Happy Birthday Gaga
Let me start this blog off by saying that Lady Gaga tickets are expensive as hell. Some pay up to $1,000 for one ticket if not more. With that being said, I do believe that she is completely worth whatever insane price her tickets go for but I also must admit that I have a man from humble beginnings. When it came to her birthday show on March 28th at the Staples Center, I knew that Dave and I had to be there and that we HAD to be on the floor. The show was completely sold-out minutes after the tickets went on sale back in August but I was able to find some floor tickets that were just slightly above face value. I held onto those tickets for months and when Lady Gaga announced she was having another show in Anaheim on the 31st, I once again HAD to get VIP tickets to it. Before I knew it, I had spent $1,000+ concert tickets and much of it was money which I did not have. So at the beginning of March, I decided that it was only right for me to sell the tickets that I purchased for her birthday show. I put them on StubHub and within hours sold them and made a $100 on each ticket. I broke the news to Dave but informed him that we would be at the show somehow. “We’ll beg to get tickets from AMP Radio (our favorite radio station in LA) or we’ll make signs pleading for anyone with an extra ticket to makes our dreams come true and if all else failed we could always buy tickets for the seats behind the stage that even have a bad view of the video screen.” Somehow we’d be at that show. I knew we would but I just didn’t know how.
Our friends Chelsey and Hope had floor tickets to the same concert and got to the Staples Center fairly early to line up. Upon getting to the venue, Dave and I had planned out a relaxing day. We’d buy the limited view seats, then enjoy our time in downtown causing trouble at the Santee Alley then we’d have a late dinner just in time to get to our seats for the concert. There was only one thing wrong with our plan, after running to the box office to buy the tickets as Dave waited in his car, I was quickly informed that the show was COMPLETELY SOLD-OUT.EVERY. SINGLE. SEAT. As I turned to walk back to the car, I saw Dave smiling in anticipation. Unfortunately, there was no envelope in my hand and no smile on my face. I got into the car and felt completely defeated. As we parked the car, we began strategizing what we were going to do. Inside though, I became consumed with guilt for having sold our own way into the concert just to help clear my consciousness. The first thing we did was getting in a line next to the box office which was for released tickets, meaning any tickets that were being held for certain guests that may or may not be redeemed. The line was made up entirely of seasoned scalpers and two boys with sunglasses and bow ties. After standing in line for several hours, I was able to learn all the shady practices of scalpers and I can tell you exactly who is in jail right now for scalping, what their offense was and when they’ll be released. Clearly, this plan wasn’t going to work.
Our next option was the AMP Radio Lady Gaga Birthday Party. AMP Radio (our favorite radio station) was hosting a party in honor of Lady Gaga’s birthday at the Conga Room. Every hour they’d have a raffle in which they’d pick one person who would receive two tickets into the show. Now radio station tickets are ALWAYS in the nose bleeds but that was totally cool with us. We just wanted to be inside the venue after all and we had no seating specifications that needed to be met. Only one person could get a raffle ticket at a time so while I waited in line with the scalpers, Dave and Chelsey went over to the party, we took turns going back and forth so that way we’d all have a ticket and increase our chances of being picked. Now let me tell you a little bit about the odds, people began lining up for the party at 11am and the doors didn’t open until 4pm. There was a slim chance that anyone from our party would even get close to winning but as I always say, there’s nothing to lose if we don’t win. So there’s a good 100+ dancing awkwardly in the Conga Room anxiously waiting for them to call the first winner. 10 minutes before the announcement, Dave brought Hope over to get us one last ticket. As my father saved my spot in the line with the scalpers, Dave, Hope and I rapidly turned into anxiety ridden monsters as they teased the audience about when they’d call the numbers. Finally it was the moment of the first of four raffles, the host read the numbers. 5 out of the first 6 matched my ticket. Then the 6th number was read, 0, mine was 1. I was off by 1. Quickly I sank faster than the Titanic into a deep and dark depression. Of course we didn’t win, it just wasn’t meant to be. Within moments of my plummeting well-being I heard a high pitched screaming radiating just inches away from me. It was Hope. They had called her number. She sprinted to the stage as Dave and I stood there in shock. Hope and Chelsey already had tickets so she was entering to help Dave and I. As she handed us the tickets that she just won, Dave and I imploded with happiness and gratitude. Just an hour before, we were hanging with scalpers and now we were the cool kids at the party. I looked down at the tickets and saw that they were FLOOR TICKETS. I flipped. How could this be? What lucky star was I born under? Or better yet, what lucky star was Hope born under?
As we walked by the general admission line, I was frozen in shock. We went to Ralphs for lunch, as we entered my favorite grocery story, a homeless man had asked me for a dollar. I told him that I have no cash but I’d love to buy him lunch. He humbly rejoiced and for a split section I saw the same joy in his eyes that Hope had brought me just moments before. We compiled a feast of epic proportions and I also bought the homeless man a huge lunch. It always feels good to pay it forward. As we entered the Staples Center, we quickly made our way to the front of the stage. While we waited for Lady Starlight to come on, I must have peed at least 3 times in a nervous anticipation. It also didn’t help that I was still in quite a stage of shock. Lady Starlight was a blast as always. The Scissor Sisters were fan-fucking-tastic. Then it was time for Lady Gaga. It was such a special moment to be able to celebrate her birthday with her and for me to be surrounded by all my best friends. We danced and got dirty throughout the entire concert, most of us left without a voice from screaming so loud and singing along with the crowd. The experience was unforgettable! We finished the night at Ralphs then Dave and I went to Brooke’s loft overlooking all of Downtown Los Angeles. Met some amazing new friends and got home as the sun rose over the San Fernando Valley only to have to wake up a few hours later for my first day of school. It was all worth it!
Thank you so much Hope for making my dreams as well as Dave’s come true. You are one of the kindest souls I know and I’m so blessed to have you as a friend.