Tampa Concert Layout Change?

[ladydi]

Hi Lizzy,

I just wandered onto this thread and read your comments! Oh yes, wasn't pre-concert Detroit FUN Well, we had wonderful company but not much service! The way we were all running around...trying to get tickets...trying to eat...trying to remain sane! Funny now but at the time we were all sort of frantic....and hungry! I agree with you on the afterglow and in a quiet place! I'll be thinking of you, donalagata and her sister in Tampa...it will be wonderful!

Diana

[lizzytysh]

The number of your posting was 1111, Diana... Double 11's signify the metaphysical door to the other side... hence, your supportive words of wisdom come with mucho support of all the forces and powers that be . We know of what we speak, eh ?

Wish you were going to be there.


~ Lizzy

[lizzytysh]

Well, I've checked all possible addresses and I have no notice from TicketMaster. That title would have grabbed my attention, too, Linda . Would someone mind posting the phone number that they provided, just so I can phone them and be assured that all is well with my ticket, or to which row I've been displaced?

Thanks for your help.


~ Lizzy

[lizzytysh]

Whatever gave me the idea I'm in Row 4 ? I am/was actually in Row 3, Seat 3... which, as I recall now, was 3 in from the Center... or 3 in from the far right. I also found a number to call on my confirmation, so guess I will for sure now. Maybe I'm looking at Row 6... or just the "obstructed" seats in the relevant rows have been reassigned. Who knows...

Nope. The phone number I found is actually for the Event insurance I bought... of course, if the Event itself was cancelled, I'd get a refund no matter what; but, with the H1N1 flu making its rounds here, anything healthwise could happen, so I got it just in case.

So, we're back to needing a TicketMaster phone # for inquiries on this. Can anyone help me out on that? Thanks.


~ Lizzy

[LindaB]

Lizzy, Ticketmaster customer service # 1-800-653-8000. Have your confirmation # handy,

[lizzytysh]

Thank you so much, Linda... and, particularly in addition, the reminder to have my Confirmation # ready... at this point, I might not have thought of that. I hope that, for these purposes, that's the same as my "Order Number" ~ we'll see.

[lizzytysh]

Okay, this is what it seems to be... my section has been changed from FL2 to FL1 [my preference, anyway, as that means I'm looking at the Leonard-Javier-Dino side]... I'm still in Row 3... my seat has been changed from #3 to #5, which I BELIEVE means that I'm two seats further away from the center aisle... or it possibly means that Im two seats closer to the center aisle, but I think it's the former, as I'm recalling from my conversation with the venue. However, I can't get absolute clarification on that until the box office is open. Either way, it's small potatoes and I'm still as pleased as I was before.

They said they still have Will Call and that it's just a matter of preference. I tried to find it in this thread, but I was thinking that someone said that now it's MAIL only.


~ Lizzy

[ladydi]

Hi Lizzy,

Congratulations on your seat change...I think. This is all very confusing. So...what happened to one of my posts? Yes, I was 1111. Had never heard about 1111 before but checked it out on the internet...HOW fascinating! But now I just signed in and I'm 1110....huh? Anyhow, it's now 1111, and we are still on about the Tampa concert so that must mean that it will all be transcendental! Wow...now really wish I could be there.

Diana

but how did I lose a post?????

[lizzytysh]

Well, your count now is 1112... so whassup?? That's VERY strange!

Yes, it really is interesting... I tend to notice when they appear... like look at the computer clock or real-life clock for no particular reason, after hours of not doing so... and there it'll be 11:11... and in other contexts, as well. I love it when it happens, as it feels like a little hit, a little hello, from the other side.

Yes... and who knows, maybe you'll change your mind, yet... never know . If you mention money, though... enuff said from my end .


~ Lizzy

[lizzytysh]

For instance, right now, Diana... I was reading 5 pages of comments on Leonard at the Huffington Post and, finishing them, returned to here. Just as I came on here, the time flipped from 11:10 to 11:11.

I hadn't been paying attention to the time, at all, but as long as I was waiting for my dysfunctional computer to pull up the link I still have as a minimized button, I checked the time to compare it against what Ought to be bedtime tonite... that's when I saw it was 11:10 and then, just as the page materialized, it went on to being 11:11.

So, good night to you and to Leonard... who is hopefully resting well.


~ Lizzy

[donalagata]

Hi Lizzy,
Looking at how they have moved you and I it seems as though they have shifted everyone more to Section FL1. I too was originally in Section FL2 Row 3 Seats 4-5 and now I am in Section FL1 Row 4 Seats 11-12. Also an afterglow meetup would be wonderful.. I think we should invite Leonard and the band also . Now that would be something....Keep me posted...
donalagata
PS Diana, I will miss seeing you there next time perhaps..... but we will still get together and have our own meet -up again after the concerts are complete.....

[lizzytysh]

Hi Donalagata ~

Hmmm. I wonder if they've lengthened FL1 and just eliminated FL2 [though the revised seating chart doesn't reflect that ]. We're still very close, so I'm fine with it, but poor Linda, who was in Row 1 and now is in Row 4 ! I honestly would have expected that they would have moved everyone back by one or two rows, to accommodate those who had the best seats, so that they would still have the best seats.

I'm leaving my ticket at the box office for pick-up on the day, as I won't need to worry about its getting lost in the mail, or lost by me .

Yes, I hope that Brysburg will jump in here with some ideas for a good meet-up spot for after the show, as it will also eliminate any confusion of who's who, if we try to figure that out before the show. AFTER the Detroit concert by several months, I learned that the sister of a friend of mine here [the sister lives in Ann Arbor] attended the concert, too. We would have recognized each other, if we'd encountered, but she didn't let her sister know she was going to it, until after I had already left for Michigan, so I had no idea. I was so disappointed, as I'd have loved to see her.

I guess I could start doing a little research for a place to meet, just in case Brysburg doesn't return here. Quiet is the main thing for me . That's the mood I'll be in after seeing Leonard... quiet and reflective, and talking loud just to be heard is disconcerting.


~ Lizzy

[jennifergpalmer]

Hello everyone. I have been reading all the concerns about the Tampa concert layout. I HATE ticketmaster. I have been going to concerts for years and every year they seem to get worse. This is not ok with me. I orginally had seats in row 9 center stage on the floor. I have been reassigned tix in section 124 row 6 totally off the floor. This is not an equal exchange in any way. I think Leonard Cohen producers/mgmt were near sighted to think the could sell the St. Pete Times Forum. I love Leonard Cohen and I am taking my mother-in-law who is an even bigger fan and I am disappointed with spending almost $300 bucks (after all the service fees) and not sitting on the floor. I can appreciate the smaller more theater like atmosphere but that should have been done from the start. I would absolutely love to see him at Tampa Theatre. Anyone have any ideas? I am going to call ticketmaster tomorrow morning and see if anything can be done.
thanks jen

[lizzytysh]

Your plan seems to be the best bet, Jennifer. I'm so sorry to hear about the change they've made for you. I'm wondering [hoping for your sake], if the slight rise will give you an even better view, though. I'll have to look at the seating chart, though.

Yes, it's true that a smaller venue would have been the better plan. Still... with the huge crowds, elsewhere, TM may have decided they could do the same in a larger city in Florida. It seems someone said that a number of things are controlled by TM and Florida is untested waters... even for Leonard's management. You and I know how it is here... but that sure doesn't mean they would.

Without referencing the chart, that seems to be a Huge displacement, though . You're right that it's a lot of money for you. I'm glad that you'll at least be there. Might you consider going somewhere with us after the concert? Do you live there, Jennifer?

[Yuk. You're right, Jennifer. I just went and looked and it sucks. I wonder how many rows there were in the floor section to begin with. Do you have any idea?]

[I've just gone and done my best to try to figure it out. It seems there were 15 rows in that first section on the floor... and now they've eliminated the second section on the floor back... and maybe pulled some risers closer in??? It's so hard to tell anything from those maps, which seems to have reversed the side he'll be performing on ... so I have NO idea what's really going on.]


~ Lizzy

[Brysburg]

Hi Lizzy and Tampa-bound friends:

The good thing about being a "local" is that I won't have to travel so far to see Leonard this time (we went all the way to Toronto to see the 6/6/08 concert); the bad thing is that I won't get to travel and therefore won't be able to escape the grip of my work on 10/19 or 10/20. Unfortunately, this time-limiting condition makes me a party-pooper for a pre- or post-concert meet-up, but I'm happy to offer some ideas for visitors. First of all, be aware that Tampa has a relatively small downtown, and the nightlife options in that area are scant especially on a late Monday (10/19). Many places are either closed on Mondays or close by 10 pm. I'm figuring the concert probably (hopefully!) won't end until shortly before 11pm.
For a pre-concert dinner or meet-up:
1. The Tampa Marriott Waterside, 700 S. Florida, is basically acrosss the street from the SPT Forum. It has a nice upscale restaurant named Ill Terrazzo, and a "Champions Sports Bar" that is casual and has decent pub grub.
2. There is an entertainment complex named "Channelside" (http://www.channelsidebayplaza.com), 615 Channelside Drive, that is within walking distance (1/2 mile?) to the west of the Forum; a trolley also runs there. This complex has a good restaurant named "Tina Tapas" (http://www.tinatapas.com), a Thai restaurant, a Mexican restaurant, and other options.
3. There is a historic district named Ybor City a couple of miles away from downtown that is accessible via trolley (http://www.tecolinestreetcar.org). Located there are a number of lively bars and good restaurants including the famous "Columbia" (http://www.columbiarestaurant.com). I also like "The Laughing Cat" (http://www.thelaughingcat.com)for reasonably priced, "home-made", bountiful Italian. I hate to say it, but for safety reasons, I don't recommend Ybor City for late-night unless you're with a crowd.
4. On Harbor Island adjacent to downtown and not that far (a healthy walk) from the SPT Forum, there is a nice little restaurant named Cafe Dufrain (http://www.cafedufrain.com), 707 Harbour Post Dr.
5. Also downtown is a pricey steakhouse named Malios Prime (http://www.maliosprime.com), 400 N. Ashley Dr.; and, if you like casual Jamaican, there is an inexpensive and very good Jerk Hut, (http://www.jerkhut.com), 207 E. Twiggs St.
6. If you have a car or can splurge for a cab, a top recommendation would be to take a short drive south from downtown along the "famed" Bayshore Boulevard (the world's longest continuous sidewak) to where it intersects with Howard Avenue and the nearby Ceviche restaurant (http://www.ceviche.com), 1502 S. Howard Ave. Ceviche's menu has a wondeful and vast array of authentic tapas (small plates) and pitchers of great Sangrai that are fun to share. South Howard Avenue (a/k/a "SOHO") is Tampa's restaurant & bar row with many other good choices for varying budgets: Bern's Steakhouse, Side Berns, Bellas Italian Cafe, etc.
7. If you're in town on Saturday or Tuesday, I strongly recommend Mise En Place (http://www.miseonline.com), 442 W. Kennedy, downtown and across the street from the University of Tampa and its iconic minarets. Unfortunately, this restaurant , which has a menu of creative and beautiful "new American" cuisine, is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
8. For pure convenience, another option is the buffet at the Medallions restaurant inside the SPT Forum. It costs around $50 per person, and you can purchase tickets on-line in advance through the SPT Forum website. There is also an "Icons Lounge" inside of the Forum.

For a post-concert meet-up, sadly, my only recommendation is the Champions Sports bar at the Marriott: it is within easy, quick and safe walking distance from the Forum, is open until 2 am, and has a "quiet" area in the back where one can probably escape the Monday Night Football crowd. Other options (i.e. places that are actually open after 11pm on Mondays) would involve more of a drive, but if driving is feasible, I would suggest one of the places in the "SOHO" area mentioned above. It looks like most of the places at Channelside close by 11.

Hope everyone has a safe trip. I know it will be memorable, thanks to Leonard.