Thousands of tickets still available for Paul McCartney concert at Piedmont Park on August 15
Paul McCartney at Philips Arena in 2005. His (much larger) show at Piedmont Park hasn't sold out yet. AJC file photo.
“Well over” 30,000 tickets have sold for Paul McCartney’s Green Concert at Piedmont Park, but there are still thousands left for the Aug. 15 show.
Monica Thornton, vice president of the Piedmont Park Conservancy, told me today that a successful pre-sale led many to believe that McCartney tickets were sold out. In fact, the park has a permit for up to 49,999 people, so there are thousands of tickets left.
Why so slow for such a superstar? It’s the usual answer these days: the economy.
“In this economy, certainly, we anticipated that ticket sales would be a little slower. This was a higher ticket than we had for the Dave Matthews Band concert [in 2007]. With those things in combination, we anticipated we wouldn’t have an automatic sell-out,” Thornton said.
The park is more than twice as large as Philips Arena, she points out, and they’ve already come close to selling enough tickets to fill that space for two nights. “We feel pretty good about that,” she said, especially with 11 days to go.
What else should you know? The entry times changed this week — pre-sale ticket buyers will be able to enter at 4 p.m., and regular ticketholders at 5 p.m.
Sell-out or not, parking will be a nightmare — none will be available at the venue or in the neighborhoods around it. And hey, it’s a green show: they’re encouraging all concertgoers to take MARTA or ride a bike.
Want to go? The Green Concert at Piedmont Park featuring Paul McCartney is Aug. 15 on Piedmont Park’s 10th Street Meadow in Atlanta. $79.50-$400. www.piedmontpark.org
Want to win tickets? An AccessAtlanta.com contest will give away VIP tickets, a poster signed by Paul McCartney and other prizes. Contest ends Aug. 9.
For instant updates, follow @insideaccess on Twitter.
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62 comments Add your comment
el jefe
August 4th, 2009
8:11 pm
i predicted this when the concert was first announced. i respect sir paul, and would love to see the show, but $100 for an oversold lawn ticket at piedmont part is simply too much. it has nothing to do with the economy, it has to do with the fact that this ticket is overpriced for what it is. anyone who was at the ABB/DMB show in 2007 knows that the long bathroom and beer lines, coupled with the sheer pack of people on the lawn means that this show just isnt worth $100 (after ticketmaster gets done “conveniently” charging me $15 to take my money and print the ticket)
best of luck to the piedmont park conservatory, but i think they are destined to undersell this event.
if it was $50 + charges it would be a different story.
TK
August 4th, 2009
8:22 pm
Not surprised by this at all…$100 is way too much for most people given the hassles of the crowd (and getting there early enough to actually get a decent spot on the lawn), the heat, and waiting 15 minutes to buy a beer or take a leak…
FALCON JOSH
August 4th, 2009
8:26 pm
People learned that you can hear the music from outside the park anyway. The DMB show was simply to many people. You were just looking at a big screen. I enjoyed watching the show 2 months later in HD at home.
Jamie Gumbrecht
August 4th, 2009
8:33 pm
Very good points, el jefe and TK. Still, even if it remains undersold, this will be a huge crowd of people who are apparently game for the crowds, heat, waits etc. I got tickets for my little sister and her boyfriend — huge fans who needed a bribe with a date on it to spur the trip south — and I have no idea how to tell them to navigate the area. I fear any advice I give will be useless when faced with a crowd of 40,000.
Steve From Dalton
August 4th, 2009
9:01 pm
I would love to see Sir Paul but G.A. seats in the middle of August in Atl. don’t add up for a splendid time guaranteed for all. It will be hot and sticky. Then throw in 30,000 of your favorite new friends and you hope the people near you practice good hygiene habits.
Macca
August 4th, 2009
10:16 pm
Keep in mind that this event is a BENEFIT for the Piedmont Park Conservancy. Yes, the tickets are pricey, but the PROFITS from the concert will help expand the new north area of the park.
Plus, it’s going to be a hugely fun party, no matter what.
Tommy Mngsde
August 4th, 2009
10:18 pm
You have a chance to see a living legend. One of only 2 living beatles (along with Ringo). Google his setlist from Coachella. It is a greatest hit selection from McCartney solo, Wings and above all the Beatles including Lennon and Harrison tributes. It is an immense and intense list. Don’t miss out on the chance. And for those complaining about the price. Give me a break. Have you ever donated any money in your life to a worthy cause? Not only are you making a donation that will help that city of Atlanta by supporting the “Central Park” of our city (and increasing your property value by the way..) but you will be getting to see a legend for your investment. Instead of giving to a charity buy a darn McCartney ticket. You will be helping promote green living and paying to expand the size of public park that we all use for free. $100 isn’t that much out of your total bank account when you think of it that way is it? -Tommy M.
Macca
August 4th, 2009
10:19 pm
Jamie, if you need advice on how to navigate the area, feel free to email me. I live two blocks from the concert area.
Melvin
August 4th, 2009
10:24 pm
$100 for a ticket to watch a washed up old singer at the crummy Piedmont Park? Are you serious? I wouldn’t pay $1 to see that old guy. They should bring in some rappers instead and let everyone in free.
Tommy Mngsde
August 4th, 2009
10:27 pm
This is the set List from Coachella show a few monts ago for all you cheapskates complaining about the cost of your donation This was part of a festival so expect at least this many but possibly more. By the way, I have to be out of town for this show so I can’t make it and it is KILLING ME.
Main set: Jet / Drive My Car / Only Mama Knows / Flaming Pie / Got to Get You Into My Life / Let Me Roll It (with a coda of Purple Haze) / Honey Hush / Highway / The Long and Winding Road / My Love / Blackbird / Here Today / Dance Tonight / Calico Skies / Mrs. Vanderbilt / Eleanor Rigby / Sing the Changes / Band on the Run / Back in the U.S.S.R. / Something / I’ve Got a Feeling / Paperback Writer / A Day in the Life > Give Peace a Chance / Let It Be / Live and Let Die / Hey Jude
First encore: Birthday / Can’t Buy Me Love / Lady Madonna
Second encore: Yesterday / Helter Skelter / Get Back / Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) > The End
Joe Joe
August 4th, 2009
10:43 pm
Paul has sold out something like 88 of the last 90 concerts. They went on sale in Dallas at 10AM and 70,000 tickets were sold in eight minutes. NYC and Boston are all sold out as was Halifax. They had the same problem last week in DC, so promoters should consider the fan base of the city and what they support. I would bet Atlanta and DC would sell out regardless of price for a hip hop show. The fan base of the Falcons and Hawks are not McCartney fans.
uglyredhonda
August 4th, 2009
10:46 pm
I think another factor is that there were already other “major” shows scheduled that night. I know of several folks who were excited about the possibility of getting to see McCartney, but already had tickets to either the Def Leppard/Cheap Trick show at Lakewood or the Steely Dan show at Chastain.
Tommy Mngsde
August 4th, 2009
10:51 pm
Speaking of “washed up”. Def Leppard? Saw them a few years ago. HORRIBLE? Joe Elliot’s voice is gone. And Steely Dan? Sure after they initially made their comeback in the late eighties but now they are resigned to making the easy buck playing Chastain and the Alpharetta amphitheatre going through the motions for 50+ year old Buckhead and OTP dorks that still think they are cool.
Tommy Mngsde
August 4th, 2009
10:56 pm
Error above in my last post. Steely actually made their comeback around 1994. Now they just take the money. I have seen them 4 times since their comeback and every year they get worse and make less of an effort. Funny thing is the ticket price (along with their egos-Becker and Fagen) go up with each year gone by. I would NEVER pay another cent to see them again. Sell your ticket on Craig’s list and go see McCartney and support your free public Piedmont Park (and Atlanta).
The Professor
August 4th, 2009
11:32 pm
The DMB show @ PP 2 yrs ago was The Longest Day of my life. Hothouse, stupid redneck drunks, stupid frat-boy drunks, thieving cab drivers, people saving “seats” amidst the dirt & tree roots. So, this time I paid for 2 VIP tix @ $400 each. It’s worth it for decent bathrooms and a spot on the hillside. Sir Paul won’t take the stage before 9 p.m., so why would I want to arrive at 4 p.m. and broil for hours?
Jamie Gumbrecht
August 5th, 2009
1:39 am
Awwww, thanks, Macca! I think we’ve come to a solution: spend the morning and early afternoon wandering the Center for Puppetry Arts, then hand-delivering them to the proper entrance. Of course, if you live two blocks from where thousands of people are gathering, I imagine you’ve got good strategies for moving around in the area.
David
August 5th, 2009
4:43 am
The Beatles have always been my favorite band and I’d love to see McCartney for the first time. But an August show where you have to claim a seat in the afternoon sun/heat? No way.
tc
August 5th, 2009
7:09 am
do it on the cheap and watch them on youtube. Go see a real performer like Jean Luc Ponty, Pat Metheny, Chuck Mangione…
OZZFEST
August 5th, 2009
7:21 am
I REALLY DO NOT CARE HOW MANY SHOW UP…I WILL BE CAMPED AT THE GATE AT NOON WAITING TO GET IN. $100 IS WELL WORTH THE PRICE TO KEEP YOU COBB COUNTY PANSIES AT HOME.
cowo
August 5th, 2009
8:17 am
Melvin you are one sick puppy! Paul is a beautiful, talented, amazing legend. This hiphop crap will be long gone in another 40 years, but the legend of the Beatles, and especially Paul, will still be going strong. It’s not only young black men who live in Atlanta, in case you have forgotten!
I will be there ready to be entertained royally, as I have in the previous 16 times I’ve seen Paul, with the Beatles, Wings, and on his own. I am worried about the heat and access to restrooms, as well as standing for hours on end before the show even starts. Would have prefered an indoor venue, or even across the street at Grady Stadium, but when Paul arrives on the stage, all pains and aches will be forgotten.
Jamie Gumbrecht
August 5th, 2009
8:23 am
Hey folks, an early reminder: please be respectful toward each other in the comments, and let’s not let this stray too far off topic.
Mark
August 5th, 2009
8:38 am
I have been waiting for Sir Paul McCartney to return to Atlanta. His divorce delayed touring for a year –and that was a disappointment. So when I heard McCartney was coming to Atlanta I was elated –for about 10 seconds. Then I found out he was playing Piedmont Park.
I do not mind at all paying $100 for the show and it would be well worth it if the concert were being held at a proper venue like GA Dome, Philips or Encore Park. But I will not be going to Piedmont Park.
I run the Peachtree Road Race every year and realize how difficult it is getting out of the area with 50K other people. I’m holding out, hoping that McCartney will return for a show in a proper venue. However, if this doesn’t sell out I doubt there will be a return trip during this tour. I may be waiting another two or three years again.
Dee
August 5th, 2009
8:49 am
I’ve seen McCartney before and he does put on a great concert. But honestly, when I saw the price of the tickets, coupled with the fact that you have to arrive 4 hours before the concert, and no lawn chairs or even water is allowed, so you’re forced to sit on the ground and then fight the lines to get something to drink – it just wasn’t worth it to me. If it were priced a little more reasonably, and we were allowed to bring in chairs and our own drinks, I think they would have gotten a better response. I’d rather just donate $25 to the Piedmont Conservancy and be done with it. (Not all people going to the concert are Atlanta residence. I personally would have to drive in about 40 minutes. And there’s no Marta near me.)
To Tommy M. – not nice to insult people who want to see Steely Dan – calling the band washed up, and the patrons old – when you’re soliciting a Beatle who’s been around since the 60’s! Everyone has their own preference. Respect that.
The Dogfighter Returns
August 5th, 2009
8:50 am
Sir Paul who? He must be another guy trying to pawn a ponzi scheme. If he ain’t American I ain’t interested. I might open me a mobile geritol and viagra stand on ponce and make me a killing with of all these old geezers.
Y’all gonna have cancer after this concert. Bring your sun tan lotion.
yubyub
August 5th, 2009
10:29 am
Paul will put on a great show, no doubt. Saw him on the Flowers in the Dirt tour (which wasn’t called that), and it was fantastic. But this un-venue stinks. The Dome would have been much better…
Drew
August 5th, 2009
10:54 am
Not sure if this has been mentioned yet but I think Live Nation is offering 1/2 price tickets to the show today only. If you’re looking for an excuse, now’s the time to buy!
Jamie Gumbrecht
August 5th, 2009
12:10 pm
Hey Drew! I noticed the Live Nation half-off sale, but didn’t see Paul McCartney on the list. Do you have a link with the info? Thanks!
Joy
August 5th, 2009
12:38 pm
Paul McCartney in concert = you bet. Paul McCartney + the middle of downtown + the middle of August + porta potties + no lawn chairs + not enough vendors + nowhere to park = no thank you.
miss marta
August 5th, 2009
1:00 pm
am i the only person that doesn’t think marta is going to be utilized for this show? dmb was a different crowd, young hipsters. paul is gonna attract a wider variety of people,but primarily suburban whiteys. call me crazy, i just don’t think they’ll be interested in using marta. a lot of people think marta is dangerous, not to mention marta doesn’t go out to east cobb.
miss marta
August 5th, 2009
1:02 pm
not to mention, btw, dmb tickets were like $40 with service fees. i will pay $100 per ticket to see U2 in october, with a seat close to the stage and everything. but $90 services fees included for sir paul in the park, general admission style? paaaass.
miss marta
August 5th, 2009
1:03 pm
@Joy, thanks for proving my point!
JW
August 5th, 2009
1:31 pm
Who would want to see McCartney when Def Leppard and Cheap Trick are in town?
Future Relics Gallery » Blog Archive » Paul McCartney Concert
August 5th, 2009
2:47 pm
[...] volunteer activates that I do. I’ll be assisting the Piedmont Park Conservancy in presenting Paul McCartney to the city of Atlanta as part of the conservancies green awareness [...]
Tommy Mngsde
August 5th, 2009
9:36 pm
Dee. I have seen Steely Dan 5 times. They aren’t that good anymore. Sorry but they get worse ever year. They are 2 guys, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen and they sleppwalk through their sets for people that think they know good music and want to pretend they are hip jazz fans. And Def Leppard? You have to be kidding me. Maybe in 1984.
Tommy Mngsde
August 5th, 2009
9:40 pm
I got to the Dave Matthews show 2 years show at around 6. An hour before the Alman Brothers came on. We had fine seats, a little back but the screens are HUGE. We went with 2 others friends and had a fantastic time. The lines were not theat big for the beers or the toliets. I really can’t believe that so many people thought it was so inconvenient to see the show there. Once again…think I should state since no one seems to get it. It is a BENEFIT show. If you don;t have the money to donate on behalf of benefitting the free public park the stop by Subway and grab your 3.99 meal of the day and go home and watch tv.
David
August 6th, 2009
9:56 am
There are plenty of places to park. The parking deck at 14th and Juniper is advertising parking and there is a parking deck in the park now that will be open. http://tinyurl.com/greenconcertparking
Paul McCartney talks music, parks and Michael Jackson | Inside Access
August 6th, 2009
12:19 pm
[...] McCartney will be at the park on Aug. 15 for a show. (Inside Access reported earlier this week that there are still thousands of tickets are left, more than some [...]
Big Time Fan
August 8th, 2009
10:24 am
All: I understand where you are coming from. I just saw Paul’s concert at FedEx Field (Washington, D.C.) and the folks at FedEx field screwed things up royaly–parking nightmares (the show started 1 1/2 late to accomodate late arriving fans) and there was no water on the ground floor of the stadium for about an hour (so no colas or any food that required water for preparation, also bathroom situation was then complicated), but having to put up with all of that–the show was truly spectatular, magnificant, and completely wonderful in all respects. It may be the best concert I’ve ever been to–so, it’s worth it and I recommend that you attend, you won’t regret it I promise.
S. Fan
August 8th, 2009
1:22 pm
The problem is not Paul McCartney. The problem is the disaster that was the 2007 concert and the hot GA. Summers- with NO ice chest allowed. Making someone who is donating to the park stand in long lines and pay high prices for bad food, and a bathroom, WHILE missing the concert is just wrong. I am going but am contemplating deliberate dehydration- just hope I don’t pass out from the heat.
adventurous fan from Alabama
August 8th, 2009
5:46 pm
I’ve never been to a concert at Piedmont park, so I’m just trying to get an idea of what to expect. I’ll be staying at Regency Suites. Looks like a mile or so walk. Is there anyway of knowing when McCartney will be taking the stage. Do you take a blanket and scope out an area? I’ve never seen McCartney or the Beatles and figured this was my best chance.
rick stafford
August 9th, 2009
8:49 am
please someone tell me how many people were at the paul mccartney concert atwashington fedex and many tickets were left please e-mail back
Fan
August 9th, 2009
4:42 pm
I have tickets that allow entry at 4:00. Should I really go that early? Any tips on where to put the blanket? How far are the vendors from the viewing area?
Thanks to those of you who went in the past for answering Q’s!
I'm going
August 9th, 2009
9:58 pm
I’m going I bought pre-buy tickets, now I’m kind of wishing I didn’t because of the economy, the tickets are expensive. I have paid tickets for dragon-con for 80$ before but it lasts 4 days, that makes it worh it. I have always wanted to see a ex-beatle and I don’t think he’s going to come around too many more times. So’ I’m going.
I remember when I saw Jefferson Starship and the Black Crowes at Piedmont park, its a SWEAT FESTIVAL
plus waiting in lines to Pizz and waiting in lines for about anything plus how much does overpriced beer and food costs. Wish You could bring a cooler into this place but I bet you can’t. I am going with the nephew whose 20 and never seen a concert like this, especially a sweat fest, I have been to those above and Lakewood and midtown music festivals I know what their about you lose about 5 pounds in one day. Swear you will never go again, then a band comes and your right there. I love music. 
I'm going
August 9th, 2009
10:01 pm
I’m sure they will let blankets or towels, but thats it. I bet.
I'm going
August 9th, 2009
10:09 pm
Last thing though, I have had alot of friends that have seen Paul play before, they said hands down that paul is in their top 5 of the best concerts they have ever seen. Thats why I’m going.
Jamie Gumbrecht
August 9th, 2009
11:32 pm
For folks with questions about day-of logistics, here’s a link to info about what you can (and can’t) bring: http://www.accessatlanta.com/atlanta-events/concert-111432.html
Blankets are good to go! As for blanket placement…I’ll get back to you.
Chip
August 10th, 2009
9:33 am
What the yell is convenient about a $14.10 Convenience Charge PER TICKET? The amount just keeps going up. If it is a single purchase for multiple tickets, how is it a per ticket charge? How long is Tickemaster going to get away with this?
Stacy
August 10th, 2009
6:18 pm
While it’s under less-than-ideal conditions (outdoors in the August ATL heat, general admission, pricey tickets, etc…), my husband and I are driving 6 hours for this show. Why? Who knows if an opportunity to see a musical legend such as Paul McCartney will come our way again. We’re big Beatles fans; we’re big McCartney fans, so it’ll be worth it for us. Totally understand if people don’t want to pay that much for a ticket, though. Kinda bummed that cameras aren’t allowed (but we’d probably be so far back that we wouldn’t get any good pics anyway).
OZZFEST
August 11th, 2009
12:07 pm
Guys, this is PAUL McCARTNEY…you know, like one of those dudes with the hair from the Ed Sullivan Show…like 45 years ago. The dude still ROCKS!
There are NO excuses not to go. If sitting on the grass in the park, drinking beer and hearing the equivilent of “Jesus reading from the Bible” is not something to look forward to – then get busy writing your will.
Judy
August 11th, 2009
1:51 pm
Jamie, thanks for the link regarding what can and can’t be taken into the concert. I have my ticket and wouldn’t miss it for the world. I guess I’m pushing the limits with this question but I have a bad back and just can’t stand or even sit on the ground without back support. Do you think I can take in a cushion that sits directly on the ground but offers back support — especially if I don’t carry in the allotted one blanket per person. Who made up these crazy rules — the one thing you don’t need in GA in the middle of August is one blanket PER person!
joe
August 11th, 2009
2:47 pm
I won free tickets and I’m still not sure if I will go…Yes I would like to see Paul but I know it will be a living he ll ….. They have made it hard in every way…ok , so you charge a lot for your tickets…you’ve made your money…don’t be so damn greedy , let us bring our own food a nd water and at least make it a little fun….money, thats what I want….mooooooney, thats what I want….
joe
August 11th, 2009
2:56 pm
but what I really don’t understand is they kicked the arts festival and dogwood out of the park because they didn’t want people touching the grass. sooooooooo, how do you justify 50,000 people stomping on the grass all day long? mooooney, thats what I want….(”money” sung by the Beatles) sing with me now….Mooooooney, that’s what I want….
T
August 11th, 2009
3:13 pm
I wonder if we will be among several thousands of middle-aged folks having a hard time standing up from the ground when Paul takes the stage. And don’t even mention sitting on someone’s shoulders…that would take 2 hours and an act of God. Our backs and bottoms will probably pay for it afterwards, but it will be great.
What you need to know before the Paul McCartney concert: street closings, weather, how to get there, what to bring | Inside Access
August 11th, 2009
3:22 pm
[...] When Piedmont Park officials told me a week ago that there were still thousands of tickets left for the August 15 Green Concert, plenty of you seemed surprisd to learn that superstar Paul McCartney hadn’t yet sold out. [...]
Jamie Gumbrecht
August 11th, 2009
3:33 pm
Hi Judy! Not limit-pushing at all.
I talked with the folks at Piedmont Park today, and they said seat cushions are fine, and even cushions with a back support. The key is that they can’t have arms and legs. They want to avoid objects that can be used as projectiles, and things that would get in the way of people making a quick exit, in case of emergency. Here’s my latest post about what to know pre-McCartney concert: http://blogs.ajc.com/inside-access/2009/08/11/what-you-need-to-know-before-the-paul-mccartney-concert-street-closings-weather-how-to-get-there-what-to-bring/
Orlando C
August 12th, 2009
4:02 pm
There must be a good reason tickets are not sold out, but it certainly has nothing to do with Paul’s unrivaled talent. If he’s getting old and doesn’t sing as beautifully as before, he’s still pretty good and his legend and all that he represents are good enough reasons for us to go to this concert. C’mon, $100 is nothing. I’m flying 4,6 miles from São Paulo to Atlanta just to see him.
Dawg Foot
August 13th, 2009
12:07 pm
If it is anything like his New York show he is pulling out the stops and only playing the hits. No Bullshat.
Dawg Foot
August 13th, 2009
12:12 pm
@joe
don’t hate the player. hate the game. jackarse
br
August 13th, 2009
1:26 pm
nobody is worth that price
we can thank the greedy Eagles for starting these overpriced events
br
August 13th, 2009
1:26 pm
no one is worth that
jqm
August 14th, 2009
7:17 pm
Does anyone know how to tell whether tickets were bought through the Park Conservancy (and give you early admission)? I can’t remember whether I bought through the Amex pre-sale or the conservancy.
doitallmom
August 14th, 2009
11:34 pm
HELP- I am wondering about ticket entrance times; early admission for conservancy & amex is at 4pm, general admission is at 5pm. I bought discounted tickets off craigslist but there is some confussion about the entrance times.
The guy that I bought these tickets from, said that entrance times had been changed around a bit. Can anyone tell me when the REAL admission times are and how to tell if you have that actual ticket in hand because so many of us purchased them through a third person broker. Thanks!!!!
We are also bringing our teenage kids with us. One who has no idea of who Sir Paul is and doesn’t care for the Beatles And our other child who doesn’t show interest in most music, is a fan of Paul McCartney and willing to pay for his own ticket and by the way already had a fav song before I asked him
I can’t figure out my kids but we are in this together, attending a concert as a family. My husband & I are used to hearing our kids whine about all kinds of needless things. Tomorrow, they will have justifable cause and its our intention to give our standard answer of the day, ALL day long,”Just deal with it.” This is Paul McCartney, Dad & I really want to see and enjoy this concert and YOU are going to allow us to enjoy this concert”. These kids have been instructed to not bother us unless they are truly in dire need of medical attention- are you bleeding? Who died?
Is the house on fire? So we are going to have fun and our kids are not allowed to ruin it; no matter how unentertained they find themselves. Good bless, smile and enjoy it. If not, good bless, smile, deal w/ it and complain to your therapist when you get home. We are planning a happy day.