* Concert cutback means lotto for season ticketholders

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News | Peachtree City

Concert cutback means lotto for season ticketholders

Fri, 01/29/2010 - 3:35pm

By: John Munford

Concert cutback means lotto for season ticketholders

Patrons of the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater’s summer concert series will soon be receiving their ticket renewal forms in the mail along with an announcement of this year’s acts for the season.

While “The Fun is Back” at the Fred, this season will be difficult for some season ticket holders as the venue shrinks its concerts to one per weekend. Cutting back to one concert per artist is part of a bid to get The Fred making a profit, said Amphitheater Manager Nancy Price.

Because there will only be one concert per weekend, the number of available seats will be halved. While this is a significant cut, there are plenty of seats to accommodate all 2009 season ticket patrons, Price said.

In part that’s due to dwindling interest at The Fred. From the beginning of the 2004 concert series to the end of the 2008 concert series, series ticketholders dropped from a high of 3,849 to 1,474.

But The Fred has its ambiance going for it, the fact that the intimate up-close setting leads to an enhanced experience for the audience and the artists themselves, Price noted.

“I think once we get through this first year it will be fine,” Price said. The vibe will be good, it will be full and the energy level will be high. It will be back to being like the old days when every seat was full.”

Those who want season tickets for this year will have to participate in a random lottery drawing to select their seats. Random numbers will be assigned to those who return their ticket renewal forms, and those numbers will be the order in which patrons get to choose their seats in person at the box office Saturday, Feb. 27, Price explained.

Season ticketholders who participate in the lottery will be allowed to pass on their seats if they are not happy with the seats available, Price said.

The Fred

Submitted by borntorun on Sat, 01/30/2010 - 4:56pm.

Another couple of acts have been leaked that will be playing this year....Gloria Gaynor and Cheap Trick.

Cheap Trick will draw...

Submitted by Spyglass on Sat, 01/30/2010 - 5:20pm.

hopefully, more like that.

Cheap Trick

Submitted by borntorun on Sat, 01/30/2010 - 5:41pm.

Agree, Spyglass...that was my complaint last year. I prefer some rock and roll and last year except for the World Class Rockers or whatever they were called was too much of a snooze fest. And I agree with an earlier comment. The Tourism Assoc got beat up here pretty regularly for the acts they signed but in retrospect they did a pretty good job compared to last year. Foreigner, REO, Frampton, Doobies, and a lot of the others were really good shows.

Cheap Trick

Submitted by intheknow on Sat, 01/30/2010 - 5:32pm.

"Can you honestly tell me that you forgot? Forgot the magnetism of Robin Zander or the charisma of Rick Nielsen?" "How about the tunes? `I Want You to Want Me.' The dream police, da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da. Your mommy's all right, your daddy's all right/They just seem a little bit weird." - (From Fast Times at Ridgemont High)

And don't leave out Bun E. Carlos on Drums - I'm sure they're going to "rock" the Fred on June 5th!

Dear Amphitheater Management..

Submitted by Spyglass on Sat, 01/30/2010 - 1:44pm.

IF you can't tell what the citizens want from these comments, you are hopelessly lost. I hear these same things from citizens who USED to have season tickets all the time.

Give the People Something Worth Seeing

Submitted by mlc2028 on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 5:43pm.

For all the negativity this town has towards the people who use to run the Amphitheater, they at least brought in acts that people wanted to see. It's obvious that they do not pay bands as much as they used to for performing here. The first two years we moved here we had the Doobie Brothers (twice), Styx, Foreigner (twice), REO Speedwagen and other bands you now see playing at Chastain or Gwinnett instead. The last two years we saw acts like Felix the Cat (or was it Chandelier?) in front of hundreds or so folks. The only way the place will ever turn around is to sell it to a private management company to run. As long as it isn't Live Nation....

You are so right...look at the amphitheater in Alpharetta

Submitted by opustv on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 8:10pm.

Go here to see what's wrong with the Ted..
http://www.vzwamp.com/
Better acts! Granted, the Verizon is owned by the ASO and they have deeper pockets but they are also operating in the black just a year in. It all comes down to a real entertainment venue management company...not some D-level local hacks playing at running a venue. You want to draw from more than one zip code? You want a wide variety of acts to choose from? Get a real management company.

Have to agree with Spyglass.

Submitted by Terriers88 on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 5:36pm.

Have to agree with Spyglass. Look at the lineups over the last 5-6 years and I'm just plain uninterested. I'm not buying season tickets just for the sake of getting tickets to the possibly one act I might be interested in seeing. Better lineups will draw bigger crowds. The other annoying part is the "ambiance" of listening to people yap and yap when I'm trying to hear the music. Shut up already or take the conversation outside. I've spent my hard earned money to hear the band, not your conversation. Finally, if it's a rock concert, I'm standing up. Get over it.

Not my "enhanced experience"

Submitted by TinCan on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 4:10pm.

But The Fred has its ambiance going for it, the fact that the intimate up-close setting leads to an enhanced experience for the audience and the artists themselves, Price noted.

Some drunk standing up for the entire show and wiggling their rear-end in my face is not my idea of an enhanced experience

Sorry acts were the biggest problem...

Submitted by Spyglass on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 4:10pm.

Talk about a denial on the Amphitheater's part. Gee, all they had to do was go back over the last 5-6 season's and see exactly what would fill the house and what wouldn't draw flies.

It could be a great source of fun...amp up the ACTS.

Acts Are The Problem

Submitted by savethevinyl on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 9:42pm.

For the past 10 years, the acts with the highest fill ratio have always been "classic rock acts". As much as patrons complained about repetitive Foreigner, Styx and the Doobies, these acts have the track record of putting butts in the seats. The baby boomer demographic has the most disposable income and will spend the money to see class acts. Spotlight concerts are great to appease the other various segments. Rock on. Lets pray the Monday announcement has a couple of decent acts.

Why they can't see this..

Submitted by Spyglass on Sat, 01/30/2010 - 9:12am.

is beyond me. They held some meetings in the middle of the day that were attended by a bunch old folks who didn't like all the "rock" acts. Now we're down to one show, and fading fast.

Word is Christopher Cross and America are on the docket...yawn....

Spyglass

Submitted by Tug13 on Sat, 01/30/2010 - 11:04am.

You know what? YOU are going to be old someday too. All "old people" are not the same! I like all kinds of music. I love some of the Allman Brothers music and others.
Please don't lump all of us older people together.

Have a great day!

Tug Smiling

I hope so...

Submitted by Spyglass on Sat, 01/30/2010 - 1:37pm.

that I get old, that is....already pushing 47...

Just because they are old...

Submitted by mlc2028 on Sat, 01/30/2010 - 10:35am.

Doesn't mean they can still entertain. Did anyone really think the Beach Boys were worth the money when the first few songs were lip synced and Mike Love moved around on the stage like a 90 year old man? There are certain seasoned acts that do not sell records anymore but can still entertain. Most people go the Fred to be entertained. Tony Orlando had only one original song yet he entertained with a great show. Frankie Valli was my most memorable show even though I really don't like his music. Peter Cetera last year seemed more interested in his hair than performing a great show. And who can forget the memorable Blues Traveler show a few years ago where John Popper and company forgot there was audience (they spent most of the show with their backs to the crowd) that paid to see them. And has anyone who filled out the forms for who you want to see at the end of each season ever gotten the act they wanted? The people who select the acts need to understand (and research the industry) there are acts out there (old or young) that actually know how to entertain. As campy as the Village People were they had people on their feet and partying a few years ago. The same with KC and the Sunshine Band. America and Christopher Cross won't be filling any seats. A B-52's show would Smiling In the end only a management company would understand the need to entertain and why the crowd wants to stand up, dance and have some fun after a stressful week.

The Beach Boys

Submitted by Spyglass on Sat, 01/30/2010 - 1:38pm.

act was a joke...the lip synching was horrendous. You make some good points...apparently, the amphitheater management isn't listening.

We complained but...

Submitted by mlc2028 on Sat, 01/30/2010 - 1:50pm.

After the Beach Boys show we went to Fred management and asked for our money back or some kind of discount on a future show. They claimed there was no lip syncing and did nothing for us.

Old fogies in leather pants

Submitted by jevank on Sat, 01/30/2010 - 10:54am.

I agree with you, especially about the Beach Boys. Seeing these old farts flirting with the teenagers was not the show I wanted to see.

And yes, we do stand up at a concert. It's called having fun!

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