KEYED UP FOR ELTON
Sold out
For many in the Alberta centres of Lethbridge and Red Deer, the past couple of months haven’t been about Danielle or Alison. They’ve been all about Elton. Both locales have been buzzing since the early February announcement that Elton John would be bringing his solo show to the province for first-time appearances in the two cities (as well as a Grande Prairie performance), tonight and Wednesday respectively.
Not surprisingly, tickets for all shows sold out in near Garth Brooksian fashion, only building to the anticipation, something locals say is palpable.
“This is probably the biggest show to hit central Alberta I would almost say in the last decade, even,” says Darcy Stingel, promotions manager for the area’s Sunny 94, which is billing itself as the region’s “Undisputed Elton John station,” presumably as a shot at presenting station Big 105.5 FM.
“Just for excitement, just for people being pumped about it, just for the buzz it’s gaining. And part of that’s disbelief that Elton would be playing Red Deer of all places . . . and excitement that he is taking note of these smaller centres and giving fans a chance to enjoy these shows.”
And what can those lucky enough to be going expect? While John is currently on the road with a band on a Greatest Hits tour before heading back to his Million Dollar Piano show at Caesars Palace in Vegas in May, the Alberta dates are of the one-man variety. On a similar solo, fourdate swing through Canada last fall, John’s two-and-a-halfhour set lists included such fare as Levon, Circle of Life, Philadelphia Freedom and Gone to Shiloh from his most recent album, The Union, recorded with Leon Russell.
Since the announcement of the Alberta dates, Stingel’s been on the front lines of Elton mania, with the station giving listeners — along with double shots of the Rocket Man’s hits over the past weekend — the opportunity to win tickets, which are the hottest commodity around.
“Anyone who has any sniff of tickets is being hounded,” he says, noting they’ll be giving away a final pair on Wednesday afternoon, after driving a ballot box through all of the central Alberta communities, such as Sylvan Lake, Lacombe and Ponoka.
Erin Gobolos, marketing manager at Red Deer’s Westerner Park, which is home to the just over 6,000-capacity Enmax Centrium in which John will perform, says the buzz has spread to those smaller, rural areas, and she expects it will have a temporary impact on the city’s population.
“This is definitely a tourist attraction for people coming into Red Deer,” she says, noting a recent show by Jerry Seinfeld had the same effect. “It’s not just people in Red Deer who are interested. He’s playing very few dates in Alberta, so definitely we’ll be drawing fans from across the province if not wider.”
For his part, Stingel says it will be a nice change from the exodus out of the city to the province’s more metropolitan neighbours when larger shows hit Alberta, with the opportunity to see John in a somewhat more intimate setting enticing fans from Edmonton and Calgary.
“Of course, you’ll have your locals who are excited about seeing him right here, right now in Red Deer, but at the same time it’s going to be kind of neat and a little funny to see the big centres flow into the city,” he says.
Stephanie Palechek, general manager for the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce, thinks her city’s more southerly location will mean they’ll be casting an even wider net with their show tonight in their own Enmax Centre.
“I suspect we’re probably going to get some activity across the border to see this. And I think a lot of people from Calgary . . . and British Columbia, and probably Medicine Hat. As far as hotels and restaurants, I think it’s going to have a really big impact on this city,” Palechek says, suggesting that immediate impact could also have lasting economic ramifications.
“It’s going to draw a number of people in and when we draw them in to come to the concert, they’ll see what a great place Lethbridge is and they’ll want to come back.”
Of course, Palechek says it’s the locals who are most excited about it, with the news of the show, like in Red Deer, being something she says was met with skepticism.
“Elton John coming to Lethbridge is huge,” she says. “As soon as people heard at first there was disbelief, people thought it was a lie. But when it was confirmed, it spread like wildfire around here — people were excited. Concert tickets sold out in minutes.”
Also like the Garth Brooks show, scalpers are more than happy to take advantage of the situation. Tickets for the Red Deer and Lethbridge shows are being sold on Kijiji for an average asking price of $250-a-pop, quite a markup from their original cost of $91.50 and $151.50.
Not that Palachek will be going that route. Her immediate disappointment at not being able to snag some seats online when the almost 7,000 ducats first hit Ticketmaster has since turned to joy with a pair finding their way into her possession.
“I’m so excited,” she laughs. “I can’t even sleep at night right now.”