purpleangel
Jan 18th, 2004, 09:45 AM
Concert Craze
Tickets for Fresno's Britney Spears show sell out in 1 hour, 15 minutes.
By Louis Galvan
The Fresno Bee
(Published Sunday, January 18, 2004, 5:37 AM)
If you are still thinking about buying tickets for pop star Britney Spears' March 5 concert in Fresno, forget it.
One hour and 15 minutes after tickets went on sale at noon Saturday -- at Save Mart Center, online and at selected Save Mart Supermarkets -- the concert was declared "sold out."
"All the seats are gone," said Lark Ohta, director of sales and marketing for the center.
Steve Tadlock, the center's general manager, said his office was not involved in announcing how many tickets were made available for the show, but the best estimate would be between 12,000 and 13,000.
More than 500 fans showed up at the center Saturday to purchase tickets at the box office.
Instead of taking customers on a first-come, first-serve basis, the center used the lottery system, issuing one random number to each customer, beginning at 10:30 a.m.
At 11:15 a.m., the lottery drawing began, sending the holders of those numbers to the box-office windows to wait for six windows to open at noon.
Willie Lopez, 51, dressed in a business suit and tie, arrived shortly before the last random number was issued.
When the lottery opened, however, Lopez was among the first group of five winners, sending him to the front of the line at the box-office window.
Lopez, a counselor for Fresno County Health Department, said he arrived late because of a business meeting.
"My daughter would've killed me if I didn't get any tickets," he said, referring to his 14-year-old daughter, Nauhi Lopez, a freshman at Sanger High School.
Willie Lopez, who admitted liking Spears' music, purchased eight front-row tickets, costing $528.
He plans to attend the concert with his daughter, three older children and friends.
Some fans didn't hear about the lottery system and arrived at the center Friday night and before dawn Saturday. They planned to camp out, only to be ordered to leave by security personnel.
One of those groups included six Clovis West High School students, who arrived at 4:30 a.m. Saturday loaded with sleeping bags, blankets, pillows and bundled up in several layers of clothes.
When they were asked to leave, one of their parents took them to breakfast, and then dropped them back at the center three hours later.
"We didn't have to come that early, but all of us are die-hard Britney fans," said Evelyn Rodriguez, 16.
Shivering in the cold, her friends, Maya Cox, 15; Ashley Darman, 16; Danielle Herzog, 16; Raquel Collins, 15; and Justine Mason, 15, agreed.
"We want to get the best seats," said Danielle, "right in front."
When their number was called on the fourth round, the girls jumped up and screamed, danced around and hugged each other.
Evelyn, who held the lucky number, was handed an envelope containing nearly $600 and was chosen to get in line at the box office to buy eight tickets.
It took her about 20 minutes to move up to the ticket window.
By that time, however, the best seats in the arena were gone.
Tearfully she returned to her friends. They had tickets, but they were on a top row, she told them.
"That's OK," a bystander patted one of girls. "At least you'll be getting into the show."
The reporter can be reached at lgalvan@fresnobee.com or 441-6139.
Tickets for Fresno's Britney Spears show sell out in 1 hour, 15 minutes.
By Louis Galvan
The Fresno Bee
(Published Sunday, January 18, 2004, 5:37 AM)
If you are still thinking about buying tickets for pop star Britney Spears' March 5 concert in Fresno, forget it.
One hour and 15 minutes after tickets went on sale at noon Saturday -- at Save Mart Center, online and at selected Save Mart Supermarkets -- the concert was declared "sold out."
"All the seats are gone," said Lark Ohta, director of sales and marketing for the center.
Steve Tadlock, the center's general manager, said his office was not involved in announcing how many tickets were made available for the show, but the best estimate would be between 12,000 and 13,000.
More than 500 fans showed up at the center Saturday to purchase tickets at the box office.
Instead of taking customers on a first-come, first-serve basis, the center used the lottery system, issuing one random number to each customer, beginning at 10:30 a.m.
At 11:15 a.m., the lottery drawing began, sending the holders of those numbers to the box-office windows to wait for six windows to open at noon.
Willie Lopez, 51, dressed in a business suit and tie, arrived shortly before the last random number was issued.
When the lottery opened, however, Lopez was among the first group of five winners, sending him to the front of the line at the box-office window.
Lopez, a counselor for Fresno County Health Department, said he arrived late because of a business meeting.
"My daughter would've killed me if I didn't get any tickets," he said, referring to his 14-year-old daughter, Nauhi Lopez, a freshman at Sanger High School.
Willie Lopez, who admitted liking Spears' music, purchased eight front-row tickets, costing $528.
He plans to attend the concert with his daughter, three older children and friends.
Some fans didn't hear about the lottery system and arrived at the center Friday night and before dawn Saturday. They planned to camp out, only to be ordered to leave by security personnel.
One of those groups included six Clovis West High School students, who arrived at 4:30 a.m. Saturday loaded with sleeping bags, blankets, pillows and bundled up in several layers of clothes.
When they were asked to leave, one of their parents took them to breakfast, and then dropped them back at the center three hours later.
"We didn't have to come that early, but all of us are die-hard Britney fans," said Evelyn Rodriguez, 16.
Shivering in the cold, her friends, Maya Cox, 15; Ashley Darman, 16; Danielle Herzog, 16; Raquel Collins, 15; and Justine Mason, 15, agreed.
"We want to get the best seats," said Danielle, "right in front."
When their number was called on the fourth round, the girls jumped up and screamed, danced around and hugged each other.
Evelyn, who held the lucky number, was handed an envelope containing nearly $600 and was chosen to get in line at the box office to buy eight tickets.
It took her about 20 minutes to move up to the ticket window.
By that time, however, the best seats in the arena were gone.
Tearfully she returned to her friends. They had tickets, but they were on a top row, she told them.
"That's OK," a bystander patted one of girls. "At least you'll be getting into the show."
The reporter can be reached at lgalvan@fresnobee.com or 441-6139.