from South Bend Tribune

Tickets going, going, gone for U2 concert at ND
By ANDREW S. HUGHES
Tribune Staff Writer

MISHAWAKA -- The first 80 or so people to arrive at Orbit Music walked away with the "Sweetest Thing": tickets to U2's Oct. 10 concert at the University of Notre Dame's Joyce Center

Even after the initial rush, which lasted about 50 minutes, a few latecomers continued to buy single tickets to the highly anticipated performance, which kicks off the third leg of the Irish rock band's Elevation tour.

Joyce officials said the concert sold out about 11:35 a.m., about 95 minutes after tickets went on sale.

Soon after the concert sold out, Joyce ticket office coordinator Heidi Uebelhor released sales figures for both Monday's and last week's ticket sales.

Advance sales to students at Notre Dame, Saint Mary's College and Holy Cross College, members of U2's fan club and Joyce loge section season ticket holders totaled 4,300 tickets by the end of the day Thursday.

When sales to the general public began at 10 a.m. Monday, 4,600 tickets were still available.

"My head's spinning, but I got them all tickets," Orbit employee Michelle Steffens said at 10:50 a.m. Steffens manned the Town & Country Shopping Centre store's Ticketmaster computer terminal.

Chris Ganser of South Bend bought four tickets.

"Got in, got my tickets. I'm happy," he said afterward in the parking lot.

Shift manager Melanie Goodrich said the initial crowd of customers was "nothing compared to what we had for Aerosmith."

Aerosmith performed at the Joyce on Nov. 29, 1998.

About 500 people lined up at Orbit when tickets for that show went on sale. Goodrich and several people in line Monday said they thought many people stayed away from the line in order to go to work.

They speculated those people would attempt to buy tickets online or by telephone.

Jeff Weldy of Wakarusa decided instead to stand in line at Orbit.

"It's more fun sitting in line," he said. "Plus, I figured people would be jamming up the phone lines."

Niles resident Clara Northern arrived at Orbit about 8:45 a.m. with the hope of buying three tickets.

"I was pretty surprised with the age range," Northern said. "There are people here getting tickets for their children or grandchildren because they're in school or at work."

Charles Sweeney of Granger was one of the people in line trying to get tickets for someone else.

"I've got five daughters, and one of them had a life-size poster of Bono, and I sold it, so I'm trying to get her tickets to make up for it," Sweeney said.

He succeeded, with four tickets for his daughter and her friends.

Northern said she thought it was "expected" that the students would be given a separate, advance sale.

"I don't think it's fair for the other people just because the concert's going on on the campus," she said.

"I just think everybody should get a shot at once," Goodrich said.

Others disagreed.

"I think there are enough tickets that it probably isn't that big of a deal," Weldy said before the general public sale began. "I think the students should have a few more rights since it's their school."

"If it weren't for the university, we wouldn't be having the concert in South Bend, so it's a trade-off," Sweeney said.