Elton John sells out in 50 minutes

Mandy Flagg of Perrysburg Township nabs third-row seats for the April 25 concert. She had camped overnight at the arena. THE BLADE/LISA DUTTON Enlarge | Photo Reprints

Mandy Flagg was soaking wet, exhausted, and smiling yesterday as the first out of the Lucas County Arena box office with a handful of tickets to the Elton John show on April 25.

"Third row," she hollered, with her fists in the air.

Several cheers came from the line of nearly 170 people waiting behind her despite the chilly temperatures and unrelenting drizzle.

Mrs. Flagg, 29, of Perrysburg Township was one of about a dozen fans who camped out overnight to score one of the 8,100 seats available for the concert.

Tickets were gone in about 50 minutes, though none in line at the box office walked away empty-handed. Thousands, not hundreds, clamored for seats at Ticketmaster.com, representing a record-high demand for Lucas County Arena, said Al Purdie, venue marketing manager.

"I think Elton John is a legend," Mr. Purdie said. "We were flooded with e-mails, phone calls from everyone that wanted to see the show. And we've never had that amount of buzz. We've never had people camped out 23 hours before tickets go on sale, and we've never had a line that big."

Mrs. Flagg left work with permission about 10 a.m. Friday to claim her spot. She and her husband, Rob, got through the night with snack food and several layers of clothing, including sweatshirts and snow pants. They even pitched a tent to share with the rest of their overnight fraternity, with whom they now are making preshow dinner plans.

The tickets are a gift for her mother, Deb Ostrander, a lifelong fan of the British pop star. Ms. Ostrander, who has multiple sclerosis, uses a wheelchair. Seeing Elton John is "the number-one thing on her bucket list," her daughter said.

"I don't care. I would have camped out for a week to get tickets," Mrs. Flagg said. "It always used to be just me and her, and we always would rock out to 'Crocodile Rock.'•"

Ms. Ostrander said she was surprised to learn on the television news that her family was camping out for the tickets. She had been excited that her favorite musician would perform in Toledo but said she thought her disability would keep her away. The seats Mrs. Flagg bought are handicap-accessible.

"Suddenly, I see Mandy on the television, so of course it was sobbing and sobbing and disbelief," she said. "I'm going to be just thrilled to be able to sit and see this person I've admired for so many years. I'm looking forward to it. A lot."

Elton John most recently appeared in Toledo in 1993 at University of Toledo's Savage Hall, now Savage Arena. He is recognized as one of the best-selling pop-rock performers, with hits such as "Candle in the Wind," "Tiny Dancer," and his work on the soundtrack of Disney's The Lion King.

The show is the sixth sell-out for the Lucas County Arena. The 8,100 seats exceed the usual capacity for shows at the arena. In the usual configuration, a portion of the seats is covered by stage sets or backdrops, but John will perform in the round, making more seats available.

Freddie Flores, 46, of Toledo found his place as second in line at about

3:30 p.m. Friday. Mr. Flores said he's never seen the performer live before.

"I can remember watching him on TV at 8 years old," Mr. Flores said, of the singer's rendition of "Don't Go Breaking My Heart," with Kiki Dee, on American Bandstand. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I don't think he's going to be around much longer."

Rick Mays, 51, of Toledo stepped into line about an hour before tickets went on sale and was happy to walk away with a single ticket. He said he didn't mind going alone to see the performer he's already seen live dozens of times before.

"I'm amazed he's coming here," Mr. Mays said. "He's just a great performer. It's just a great show. He knows how to entertain the audience."

By 10:17 a.m. yesterday, thousands of fans were logged on to Ticketmaster.com, creating some backup for those waiting at the box office. Security kept the line outside informed and periodically called out how many seats were available together at a certain price point. Some in line expressed frustration that the most expensive tickets, $139, seemed most easily available.

Sheri Hensley, 55, of Toledo hoped that getting in line at 5 a.m. would lead to six low-price seats together. Instead, she walked away with only two at the highest price.

"I'm soaking wet, cold, tired, and poor," she said. "But I'm happy. At least I know I'm going."

John Miller, 63, of Holland said he was disappointed that he was unable to purchase seats online. Though he said he logged on about a tenth of a second after 10 a.m., seats in pairs were not initially available on Ticketmaster.com.

Despite multiple attempts to snag two tickets, he ultimately lost a set at the highest price point shortly before the show sold out.

"I thought that it would be easier," he said of his online effort.

"If I'd have known Ticketmaster was going to be unavailable, I'd have gone downtown."

Still, the high demand didn't present any major online glitches or unusual challenges, said Steve Miller, general manager of the arena and SeaGate Convention Centre.

"When you factor people coming to the box office, with the Internet, with the phones," Mr. Miller said. "there were a few instances where people at the box office had to wait a little longer."

Ultimately, venue managers are hopeful that the demand for John tickets represents a positive future for the arena and businesses downtown.

"This only helps us down the road when we are trying to bring more fun shows here," Mr. Miller said.

Contact Bridget Tharp at:

btharp@theblade.com

or 419-724-6086.