In the opening morning of sales to Meijer Gardens members, folks lined up, went online and snapped up tickets to a bevy of shows in the 2017 summer series. See a list of the sold-out shows thus far.
MONDAY UPDATE (4/30): With tickets to see Brian Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot (June 18), Amos Lee (July 21), Elvis Costello & The Imposters (July 17) and Lifehouse/Switchfoot (July 31) selling out over the weekend, Meijer Gardens has now sold out 17 of its 30 concerts. Tickets to see The Beach Boys on July 26, Five for Fighting on Aug. 24, Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers on July 20, Trombone Shorty on June 29 and Daughtry on June 25 sold out Saturday after the initial rush of sales to members. See the full list of sellouts below.
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The ticket-buying flurry has begun.
Starting with the July 19 Barenaked Ladies concert which sold out in less than four minutes, tickets to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s 2017 summer concert series were flying out the door and getting snatched up online today.
Within minutes, tickets to see Sheryl Crow on July 12 and first-time Meijer Gardens performers The Shins on July 27 were gone, along with Huey Lewis & The News (July 16), Four Voices: Joan Baez, Mary Chapin Carpenter & The Indigo Girls (June 12), Michael Franti & Spearhead (Aug. 16) and Boz Scaggs (June 21).
Norm and Sue Knapp of Grand Rapids arrived at 4 a.m. and were among the first in line to secure Boz Scaggs tickets for themselves and friends. This marks the sixth year they’ve queued up for tickets on opening day, “chatting and making friends” with others in line.
“It’s kind of a rite of passage,” Norm Knapp said. “It’s what starts the summer for us.”
Some ticket-buyers were camped out at Meijer Gardens before gates opened at 5 a.m., with the bulk of the crowd arriving after 7 a.m. They came from across West Michigan for their shot at concert tickets, while others tried their luck online from home.
“These are great musicians,” said Celeste Dyehouse of Hastings, who made friends in line over a shared love of Amos Lee, who plays Meijer Gardens on July 21. Dyehouse also was hoping to snag tickets to see Lake Street Drive and Diana Krall. “I’ve never been here before, so it’s all about the artists.”
By 10 a.m., Ian Anderson’s “Jethro Tull” concert on Aug. 18 became the eighth show to sell out, adding to the aforementioned sellouts of Barenaked Ladies, Sheryl Crow, The Shins, Huey Lewis & The News, Four Voices, Boz Scaggs and Michael Franti. By Monday morning, the sellouts also included The Beach Boys (July 26), Five for Fighting (Aug. 24), Bruce Hornsby (July 20), Trombone Shorty (June 29), Daughtry (June 25), Elvis Costello (July 17), Lifehouse and Switchfoot (July 31), Brian Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot (June 18) and Amos Lee (July 21).
The line at Meijer Gardens waned quickly, though there were audible groans Saturday when “Jethro Tull is sold out” was announced over loudspeakers before 10 a.m. and one ticket-buyer reportedly started to weep when she discovered she couldn’t get tickets to see Sheryl Crow.
The sales of discounted tickets to members will continue for two weeks. Tickets go on sale to the general public on May 13.
Last year, Meijer Gardens sold out 17 concerts by noon of the first day of sales to members, with 24 of the 30 shows selling out during the two-week pre-sale.
But Meijer Gardens also later released extra tickets to several of those sold-out shows as they became available. Complimentary tickets initially set aside for bands, fan clubs, record labels and artist management are released when those requirements are fulfilled.
Get the full list of 2017 Meijer Gardens concerts and a story about the upcoming season online here.
PHOTO GALLERY: Meijer Gardens Ticket Sales
Photos by Anthony Norkus
Copyright 2017, Spins on Music LLC