Way back in the Dark Ages when I first put pen to paper and fingers to the green-screen Atex computer system at The Grand Rapids Press, the newspaper ran a column called Quickly Down the Rapids. Well, this is my version, updating all of you music fans on ticket availability for some high-profile shows floating into town. I’ve included links to ticket information.
Ticket-buying was fast and furious on Friday for the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ May 26 concert at Van Andel Arena, a homecoming show for Grand Rapids native and band frontman Anthony Kiedis. As of Saturday morning, only $67 seats in the upper bowl at the back of the arena were still available, so that should warm Anthony’s heart – and maybe help speed the healing of his broken foot which was surgically repaired earlier this month. Click here to see what’s left, and bring some Kleenexes for those nosebleeds…
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By comparison, Barry Manilow fans have PLENTY of options. Two hours into ticket sales for his April 26 Van Andel Arena show, you could pretty much sit anywhere in the “Copa Cabana” that you want.
Frankly, I’d strongly suggest considering instead the March 18 arena show featuring The Black Keys and Artic Monkeys: Some decent seats ($48.10) are still available and the Keys put on one of the best, most furiously blue-rocking shows you’ll experience anywhere. It’s certainly a better value than we-never-get-any-respect Nickelback, which also still has a bunch of seats still available for its April 12 arena appearance.
And for Pink Floyd fans who were still wondering: Yes, tickets – pricey and not-so-pricey – are still available for Roger Waters’ “The Wall,” which blasts into Grand Rapids on June 6. Get ticket info here. Paying more than $200 a ticket sounds ridiculous, of course, but this is a show (see my video highlights from the 2010 Palace of Auburn Hill show below) that’s probably worth the effort of saving pennies and quarters, and dollars, and bottle deposits …
And in case you figured otherwise: Snoop Dogg’s Tuesday show at The Intersection has sold out. No surprise there. Instead, I might suggest taking in the Papa Vegas/Igby Iris/Onn show at the ’Section tonight, the finals of the High School of Rock: Battle of the Bands on Sunday, or the Badfish: A Tribute To Sublime Sho<iframe width=”640″ height=”360″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/B4eDRa90mwQ” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>w on Thursday. More info here.
Although student tickets have sold out, $50 reserved seats for Death Cab for Cutie’s April 14 concert at Calvin College’s Covenant Fine Arts Center are still available. The show will feature the indie-rock band performing with the Magic*Magic Orchestra; Low opens the concert. Ticket info here.
Click here for that Roger Waters video.
Email: jsinkevics@gmail.com