Top 5 Concerts of 2022 I Saw From the Cheap Seats
As I get older, I grow tired and sometimes just want to sit back and enjoy the show. I also hate the idea of spending hundreds of dollars for a few hours of entertainment. To top things off, the major ticketing clients have opted to use a sliding scale system for their tickets. Miss out on the first thousand tickets or so, and you're stuck staring at over-priced "Platinum" tickets. However, for some shows, I don't really care where I'm at and I just don't want to miss the show. That's where the cheap seats come into play. 2022 was the year when I stopped caring where I was sitting and decided to just get some seats up in the nosebleeds so as to not miss a show I was interested in. Often, I even just bought the tix a few hours before the show through third parties at a major discount. Here are the top 5 concerts I saw from the cheap seats.
1
Iron Maiden @ Honda Center
My dad and I always talked about seeing Iron Maiden together. Unfortunately, he passed before we had a chance to see them together. This year, when Iron Maiden announced their Legacy of the Beast Tour, I knew I wasn't going to miss it. It just so happened to roll through town on the anniversary of my dad's death. This show was everything I could hope for and more. Loaded with mindblowing stage props and setups and even full-stage transformations between songs. One moment there was a giant samurai Eddie roaming around the stage and a few moments later there was a giant airplane hovering around the stage. It made watching the show from the nosebleeds every bit as entertaining as if I had been on the floor. If you have not seen Iron Maiden yet, take any opportunity that comes up.
2
Ghost/Volbeat/Twin Temple @ Footprint Center
Just before Ghost released their 5th studio album, Impera, earlier this year, the band toured across the states with Volbeat and Twin Temple. Twin Temple's Satanic Doo-wop ditties were the perfect warm-up. While I'm not really into Volbeat, it was fun to watch their projection show and hear their fans sing along, but of course, Ghost were unmatched. Full of costume changes, guitar duels, and spectacle, It's the type of show Ghost are built for and the production can only continue to grow.
- Aaron H
3
My Chemical Romance @ The Kia Forum
Two years after it was initially supposed to happen, My Chemical Romance finally embarked on their reunion tour this year, with it all culminating in 5 nights at LA's Kia Forum. All the stars aligned the night my wife and I attended. I nabbed some decent seats under face value from a third-party site about 3 hours before showtime. What wasn't originally announced was that they would be focusing on each album in the band's career each night, and I was lucky enough to land on the Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge night.
- Aaron H
4
Orville Peck @ The Greek Theater
I saw Orville Peck 3 times this year, but the best had to have been this past November for his Annual "Rodeo" at The Greek Theater. The production was ramped up with a unique lighting setup, which made watching from further back more entertaining. The highlight was when he tapped into his punk roots and played a Country-cover of Rancid's "Olympia, WA."
- Aaron H
5
Danzig/Tiger Army @ Toyota Arena
I had never seen Danzig before, and when he announced that he'd be playing Lucifuge in full, I knew I had to see it. It was a huge bonus that Tiger Army, a band I spent much of my teens seeing often, would be the direct support. Half the fun of seeing Danzig was playing "how many fights are gonna break out?" I believe I counted 8 that night.
- Aaron H
I encourage you to browse the resale sites for cheap tickets on the day of the show. You may end up in the boonies, but there's a certain camaraderie amongst everyone up there. People just looking to have a good time and enjoy a show, or people who love the band as much as the privileged on the floor front and center but don't want to miss their chance to see them. At the end of the night, odds are you won't be disappointed.
