Attendance at Recent Stevie Concerts
 

I copied this from an article at Daniel's site and was wondering if this were true at other venues. Seems that attendance for this tour (2008) has been way down from recent years.

And the fans? They love it. When she opened with "Stand Back" one would have never known that the arena was only about half full, as every older lady in the place got up out of her seat and cheered while mentally reliving her glory days.


Chicago was about 1/2 to 3/4 full too, way down from last year (2007). In fact, the Sec 300 seats to the back were maybe 1/10th full and people were moving up as the concert went on since the first 10 rows had quite a few seats left, including mine in the 4th row. Just wondering how the other venues fared with attendance??


Glenn

I went to the show last night at DTE and it was pretty full!! But Boston opened for her so I'm sure some fans were there for them too...... but the seats right in front of me were empty all night--so I got a little upgrade!! ha ha And they were darn good seats--first row but to the side......

Did you tell her that we all have the soundboard recording of that very show, & that there's a funny crashing sound about midway through OH DADDY, followed immediately by chuckling in British accents?

The McVies?

Michele

Maybe after this tour it will finally sink in to her or someone in her camp that in the future they need to downscale to smaller venues.I would think that one could be in denial for only so long.:shrug:Also upping ticket prices again in the midst of hard economic times is ill advised.

Absolutely! Plus, it would give us all the same ambience of her VH1 special- "Storytellers" - several years back, that had the candles all around it.. How awesome would that be? I'd SOO love Stevie performing in a smaller venue.. provided she keep her ticket prices to a "reasonable" amount.

Stevie's only playing a 4100 seat pavilion in Cincinnati and it's not sold out yet. Back in 2005 she drew at least 8,000 at the larger pavilion. I think the lower attendance has to do with higher ticket prices and the fact that everyone is paying more for gas, groceries, and just about everything else.

Thats howRosemont was for the pre-Soundstage show, small , intimate and you almost felt like you were in her living room. Yes, we need more of these. I imagine that MGMT will get the message when ticket sales plummet due to the current economic climate. In addition, her fans are getting OLDER for sure. I'd say the average in Chicago was well into their mid-late 50s.

I really don't think ticket prices are the issue of low attendance. Frankly, I paid more to see Nicks on other tours before (through proper ticket channels and not Brokers). I think her cost now is quite reasonable. The best basis for comparison is to look at other current tours. I can't get a ticket for the life of me for Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, which are $150. a ticket (for a good seat). Sure he's touring with Steve Winwood, but who really cares.

I simply think her popularity has waned. She's been doing the same tour, no real album. Just a golden oldies show, really. And frankly, 50-somethings have the money to spend much more than a tween or 20-something.

Besides Petty, there are still plenty of hot concert tickets selling and filling arenas and such, like Bon Jovi.

Billboard Box Score

High ticket prices+high gas prices+Stevie touring EVERY SUMMER the past few years+NO CHANGE IN SETLIST = many fans (myself included) staying home.

I hope someone in her camp finally learns how to do this basic math.

DTE has got to be a sell out from what I saw last night.

Oh my gosh, are you serious?:laugh: I have got to hear this, do you have it or something, as it would make my day~

Quote:
Originally Posted by David
Did you tell her that we all have the soundboard recording of that very show, & that there's a funny crashing sound about midway through OH DADDY, followed immediately by chuckling in British accents?
I believed him too so I listened like a dork and there was nothing there. Mick's drumming in the song was pretty awesome though.

But there are clues! I don't think it's that easy to chuckle in a British accent.

Michele

I simply think her popularity has waned. She's been doing the same tour, no real album. Just a golden oldies show, really. And frankly, 50-somethings have the money to spend much more than a tween or 20-something.


Agreed, the crowds are getting thinner in all aspects, in the hair and in the age and numbers!! By the way, did anyone notice how much hair on top that Waddy lost. During Edge solo he had his head down and man, is her losing the hair or what??


Glenn

I'm sitting here at a library in Cincinnati after having seen her in Chiacgo and Clarkston. Chicago was well attended, but Clarkston was almost packed. Granted Boston played too, but I was very impressed. I'm just here in Cinci for a couple days befoer Atlantic City going to see some Reds baseball games. They'er playing the Dodgers incidentally.

That's interesting. My experience has been exactly the opposite. I'm seeing Stevie in Cincinnati next week and I paid $115 for a ticket through ticketmaster. That is the most I have ever paid for a concert ticket in my entire life. The closest to that was Fleetwood Mac in 2003 for a little over $100. In comparison, seeing Stevie as little as 3 years ago "only" cost me approximately $80 for the same type of seat. To me that's a big increase in such a short period of time. I saw TP & The Heartbreakers in Columbus in 2006 for well under $100 for a very good seat. I'm gathering, by what some people are saying here, is that the price one pays for a ticket must vary, depending on what part of the country you are in. But I would think prices in the Midwest and South would be cheaper than on the coasts. :shrug:


Well, I think Stevie's popularity has waned since her heydays of the 70s and 80s for sure, but I wouldn't say it has waned all that much over the last several years. I do agree that by her not promoting anything new would impact ticket sales to a degree. I don't care how hold you are, the economy is affecting everyone these days, unless of course you are filthy rich. If anything, I think the tweens and twenty somethings would have more disposable income to blow on concerts than those of us who are older. Especially the ones who are living at home with Mom and Dad and not raising families of their own.

Why are some artists selling more than others? Well, I'd say that people are being more strict in who they are seeing in concert. That's where the real economics comes into play. Most people these days would rather see Dave Mathews or Tom Petty as opposed to Stevie. Not that they wouldn't want to see her. Just that when you're living on a budget, some expenses have to be cut. So you might catch one or two concerts a year instead of three, four, or five.

It sold well but I don't think it was a sell out. I was in Center 4 row Q and heck there were seats right next to me empty and I could see some on the right side of the stage too.....besides the lawn wasn't totally full either....I'm sure it was better than last yr.....I enjoyed the concert but well I do think the prices are high and the setlist thing still gets to me and all the cover songs. I know Stevie can do what she wants but I just think I'll pass next yr. If she solos again.....I can say I've been there and done that now.....this was my 6th solo tour show (3 with Fmac) so.....Its not like I haven't seen her.....so if this is my last solo tour show thats fine I can live with it.....life goes on......It was a great show but I had to leave after Edge...so I could hear R & R but missed Has Anyone......:distress:

I just read a piece on Perez Hilton's website. Sheryl Crowe is having the same problems, half-filled venues and she's playing much smaller venues than she did 2-3 years ago. It's the economy plus tour-fatigue I think.

Sheryl's playing to smaller crowds then Stevie... How about that! Shery's got 9 Grammy's under her belt... Isn't that supposed to mean something?

Here's a few numbers from a recent Billboard Boxscore... And her tickets are fairly cheap!

Sheryl Crow Rumsey Playfield New York, N.Y.
May 29, 2008
Gross: $203,003
Attendance / Capacity: 3,489 / 5,500
Shows / Sellouts: 1 / 0
$66, $65
Live Nation

Sheryl Crow, Jason Mraz National City Pavilion Cincinnati, Ohio
May 25, 2008
Gross: $130,915
Attendance / Capacity: 2,790 / 4,114
Shows / Sellouts: 1 / 0
$82.50, $55
Live Nation

Sheryl Crow i wireless Center Moline, Ill.
June 3, 2008
Gross: $90,270
Attendance / Capacity: 3,312 / 3,517
Shows / Sellouts: 1 / 0
$52.50, $37.50
Rose Presents

Sheryl Crow, Shawn Mullins Verizon Wireless Music Center Pelham, Ala.
May 23, 2008
Gross: $74,436
Attendance / Capacity: 2,973 / 10,469
Shows / Sellouts: 1 / 0
$60.50, $19.50
Live Nation

Maybe it's a mis-print but I love the choices of ticket prices at this show. You could have the best seat in the house for one dollar more than the lawn seats!:laugh:

If I were Stevie, that would make me feel a little better. Not that I'd wish anything bad for Sheryl, but it just helps to know that it's not age. Sheryl's younger and has had wonderful chart success in the not-so-distant past. Yet, she can't fill those concert seats. It's a sign of the times.

She was the hot-ticket when she was with Lance Armstrong. People dig that couples ****. Sheryl was all over the tabloids and it actually seemed like she had personality.

Now, her music isn't that good and she's a bore.

Even the Boston Herald got into the act and mentioned the setlist:

http://www.bostonherald.com/entertai...icleid=1101930

STEVIE NICKS

Maybe, as reported, the Fleetwood Mac songstress hasn’t changed her set list since last summer, but count on Nicks to switch shawls every so often. Sunday at Bank of America Pavilion, 617-728-1600.

Although I'm a fan of Sheryl's and IMO her last album is actually pretty good she is just not as interesting a concert attraction as La Nicks ..even on autopilot and with a fairly unchanging setlist Nicks is a more riveting stage presence which is something you really can't fake..you either have it or you don't.

I gotta say "Ditto" on this one- I can't agree more! :wavey:

Has SC ever toured large arenas solo? I seem to remember her doing the sheds and HOB kind of things. But, I could be wrong.

That's true. I don't really think Sheryl Crow's music is exceptional, so she was never a question for me, but I love Sarah Mclachlan's music. Yet, as a concert performer, she is boring. Her music is much better if you just close your eyes and imagine the emotion, than if you are looking at her.

It's criminal to sing words like, "and I will hold you down, kiss you so hard, I'll take your breath away," when you're standing there, with no physical intensity to match the words and looking like a limp dish rag.

Michele

Hey Strand..

Not that I know of.. I also recall her playing the smaller venues also.. I think she may play the same venue Stevie does, here in Houston- at the Cynthia Woods Pavillion, but I know Stevie packs the house.. Not so sure about Sheryl..

Awhile back, she did this huge concert in Central Park, but there were like 20 other huge names there. So, it wasn't really just her.

Yup.. I SOO remember that.. I thought they called it "Sheryl and Friends" - and they made a cd from that show. I have that one, if we are talking about the same one.. ;)

Why is Stevie charging so much for tickets? Who's responsible for this travesty?!

Stayed home in Chicago too. Had the money, but just not interested this go round.
Lots of other tours coming through to check out.

That reminds me that when the Eagles set the bar for $100 dollar ticket prices, Irving Azoff was behind it. So, I'm thinking that if he has his hand in this FM tour that's coming up, we're going to be looking at $200 tickets in 2009.

Back then Azoff said, "The only people that complained were the people that were getting in for free. If we had known all the flak we were going to catch, we would've probably gone higher."

Michele

He's going to milk you Steviegoers for all you're worth, it seems.

But remember: The difference between milking & bilking is just a few short steps.

Are you not a Stevie goer?

Well dear Irv will come to the realization that most of us have our limits, especially in this faltering economy. I WOULD NOT pay $200 to see Fleetwood Mac in concert. There's only a few acts I would see for in the low to mid $100 range(those being FM, Stevie, and Led Zeppelin). $200 a ticket?! Get John, Paul, George, and Ringo out on the road again and then we can talk HIGH ticket prices. :blob2:

:laugh:that or Bjorn Ulvaeus .Agnetha Faltskog,Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad ..at least we would not need a necromancer for them.