TicketAmerica Blog

Celine Dion, without a doubt one of the best Pop-music singer and composer of our time was born in 1968 Quebec, Canada. Her career as a singer began in this country and was financed at first by her home equity, but it wasn’t until the early 90’s when her terrific work started to get noticed and gain fame worldwide. An interesting fact you may not know is that the very first song she ever sang was composed by her parents.

In 1993 her remake-single “The Power of Love” landed her great work in the Top 5 records in USA, Canada, UK and France, in fact it reached number one in Canada and the US. “The Power of Love” was a song first interpreted by Jennifer Rush in 1885 and each time it was launched people loved to hear the beautiful lyrics and classic rhythm which best describes the 80’s. Some people remember this song as “I’m your lady and you are my man” because of its lyrics but however this great single is remembered those of use who have purchased the record can tell that the song is just fantastic and never gets old.

In 1995 she does it again but this time in French with the beautiful single “Pour que tu m’aimes encore” which means “So That You’ll Love Me Again” in English. The events organized in France to promote this song landed her work as the number one best selling single in France during that year and number seven in the UK.

1996 was a terrific year for Celine Dion because during that year she released two beautiful songs for which she is best known today, one of them was “It’s all coming back to me know” which starts with a beautiful piano solo and uses some of the fabulous elements of the 80’s in terms of its musicality. The second hit is perhaps more beautiful than the first, it is called “Because you loved me” and this one is said to touch people’s hearts because of the flawless combinations of lyrics and musicality. This single was so famous that it got nominated for an Academy award for best original song in 1996, it goes without saying that this single was number one in several countries (including the US of course).

Skipping a few years we get to 2003 when she signs a contract which extended until 2007 to perform at the Caesars Palace Coliseum in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is perhaps one of the most successful shows in the history of Las Vegas, every show announced was sold like hot bread. The Coliseum featured the biggest LED screen ever used for this type of events, the Coliseum’s cost was 95 million dollars and the screen 6 million dollars, the Coliseum also used a special humidity bubble ($2 million) which kept Celine’s voice as natural as possible during every song interpretation such as the 1998 super hit “My heart will go on” - Theme song of the movie “Titanic” released during the same year.

Celine Dion will always be remembered by her fans because of her touching lyrics and music as well as by the music industry in general as the best selling female vocalist in the world who has a world tour scheduled during 2008 and 2009.

Ticket America provides more information about Celine Dion tickets and events as well as the best concert tickets. Put yourself in the middle of the action and enjoy these fabulous events live!

If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to view a Chicago Cubs game from an outfield roof top,  than this article will shed some light on the subject.

Wrigley Field is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the most popular and beloved franchises in all of Major League Baseball.  If you’ve tried to get tickets to see this team but struck out, there may be another avenue to watch the Cubbies live, the outfield rooftops.  There are several rooftops to choose from spanning from left field to right field.  I was recently perched high atop one of the right field rooftops, and I must say that it was a fun experience.  I was lucky enough to be invited by a friend who had an extra ticket so my rooftop experience was basically free of charge.   The doors opened a half hour before the game and we were let in promptly.  We were directed up the staircase which opened up into a large room adorned with hardwood floors, aesthetic lighting, and of course Cubs paraphernalia.  There was a concierge desk where the host of the outing greeted my friend, and which I was introduced.  As I panned around the room I noticed a gorgeous fish tank, a pool table and a sweet table with cookies and brownies as well.  I soon walked towards the front windows so I could get a glimpse of Wrigley Field.  Because we were on the second floor, the view was okay.  I had a clear view of home plate, but the rest of the park was obstructed by the bleachers.  Anyway, I grabbed a drink at the bar and headed up stairs to the rooftop. 

Finally the moment had come, I was on top of a Wrigley Field roof top.  Once up on top, I observed a large surround grill where several cooks were attending to hungry fans.  Portillo’s hot dogs and beef sandwiches were the main attractions.  Bratwursts, hamburgers and grilled chicken sandwiches were available as well, so I grabbed a simple dog and headed towards the front of the roof to get a view of the field.  Opposite of the 2nd floor, the view was great!  We were still inside the right field foul pole, and actually the view made me feel like I was in the park.  I tried to get up to the bleacher seating but it was just about packed, so I grabbed a spot underneath, just in front of the railing.  In turned out to be the best spot to stand, in that the temperature was 92 degrees and the sun was beating down…It was Hot!  Also, there was a 20 MPH head wind blowing right at us which kept us cool.   I could have used a barstool to sit on, but the all inclusive beer and waist high railing provided enough lean on relief.  If there were any negatives about the experience, it most likely had to be the lack of sounds to the game.  Obviously there were no vendors yelling out  “Beer Man Here!”, but the lack of cheering fans was missing as well.  Even though the view was great, you still felt like you were a spectator looking in to see what all the fuss inside Wrigley Filed was about?

All in all, the Wrigley Field roof tops proved to be a great time!    If I ever wanted to throw a bachelor party or have a corporate event, the rooftops would have to be a serious choice!

Gary Ketchum
CEO TicketAmerica.com

Midway through their North American tour, The Police made a stop in the city of Chicago for two nights on July 5th and 6th.  Most concerts that have come through the windy city have usually played at the likes of places such as the United Center, First Midwest Amphitheatre, or Soldiers Field.   With the exception of Jimmy Buffett in 2006, Wrigley Field has had limited if any other concerts performed there, so it was intriguing to hear that this 80’s super group chose to play in the friendly confines.  The combo of growing up as a teenage Police fan in the 80’s and being an avid Wrigley Field fan as well, made this show  a must to see!

The show started around 7PM and  my seats were located in terrace section 220 about halfway up.  Even though it seemed that I was far away, the seats were perfect, in that they were dead center behind home plate, with no obstructions!  The stage was straight away in centerfield, and had a collage of big screens and lights behind and around.  The club and field boxes directly below us were appropriately roped off due to possible obstructions from various structures on the field.  Like Chicago Cubs games, there were the familiar sounds of beer vendors walking around and advertising what they had to sell.  At first I was worried that these vendors might be a distraction, but they did vanish once the music began.  The opening act was called “Fiction Plane”, and as they played  I noticed that the lead singer sounded a lot like Police front man, Sting.  Low and behold I found out later that the singer was actually Sting’s son.  I never heard of this group so just as most in the crowd, I gabbed away with fellow Police fans as I listened.  Just to say something , the group was tight and provided an enjoyable background sound to my conversations.

At about 8:15, the moment came.  With most fans in their seats, a large roar from the crowd applauded, as Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers, and Sting finally took the stage together.  For being in their 50’s the trio looked great as they waved and smiled out to the crowd that so anxiously awaited their reunion.    The group opened up with “Message in a Bottle”, and everyone was on there feet.  More songs followed such as “Synchronicity II”,  “Walking on the Moon”, “Voices Inside My Head”, and “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”.  Overall most of the songs were played perfectly, but there were a couple that seemed flat.  In the 80’s, The Police put out two versions of “Down Stand so Close to Me”, neither of which did they emulate.  Sting never hit the high notes in the chorus that defined both versions, which made the song seem out of key.  In “Wrapped Around Your Finger”, Sting alone, sang the chorus.  Over the last 25 years, listening to that song a thousand times, it was almost the equivalent of Sting the teacher, standing in his classroom and running his finger nails down the chalkboard.

 Again except for a couple of hiccups, the band was great.  Summers guitar rifts were right on, Copeland’s beats were forceful and explanatory as always, and Sting worked the crowd with plenty of ohh-ee-ohhs.  The big screens added to a great visual effect and the sound was excellent.  The combo of seeing The Police at Wrigley Field was definitely an enjoyable experience!

Gary Ketchum
CEO TicketAmerica.com