Hi,
Sorry for being so long winded but my situation is complex and I'm stressing and some explanation seems required, all things considered, I put my actual questions in a reply so you could just skip to those. Any thoughts, opinions, advice are appreciated though, so long as they are kind.
My issues are somewhat unique and I know no one can really answer part of my question but I figured I'd give it a shoot asking the experts so to speak and other big fans... I've been to one FM show. Last year in Detroit at the Joe Louis Arena. I'm stressing because obviously in addition to ticket prices being higher the venues are also larger. In Detroit it will be Palace of Auburn Hills. I've been there once a decade ago for a Sarah McLachlan show and understandably that was a world of difference from FM. Think I had maybe 15th row floor seats and no one stood at the stage or anything. We had the drunk idiot type in front of us where one woman literally asked "So what songs does she sing?" So eh the floor seats seemed overrated but then looking around it was hard to say things were much better elsewhere since you're even further from the stage.
Further complicating matters is that I'm disabled. And not a stable sort of disability but disabled enough that I bought my tickets to last years show the day of while people in my life encouraged me to not even go because I was throwing up the same morning. Needless to say trying to plan things 6.5 months in advance is next to impossible and probably a big reason for my stress level. I have a wheelchair. I'm not paralyzed just have a lot of muscle weakness and fatigue (and a progressive illness so gosh who knows even where I will be physically in 6 months though there's always hope that maybe ill be a bit better...). So technically I can stand. And adrenaline goes a long way even though it comes with a high price. What's frustrating about handicap seating is that it totally varies by venue and you have to call and its not even listed on the seating charts I find. I would pretty much assume even at the top price range I'd be much further away. I'm spoiled by how amazing the seats were that we got last year. The bizarre thing was that the top price range got a center view but was way back up in the balcony. We accidentally wheeled in over in that spot. We paid mid range and had seats up over on the right really close to the stage and Lindsey. Really awesome view. It was the far side so for example I never did manage a good photo of Johnand as a big Stevie fan we were far away from her most of the show. Ideally I want to do at least as well if not better with seats this year though honestly they may not be possible.
I don't think I need to explain the appeal of the floor. Or how much it means to a hardcore lifelong fan. Honestly too as hard as my life is the last truly good day I've even had was last years show. Pretty much the best day of my life. And so I want to relive that. I don't have enough good in my life and I am so passionate about Fleetwood Mac. Now the worst part is that my life in general is often a battle between my head and all the things I want to do and how limited the body I'm trapped in is. I do know the venue has a thing where they wheel people from the door to their seats since obviously if I went floor seats I'd not be able to bring my own wheelchair. That eliminates the stress of how the heck I could walk through the huge venue. I was toying with the idea of trying to get the closest seat possible and how much in my head I would give anything in the world to stand right there at the stage. I might just be crazy enough to try. But even in my most elevated delusional idea of what I might be capable of I know I can't stand for 3 hours. And I don't think anyone else wants to see me falling or fainting. I suppose I likely could push back through people and go sit. If I could manage even the first hour at the stage gosh that would be just incredible. It's one of those bucket list life goal things for me. I only want to do it once and I can live with accessible seating for any other shows I go to. And I wouldn't even consider this for any other band.
But I don't know. I will probably have to go alone since the friend who went last year with me is moving and set his personal ticket price limit at $100. My mom expressed some interest in even joining me in the floor insanity but she doesn't want me spending that much on her though I could...
With that said I don't know where the venues handicap seating is. I need to call. I realize that's probably where I belong and a nurse of mine (who is a big FM fan and knows me basically as Stevie girl) said go handicap because I'll be way more comfortable and have a better view. Problem is I know enough to know that the better view isn't a guarantee. Ill probably even at highest price range be much further away. On a balcony most likely or some kind of platform behind the floor seating since ADA requirements involve an unobstructed view. As I said the highest price handicap seats at Joe Louis last year actually were kind of awful. Literally the furthest you could be from the stage in the entire venue. The Joe is an older venue that has some major accessibility issues though and from googling the Palace of auburn hills where this years show is at got sued last year for non compliance with ADA and have made improvements. Silly foolish me should have called already and inquired about all of this but I've had a rough week and never got around to it. I want to see what's available at 10am tomorrow. But you can't buy accessible seats that way and while the box office opens an hour beforehand I have no idea if they will be able to answer my questions about the show since tickets won't technically be on sale. Don't know for sure how well they can even explain the view. I spoke to them about another large area venue they own for a show I ended up not attending last summer and that venues accessible seating was disappointing.
I guess alternately I could sit anywhere in the arena but then might as well do accessible seats. I know at last years show people were standing all over. Accessible seating would beat most other seating since you're guaranteed not to have a tall or standing person in front of you. Most of us- including those in wheelchairs- stood for parts of the show last year. I was not as sick then as I am now but I stood maybe half of the show but of course took frequent breaks to sit and even take pain meds. But I had so much adrenaline that gosh I probably could've managed the floor with my friend. I don't know. Hard to know. And in my head gosh I want to be right there in front of Stevie but my body may not be so cooperative.
I could stand for part and then go sit, that's the closest my body can probably do to achieving my dream. Of course the question goes then is it worth it? I could even buy the close up seats and wait until closer to the show to decide since I doubt it would be hard to sell a really good seat, right? That's sort of what I'm thinking...