News Archive September 2009

Oshawa KISSed!
From: special to Kiss Asylum
by Carmen Chai (with files from Tamara Baluja)
Posted: September 15, 2009

An Oshawa city councillor says he's tapping in to his list of contacts to try to secure an additional KISS performance after tickets for the band's October show sold out within minutes.

Councillor Robert Lutczyk is making calls "first thing" today following a weekend of watching residents line up for days for tickets only to leave empty-handed.

"It's the first on my to-do list, making calls on my network that I've developed just to see. It might be difficult, but it's very possible," Lutczyk said.

KISS, the heavy metal rock group, had left Oshawa off their initial list of stops on this fall's tour, despite the city winning an online contest to host the band. After media reported fans' outrage, the group announced an Oshawa stop.

Tickets for the Oct. 7 show went on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. All 5,600 sold out within minutes.

"Anything is possible, but I don't think there have been any discussions with the promoter about a second show," said Cortney Ager of the General Motors Centre, the concert's venue. Lutczyk said he saw hundreds of people in line when he went jogging at 5 a.m. Saturday morning.

When he called box office representatives before 10:15 a.m., the tickets were already sold out.

"I don't think the 11th person in line even got a ticket and they were there for days," he said.

Vendor New Era confirmed the show was sold out.

Prices started at $84.50, with an eight-ticket limit for customers.

KISS Meet and Greet Experience packages, priced at $1,100, were not sold out.

The pricey option included one premium reserved seat within the first two rows of the stage, an exclusive meet and greet, an autograph and a $100 voucher to the online KISS store.

Tickets are already on sale on Craigslist and eBay, some for hundreds of dollars - Lutczyk said he saw tickets listed for $475.

"I never expected it to be this big," Lutczyk said.

The Oshawa concert will be a special premiere of the band's new album, Sonic Boom.

Residents flooded an online contest to put Oshawa on the list for the tour.

Lutczyk said the additional concert would have to be held Oct. 6 because the General Motors Centre is booked on Oct. 8.

The band is scheduled to perform in Boston on Oct. 5 and Uniondale, N.Y., on Oct. 9.

KISS spokesman Erik Stein did not return the Star's call.