11/05/06 - For Debbie Chambers, paradise can be found in Row 8, Section 102. That's where she'll be Dec. 30,
when Bob Seger plays the Palace of Auburn Hills in one of a series of concerts that will mark the rocker's first hometown
performances in more than 10 years.
Chambers beamed Saturday morning outside the Palace box office as she gripped the just-printed tickets that will put her a couple of
dozen yards from Seger, an artist whose four-decade career has created an indelible, often emotional bond with local fans.
"For me this was a must, because I've been to every Seger concert in Detroit," said Chambers, a hard-core Seger enthusiast who said she's seen him
play 113 times. "This is exactly what I wanted."
The 54-year-old Lake Orion woman was among thousands of metro Detroiters who endured chilly temperatures, congested Ticketmaster phone lines and
Web gridlock Saturday morning in their quest for Seger seats. They'll be back out in full force when Seger stages Palace shows on Dec. 20,
22, 24 and 30. Just one concert had been announced going into Saturday's 10 a.m. ticket sale. But within five minutes, nearly all 15,000 seats were sold,
and promoters added a second date. Fifteen minutes later, they added another, and by 11 a.m., four shows were in the books.
It was reminiscent of Seger's 1996 concert bonanza, when he ultimately sold out six shows at the Palace and two at Pine Knob -- now the DTE Energy Music
Theatre. Many came to believe those shows might be his final live performances as Seger eased out of public view to focus on family life.
The pent-up hunger for Seger in concert was clear Saturday morning at the Palace box office, where Chambers was among about 400 fans who decided to get
their tickets the old-fashioned way: by standing in line. Back home in Lake Orion, her husband and son manned the computer and phone,
exploiting all ticket-buying options in their hunt for the best seats.
"We met every expectation and based on the demand, rock and roll is still alive in Detroit," said Dave Clark of Live Nation, the concert promotion company
that is booking Seger's national tour. "I think it's clear that there just as many or more Bob Seger fans today as there were 10 years ago."
Face the Promise Tracks
- Wreck This Heart
- Wait For Me
- Face The Promise
- No Matter Who You Are
- Are You
- Simplicity
- No More
- Real Mean Bottle (with Kid Rock)
- Won't Stop
- Between
- The Answer's In The Question (with Patty Loveless)
- The Long Goodbye
Billboad Review
Oakland Press Review
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