The Hurting on Vinyl…and a TFF CONCERT!!

Well, it’s showtime! About a year earlier than we expected too! Tears for Fears will be in concert on the 20th of September in …wait for it… Thackerville, Oklahoma (@ the Global Event Center)!! Why are we exicted? It’s in the middle of the United States. That means it’s roughly a 3 hour flight max for just about anyone and should be no more than $200 – $300 dollars round trip per fan. Tickets went on sale on Friday and VIP was snatched up not only by fans but also ended up in the hands of third party ticket sellers like ‘Box Office’ (original price $88 per ticket on TM, Box Office total after tax, etc. = $700+ for VIP and $300 for premium). It’s on their site.

Remaining Tickets
Thanks to Bobby R of the Travel Fan Team who got in touch with us very early. Because of Bobby’s efforts we were able to get several dedicated fans in the first few rows of the VIP section. THAT IS HUGE given that so many had issues with the Ticketmaster online service. In some cases, fans had row AA which is third row for this show (the first 3 rows RA-RC are Artist Reserve/Casino according to the establishment and are unavailable for purchase to the general public) but when one clicked “okay” on the ticketmaster site, the site simply froze. It was as if one needed to start all over again. One had to literally try again because the site seemed to auto-release the tickets so you couldn’t get what was originally available. It was extremely frustrating. We do not understand why this happened and we will reach out to Ticketmaster with a formal inquiry. Who knows if it will make a positive difference in the future but hopefully it will help other fans get the seats they need. Several decided, this time around, they probably wouldn’t be going to the concert out of frustration with the ticket situation. It’s quite understandable.

Why Such Short Notice?!!?
We can’t overlook the fact that most of us who follow the band daily were under the impression that there wouldn’t be any shows until 2015. We received comments such as, “Out of the blue, we had less than a week to find extra cash during this challenging economy for tickets!!” For those that experienced a tough time coming up with the cash – so many tweeted us about it – please remember our past discussions on having a Superfan savings account for tickets. If everyone puts aside just enough for 1 (approx $100) ticket that might be the solution in cases where we get surprises like these.

Who Is Going?
Ticketmaster shows that 187 people pre-reserved their attendance by Thursday. After the initial ticket sales, over 350 seats were purchased and following that, more and more. There will also be lots of fans from the 80s (those that are catching up after losing contact for a few years), new faces/their kids and, of course, the die-hards…the long time fans who have made a professional career of following TFF. Some decided to cancel previously scheduled events and late summer holiday/vacations in order to attend. The others…well, quite a few regulars said they just aren’t going. They can’t cancel everything this late in the game and go. So our usual TFF fan Cabana Club will probably not be in session as it wouldn’t be the same without them. We’ve got some other plans on file and we’ll discuss that once we complete a roll call; to be sure everyone has their tickets and the seats of their choice.

I WANT VIP!!
There are still a few VIP seats available at ticketmaster rates. Row AA (third row) is available through third party vendors. VIP North (Curt’s usual side) and South (Roland’s usual side) are still available through ticketmaster. We, the Travel Fan Team, have 3 VIP seats for sale at the ticketmaster price (there is no profit, these are tickets we obtained after seat changes and are the same as what was paid thru ticketmaster).
-1 VIP center (Roland’s side)
-2 VIP South (Roland’s side)
-2 premium seating (center section A)
Inquire via email to ‘Tears for Fears & Kooks’ on FB.

What Does the Venue Look Like?
–Click here for seating chart & info on the area plus facts about the casino from a K. Clarkston fan. Look at the video for seat placement reference, it’s very helpful. Goes back 7 rows. RA to VIP Center DD.

-Click here to see a standard room at the Casino (We’ve been informed that suites are only available Sun-Thurs, call the Casino directly to get confirmation)

Flight & Accommodation Suggestions:
This really depends on what your ‘TFF Fan on Tour Budget’ looks like… Visit this page to see what options are available. If you can stay at the Casino, then do so. The venue is at the Casino, so you wouldn’t have to worry about traffic coming in from the Dallas/Fort Worth area. You can take a rental car from the airport to the venue or reserve a limo service for the 1.5 hour ride. Uber is most likely available as well. The event center suggests ‘Limo Joe.’ In the past, driving into the venue at this distance cost about $150 by chauffeur/in towncar that seats 4 (each way).

Meet & Greets
Rumours are flying around that there is a meet & greet for VIP ticket holders but we don’t have any such confirmations. Perhaps it’s for those in rows RA – RC but again, that is not a confirmation and in order to keep blood pressures and superfanitis down, the thought should not even be entertained unless a member of the band or management says it’s so.

*Will There Be Any Other Shows? (updated)
Yes, one at Austin Music Hall and 3 @ #ProjectPabst but no other shows have officially been announced at this time. Keep up with the official page so you can be on top of show dates.

If you have any other questions about “fan travel” send us an email to the ‘TFF & Kooks’ FB page. We’ll gladly give the best advice and any permissible info! We understand that you’ve invested a part of your life and cash into this band, we as fellow fans want you to have a smooth flight, a beautiful stay and a great time at the show!

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Just as the Good Man Curt Smith said, Tears for Fears are indeed back on the 28th of July. The Hurting Vinyl will be released that day. It is said to be a part of the ‘Back to Black’ series according to the UK TFF Fans’ discussion group. You can pre-order yours right now by clicking that highlighted area above.

Again, don’t forget to join us in conversation on Twitter (@papasfans). As always follow the band on their official social pages for up-to-date information!
http://www.tearsforfears.com
@curtsmith
@rolandtff
@tearsforfears
*Try to be courteous and tag them in convos only when necessary Lol! We don’t want to wear them out.

Thanks for reading!
-AA
Here’s a little treat for us all from our Japan Travel Fan Team Artist, Manami Doll.