Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - If you're old enough to remember, part of the thrill of the concert experience, was waiting in line to buy tickets. "It's a different experience than it was back in the day," said Entercom Radio's Don Tomasulo.
The former concert promoter with Festival East was a guest on WBEN just as tickets were going on sale to the public for Billy Joel at New Era Field, August 15, 2020. Tomasulo said getting tickets was half of the fun of going to the show. "You couldn't wait to line up outside our Festival ticket office. We had lines around the block and it was like a party all night until that door opened up. Now everyone has their own instant experience." He added, "the show is still great, but the buying experience is completely different."
Ticket stubs are another thing that have gone by the wayside. "You could save them and you would post them on your wall, and now that's gone." He said it's kind of like records and albums. "I would read my album cover, now nobody has an album or a CD to collect."
Tomasulo said it's also a little scary to look back at old tickets. "You see $9 or $10 dollars and today you might be looking at $160."
Back in the 80's and 90's Tomasulo helped advertise and promote over 400 shows. What is the best stadium concert he has seen at Rich Stadium, Ralph Wilson Stadium or New Era Field? "That's tough, because I've seen so many," he said. "But I would say the last Rolling Stones concert here (in 2015). They were better than they were in the 70's and 80's. They were really together. The sound was great. That was my favorite show."
Tomasulo shared a memory of helping out backstage in 1981 when the Rolling Stones, Journey and George Thorogood played at the stadium. "I got to hang with Thorogood all day. I ended up taking him to see Ray Charles that night. It was a lot of fun."