Luke Combs Blue Chip Ticket Bureau April 27
More than 10,000 people are expected at First Interstate Arena at MetraPark on Tuesday night for Luke Combs' "What You See is What You Get" tour. It's the largest crowd expected at the arena since Garth Brooks sold out a series of shows in 2017.
"Bring your patience. Come early," said Ray Massie, director of marketing and sales at MetraPark. The organization is beefing up its capacity to move large crowds quickly through the ticketing lines, and Massie said they will open the doors 90 minutes early, at 5:30 p.m., and will have 18 entrances – 14 on the main level and four on the lower level – to accommodate the crowds.
Fans line up outside MetraPark on Friday ahead of the first of five Garth Brooks shows.
Combs is performing "in the round," where the stage will be set in the center of the arena with seats all around, which allows for a robust amount of tickets to be sold. Opening acts include Ashley McBryde and Ray Fulcher.
This "in the round" style seating features the performer in the center of the auditorium with seating all around the stage.
The performance, booked and promoted by AEG Presents, was originally slated for October 20, 2020, but was postponed due to COVID-19.
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Combs, of North Carolina, has had a monumental few years in the biz. In 2019, he was up for Best New Artist at the Grammys, and the following year was named Male Vocalist of the Year with Album of the Year at the Country Music Awards. This year, he's up for Entertainer of the Year at the CMAs.
"There's been a lot of attention on this show, especially after he was nominated for entertainer of the year," said Massie.
Luke Combs performs "Beer Never Broke My Heart" at the 53rd annual CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn.
MetraPark is on the heels of a record-breaking summer themselves, with MontanaFair concerts that brought in record amounts. Kesha, who opened the fair Friday night, grossed $284,000 to become the highest grossing fair concert of all time. Cody Johnson, who performed Saturday, brought in $194,000, and was the third highest grossing MontanaFair act ever.
Tickets for Luke Combs have sold well, and prior to rescheduling the show, the arena was nearly sold out, according to Massie.
Country singer Luke Combs, left, performs alongside Sheryl Crow at the All for the Hall Benefit at The Novo, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2019, in Los Angeles.
"We are never technically sold out. We can always find a seat somewhere," he said. MetraPark plans to release a few more batches of tickets leading up to the event, which will be announced on MetraPark's Facebook page.
For people still holding tickets to the original 2020 concert, MetraPark staff are asking them to contact the box office at (406) 256-2422 or email info@metrapark.com to update their tickets. Those older tickets will still allow entrance to the facility, however it will slow down the process because they were sold under the former ticketing system.
The best way to tell if you have an old ticket is to check to see if it has a bar code or QR code. Older tickets contain a bar code.
If you have floor seating, your ticket will have an "O" or "Orchestra" section on it, and you'll need to enter through the lower doors (the Exhibit Hall entrance) at the southwest corner of the building. There will also be "no bag" lines at the main entry for people attending the concert who are traveling light.
To help minimize lines at the arena, multiple locations for merchandise will be set up, including one outside. Outdoors, a pre-party starts at 4:30 p.m., where ticketholders can come early, get checked in, and grab a drink. That area is located on the main level of the arena, to the west of the lobby.
Retrospective: 10 Metra concerts you wish you'd seen
KISS - August 7, 1977
KISS, August 7, 1977. 9,971 in attendance.
KISS returned to the Metra on August 29, 1990 - without makeup.
Jethro Tull - April 8, 1979
Jethro Tull, April 8, 1979. 3,237 in attendance.
Cheap Trick - July 16, 1980
Cheap Trick performed twice at the Metra, first in July of 1980 in front of more than 6,000 fans. They returned on April 23, 1985 with REO Speedwagon. That concert brought a full-capacity crowd of 10,603 concertgoers.
The band previously played in Billings at a different venue. They returned in 1988 for a promotional show at a Billings hotel.
Eric Clapton - March 9, 1981
Eric Clapton and The Fabulous Thunderbirds, March 9, 1981. 3,305 in attendance.
Johnny Cash - May 9, 1982
Johnny Cash first played at the Metra on May 22, 1976, to a crowd of 4,250. He would return six years later, on May 9, 1982, playing before a crowd of 2,112. This photo is from the 1982 performance.
ZZ Top - January 28, 1984
ZZ Top is among the bands with the most visits to the Metra. Their first concert at the arena was September 18, 1976, with 10,086 in attendance. They returned on May 30, 1980, playing to a much smaller crowd of 4,074. They'd find a much larger turnout when they played with Night Ranger on January 28, 1984 to an arena full of 11,200 people. ZZ Top would return yet again on November 14, 1990 (6,007 in attendance) and once more on November 21, 1999 (6,373 in attendance).
Van Halen - October 10, 1986
Van Halen has played in Billings several times, with different lineups. The band's first appearance was on September 29, 1979, in front of an audience of 8,873. The band returned on October 10, 1986, with Sammy Hagar on vocals and with Bachman-Turner Overdrive opening. A crowd of 9,178 were in attendance at that show, shown above. Van Halen returned one more time to the Metra, on April 23, 1992, with 5,031 fans in attendance.
Boyz II Men - April 27, 1995
R&B vocal group Boyz II Men appeared at the Metra on April 27, 1995, before a crowd of 8,159 fans.
Smashing Pumpkins - January 10, 1997
Smashing Pumpkins performed at the Metra on January 10, 1997, in front of a crowd of 5,524. Opening for Smashing Pumpkins was the then-unknown Fountains of Wayne.
Neil Diamond - September 28, 1999
Neil Diamond made his first of two appearances at the MetraPark Arena on September 28, 1999. A crowd of 10,493 fans turned out for the event. The second concert came on December 17, 2002, in front of 9,530 concertgoers.
List of Metra concerts from 1976-2014
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Source: https://billingsgazette.com/news/local/bring-your-patience-to-luke-combs-metrapark-official-says/article_e8fd1eed-70ba-5294-abc2-9f23ef6b5b0a.html
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