So I did end up getting a ticket, though a pretty crappy one. I guess the presale this time did have all the good seats.
At the risk of having a reputation as a curmudgeon (I hope I don't have that moniker just yet) I hate Ticketmaster even more now. They have made it so easy to legally scalp (i.e. as long as they get a cut, it's fine, but when they don't, it's illegal) that it's even harder to get good seats at the already really high face value. Plus, the way they do it now is really frustrating. You pick a seat, and then they tell you that it's gone. So you pick another one. Ditto. Then you pick the one they suggest, and that's gone too.
Back in the old days, the best seat available came up, and you took it, knowing it was the one closest to the stage. It would be great to pick your own seat if it actually worked.
By trying to get the best seat, it actually probably worked to my detriment. If I had gone for a worse seat the first time I chose, I probably would have gotten something better than what I ended up with. And YES I see the irony in me complaining about my seat when I wasn't sure I even wanted to go. What can I say. Human beings are weird.
And Elle, I'm really flattered that you remembered that I didn't want to drive 3 1/2 hours to a show before they announced the Bay Area show.
(And I"m not being snarky and sarcastic.)
Kevin