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Re: San Diego Concert

Posted: Thu May 14, 2015 10:50 pm
by maartendas
Bridge Over Troubled Water is a beautiful, comforting song that they could well pull off.

I agree with people's concerns about these new developments but also hope for the best. If the boys enjoy it, that's probably the most important thing. And if they are able to "break through" in a way, it means a lot of people are hearing music much different than most chart music these days - better music, in my opinion 8)
Libera means free, I think Robert will always have in the back of his mind this freedom of changing direction (sort of) to get more out of the whole Libera project. It already has come a long way.
But yeah, mixed feelings...

Re: San Diego Concert

Posted: Fri May 15, 2015 4:29 am
by TullyBascombe
"Bridge over Troubled Waters" could work for them, actually I think they would do pretty well with folk music of the '60s era in general. How about "Lemon Tree" or "Blowing in the Wind"? I think they could pull off "California Dreaming" too. I just can't see them adapting "Surfing City" to their style.

Re: San Diego Concert

Posted: Fri May 15, 2015 4:58 am
by kringle
I frequently go to concerts of a classical-crossover artist and she sings songs very similar to those sung by Libera. Several of the 35+ concerts I've been to have been in large venues similar to this one and to be honest, they're the ones I would most like to forget due to the sound quality and the lack of atmosphere that a smaller venue provides...and people bringing beer and takeout food into the venue didn't help...not that I have anything against beer...it's a staple of my diet.

Re: San Diego Concert

Posted: Sun May 17, 2015 8:21 pm
by fan_de_LoK
Interesting ( :lol: ), on July 31, the day next to Libera, the Valley View Casino Center will host this show : "WWE Live SummerSlam Heatwave Tour :?


The Libera event in San Diego is displayed on the Libera.org site (the US one), but there's nothing yet on the Venue site.
http://valleyviewcasinocenter.com/index.php

There's nothing else said for this Summer on libera.org.
I can't imagine San Diego can be the only event of the tour, but then when will they announce things ? :|

Only 74 days remains before the San Diego concert.

Re: San Diego Concert

Posted: Mon May 18, 2015 12:50 am
by Surpinto
fan_de_LoK wrote:Interesting ( :lol: ), on July 31, the day next to Libera, the Valley View Casino Center will host this show : "WWE Live SummerSlam Heatwave Tour :?


The Libera event in San Diego is displayed on the Libera.org site (the US one), but there's nothing yet on the Venue site.
http://valleyviewcasinocenter.com/index.php

There's nothing else said for this Summer on libera.org.
I can't imagine San Diego can be the only event of the tour, but then when will they announce things ? :|

Only 74 days remains before the San Diego concert.
I would conclude that it's either not going to happen and will fall through (I do not worry about the venue as the hockey games, wrestling matches, and rock concerts will fill the void there :? ) or that Libera does not want to officially announce it on the UK website until all travel arrangements and passports are finalized; the venue may be following their lead.

Re: San Diego Concert

Posted: Mon May 18, 2015 8:41 am
by fan_de_LoK
Hi Surpinto,

I misspoke if you understood I worry about the concert not taking place,
I'm sure it will take place, it was announced a lot by JR Libera.org. The heavy pain of the last minute cancellation in Washington will surely not be reproduced.

My fears are many.

- The sound quality of this vast arena worries me. It is certainly well suited to receive WWE or UFC Fights or Rock concerts where the echo is welcome, but is that arena suitable for the music and voices of libera, I have my doubts.

- I'm afraid that this huge room can be very empty, with only 500-1000 people, resulting in a gloomy atmosphere. And I'm also afraid it can be filled with the 7000 people that JR hopes to have. Thousands of people in a huge arena, it inevitably generates hundreds of conversation, noises, popcorn, drinks, and every disturbances that a large crowd can generate. This seems to me far from the standard of quietness in the churches and halls usually used by Libera.

- I'm afraid of the location and the prices for the 2000 tickets intended for sales. I remember the 12 firsts rows of the central orchestra blocked at the Warner Theatre. The first 3-5 were by the theatre and PBS, but the rest was blocked for another reason, relegating the fans to buy only sides seats, with seats at nearly $100.

- I'm afraid that this concert in San Diego is the only concert in the US this summer because so far I saw no mention anywhere that other concert are being discussed for this Summer. To travel from Japan or from Europe to the USA for only one event makes this event excessively pricey.

- I'm afraid the price of plane tickets which are already expensive and that increase every week, but I can not book as there is no formalization of the summer tour. I need to know reliably when and where the tour starts, when and where it ends, before I can book expensive plane tickets although they are non-refundable.


If in the end there is only one concert, in an arena that creates worries about the quality of sound it can offer, and with no visibility so far about the seats available to book, this not motivates me a lot to do a big spending to cross the ocean :?

Of courses these worries don't apply all the same for local people :wink:

Re: San Diego Concert

Posted: Mon May 18, 2015 9:16 pm
by Surpinto
fan_de_LoK,

I completely and totally understand your worries and I share them all. Even for me, an American, travelling to San Diego is not cheap (not as expensive as for you, I do not mean to compare, but the concerns about booking flights are the same). At least with the cancellation in DC I had no flight that would be cancelled as I was to be driving there in my car; that would not be the case in San Diego if I choose to go as the distances are enormous. I remember from your twitter that you actually showed up in DC because the flight, as you said, is nonrefundable. An unfortunate consequence of planning problems on their end resulted in a tangible financial hit for you. Even though we understand and forgive, it is still a major issue.

I am in total agreement with you as well about the sound quality of such an enormous venue and the attendance which will either be too large and create noise or too small and be a disappointment. I also have strong doubts that enough tickets can be sold to fund this event and for all of JR's promises of tickets to military families, I just don't see them showing up. How many servicemen/women are interested in hearing a choir? Some, but not many I think. Military culture isn't really one of church choirs.

As for ticket prices, I think that more expensive tickets are sort of inevitable in theaters and other purely concert venues (as opposed to churches) because of the business/profit nature of a concert venue. I don't know what the prices for tickets to concerts are like in Europe or elsewhere, but $75-$100 tickets for decent seats in a concert hall for a symphony concert or opera or other classical type performance is considered fair; though prices vary widely based on who is performing and the venue itself. I have paid significantly more than that in the past just to sit in a 3rd level, 5th row back seat for a performance that was in no way super popular, was not in a world known venue, and did not even involve a well known act! Maybe we just have more expensive concerts here in general. A small concert hall or recital hall costs far less of course, but those prices are in line with the numbers I have seen for comparable shows in these well known venues that JR has been booking. Of course we want tickets to be as inexpensive and accessible as possible, but I think that ticket prices in general are high unfortunately. So the consequence is that those who cannot afford the combined cost of the ticket and the travel may opt not to go; which is unfortunate. But I am not sure if that can be easily rectified.

I agree with you further about the blocked seats situation; in fact, you and I discussed this at the time with the Warner Theater. Of course the issue with an arena is that the seat placement is far less intimate. When I was in DC for the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception concert I was sitting probably in the middle to back of the basilica and couldn't see them well at all. Which brings up the point that even their traditional venues have better and worse seating, but, of course, an arena exacerbates this.

I hope that Libera figures out how to make that arena work acoustically if indeed they choose to perform there. There are some sound staging techniques they can employ to counteract some the acoustical problems in part. If the concert is a big success it will add to Libera's esteem and we all want that.

But, unlike you, I have some big doubts that this event will actually happen at all because I don't think they can get the audience and there is not enough notice from the venue itself. I am sure they do not want a repeat of Washington 2015 and Philadelphia 2014 but if no one sits in those seats they may be left with no alternative.

Re: San Diego Concert

Posted: Mon May 18, 2015 10:43 pm
by alcesalcesobservator
JR replied to a comment on his blog post "JR's Blog" with this:
"First thank you for your many years of dedicated support. I am sure you have seen more Libera concerts than I have, and have many great experiences to share and recall.

I would be happy for Libera to sing in churches in the U.S. with cheap tickets. There may be churches that would cover Libera’s costs, or the church that Libera performs in on a Sunday for free. And I would love to see Libera there with welcoming arms. But these exceptions are difficult to find.

I received some feedback on problems at the Warner Theater: speakers too close, tables too close together, as well as blocked seats. None of this was within my control. On the other hand many new Libera fans were gained, and lots of great experiences.

However, San Diego is in my control. Yes, the seats close to the stage will be reserved. Eight will be going to the winners chosen from those who wrote guest blogs, or purchased angel seats for the spring tour. The remainder of the first 3 rows will be $250, and the 4th and 5th rows will be $175. A portion of the cost of premium seats can be applied to the cost of attending the special event, and these ticket holders will be given priority to attend that event, and other fun things. Seats in the other floor sections will range from $50 to $75.

Many of the remaining seats in the venue will be given for free to members of the military and to children’s charities. I want to give something back as thanks to the military for their sacrifices, and I think that Libera can bring comfort to children and families dealing with difficult issues. I personally know what it was like to sit in a hospital while my daughter was having open heart surgery. I can’t imagine more dire matters, but I can bring a bit of Libera Love to them. A Libera hug.

I can pass out one CD at a time, or introduce Libera to 7,500 all at once. If I have it my way the remaining 7,500 or so seats in the upper sections will be sponsored and we will show what a great caring corporation is all about.

I know the Libera ethereal atmosphere will still shine through. I say it is something not to be missed. I hope to see you there in a front row seat!"

Re: San Diego Concert

Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 12:10 am
by Surpinto
Hey alcesalcesobservator,

I read that reply by JR at his blog, but I get the feeling that JR is a super optimist. I mean no disrespect to him or to anybody else, but who exactly does he think these people in the audience will be? Even if he gives out free tickets I just don't understand where all of these audience members are going to come from to see a boy's church choir. It's just not a genre of music that attracts large audiences in America. I want to be wrong. I want to believe that Libera can attract large numbers of people or that proper advertising and promotion can make up for their lack of notoriety. But that just isn't enough. This style of music is just not the sort that can pack an arena. I don't mean to keep sounding like a pessimist predicting their inability to fill concerts or be discovered by new fans because I think lots of people would enjoy the music Libera offers who are as of yet unaware of them. But that sort of thing happens slowly and over long periods of time when you're dealing with such a unique and not mainstream music group.

As for the cost issue, I personally have fewer grievances than FDL in this respect. I could not easily afford super premium seats and buying $250 or $175 seats would be extremely expensive for me. But raising money to pay for these events so that the Libera organization can at least recoup their losses by increasing ticket prices for premium seats is a logical move, even if it is undesirable for fans used to a different way of doing business. I'm not saying it makes me happy, but it is a logical financial decision.

I think the larger issue being discussed here is: Is Libera changing the way that it does business? If yes, is that a positive for the current fans? I think they are changing how they are touring and fundraising in the US but I do not see the fundamental artistic direction changing as some have suggested just because they are doing an American patriotic song for example. Just my thoughts.

Re: San Diego Concert

Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 12:57 am
by alcesalcesobservator
Me, I like Libera at their current well-known-ness. There are still intimate venues, feasible prices, and some fan interaction without--except when in the Philipeans-- hulking bodygaurds. There have been no major scandals that I know of, and the little ones are the anomaly.
The group's anonymity allows the former members to grow up and make mistakes, without having them splashed on tabloid headlines in conjunction with Libera-- "Former 'Angelic' Choirboys Gone Bad";" Libera's 'Golden Boy' Makes Rude Gestures After a Wild Frat Party"; "Former Sweet -Voiced 'Libera' Soloist Says Bad Words"; "Mini-Boy Throws Tantrum Whilst Shopping with Mum", -- or what have you. Why push for pop-stardom and bring all that?

Re: San Diego Concert

Posted: Sun May 24, 2015 2:00 am
by enjaysea
Libera is moving the San Diego concert to a new date (sometime in the October tour), and to a new venue (yet to be decided).

Here's JR's latest blog, discussing the changes.

Moving Heaven, Earth, and Venues

Re: San Diego Concert

Posted: Sun May 24, 2015 4:35 am
by alcesalcesobservator
enjaysea wrote:Libera is moving the San Diego concert to a new date (sometime in the October tour), and to a new venue (yet to be decided).

Here's JR's latest blog, discussing the changes.

Moving Heaven, Earth, and Venues
The blog says it's by "Nick", and the writing style is a little different, but it's under JR's blog heading. Who's Nick? But anyway, a Libera training/bonding summer camp? That will be so much fun for the boys. :)

Re: San Diego Concert

Posted: Sun May 24, 2015 6:11 am
by enjaysea
alcesalcesobservator wrote:The blog says it's by "Nick", and the writing style is a little different, but it's under JR's blog heading.
Problem was taken care of. The blog really was written by JR, just attributed to the wrong author temporarily. :)

Re: San Diego Concert

Posted: Sun May 24, 2015 1:35 pm
by Surpinto
Thanks for the information, enjaysea. Going from a 10,000 seat venue to a 1,200 seat venue and having it on their Fall tour is certainly a reasonable thing to do. That arena concert would have probably been a big problem to organize and a disappointment in lots of ways as many have stated already. Having a third venue on that October tour would be excellent for them as it would allow them to recoup more of the travel expenses that they can never fully cover through ticket sales. Unfortunately, while I figured that if I dug deep I could have logistically made it to San Diego this summer, October is absolutely out of the question due to my schedule. I still want to make it in December, as that is in my driving radius :D . Now that the Connecticut concert was moved from Friday to Saturday, I may not be able to attend both Connecticut and Pittsburgh as there would be no respite from driving for very long distances! I would drive for many hours Saturday to get to Connecticut, then the huge distance from Connecticut to Pittsburgh the next day, and that followed by the drive home the day after would would be big too. The logical thing to do would be to attend Connecticut only as that can be done without missing any weekdays from work or dropping dead from driving.