Phoenix's Six Hottest Events: Winter 2009/2010

Phoenix is one of the biggest cities in the U.S., but you often hear residents complaining that nothing ever happens in Phoenix! Well, this winter aims to right the record -- there is an event for everybody, from your 3-year-old to your deaf grandfather, happening in Phoenix over the next couple of months. We take a look at the best events in Phoenix over winter!

Disney On Ice: Worlds of Fantasy Tickets

Kids love it ... why not give them a Christmas present that actually leaves the house cleaner than it was before you gave it to them? If they're watching ice skating, they can't be destroying things. Disney on Ice concerts have been a staple show around America for more than 20 years, and kids never get tired of it.

Weezer Tickets, Dodge Theater

With their homegrown garage sound, these inventors of the sarcastic singing voice are coming to Phoenix on January 15. They are currently touring their seventh studio album, Raditude, which was released in early November.

Nutcracker, Symphony Hall

You might not have heard of Marius Petipa, but you almost certainly will have heard of the Nutcracker. Tchaikovsky's composition is dainty and beautiful … you'll come home from the symphony concert dancing on air!

Alice Cooper's Christmas Pudding Tickets with Warrant, Dodge Theater

We all know that Alice Cooper doesn’t quite have the Satanic edge that he pretends to … so the Christmas Pudding concert is fun for just about the whole family. Even kids can enjoy the atmosphere and pretend naughtiness of the event. The lineup hasn’t yet been announced, but profits go to helping disadvantaged teens in the city.

Jason Alexander, Celebrity Theater

The "Master of the House" will be bringing his unique Brooklyn brand of comedy to the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix in early January. Phoenix doesn’t often get comedy events -- these concert tickets will certainly give you a night to remember.

Slayer with Megadeth, Dodge Theater

The big four concert (Slayer, Megadeth, Metallica and Anthrax) may have just been a hopeful and widely spread rumor, but at least two of the biggies can be seen playing together at the Dodge Theater in Phoenix in February. Much better value than buying concert tickets for two separate events!

World's Best Concert Venues

Most people will tell you that for their money, the world's best concert venue is the one where their obsession du jour is playing … it's not so much about the dressing as the salad. That said, buying concert tickets to see a good performer in a bad concert venue is sort of like listening to your favorite CD after it's been taped onto cassette, and put on a tinny alarm clock to wake you up. A completely different experience! So if you have a chance to go to any of the following concert venues, even if the feature might not be your favorite, take the opportunity. You'll almost certainly find that the atmosphere and acoustics push the experience far beyond your expectations.

Metropolitan Opera, New York

Just as historic as those in Vienna and France, the New York Met is now home to the world's finest concert pianists, violinists, operas and orchestras. There are LCD screens on the back of each chair, giving even poor seats an up-close-and-personal view.

Symphony Hall, Boston

The acoustics of this hall are part of the appeal -- it has a 1.9 second reverberation time, considered to be ideal for orchestral performances. There are more and more rock bands teaming up with orchestras nowadays, since the advent of Symphony and Metallica … and you can get concert tickets for a variety of acts at Symphony Hall.

Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles

Boston and New York have inclusions in the world's best list … LA couldn’t let them have all the limelight! This was completed only in 2003, and has a much more modern design than Symphony Hall or even the Met. It has a six-level subterranean parking garage, and is now home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Avery Fisher Hall, New York

Not quite as famous as Carnegie Hall, but then again, concert tickets here can actually be afforded by mere mortals! There have been numerous critics and redesigns at Avery Fisher Hall, but to their credit, the board never gives up in their quest for the perfect acoustic.

Closing the Deal

I work for a large advertising firm in New York City. I am what they call the closer. The executives lay out the deal, go over all the fine points, and then I wine and dine the client and pull out the big guns. My big guns are those one-of-kind, hard-to-get event tickets. The theater ticket that nobody else can get is my best weapon. There is an art to what I do and I have secrets never before spoken about. But I guess I can break my silence.

The secret is to have a hotline to a couple online ticket brokers. These guys can get the tickets when everybody else claims to be sold out. I’m not sure how they do it and I don’t ask any questions. I’m just grateful to have found this gold mine; it has been responsible, in part, for closing quite a few deals.

First you have to do a little research on the client and find their weaknesses. If they enjoy football you have to find out which team they like most. If it so happens that team is in town while they are doing business with you, you hit your ticket broker up for NFL tickets and present them to your client during dinner. It’s hard to say “no” to the deal when somebody has given you such a wonderful gift.

I have an impressive record for closing the deal. I don’t always have to use the big guns but it’s nice to know the weapon is there if ever I need it. There have been many times the deal was sealed before I gave the clients the treasured theater ticket to the hottest show on Broadway. In those cases it was a “thank you” gift which always helps to keep the client happy.

Some might say my business practice is like bribing the client. I don’t ever look at it that way. I think adding a little sweetness to the deal just makes things go a little smoother. Clients feel good about doing business with somebody that can relate to them and how better can one relate to another than by scoring the best NFL tickets possible and treating him to the game? Business is business but business doesn’t always have to be work; there’s always room for fun. Every client I’ve ever closed a deal with has come back and continued doing business with us; even when I don’t produce the golden ticket.

Getting Tickets to a Sold-Out Show

When The Dave Mathews Band came to town last year, I desperately wanted to see this concert, but by the time I heard about it, the show was sold out. I didn’t let that stop me; I did a little searching and came across a ticket broker who could get me tickets. I put in my order and 10 minutes later I had the tickets on the way. All I asked for were the best seats available, paid with a credit card on a secure site, and had verification that the concert tickets were on the way by overnight express.

The next day when the concert tickets came in the mail I stashed them in my wallet and didn’t think about them again until the night of the show. When my date and I arrived at the concert hall, I pulled out the tickets and handed them to the usher who then showed us to our seats. I had paid a pretty nice price for these tickets and just assumed that was because the show had been sold out and the tickets were hard to get. When I had specified I wanted the best seats available I didn’t expect to get best seats in the house. But that’s what I got; two concert tickets on the front row, preferred seating. The cost of the tickets were the same as they were on the other ticket website so I didn’t get charged anything extra for this awesome service. We were so close I could reach out and touch Dave’s leg. I didn’t, of course, but I could have if I wanted to.

Now if I want to see a concert I use a concert ticket broker who can always get me the best seats no matter how long I wait to order my tickets. The price is just a bit more than ordering them direct from the usual ticket website and they are always mailed the next day by overnight express.

I missed out on so many concerts over the years because I waited too long to get my concert tickets; now I don’t have to worry about that. I love watching bands play live concerts and I try to see every one that I can.

I’ve been to five different concerts over the past year and every one of those concerts I got my tickets from concert ticket brokers online. I am always able to get excellent seats and even got a backstage pass for one concert. Maybe I’m a little selfish but I don’t tell my friends where I get my tickets. I like to make them think I have connections in high places.

Hard to get Sports Tickets are Getable

My husband and I are devoted Nascar fans and every season we try to see at least two races in person. The one race we really wanted to go see is the one at Bristol, Tennessee. These are very difficult tickets to get as this race is often sold out several years in advance. I have tried, unsuccessfully, to use a well known ticket agency to score these tickets but even they couldn’t get their hands on them. However, I came upon a secret weapon.

Many times people will have season passes to events and for one reason or another won’t be able to attend an event. They will then use a private ticket agency to try to sell the tickets for the same price as they paid for them. I happened across one such agency and was finally able to get the prized tickets I had been wanting for years.

I didn’t realize that there were other places with ticket sales such as this. I thought one could only get tickets from a well known agency. I was a bit hesitant at first because I thought it might be a scam but two days after I bought the tickets they came in the mail just as the agency said they would. My husband and I were able to go to the race at Bristol and it turned out to be the best race we had ever been to.

Another thing I learned was I could get hard to get tickets for all events, not just sporting events, before ticket sales began. It’s like I have my place saved in line and I’m almost guaranteed to get the tickets I want. This really has made my life a lot less stressful. My husband and I attend many different types of sporting events and now we can get really great seats without having to pay a scalper’s price.

I’ve already purchased tickets to four Nascar races for next season using this awesome ticket agency I found online. Either this is a well-kept secret or people just haven’t caught on to this really great service. I’ve shared it with several friends who said they couldn’t get tickets to different events through a regular ticket agency but by using the ticket broker I found they were able to get tickets without a problem. This is such a great service I just wanted to share it with more people.

Put Your Ticket Broker to theTest Finding Theater Tickets

Want to see the Barber of Seville in Baltimore? Have a longing to see Dracula on stage in Louisville? A professional ticket broker should be able to find the theater tickets you want. Why not put your ticket broker to the test finding theater tickets for events you'd like to see?

Professional ticket brokers have contacts the everyday person may never have. They know folks at the venues and in the ticket offices. They build relationships with the people who know which corporations won't be using their tickets for your theater events. Even if they live in L.A., they're in contact with people who know the venue and can tell them which seats just won't work. The more experience your broker has, the larger his network probably is.

Why is this important? Sometimes it takes some pulling of strings behind the scenes to get tickets for a sold-out performance. You may see tickets available to the public that aren't for particularly good seats. Great online ticket brokers know how to dig out the good seats in a packed house.

Wouldn't you rather work with someone who knows how to get what you want, rather than spending hours making phone calls that may never lead to good tickets? That's the whole purpose behind the hard work a ticket broker does creating a network. They save you time and effort and find the theater tickets you want.

Whether you're looking for theater tickets, or you'd also like to know if your online ticket broker can deliver on tickets for concerts and football, it's time to put your broker to the test. Ask them to find the tough tickets for shows you've been shut out of. Find out whether the tickets they deliver are really for great seats.

If they are, keep doing business with them. If not, start looking for a different broker. There's no reason to give up seeing Spiderman on stage in New York just because the ticket office says "No." If your broker says "No way" without a fight, there are brokers more than ready to take up your cause.

The best ticket brokers aren't afraid of a challenge. It's what they live for, after all. Why not let your broker show you what he does best?

A Football Ticket Broker Can Become Your Best Friend

Here's a scenario that may sound familiar: you've been watching the games all season, and your favorite team is in the playoffs. You start trolling the football ticket broker sites online and find a few tickets for questionable seats. Determined to attend, you check a few more ticket sites but decide to settle for the original seats. Too bad, because in the meantime, someone else has reserved the last tickets.

How to keep this from happening again? Begin to work with the same football ticket broker on a regular basis. Form a relationship with a professional firm who knows which tickets you prefer. In that way, you aren't simply an anonymous face to someone willing to take your money, but a valued customer interested in a long-term connection.

Your football ticket broker can become your best friend for regular season tickets, the playoffs and even the Super Bowl. They work to find the best possible tickets, and here's one more inside secret, if you've dreamed of attending the Super Bowl: the top brokers put together Super Bowl packages with hotel reservations, transportation and pregame party tickets!

Whether you buy NFL tickets once or twice during the season, or find yourself looking for sports tickets of all kinds, working with the same broker helps them serve you better. Once you decide to form this kind of connection, you'll discover not all online ticket brokers are the same. Look for someone who consistently delivers quality tickets. This is a sign they actually attend events and know the seating layouts of the venues.

Look for an online ticket broker who also has someone you can speak with live. Full-service brokers employ great customer service teams who can answer all your questions. Another big plus is a broker who carries tickets purchased from season ticket holders and corporations, premium tickets not normally available to most sports fans.

And, finally, don't settle for a broker who charges a fee for every service! You should know before you complete your order exactly how much your tickets will cost. Online ticket brokers who charge hidden fees are definitely not your friends! Why leap from broker to broker, looking for the best football tickets? Make friends with a football ticket broker who's looking out for you.

Spotting Fake Ticket Broking Sites

Buying concert tickets is perhaps one of the most emotional purchases that many make (excluding wedding dresses!). Musicians provide a soundtrack to the good times and help carry us safely through the bad, so it's little wonder that the possibility of seeing them in person makes the blood rush a little.

Unfortunately, there is a rash of fake ticket broking sites destroying the good name of legitimate ticket brokers, by offering tickets for sale that don’t actually exist. Yes, it is true that ticket brokers can often get you concert tickets and sporting tickets long after they're sold out. It's essential that you check out this site as carefully as you would any other online, though. Here are some tips for spotting, and staying away from, the scammers.

• Do some secondary research: Check with the actual ticket venue to make sure tickets have been released, to avoid being scammed by the pre-sale crowd. Check the website's About Us section, and see if you can find a general description of how they obtain tickets. Legitimate businesses won’t want to reveal all the details (for competition purposes), but are usually happy to give you a general idea.
• Google the website: Anybody can make up a fake testimonial or three. Real online reviews on third party websites and forums will usually quickly let you know if you’re dealing with a scammer.
• Make sure the website is owned by a real business - Look for a geographical address on the website. Try to order your concert tickets by phone, rather than online, if possible.
• When purchasing with credit cards online, look for the usual security symbols: Look for the little padlock in the bottom of your browser screen, a web address that begins with https instead of just http, and the presence of security logos on the pages such as Verified by Visa, etc.

Since online ticket sales began to gain popularity, it's estimated that millions of dollars have been defrauded from buyers in the UK alone. The US, the rest of Europe, Australia and Asia have plenty to add to that, unfortunately. Above all, look for articles like this on your ticket broking sites to help assure you that the concert tickets you’re buying are the real thing!

Fastest Selling Concert Tickets in History!

Whenever we buy concert tickets (especially if we don’t get the seats we wanted!), it always seems like the fastest selling tour in history. It's no surprise, then, that a Google search for the fastest-selling concert ever produces mixed results. We look at some of these concerts, which hold different records (fastest selling tour overall, fastest UK concert, previous records, etc). We think that nowadays, it might have been possible to get tickets to a lot of these, with the wealth of good ticket brokers that are around …

AC/DC's Black Ice Tour

When a band slows down, it only makes every concert they do that much more valuable. The February 2010 tour of Australia by AC/DC went on sale in May 09 and quickly became one of the fastest selling concerts in Australian history. The Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth show concert tickets sold out quickly, but new seats were released for the Sydney and Melbourne shows earlier in the tour. It was the band's first tour in 8 years, and is being billed as their final shows. We'll see…

Michael Jackson's 'This Is It' Tour

33 seats were being sold every minute at one point when Michael Jackson's "This Is It" tour was being heavily promoted. He was another of the old-time legends proving to be plenty more popular than some of the new acts. Unfortunately, now this one only means that there are 33 grieving fans for every minute of the tour's sale time.

The Rolling Stones 'A Bigger Bang' Tour

This tour grossed $558 million over its course, from 2005 to 2007. Not bad for a few nights work, if you aren’t a bank robber! Actually there were some 144 nights work involved, and 4.7 million fans worldwide that got to see the old rockers in person.

Madonna's Sticky and Sweet Tour

It was only recently announced that Madonna broke her own record for concert ticket sales to a solo performance, with her Sticky and Sweet tour out-grossing her Confessions tour of 2006. 85 shows, 3.5 million fans, and $408 million later … I would still be doing the work at 50 if I was Madonna, as well!

Van Halen - Rocking Out Has Never Been So Good!

Are you into Van Halen? If you are, you should consider a concert! To entice you, we’ve enlisted the help of a concert guru -- read on for a review of a recent smash concert!

Other Johnny-come-back-latelies may have had more impressive intellectual credentials, exhibited more slick professionalism, or even managed to herd all the original members onstage, but few matched the gleeful energy and six-string pyrotechnics emitted by guitar god Eddie Van Halen last night at the DCU Center.

And few setlists could transport you back to hazy, fevered summer nights of feathered hair, fringe leather jackets, and killing time in parking lots with such sensorial completeness. (The fragrant haze hanging over some of those in last night's crowd sporting feathered hair and fringe leather jackets helped.)

Spry of body and bright of spirit, the Cali hard-rockers returned to the area one week after shaking up the TD Banknorth Garden, spreading the news that long-estranged lead singer David Lee Roth and Van Halen seemed legitimately happy to be sharing the spotlight once again.

The famously contentious pair occasionally chatted and giggled between songs and played off each other with adolescent charm, Roth reaching for his roundhouse kicks and Van Halen grinning mischievously. From the metallic crunch of "Runnin' With the Devil" to the double-time innuendos of "Hot For Teacher" to the fist-pumper "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" the nearly two-hour set was crammed with everything any fan of the classic lineup of the band would want to hear.

Of course, this was not the classic lineup, as Eddie's 16-year-old son Wolfgang subbed for the ousted Michael Anthony on bass. Eddie was clearly thrilled to be expanding the family business, playing with both his son and brother Alex on drums, and Wolfgang acquitted himself well in what must be both a thrilling and terrifying situation. But Anthony was missed. (He may not be the world's most accomplished bassist, but he always brought an impish spirit to the proceedings.)

After a few rough years, Roth has rebounded nicely, looking enviably fit and loosing his goofy Cheshire Cat grin with alarming frequency. His voice sounded almost as good as his abs looked as he managed most of the old yelps, growls, and lounge-lizard croons of yore.

But it was Eddie who was truly in prime form. On his signature guitar solo, he went from gentle caresses that brought forth an aching, almost cello-like lyrical melody to manhandling his fretboard for dirty, serrated knife's-edge riffage. In that 10 minutes you could hear the incredible range of influence he has had on artists as disparate as Weezer, Rage Against the Machine, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and Brad Paisley.

Whether it was magic, hypnotism, therapy or really good acting, the Van Halen onstage last night may have had as much fun as the sold-out crowd.

Get Jaw-Dropping Seats with the Touch of a Button!

If you enjoy concerts, you’re guaranteed to enjoy Premium Tickets! The Premium Tickets database is massive and with one click of a button you’ll be able to purchase any imaginable ticket for not just concerts, but for every sporting event known to man!

If you’re a football fan, or you enjoy operas, or even theater events, Premium Tickets is the place for you!

The folks at Premium tickets will bend over backward to find you the best in hard to find tickets at the lowest prices possible! With these services, you will never miss a concert, a game, or a special event again. You’ll avoid the disappointment in seeing "sold out" signs and you’ll avoid long lines outside the theater or arena trying to purchase last minute tickets.

Tickets make great gifts too! You’ll definitely put a smile on your son, daughter, sister, husband, or best friend’s face when you show up at the door with the impossible-to-get ticket to that sold out popular musical, concert, opera or other social event. Think about the look on a family member or friend’s face when you give the gift of tickets to their favorite event and seats that put them in the middle of the action. Imagine sitting within the first ten rows of the social event of the month while others are lucky just to be in the same building.

With Premium Tickets, you will enjoy friendly customer service and quick purchasing methods. This professional company has been making “ticket” dreams come true with the service of providing tickets for the best seats in the house!

Stop spending hours waiting in lines in weather that is unbearable and take advantage of the services offered to you by the ticket company that brings the perfect tickets to your home computer for your purchase. Enjoy a life where you no longer have to settle for second best when it comes to the event of the moment and put yourself and others in the first class world where the best seats and most action is taking place. The fast and friendly customer service staff is waiting on your online visit so they can bring your dream event to reality.

The Ticket Solution

Do your entertainment needs find you searching for the hard to get tickets to the important events in life? Are you tired of overpaying for tickets to sporting events, theatrical events or concerts just to make sure you are in the middle of the action sitting in the best seats in the building? Say goodbye to all that and hello to an online company that offers you the tickets to the popular sold-out events with no hidden fees or overcharges. A company you to come to when you need to impress your boss, the special person in your life, a family member or friends. Enjoy having the access you need to the tickets for the specific event in your life that you would never dream of attending. Whether your preference is the theater, popular sporting events or concerts you will find that the professionals online can deliver the ticket or tickets you need when you need them.

Enjoy online access to tickets that will have you not only attending the sold-out event of the night but sitting front row at regular price. Stop over paying for seats that have you touching the stage and learn to rely on your on line source to the tickets you are searching. You can start enjoying sporting events such as the New York Yankees baseball games or the Anaheim Ducks, even the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Diego Padres just to name a few. Perhaps the theater is more your desire than you can enjoy A Bronx Tale, Mamma Mia, George Lopez and Mike Epps when you take advantage of the ticket service provided to you online. The list of concert tickets available will take your breath away and the user-friendly site will make purchasing your ticket needs a breeze.

What are you waiting for? You can start enjoying life today and impressing everyone around you when you are inviting them to join you at the event that was sold out or sitting behind home plate eye level to the strike zone. Life was meant to be enjoyed and lived to its fullest so sign on today to the company that brings you the tickets and seats you desire to the events that are important to you at regular prices with no hidden fees. Put the days of standing in long lines trying to get tickets to the popular sporting event, theater or concert of the moment. With the ability to search and purchase the tickets you long for you can save time and money on line and enjoy the fact that you did not overpay.

The Ticket Professionals

Finding the tickets you thought were impossible to get your hands on is easier than you might have thought when you take advantage of the online service that specializes in offering tickets to the hottest events. Now you can impress your spouse, significant other, family or friends with tickets to the events that had been sold out the moment they became available or with tickets in the closest row possible to the action. It does not matter whether you are searching for tickets to the big sports game of the season, the famous opera, a concert or popular theatrical event -- utilizing the services of a dependable online ticket master can mean the difference between watching the event in person and hearing it being broadcasted over a radio.

Say goodbye to waking up at the crack of dawn or never going to bed just so you can wait in line for tickets to be released. At your fingertips are the tickets you have been waiting for to be released for sale and perhaps better than the ones you would be forced to purchase in line. The torture of enduring all types of weather conditions outside just to obtain your tickets and taking a chance on them not being the seats you had your heart set on should be a thing of the past with the online services you have available to you through a dependable and reputable ticket service. Those seats you thought you would never be able to get your hands on much less afford are now in front of you, so stop dreaming and start purchasing. Enjoy watching your favorite team, singer, or performer on stage right before your eyes with the assistance of the online company that has the ability to turn your dreams into reality.

Sign on today and reserve the tickets you have been searching for to ensure you have the time of your life rather it is for a gift or for yourself. Put an end to standing in lines through horrible weather conditions and missing out on the concert or special event you have been waiting on. No concert is out of your reach when you take advantage of the wonderful service brought to your computer through a ticket service that not only offers you the hard to get tickets but the seats you thought you would never get your hands on for that special event.