartford - 2011: Montreal, Toronto X2, Ottawa, Hamilton - 2012: Missoula - 2013: London, Chicago, Buffalo, Hartford - 2014: Detroit, Moline - 2015: NYC (Global Citizen Festival) - 2016: Greenville, Toronto X2, Chicago 1 - 2017: Brooklyn (RRHOF Induction) - 2018: Chicago 1, Boston 1 - 2022: Fresno, Ottawa, Hamilton, Toronto, NYC, Camden - 2023: St. Paul X2, Austin X2 - 2024: Vancouver X2, Portland, Sacramento, Noblesville, Philadelphia X2, Baltimore
I have been around as well. I have no doubt you know how to get into shows. The simple fact is that the PJ world has changed and it is not as easy to get a run of shows anymore...but it can be done and you know that as well as I do.
The band doesn't tour as much, and I think that is what leads to them not getting the same allotment of tickets (along with TM's policy of course). when you play 70 shows a year, it's easier to use your clout to demand a littlem ore. 25-30 shows? Not so much. but the community has generally been helpful all along, and that's why I like PJ fans. Phish fans are legit too.
$20 is nothing. Heck, even the analog fee is a drop in the bucket compared to almost every single other band's membership fees. To me it's worth it just to have the CHANCE of getting 10C tix, even if it only works out for 1-2 shows nowadays compared to many shows historically. There is no lottery/f5/card system that will work perfectly for everyone, and PJ does not have the option of playing 20k seating fan-club only venues. It just doesn't work that way. Someone always gets screwed.
If it was free, we'd be even more screwed. The nominal (in my mind) fee we pay HAS to keep some people out of it. That alone is worth it, to me.
And yes, we can both agree that PJ tours are special. It's my happy place. I'm only able to do 1 show on this run (tour is not near me, I have 2 small kids, etc etc), but I'll give it my all in Memphis. Hopefully another northeast tour quenches my thirst next year.
Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
1998 Alpine Valley, WI
2000 Indianapolis, IN
2011 PJ20 Alpine Valley
2013 Wrigley Field
2013 Voodoo Fest New Orleans, LA
2014 Moline, IL (No Code)
2014 Milwaukee, WI (Yield)
2016 Greenville, SC (Vs)
2016 Columbia, SC
2016 Bonnaroo
2016 Wrigley I & II
"To question your government is not unpatriotic --
to not question your government is unpatriotic."
-- Sen. Chuck Hagel