Students desperately seek Rodrigo concert ticekts

 “It’s brutal out here,” said Singer/Songwriter Olivia Rodrigo in her debut “SOUR” album. On Dec.10, 2021, Olivia Rodrigo released her debut tour tickets, and it was chaotic, “brutal” as Rodrigo would say. Excitement ran through many that day as teen girls everywhere eagerly rushed to get their hands on a ticket. However, many were left empty handed as her ticket market was quickly flooded with buyers. Milford Senior Bailey Pietraszkiewicz said, “We logged onto the ticket website two hours early, but it still wasn’t early enough.”. Tickets went on sale at 9:30 a.m. and by 10:00 a.m. many were left in the dust. Within a couple minutes, the entire tour was completely sold out. Though this did not come as a shock to many Rodrigo fans.

Instead of playing large venues, such as arenas or concert centers, Rodrigo will tour smaller venues, many holding fewer than 5,000 people. Rodrigo is a young and aspiring artist, fairly new to the music industry. Rodrigo released her debut “SOUR” album in May, 2021 and amassed 2.35 million units, making it the best- selling album of 2021 produced by a female artist. The upcoming “SOUR” tour will be her first and her debut into the performance world. With Rodrigo’s rapidly growing fanbase, she certainly has the numbers to back her up this tour. It is no secret that she would easily be able to fill an arena. However, in an interview with LA Times Rodrigo says, “I don’t think I should skip any steps,” she is only 19 years old and would prefer her first tour to remain smaller. This would allow her to slowly immerse herself into the performance game. Many fans also speculate that part of her reasoning to play smaller venues is to remain COVID-19 cautious. In spring of 2022, Rodrigo met with President Joe Biden and First Lady Kamala Harris in Washington D.C. Together, they emphasized the importance of vaccinations among the youth across their social media platforms. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Rodrigo has been an adamant supporter of safety protocols across her social media platforms. This leads fans to believe this may be another part of Rodrigo’s reasoning for smaller venues. Rodrigo will further ensure the safety of her fans by taking an extra step and requiring all of those attending to show proof of vaccination upon entry. 

Many claimed the ticket-buying experience to be unorganized and not well executed. Olivia Rodrigo launched what she called “ the verified fan experience,” which would help to avoid ticket resale websites from purchasing tickets, allowing as many tickets as possible for her fans. Those who received the verified fan experience received a code that would give them a first go at the ticket sale. “After I didn’t even make the verified fan experience, I knew that my chances of getting a ticket would be very slim,” says IA Senior Erika Lakkides. On the other side, Senior Bailey Pietraszkiewicz did make the verified fan experience, and was one of few people to ensure her ticket. She will be one of few lucky fans attending the Detroit concert at the Masonic Temple on April 23. It is clear that the ticket sale process was difficult and there was no way to guarantee anyone a ticket. A vast majority of the tickets unfortunately went to ticket resale websites, and are now being resold for hundreds of dollars. Many are now for sale at a minimum price of $230.. This may not seem too extreme, however, tickets were originally sold from $25 to $100 

Many fans left without a ticket, and no chance to see their favorite artist in concert. Will Rodrigo upgrade to larger venues? Will she release more tour dates? Will she tour again soon? The answers to these questions are unknown. All fans can do now is hope, and continue to support their favorite artist, Olivia Rrodrigo, as she begins on her debut “SOUR” tour.