Well, we woke up this week …to this… Tears for Fears live in Austin Texas on the 17th of September (coincidentally the 3rd year anniversary of #TeamCS). It was a shock… As one person put it, “So much for not touring in 2014…we’ve got to get into emergency band fan mode and come up with a game plan to get to these shows!”
The Shows
17 September – Austin Music Hall This is a general admission show. Here are the Trip Advisor and Yelp Reviews on this venue. Your experience may be different so keep that in mind while reading this information. Suggested Accomodations: The W Austin, Extended Stay America Austin, Radisson Hotel and Suites & Hyatt Place. We’ve stayed at branches of all of these hotels and they’ve proved pleasant and enjoyable.
20 September – Global Events Center at Winstar Casino Information about this venue is on the previous blog post
22 September – The Wiltern Los Angeles – plenty of hotels in the area. Pick your preference. We suggest the Wilshire, this was where we stayed for the TFF 17 Sept, 2011 show.
24 September – The Fox – Oakland California – Closest hotel is the The Clarion. 3 mins driving distance.
26-28 September – Project Pabst www.projectpabst.com Tickets are already on sale, the line-up is indeed pretty amazing with bands like Violent Femmes. This is a 21 and up show. You may have to present ID to get in. Please read the site carefully to understand this is a festival type event. There is a list of what you can bring and can’t bring (i.e. blankets yes, chairs of any kind are a no) Suggested Accommodations: Hotel DeLuxe
Fan Reactions…It’s a Mixed Bag
Several expressed gratitude that the band will be in concert because:
•They miss Curt and Roland and want to see them in person.
• This is the only time there’s any LIVE & IN PERSON interaction with the band they grew up listening to.
We’re also seeing a little angry solidarity. There’s the ‘what the heck?’ reactions…those that are going on the ‘probably not touring til 2015’ tweets. Then, there are those that seemed to have booked other events for the summer and early Autumn because they were under the impression there wouldn’t be a tour or shows until next year. On top of that, some of the fans are getting the concert info after the fact. We’re hearing fans ask why the band’s management didn’t send out information through the subscription mailing list but through social platforms instead. We [TFF Travel Fan Team] understand that not everyone can take time out of their day to sit by social media waiting on what’s next. Our suggestion is to try to make the most of technology and stay in tune with notifications and reminders as much as you can. You can certainly bet we’ll RT and forward any info as soon as we get it and any extra information that is approved for release. Occasionally, we get info before the band has tweeted it but until they say it, we’re not releasing anything out of respect. We’d rather they confirm it first.
Let’s Get Excited!!
Okay, so let’s move beyond the fact that these shows are complete surprises. We knew they wanted to do some festivals and we’re glad they’re doing one that has a charity focus for weekend pass purchasers. This is really cool. So for those trucking over to Oregon, know it’s for a good cause. For those who loathe Gen Am shows and don’t feel like standing in line for hours to get a good spot to see the band, consider the Oklahoma show. For those who want to hang out and drink in the open air, Portland may be what you need. If you’re looking for a fun end of summer tourist attraction Austin’s got music action.
Important Reminders: For all accommodations we suggest you book through the hotel site directly. Bring a print out of your reservation with you when you check in so there aren’t any “lost” confirmations. For those attending the Project Pabst event, read through all the info thoroughly and perhaps this review so you don’t get any surprises upon show day. We do plan to have at least one fan generated meet up at one show during this time period. More info on that will be available in early September. Meanwhile, get your tickets early, don’t wait!!
Cheers! AA
*Graphics courtesy of Facebook emails received from a shocked fan.
Tears for Fears Travel Fans 