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AC venue . . .not a good experience
I was very disappointed the way Boardwalk Hall handled the concert on July 29 with Frankie J, Enrique Iglesias and Jennifer Lopez. We arrived at the venue more than ½ hr. before the show was to begin, (7:30, as printed on the ticket). At other venues for concerts, arriving at that time always resulted in little or no line and almost immediate admittance inside since the doors usually open 1 hr. before the show.
When we got to the doors there was a long line spread along the boardwalk, so long that we couldn’t even see the end of it. So we stood outside in the humid, hot air, feeling very uncomfortable waiting, waiting, waiting in a close crowd of people cutting in front by pushing subtly or blatantly. I experienced both, but just stood in “my place,” not wanting to be any more tightly packed than we already were. I would not be surprised if people actually passed out in that crowd because it was extremely stuffy and uncomfortable. At 7:20 the door I was standing by FINALLY opened. Some of the other doors seemed like they were open maybe 5 minutes before, but there was no way to navigate to another door because we were trapped in the crowd, unless I also wanted to resort to pushing and squeezing, which I didn’t.
At the doors there should have been at least 4 people at each door scanning tickets. There were only 2 by our door and it moved at a snail’s pace. It took another 15 or 20 minutes to actually get past the ticket scan and the bag check and I was not that far from the front of the group entering at this particular door. Since we were so late entering the venue, I was hoping they would just skip the bag check. No, they didn't skip it! There was one guy at our door doing it. He moved it along as fast as he could but really didn’t have time to do more than glance inside the bag. There should have been at least two people doing this to move it a long faster. At that point, it seemed like just another needless obstacle to getting to our seats.
So we finally got to the hallway where we enter the seating area. We expected to have plenty of time for a stop at the ladies’ room and memorabilia table. We moved as fast as we could through both. I’m not sure if the people at the memorabilia table are employees of the venue or employees of the artists but I have a complaint about that too. At the counter I went to, there was a man and a woman assisting customers. There were 3 girls chatting with the woman and a line of about 5 people for the man. I went and stood slightly to the left of the 3 girls chatting with the saleswoman. They did not have any bags from purchases. I wanted the saleswoman to see me so if she was just chatting, she could excuse herself to help me. Everyone on the man’s side of the counter got waited on and more people were in his line. (I guess I was the only one foolish enough to think that the woman would be free “soon” so I could make my purchase.) At this point I went back in the line to be assisted with my purchase by the man. Of course, I couldn’t just cut in line; I was in the back, again. While waiting, I observed that slowly the 3 girls were finally making purchases one at a time after chatting for at least 10 minutes with no products being shown or paid for. When they finished and left, I went back to the woman and was able to make my purchase in 30 seconds.
Then we went to our seats. Frankie J was completely finished with his portion of the show. I know he was not the main star of the show but I would like to have seen him since I paid for the full show. I find it inexcusable that we were let in so late that few people were able to get to their seats to see him perform. There is no point in having an opening act if no one sees him.
As we tried to find our seats, we asked an usher where they were. She pointed straight ahead up the steps as she told us that was where we were to go. We followed her directions and sat there for a while; till another person came to our seats and said I was in her seat. I asked if she was in my section number, she said no. I apologized and found my section myself and observed other people were also misdirected when being helped by ushers.
Meanwhile, I got a text message from my husband who had a seat separate from my friend and me. When his ticket was scanned it came up as “refunded”. They told him to go to the box office so they could check the ticket. There was nothing wrong with his ticket. It had not been refunded (which we knew). So they marked his ticket so he could enter and they told him they had a lot of tickets coming up as refunded, that shouldn’t be coming up that way. I’m not sure if this was the fault of Ticketmaster or the venue, but again, this is a situation that should not have happened.
My experience at Boardwalk Hall was not a good one. Next time my favorite artist performs there, there will be several less people there because my out of state friends come so we can all go see Enrique together, but we won’t see him there.
i sent this complaint to Boardwalk Hall but I was also wondering what others thought of this venue and their experience there.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Amina H. Haq on -
WOW cant belive ur xperience ws that bad...
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Permalink Reply by Kerri on
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Sorry there were so many problems at the venue and that they couldn't even give you an explanation. Thank goodness tehre was an opening act or you would have missed Enrique!! Is Boardkwalk Hall a new venue because it sounds like their staff (inside and at the memorabilia table) didn't have a clue? Maybe the stage/lighting crew didn't have the full amount of time to set up so they were running late and the venue couldn't open the doors until they were given the ok?? Hopefully the next concert in AC will be at a different venue.
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Permalink Reply by Monique Sicard on -
It's really shocking!!! Inexcusable and unprofessional!!
I would not return to this place either Linda!
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Permalink Reply by Elena Alexander on -
I was there too and have to agree, it was one of the worst venues ever. I got there at 7:30 and didn't make it to my seat until almost 8:30 (I stopped for a drink in what had to be the slowest line ever). Enrique came on literally as I sat down--thank God I made it! I didn't even realize Frankie J had performed.
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Permalink Reply by LindaSB1251 on -
Thanks for your comments. Elena, thanks for sharing your experience too.
I got an email back after I emailed my complaints to the venue. They blamed the "tour" for the late entry, saying the sound checks were late and also said they usually delay the show if they have to delay letting in the audience but that the "tour" didn't want it delayed. I don't know if this is true or not but that's what they said. If that is the case, why didn't they make an announcement? Last year at another venue in AC, the truck with the equipment was delayed and the show got delayed 2 or 3 hrs and it lasted till 1 am. But the venue told us so we didn't have to stand in line for 3 hrs! I say the venue could have announced there was a delay in entering the venue but the show would start on time. Of course, in a way that doesn't seem right to not delay the show. hmmmm . . . .
it seems like the only thing the venue admitted blame for was misdirecting us to our seats.
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Permalink Reply by iloveBarcelona on -
how were the sound checks LATE if frankie j had already FINISHED his set when y'all got in??
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Permalink Reply by LindaSB1251 on
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the sound check should have been eariler, like 5 pm. But they finished the sound check probably about 7:10 or 7:15. Frankie J went on at 7:30, I guess, but I wasn't in my seat yet so I really don't know when he started..
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Permalink Reply by Wanda G. Iglesias on -
I dont have anything more to add really because Linda said it all, but I was there too, right along with her as her friend.Though I hardly know anything about Frankie J, I actually feel bad for him that he had to start his performance with more than half the arena empty because a lot of ppl had not yet reached their seats because of the venue opening the doors too late. Once in there, we were rounded up like a herd of cattle trying to walk through narrow little doors and personally I have never seen anything like it and I have been to a lot of concerts in my lifetime. I truly wonder what Frankie J thought about that. Luckily, it wasnt Enrique who came on first because I would have been royally pissed off if I had missed any of his performance due to circumstances beyond my control.
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Permalink Reply by eipfan4life on -
Yes and on top of all that which I was there to experience. It was not very comfortable. Very warm Enrique and Jennifer were both sweating bullets. just look as his hat it is soaking wet it was very uncomfortale on all aspects. Wall to wall people they have to do a better job next time
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Permalink Reply by Linda Vittrup Skov on -
Omg, how frustrating that things turned out that way, especially when you guys paid for the entire show!!
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