AC/DC Dirty Deeds Aren’t Dirt Cheap

AC/DC is coming back to the Xcel Energy Center on Monday, January 19th 2009, but tickets aren’t cheap. Looking at local broker sites, the cheapest AC/DC tickets I found were $213 /each on St Paul Concert Tickets.com - wow, that’s a hefty price to pay, but fan support is definitely there. I read that 18 of AC/DC’s “Black Ice World Tour” shows sold out in record time prompting them to add additional shows (like the January 19th Saint Paul date) in 15 cities nationwide.

I heard the last concert at the Xcel Energy Center totally rocked and I know AC/DC tickets would make a great gift for my brother, but I am not sure how much money I am willing to spend. If you went to the last AC/DC St Paul show leave me a comment and let me know if it was worth your money!

St Paul Concert Tickets at Xcel Energy Center

One of my favorite Xcel Energy Center ticket sites got a new name and a new look. It’s called St Paul Concert Tickets and it is great place to stop for information on upcoming shows in Saint Paul, mainly shows at the Xcel Energy Center.

The site also lists past events so the next time me and my buddies are reminiscing and thinking “When was Springsteen here?” We can check the past events list on St Paul Concert Tickets (the boss was at the “X” on March 16th this year and last year on November 2nd, by the way).

I am betting Bruce Springsteen will be back at the Xcel Energy Center the fall/winter of 2009 as well. He is putting together a new “Working on a Dream” album that will be released in January and he is playing at the Super Bowl Halftime Show on February 1st. I wouldn’t be surprised if that wasn’t his official 2009 Springsteen Tour kick-off event. Keep checking my Xcel Energy Center blog for more updates. If Bruce Springsteen is going to be playing at the “X” I will be the first to know!

Jingle Ball Tickets

There are still Jingle Ball tickets available for the Xcel Energy Show on Monday December 15th. KDWB has been promoting the annual concert with grand flair on it’s popular radio station and even made a huge deal about Chris Brown being added to the line-up which now looks like this:

Jingle Ball Artists:
Rihanna tops the bill for this special holiday treat
Chris Brown will make a special guest appearance
T.I. will MC and Rap for the fans
David Archuleta will woo the ladies with his sweet sound
Boys Like Girls will rock out with a short set
Lady GaGa will impress with their dance moves and grand piano
Shontelle will get the crowd warmed up with new music

You can bet that Twin Cities teens will be flocking to the St Paul Xcel Energy Center and will be staying out extra late on a school night to enjoy all that these pop artists have to offer. This is a popular “holiday show” for teens and young adults and you can bet that the best seats will sell out fast. There are still Front Row Jingle Ball tickets available from online ticket brokers like Ticket King. Check it out.

Xcel Energy Center has been Busy

The Xcel Energy Center St Paul has been a busy place the last two weeks. Hosting Coldplay, AC/DC and a slew of Minnesota Wild games. The arena has even got the attention of the DIY network and a show called Project Xtreme. Apparently, the DIY TV Show crew was there during the Xcel conversion from rock concert to NHL ice arena. According to the shows web site: “No project is too massive, too dangerous or too jaw-dropping to prevent contractor Jason Cameron from attempting it… These ain't your everyday DIY projects. These are projects truly taken to the extreme — with Jason's life often hanging in the balance.”

I am not sure if an arena conversion is life threatening, but it will be interesting to see our hometown Xcel Energy Center get recognized on a national show. The show airs Wednesday nights at 8:30pm.

The rest of this week is hockey for the Xcel, no dangerous transformations there, just keeping the ice temperature at a cool 32 degrees or less.

Have a great Thanksgiving! I am thankful to live in a city that has such a fine entertainment facility like the Xcel Energy Center.

Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center

The Minnesota Wild are spending a lot of time at home over the next few weeks playing on the Xcel Energy Center ice a total of 8 out of the next 10 games. Wow – that is quite a long home stretch, let’s hope the Wild can make the most out of it. I know Minnesota hockey fans will as they make their way to the Xcel to check out their hometown team. The Xcel Energy Center is one of the best hockey facilities in North America, if you haven’t been there, buy Wild Hockey Tickets and make plans to experience a real hockey game in the state of hockey.

Trans Siberian Orchestra at Xcel Energy Center

If you haven’t seen Trans Siberian Orchestra in the Twin Cities yet, you are missing out. The group comes almost every year right around the holidays and puts on a rockin’ hit show full of music, lights and special effects. Trans Siberian Orchestra is touted as one of the biggest arena attractions in rock music and the 2007 Winter tour played to over 1.2 million fans putting them 2nd on Billboard Magazine most attended tour list. If you missed the show last year, do not miss it this year.


Trans Siberian Orchestra will put on two shows at the Xcel Energy Center this year on Sunday, December 7 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m – I think going to the 3pm show and then heading out to dinner after ward would be the perfect way to spend a Sunday in December! If you have been to the Trans Siberian show before, leave comments so others will know how great of an experience TSO really is!

Beastie Boys!

The day after Halloween is usually a day of recovery, a day where you don't leave the comfort of your own couch. But yesterday I before I could even fully recover from the night before, I got privlage of going to see the Rock the Vote show last night at Roy Wilkins. The line up for the show was one I could have only dreamed of: Beastie Boys, Ben Harper, AND Tenacious D.

To say that this Roy Wilkins Auditorium ticket was hard to find is a great understatement. There was not a single person outside selling tickets or a single ticket left at the box office. The whole concert sold out in 3 minutes. I wondered why they booked it at such a small venue, but the I realized that the Timberwolves had a game and the WCHA Gopher games were being held at the Xcel Engery Center. Timberwolves tickets and Xcel Energy Center tickets did not have the supply and demand problem that the Beastie Boys tickets did. The show was awesome, I am so glad that I got to go!

Jack Black and Kyle Glass's band, Tenacious D opened the show. They are truly a band I did not think I would ever get the chance to see. Since Jack Black makes movies full time now there is not a lot of tiem left for The D to tour and record. They played all their jams and they even came out and did a cover of "Under Pressure" with Ben Harper. Ben Harper was also a suprise. Usually a very acoustic folky sound, he played with a full band and really rocked the house down. It was a nice segway to the Beasties Boys! Mix Masxter Mike started their set showcasing some of his mad DJ skills which was followed by "Super Disco Breakin."

I sat thorugh all the jams like, "Sure Shot," "Pass the Mic," Body Movin," "Intergalactic," "No Sleep til Brooklyn," and "Sabatoge." As a sat there my eyes truly could not believe what a I was seeing and my ears could not believe what I was hearing.

I will post pictures from the show (I took about 100!) soon. I couldn't help myself sitting in the front row of the balcony - center.

AC/DC Tour Stops at Xcel Energy Center

AC/DC will be at the Xcel Energy Center on Sunday November 23rd as part of their 42 stop North American tour to support Black Ice. These rock ‘n roll pioneers are sure to shake the Xcel Energy Center all night long. Fans across several generations love the group and are going to be flocking to the AC/DC concert wearing their back in black t-shirts.

I would love to go to this show, but tickets are not cheap. Ticket King has tickets in the front row of the upper deck (which would be sweet) for $170 per ticket. I would love to hear all the classics like “Highway to Hell” live – these guys have been around for awhile, but they still know how to rock! I may have to convince my buddies to splurge on a ticket with me and head over to the show – I know I have a ratty old AC/DC concert t-shirt in the back of the closet some where.

Xcel Energy Center Schedule

Want a quick look at the Xcel Energy Schedule? Ticket King St Paul has a link on the left hand sidebar for the Xcel Energy Center under concerts that lists upcoming hot shows. Of course, they have the Minnesota Wild Schedule on there, too and plenty of Minnesota Wild tickets to boot.

Xcel Energy Center Tickets

There are several places that you can buy Xcel Energy Center tickets. Here are the top 5 spots that I can think of:

>>Ticketmaster
>>Ebay
>>Craigslist
>>Ticket Brokers
>>Scalpers


Of course, ticketmaster is the first place that most people think of, but a lot of times they are sold out and you can never talk to a real person, everything is automated. Besides I can never remember to log-on exactly at 9am or 10am to get tickets to my coveted event.


I have heard a lot of horror stories about Ebay so I don’t even want to try that, but I have tried Craigslist (hasn’t every one?) and have not had much luck getting tickets. Several times the tickets had already sold and they forgot to take the ad off. Three times the person never emailed me back and once the person never met me when they said they were going to. Plus I have noticed a lot of the tickets for sale are just Internet companies posting on craigslist. That takes too much time – it was exhausting even writing about it.

The next choice is the million ticket brokers out there. With the explosion of the Internet it seems there are hundreds of ticket selling websites out there. I prefer to use an online site that also has a store front, like Ticket King St Paul. They have an office just half a block from the Xcel Energy Center so I can pick up my tickets when I want and I don’t pay shipping fees and they don’t charge extra service fees at check-out so the price you see on their website is the price, no % fees at the end. I respect that.

Of course, you can take the chance and buy from scalpers on the street the night of the show/game, but I am just one of those nervous people that isn’t willing to risk my seat location until minutes before the curtain opens / puck drops. No thanks.

Perhaps I should add a 6th choice of the Xcel Energy Center box office, but I have never used them because it’s not convenient.

Leave me a COMMENT on how you find your Xcel Energy Center tickets!

Taylor Swift Rascal Flatts Rocked

I haven’t been doing that great of a job updating this Xcel Energy Center blog, but no worries I am back on track and I am getting my friends to help me! Below is a post from my friend KC who won tickets to last Friday nights Rascal Flatts concert – thanks for the review KC! Read on…

My mother won tickets to the Rascal Flatts concert from the local country radio station and gave them to my sister and me so we could have a night out on the town and it was quite a night! We sat in section 115 which normally would be so-so seats, but since the Rascal Flatts stage was enormous and included large catwalks that came all the way out to the edge of section 115, the seats were actually pretty good.

I am a huge Taylor Swift fan and her opening act performance did not disappoint. I hate to even call it an opening act because a lot of the crowd was there primarily for her (including me). There were tons of tween girls decked out in their Taylor Swift shirts and skinny jeans. Taylor sang all her top songs, but she didn’t sing Oh, My, My which is one of my favorite songs – I guess she can’t sing them all. I would 100% buy Taylor Swift tickets, she is amazing.

Rascal Flatts had a cool stage set-up with really high-tech graphics/light show. My sister and I both agreed we had forgotten how many “popular” songs they had and how we knew the words to every Rascal Flatts song. The Xcel Energy Center was totally packed and everyone was on their feet the entire time, my feet were killing me! LOL!

Celebrity sightings: My friend Cortney over at style and sports claims she saw Minnesota Wild players James Sheppard and Josh Harding at the show. Minnesota Vikings players came out on stage after the Flatts show, I saw Jared Allan for sure and I think Bernard Berrian and two others that I couldn’t quite make out from my section 115 seats – LOL!

After the show we called my parents to Thank them for the tickets, my mother was already in bed, but my dad was up watching some car race on TV and I think he appreciated our enthusiasm and thoughtfulness to call. If you have never been to a concert at the Xcel Energy Center, you are missing out – buy Xcel Energy Center tickets today and get out to St Paul for a guaranteed good time.

Rascal Flatts Xcel Energy Center

After the RNC has put the Xcel Energy Center back together, the Xcel will welcome country act Rascal Flatts on October 10th. It will be the trio's fourth show at the Xcel Energy Center since 2002. Clearly the group recognizes their large fan base in Minnesota and enjoys playing at the “X.” Who wouldn’t?!

Opening for Rascal Flatts will be young country superstar Taylor Swift. You can bet the X will sell out fast to screaming young teen girls who want to rock along with Swift. She may not be as big as Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, but she is close. Swift, a 17-year old singer/songwriter has enjoyed incredible success with her self-titled debut, topping both the country album and song charts and nearly every teen girl can sing along to her songs on command.


If you don’t know a young teen girl to tell you all about Taylor Swift, then I can almost guarantee you have heard of Rascal Flatts. The group has sold more than 16 million copies of their first five albums and scored 19 top 10 country radio hits. This years Rascal Flatts tour will be called “Bob That Head Tour 2008.” So don’t miss the chance to bob your head at the Xcel Energy Center on October 10th – Buy Rascal Flatts tickets today!

Minnesota Wild Season Schedule Xcel Energy Center

The Minnesota Wild announced it’s season opener against the Boston Bruins on Saturday October 11th and Minnesota Wild hysteria is sure to hit Minnesota quickly. With a Saturday night opening match-up, Minnesota Wild tickets are sure to sell quickly. You can already buy seats on sites like Ticket King St Paul.

Check out the Minnesota Wild Schedule.

Xcel Energy Center consumed with Republican National Convention in September

The upcoming Xcel Energy Center schedule is focused around the Republican National Convention and getting ready for the RNC. Most of August and through the RC event dates of Sept 1-4 there are no concerts to be seen at the X. This seems unusual to Minnesota music fans since the hot summer concert series at the Xcel Energy Center is something to look forward to. Of course, it is an honor to host a national party convention and it will bring a lot of dollars into the state. The Xcel will look a bit different on TV after the RNC renovations, but I know hosting the convention is a win for the venue regardless of which party you support.

Xcel Energy Center George Michael and Neil Diamond in July

The Xcel Energy Center will host two big performers the month of July. First will be George Michael and his 25 Live tour on Monday, July 7th. George Michael will be treating fans to new music and of course the old favorites. He has a unique stage layout and the Xcel Energy Center seating chart indicates Floor row 3 is actually the first row of chairs. It looks like there will probably be a pit of some sort so I would recommend a good lower level section for this show. Ticket King has 102, row 15 and those would be perfect for this show.

George Michael Tickets

The second performer to hit the Xcel Energy Center in July is none other than Neil Diamond on July 19th and 20th. This two show event is sure to bring a lot of Neil Diamond fans to St Paul. With a four-decade long career that has seen more than 125 million records sold worldwide, Neil Diamond is a legendary performer. Everyone knows the song “Sweet Caroline” and you can bet there will be thousands singing along at the Xcel Energy Center. Neil Diamond also has a unique stage set-up that looks like he will have two small wing sections on either side of the stage. This leads me to believe that he will have a center section that juts out a bit and will give fans a great opportunity to see this old crooner at work.

New Kids on the Block and Boy Band Revival

Although it is quite a few days away, the Xcel Energy Center is getting ready for a huge comeback. The New Kids on the Block are making their way back to Minnesota for the fist time in a long time. Could the New Kids on the Block be as big as Hannah Montana at the Target Center last year on the same day, October 21st? Doubtful. Even with their new song, “Summertime,” the New Kids concert tour hasn't created the same buzz as Hannah Montana.

If you can't see the New Kids, don't worry because there are plenty of boy band revivals happening in the Twin Cities. The Backstreet Boys will be performing at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand on August 23rd. The questions will be, which boy band one will sell more tickets? New Kids on the Block or the Backstreet Boys? It's a good old fashioned battle of the boy bands. Buy your tickets today!

Walking with Dinosaurs Hits Xcel Energy Center

It’s not too late to buy Walking with Dinosaurs tickets. The Xcel Energy Center show is touted as one of the best shows of its kind with humungous lifelike prehistoric creatures roaming the stage. There are over a dozen re-creations of ancient reptiles that roam the stage with remarkable realism. Ten large dinosaurs and five small ones are set in motion by experienced puppeteers and radio control. Adults and children alike will be wowed at the remarkable special effects. Don’t pass up this once in a lifetime educational show!

R.E.M. Have Still Got It!

R.E.M played at the Xcel Energy Center last Thursday. I went to the show with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised by the performances that night. First of all, my Xcel Energy Center ticket for this show was amazing, Floor R row 9! Some people think that being off to the left or right no the main floor isn't a great seat, but I had a great view of the stage and the bands. Take a look at some of my pictures from this show, they're amazing!!!

Here is one of the opening bands, Modest Mouse:






And REM:




All in all REM played a really good set. REM played a lot of selections from their new album, as well as fan favorites like "Fall on Me" (my favorite one of the night) and they closed the show with "Man on the Moon."
As usual Michael Stipe's banter was politically charged inbetween almost every song. He praised Obama and declared that he would be voting for him this November.

To me though, Modest Mouse stole the show. They didn't play any of their 'hits' like "Float on" and "The Ocean Breathes Salty" they stuck to fans only favorites like "Satin in a Coffin" and "Bury Me With It"

Next time REM comes to town be sure to get your Xcel Energy Center tickets fast, because the show was only a half house concert making less tickets for such a fun show!

Walking with Dinosaurs Xcel Energy Center

I had my friend Mary write a post about Walking with the Dinosaurs at Xcel Energy Center. Thanks Mary!

I remember being about 10 years old and hiding under my seat while in the theatres watching Jurassic Park. It’s safe to say that animated, fully-functioning dinosaurs are a lot scarier than reading about them in text books. I have always thought dinosaurs were interesting, and even considered paleontology as a major, but once I figured out that I’d be in the desert all day, digging in the heat, I wasn’t too stoked.

Walking with Dinosaurs seems like it would be a lot like Jurassic Park; minus the ravenous, blood-thirsty reptiles (and Jeff Goldblum) and more like a really cool museum exhibit that’s been brought to life. Originally, Walking with Dinosaurs was a BBC documentary series that won numerous awards and became popular in the United States when it debuted on the Discovery Channel. The show has done extremely well, as it should, considering it costs about $9.4 million to put together. When it was announced that the show would be coming to the Xcel Energy Center St Paul, many Minnesota residents scooped up Walking with the Dinosaurs tickets. I would be interested in sitting close and center because I’ve heard the detail of the dinosaurs is excellent and other reviews say the plant-life they use for scenery is realistic. If you want great seats, check out local ticket brokers like Ticket King St Paul. With an office right by the Xcel Energy Center, Ticket King is convenient for picking up tickets and since they are local, the prices are reasonable and you are supporting a locally run business.

Xcel Energy Center Neil Diamond Shows

I can’t believe I haven’t mentioned the fact that Neil Diamond is coming to the Xcel Energy Center in July. In fact, he isn’t playing just one night, but two nights. That’s right folks, two nights of Neil Diamond at the Xcel Energy Center, Saturday July 19th and Sunday July 20th. I have to say I am surprised at the promoters’ decision to book two nights. Is Neil Diamond that big? I suppose his hits like “Sweet Caroline” make him a legend and perhaps this is the last ever Neil Diamond tour. Don’t miss out Diamond fans, buy your Neil Diamond tickets today!

I see Neil Diamond is the spotlight event on the Ticket King St Paul site. He must still be big.

Neil Diamond July 19th tickets start at $190
Neil Diamond July 20th tickets start at $120

Coldplay at Xcel Energy Center

Finally! Coldplay announced a summer tour this year! The British alt-rockers are making a stop in the Twin Cities on July 8th (Xcel Energy Center to be exact) and Coldplay tickets are going on sale on May 17th. Last time Coldplay was in Minnesota was back in 2005 at the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis. That show sold out to around 20,000 fans and unfortunately, I wasn’t one of them. Not to fear, I will be getting my Coldplay tickets as soon as possible, and I’m looking forward to nailing down some awesome seat locations. If you’ve ever been to an Xcel Energy Center event, then you already know that there isn’t a bad seat in the house.

Coldplay has been around for the last ten years. Prior to the release of their album, Parachutes, Coldplay had put out a few EP’s in the UK and tacked on a new drummer. I remember when their single, Yellow, was in heavy rotation on the airwaves here in America; I thought Coldplay sounded an awful lot like a hybrid between U2 and Oasis. Come to find out, the band takes a heavy influence from bands like U2 and Oasis, on and off the stage. After a minor falling-out between the band members, the foursome decided that the band would be best run as a democracy and that all profits would be split equally amongst the band members and anyone who engaged in hard drugs would be fired.

Coldplay also has made great strides in donating their time, money and effort to combat global problems like fair trade, hunger, and poverty. So, for me, Coldplay is one of the best all-around bands that are touring this summer and front man (Chris Martin) is married to Gwyneth Paltrow and has two adorable kids; Apple and Moses. How cool can you get? Coldplay Xcel Energy Center tickets will certainly move fast...especially with all of that economic stimulus money floating around!

Xcel Energy Center May Calendar

The Xcel Energy Center is quiet for the Month of May. With the Minnesota Wild knocked out of the NHL Playoffs and the Minnesota Swarm Lacrosse team knocked out their playoffs, the Xcel Calendar looks rather bleak for May 2008. In fact, the only event scheduled is the May 22nd Rush Concert. I feel bad for the businesses down by the Xcel this time of year because it must be really quiet. Does anyone else think that the Xcel Energy Center just isn’t scheduling as many shows as they used to? It seems to me that the Target Center (read my Target Center blog) is more busy than it used to be and the Xcel is less. hmmm.

Schedule:
5/22 Rush Xcel Energy Center

REM Just Announced at the Xcel Energy Center

Everyone’s favorite college rock radio pioneers R.E.M. will be back in Minnesota for a show at the Xcel Energy Center on June 5th. REM has not been here since the Vote for Change Tour in 2004 (which was one of my all time favorite concerts!) The band is currently on tour in support of their new album, “Accelerate.”

What is even more exciting for this event is that the opening bands are some of my favorite acts to see as well! Keeping in their college radio tradition, bands Modest Mouse and The National will open the show. R.E.M. are smart by doing this because it will bring a larger, younger fan base to the Xcel Energy Center show.

The new R.E.M. “Accelerate” album is critically acclaimed and is selling better than REM’s past few attempts. REM will no doubt run down their extensive greatest hits with songs like, “Radio Free Europe,” “Man on the Moon,” “Everybody Hurts,” “Losing my Religion,” and “Crush With Eyeliner” just to name very few! REM has been a band for over 20 years and certainly has one of the most extensive catalogs.

Tickets go on sale May 11th, 2008. Xcel Energy Center tickets are going to go fast for this hot summer show – REM shows have sold slow in the past, but with a lineup like this, the REM concert tickets are sure to sell out as fast as the Vote For Change Tour did years ago.

Xcel Energy Center Summer Concerts welcomes George Michael

The Minnesota Wild season is over and the Xcel Energy Center is gearing up for hot summer concerts including George Michael and Neil Diamond, both in July. The shows are sure to attract different crowds of people, but the Xcel Energy Center prides itself on its diverse shows that can appeal to any music connoisseur.

George Michael, scheduled for July 7th, is sure to draw fans from out of the metro area and possibly out of state since the Monday show is at the tail end of the July 4th weekend. The George Michael tour, is in support of his new 2 disc greatest hits album which features on disc “For Living” and the second “For Loving.” George Michael concert goers will be able to rock out to favorites like “Wake Me Up Before you Go-Go,” “Faith,” “Freedom ’90,” and “Father Figure.” Buy your George Michael tickets today!

Minnesota Wild Playoffs

The Minnesota Wild Playoffs will draw in over 18,000 fans to the Xcel Energy Center for each home game. The Minnesota Wild earned the Northwest Division title and home ice advantage which will give the Minnesota Wild the first two home games of the NHL playoffs, game 5 and the final game 7, if necessary. All of the Minnesota Wild action will be great for all of the downtown St Paul businesses and great for the Xcel Energy Center. Be sure to buy Minnesota Wild playoff tickets and head down to the Xcel Energy Center.

Minnesota Wild Playoff Schedule

Minnesota Wild Playoffs

The Minnesota Wild Regular Season is quickly coming to an end at the Xcel Energy Center. The Wild have only three - strike that, one home game left. The Wild won their Friday March 28th vs Vancouver Canucks game 4-0, they won the Sunday March 30th vs Colorado Avalanche game 3-2 and there is only one game left on Thursday April 3rd vs Calgary Flames.

Every point matters as the NHL Playoff race heats up. The Minnesota Wild fate in the NHL Playoffs will come right down to the last game. Buy Minnesota Wild Tickets today and catch the last Minnesota Wild regular season game at the Xcel Energy Center. Or buy a Minnesota Wild Playoff home game ticket to be present in the Wilds postseason.

Minnesota Wild Season

The Minnesota Wild Regular Season is quickly coming to an end at the Xcel Energy Center. The Wild have only three home games left playing on Friday March 28th vs Vancouver Canucks, Sunday March 30th vs Colorado Avalanche and Thursday April 3rd vs Calgary Flames. The remaining three games are all against hot division rivals and are sure to determine the Minnesota Wild fate in the NHL Playoffs. Buy Minnesota Wild Tickets today and catch a Minnesota Wild regular season game at the Xcel Energy Center in the next 7 days and hope for a long Minnesota Wild Playoff series to keep the Xcel ice active in St Paul. Go Wild!

Xcel Energy Center "Ticket Scalping"

It sounds as though St. Paul and the Xcel Energy Center have changed the "ticket scalping" policy for events outside the Xcel Energy Center. There is a new city ordinance that prohibits the resale of tickets on Xcel Energy Center property. The main "ticket scalping" spot has been the corner of 7th. and Kellogg since the opening of of the "X." Selling tickets at any price on that corner is now a violation of a city ordinance. It will be interesting to see whether they actually enforce the ordinance.

Usually what happens in situations like this is they enforce the ordinance at the beginning but then they realize that the are fighting an uphill battle and simply spot enforce it. If they actually start arresting regular fans, I am sure that the ordinance will be changed. Why shouldn't a Minnesota Wild Season Ticket holder be able to sell there extra Wild Tickets on the Xcel Energy Center Property

The Boss Rocks at the Xcel

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band played at the Xcel last night - their second show in 4 months - to a nearly sold out crowd of 17,000 people.

Xcel Energy Center tickets for this show were not in demand to the extent of his show in November, but a difficult ticket to come by none the less. The stage set up was just like last time - the 360 degree stage which has no obstruction. There is no backdrop or amplifiers in the way, it's just a stage and the band!

My favorite song from last night was "Reason to Believe" from Nebraska. I wish I could get my ears on a copy of that live - he adds an old blues tune to it and makes the slow, acoustic ballad a loud and rocking jam that got the crowd on their feet! Last time the crowd was treated to many classics from The Boss's extensive catalog like "Jungleand" "Badlands" just to name a few and a lot of his new songs as well like "Radio Nowhere" and "Summer Girls."


For being 58 years old, Springsteen is not showing his age one bit - I can't wait to see him again!!

Bruce Springsteen at Xcel Energy Center

Bruce Springsteen will be back at the Xcel Energy Center for the sixth time on Sunday March 16th. If you are thinking "wasn’t Bruce Springsteen just here?" You are right. “The Boss” played to a sold out Xcel Energy Center on November 2nd, that’s less than 5 months ago. One of my friends is going to see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, so I will have her write a blog entry next week about the show. Her Bruce Springsteen tickets are lower level reserved seats since the Xcel general admission floor will probably be a mess.

If you bought general admission tickets and you want to get into the front section of the floor, you need to be at Gate 1 at 2pm to get a wristband. You then need to be at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium at 5:15pm to line up for the lottery system. A select number of GA ticket holders will be selected to be in the front pit section. It will be an all day affair to get selected, but I am guessing the die hard Bruce Springsteen fans won’t mind.

Xcel Energy Center prepares for busy month

March is a busy month for the Xcel Energy Center. The Minnesota Wild host 9 games which is the most in a month this season, the Minnesota State high school hockey tournament takes over the ice for 4 days and the college hockey WCHA Final Five tournament takes over the Xcel Energy Center ice for 3 days. Wow! That is a lot of hockey for the city of St Paul, it’s no wonder Saint Paul is dubbed Hockeytown USA!

Besides hockey, the Xcel Energy Center has a long list of concerts to woo Minnesotans in the month of March. Bon Jovi for two days, Bruce Springsteen and the Blue Man Group. Be sure to check the Xcel Energy Center schedule for all the dates and times and order your Xcel Energy Center tickets early because St Paul is going to be hopping the month of March!

Blue Man Group at Xcel Energy Center

You don’t have to travel to Las Vegas to see the Blue Man Group show. The boys in blue will be performing at the Xcel Energy Center St Paul on Saturday, March 29 at 8pm on a stop of their How to be a Megastar Tour 2.1.

The state of the art show is sure to be a hit with Minnesotans and includes an eight piece band that takes the audience through a hi-tech interactive concert. The show is almost hypnotic and if you missed the Blue Man Group last year, you won’t want to miss them again! Order Blue Man Group tickets today! The Xcel Energy Center St Paul is the best place to see them without dealing with airport security and turbulence.

Xcel Energy Center Ice serves more than just the Wild

The Xcel Energy Center ice has been busy with Minnesota high school girls the last couple of days. The MSHSL girls state hockey tournament has kept the arena buzzing with hockey excitement while the Minnesota Wild is on the road.

The Xcel Energy Center also hosts the boys state high school tournament from March 5th through 8th. The top boys games sell out every year and high school hockey fans must resort to aftermarket ticket-sellers like Ticket King if they want to be a part of the tournament. Minnesota is known as the state of hockey and we are the only state that has this much excitement and interest at a high school level. Minnesota has set several attendance records for high school hockey and will continue to draw large crowds into the Xcel Energy Center for high school games. If the teams are from large communities like Edina or Bloomington, you can bet that Minnesota State High School Hockey tickets will be in high demand! See ya at the tourney!

Bon Jovi Video Contest for Xcel Energy Center

Bon Jovi is coming to the Xcel Energy Center for two nights on March 18th and 19th and has a special opportunity for local residents to make their claim to fame. Bon Jovi is asking local Minnesotans to go out and film why you love your town.

The contest asks folks to "get creative and film short videos that show why they love their hometown - the people, places, icons and scenery that make it a special place." Online voters and a panel of judges will select the best footage, and it will air when the band performs "I Love This Town" in concert. Besides your claim to fame, there will be prizes of signed CDS and special Bon Jovi tickets that will let you see the show from the stage. Videos must be submitted three days before the concert date so get busy! For full details, see BonJoviLovesMyTown.com.

If you don’t win tickets, local ticket brokers like Ticket King can get you great seats to both shows.

Bon Jovi March 18th

Bon Jovi March 19th

Linkin Park = Huge concert

Perhaps one of the biggest rock bands of today will play Xcel Energy Center on February 13. You might have heard of them, a little band called Linkin Park. Hailing from Agoura Hills, California, Linkin Park’s first album Hybrid Theory was certified diamond by the RIAA. Linkin Park is selling more CDs than any other band right now, and they are credited right now by the record industry as a savior. Their “nu metal” rap-rock hybrid has softened to more straightforward rock with their 2007 Minutes to Midnight, but legendary producer Rick Rubin’s production has helped the band find a direction that can lead to their longevity. Linkin Park tickets are sure to be one hot ticket at the Xcel Energy Center. If you don’t get yours right away then get Linkin Park tickets at the Xcel Energy Center here.

Carlos Santana will light up the X

Rolling Stone magazine’s 15th greatest guitarist of all time is coming to the Xcel Energy Center. That’s right, Carlos Santana will create some magic in St. Paul come April 21. The superb soundsystem and acoustics in the Xcel Energy Center will surely make Santana sound fantastic. Santana has been known to use three amplifiers for his guitars at once, creating a cacophony of guitar effects. Do not miss this show at the Xcel. If you appreciate great guitar craft, see Carlos Santana at the Xcel Energy Center.

Arena-rockers Matchbox Twenty will play the best arena: Xcel Energy Center

The Xcel Energy Center will soon host maturing mainstream rock band Matchbox Twenty. Matchbox Twenty have grown considerably since the release of their first album in 1996. While that album yielded five huge singles, their latest music is smart radio rock that hasn’t attracted a lot of attention but is still respectable. Lead singer Rob Thomas has even released an eponymous solo album that strayed some from Matchbox’s serious persona. The Xcel Energy Center will be a great venue for the band’s longtime fans to see them live. The Xcel should suit both the band’s rockers and ballads. Get Matchbox Twenty tickets for February 4, 2007.

Figure Skating at Xcel

The Minnesota Wild play two home games this week including a match-up tonight against the Calgary Flames, but next week hockey skates on the Xcel Energy Center ice will be replaced with figure skates as the US Figure Skating Championships come to St Paul. The 2008 Figure Skating event runs from January 20th to the 27th and it is the first time it has been to the Xcel Energy Center St Paul. If you enjoy the fluid movements of talented skaters with toe picks, then the figure skating event might be for you. The 2008 Figure Skating Championships would be a great time to bring your kids down to the Xcel Energy Center. The ladies will compete for the gold on January 26 and the men will compete January 27th. Don’t miss this skating spectacular!

Barry Manilow at Xcel Energy Center

Twin Cities music fans will want to head to the Xcel Energy Center tomorrow night to see Barry Manilow live in concert. It is Manilow's first trip to St Paul and this music fan guesses it will be his last, so consider this a once in a lifetime opportunity. Music fans will be singing along to great hits such as "Copacabana" well into the evening. It’s not too late to get Barry Manilow concert tickets from local ticket brokers like Ticket King. Ticket King will even save you the shipping charges if you pick them up at their local office. There isn’t too much going on in St Paul tomorrow night so you might as well buy Barry Manilow tickets and take in the show. His St Paul show is a whole lot cheaper than buying a plane ticket to see him in Vegas!