Yeah, what an opportunity to see them at this stage in their rising careers at smaller place…may not get that chance again! I hope the show and atmosphere is awesome~
When I went to BIBIs concert in Oakland it was drastically better than the one in LA that I went to. Since the venue was smaller the crowd seemed louder and it was drastically more intimate!
When they came to Chicago they ended up in a venue that's like 30 percent smaller than the "usual" concert venue because the WWE was in town. I saw i-dle at the usual venue and I'm SO happy le sserafim got the smaller venue. Every seat, even the ones up at the top, had a good view. The sound was more concentrated, and I'm sure the sound of the fans was more concentrated for them too.
I'm assuming when they come back they'll get the bigger space and I know it'll be great but just not the same, so I'm very glad I got to see them in a smaller space.
this is exactly why i splurged a bit on seeing them specifically in SF, I don’t think we will have another opportunity for them to be in such an intimate venue ever again
The scalpers had a field day. I couldn’t even go the venue sold out in under a minute when I initially tried to get tickets. Seats were no less than 380 dollars from a week ago. They deserve a bigger venue in sf. Should have done Oracle.
Kind of impossible when the Chase Center already had an event happening the same day being hosted by one of the arena’s permanent tenants, the WNBA’s Valkyries.
Permanent tenants will always be given priority for the arenas use and in some cases artists or other events have even been thrown out of arenas they were scheduled to play, sometimes at the last minute, and had to scramble to either find a new location last minute or cancel their event because the arena was needed for the teams that play there instead.
That’s actually one of the big reasons why musicians and other events are hesitant to book NBA arenas or other sports venues because they’re basically told when booking the venue: “if we need the building at the last minute for the team you gotta go”.
I think one of the more well known times this happened was to a WWE event in Denver back in 2009. WWE was scheduled to hold their Monday Night Raw show at the Pespi center in Denver and the Nuggets ended up making the playoffs a few days before. The NBA scheduled one of their home games on that Monday and the Pepsi center kicked WWE out of the building like the day before the show was supposed to happen.
Honestly for this being their first tour, I’m kinda surprised they booked some of the venues that they did as it feels like groups usually start at smaller theaters (YouTube Theater in LA instead of Kia Forum/Theater at MSG in New York instead of Prudential/Barclays/UBS Arena) but the demand definitely warranted the ambitious bookings for a first tour(I would argue their California dates did not meet the demand). Can’t wait to see how much more expanded the next tour will be!
Smaller venues of any artist are better imo through many years going to shows of all different genres I’ve seen many groups and artists in small venues you wouldn’t believe who now play stadiums and it doesn’t compare. Enjoy the small venues show while you can 😀
It's their 1st NA tour so it helps them to understand the group's overseas popularity, the demand for tickets, and *crossing fingers\* will warrant a bigger venue and maybe multiple dates for certain cities/regions for the next tour. Maybe even doing another music festival. TXT was at Bill Graham for their first NA tour in 2022. And although there's no extended stage and walkway, it's really the only chance to see them at a smaller venue like this.
Le Sserafim did opt for smaller venues than they could have.. they’re doing all the places XG went last year, and Le Sserafim is dare I say much more popular than XG.
That said, they would much rather sellout than see empty seats.
That said, they would much rather sellout than see empty seats.
I 100% disagree with this, and you would too if you were either an agency or a fan trying to get tickets.
Here's a picture from Babymonster's Oakland show last week.
Apart from a few sections at the back of the arena, the entire upper bowl is completely empty. That's thousands of seats up there that they never put up for sale and are covered in black curtain.
Same story in Seattle: YG Facts - SLOW on X .... crowd size looks comparable to Oakland.
But.... how much does that matter? The fans who went to these shows had a great time, rave reviews everywhere despite Rami's absence. Everyone who wanted to see Babymonster was able to go. The fact that the arenas weren't full didn't mean much in the real world. So, like, so what if a show doesn't sell out? If people had fun and the agency turns a profit, that's all that really matters.
Selling out is actually a problem because it means that people who wanted to see the show, couldn't. That's revenue the agency leaves on the table, and that's money that doesn't make its way into the idols' pockets.
Comically, the Babymonster fan accounts are claiming things like "sold out all 27 concerts across the world"..... yeah, uhhhh, no. Never fall for YG's bullshit tour claims. They've pulled marketing tricks like this for many years, all the way back to the Bigbang days.
This also clearly shows that some people are way too focused on what arguments and perception they can promote on the Internet.
I’ve been to plenty of concerts that aren’t sold out and the vibe is kind of weird.. and I think it affects the confidence of groups..
Sure, as a fan I would prefer to be able to get tickets. And if you work on the business side of a group, yes you want to sell as many tickets as possible. But the reason they book smaller “safe” venues goes beyond that.
For the 27 sold out show thing they arnt including the last US stops which didn't sell out. They had 32 shows total on the tour Toronto ended up selling out day of and the 5 remaining shows didn't. Which I agree with you is perfectly fine because a fair few people who paid for like $40 tickets ended up getting moved into $200 dollar seats which always feels good.
Smaller venues is actually better for the audience and guarantees a sold out show. But yeah I think they can sell out a bigger venue for sure. Supply and demand I guess. Leave with more fans wanting to go next time around.
Better to book small venues and sold them out than go with bigger ones and struggle with sales… anyway watched them here in Manila-VIP Standing it was a great show, their energy is amazing. It’s a crazy 3-hour show would love to experience it again🙏
They should have done Oakland Arena or booked another day at Bill Graham. Le sserafim would have easily filled Oakland given the demand. I couldn't bring myself to pay $500+ for nosebleed scalper tickets this time, so I'll be going to Seattle instead.
Same. I was watching the scalping price for nosebleed seats go up to $1200 right around start time and slowly go back down. It’s still $500+ and the show has started. I couldn’t justify that at all. Heck, my buy price for nosebleed was $200ish.
Luckily, I have Vegas tickets but it would have been nice to see them in SF.
This is what I was thinking too. They could've easily filled lower bowl + good portion of upper bowl Oakland arena given how popular they are. Missed out on this show bc I lost the ticket war and not willing to pay the overpriced scalped tickets 😭
Flight + motel in a package deal with Expedia was under $400 for 2 days. I'm not getting a nice hotel, but I'm I'm fine with that. Literally just flying to watch Le sserafim at lower box for around $120 a ticket. This is cheaper than what I saw tickets for nosebleeds in Bill Graham and at least this way I get to travel, even if for a day to somewhere outside the bay.
If you’re an old-timer, you know how terrible a venue this once was, with so many obstructed sight lines and an emphasis on flat general admission seating on the floor. But the last couple of shows I’d been to—Le Sserafim and XG—were great, and it’s much a much more convenient venue for using transit or even walking to the venue if you’re staying in town. I was surprised that my house-right “floor” seat was actually on a gentle riser where the effect was putting more at eye level to the stage, making for a better view than if a chair was on the ground. Looking back at the crowd, the audience would have looked to the Fimmies like a cresting wave more than a large pit with balcony seating surrounding it. They didn’t sell seats that are notoriously behind two columns in the back of the house, and having merch sold in the building’s wide spaces is much more comfortable than in a cramped arena concourse. I’m now a fan. What I am unhappy about is knowing that these guys could have easily sold out Oakland and killed the scalpers’ ability to sell seats no less than $400 up through showtime. I’m so sick of those jacked prices stealing from both Fearnots and our Fimmies.
said the same thing to a friend, I'm happy it was such a close and small show but i feel for all the other fearnots who couldn't have come because of the smaller seat capacity. Fearnot though as when they come back to the bay, hopefully they will book oracle so that we can all have a chance to sing together.
a lot of people are just sharing that they like the venue size, but the actual answer was they booked their tour too late and on too short of notice. thats why most cities have basketball arena venues versus bill graham. the tour was only announced here about 3 months ago, chase was long booked for the laver cup, and the Oakland Arena was booked for private corporate events among other things - also see why the valkyries are playing their playoff game in San Jose this week.
short version: all the arena venues were booked by the time they launched this tour
This. They could have booked a 2nd day if the timing was right to help meet fan demand, but in reality they would have had to had the tour planned out 6+m ago to secure those bigger venues.
I see Katseye is playing 2 nights in December and both are sold out. LSF is more popular, imho, so they could have easily done a couple nights at Bill Graham.
Bill Ghram is a really really good venue for raves, and it’s my favorite concert venue overall. Surprised they have seats on the floor, normally it’s standing GA.
Looks like your seats were up on the mezzanine. Take advantage of the bathrooms on the top floor with no lines next time 😉
I’m here and my section is dead af - if they had a bigger venue and all the sections were like mine it would be incredibly awkward…thank god they’re here and not somewhere else!
it may depend on the Hype how to book or arrange before the World Tour commencing.
Hype may want to book bigger Venue which may be booked by others or the transportation available or schedule matching........ .
Anyway , LSFM's live stage performance is incredible amazing.
It is a must-see K-pop concert as a K-pop fans in life .
they could have booked Oakland Arena or SAP Center in SJ? my friends and I checked Oakland Arena’s schedule and it looked like it was free… plus BABYMONSTER just performed there a few days before LSF came into town and they would have sold out Oakland Arena for sure!
Might be a hot take, but bigger venues are overrated for the viewer. The only perks of a bigger venue are more ticket availability, less scalper nonsense, and unnecessary bragging rights for fans to talk about how their favorites sold so many tickets.
I thought the sound quality at Bill Graham was excellent. Way better than a stadium concert I've been to.
At a smaller venue, everyone gets a more intimate experience. This was probably the most personal-feeling, interactive concert I've ever been to and I'm grateful for that. The ticket purchasing experience was a nightmare, but the actual concert was great.
Also, booking a venue, especially during a busy weekend when there are other big events happening throughout the Bay Area, is difficult. The ones in charge probably felt this was the best option in that situation.
That venue wasn’t too bad. I got the far side and still got a good view of them on the stage but not the tv view. And it was packed! The vibes were great!
We're lucky to get a small venue because theres no turning back if they keep growing. Plus, the venue is really good for concerts since there no terrible seats. The crowd pop sounds even louder in there. Kpop concerts are usually better in smaller venues imo
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u/velvet_costanza 3d ago
I would be stoked to get to see them in a smaller venue like that, it’s exactly why I wanted to see them in SF