EVO Premium experience - Dublin

rufes · #1 06-21-2005, 07:20 AM

I'll be there. Anyone else?

microdmitry · #2 07-12-2005, 05:46 AM

>> EVO Premium experience

Umm, I smell corporate speak. I won't come near this bovine manure, even though I'm a huge Vai fan. How soon can we expect Steve to start talking about "strategizing", "leveraging synergies" and "inventing future-proof paradigms"?

Can't we just get back to the good ol' meet and greet after the concert? I don't care if I have to wait an hour or so among other fans.

fleeeep · #3 07-12-2005, 11:44 AM

i was going to go but I just couldn't justify the extra €150 ($175) ontop of the price of a regular ticket. I'd love to Meet Vai but it would feel like paying a prostitute, I'd rather meet Vai without having to pay. What I decided to to with the money I saved I bought a flight to London and 2 tickets to see Dream Theater on the 24th and 25th. Better deal I'll think you'll agree.

Drew · #4 07-12-2005, 11:59 AM

I agre, that's just f'in weird. If I was an artist, would I have my guitar passed around to everyone willing to shell out an extra $200? God no.

Back when Vai would just invite people into soundchecks every once in a while who happened to be there, and on occasion let a fan give Evo a shot... That's what being a cool musician and being there for your fans was about, imo. Putting a price on it just robs it of any meaning.

-D

ned78 · #5 07-12-2005, 01:34 PM

I wanted an EVO ticket, but on vai.com, they're sold out. Turns out anyway I'll be in Misano, Italy around that time. Bah. Anyone want to bring my 7VWH to Steve and get him to sign it for me?

rufes · #6 07-14-2005, 05:50 AM

I understand what you say but I don't agree on your reasons (obviously if we consider I bought it

)

For the extra money it's not only that you meet Vai for a while. It includes:

- One ticket to the show.
- Preferred seating where possible
- The opportunity to attend soundcheck.
- An intimate pre-show group Q&A/Discussion session with Steve.
- A special collectable EVO laminate
- An autographed and specially numbered “Real Illusions: Reflections” CD booklet.
- A highly limited edition audio CD exclusive to the tour
- A 28 Page Deluxe Tour Program
- A "Real Illusions" Steve Vai Signature Guitar Pick

That will be a great experience for me. It's not the fact to see Vai but a lot more.

Just have a look at the reviews on vai.com I do not have seen anybody complaining about the money they spent and what they get.

Bluestreak · #7 07-14-2005, 11:24 AM

If you think Vai is whoring himself out, I think you're dead wrong. We attended the EVO experience on the US tour.

If Steve tried open meet-n-greets at his shows, he'd never get any rest or keep any sort of schedule. How many fans - casual or not - would line up to meet him? Half the damn venue might try to go. Then you'd bitch that he didn't greet everyone who showed up because at some point, he'd have to cut it off if too many people showed up. And what if he just chose a few fans at random? You people would bitch that it's mostly undeserving fans who were chosen and that you got jipped in some strange and convoluted way.

The EVO experience weeds out the casual fans and it's hardly a huge investment unless you're financially retarded or you're still getting an allowance from your parents. When we attended, every single EVO ticket holders was a guitarist, musician, and/or simply a very well-versed fan of his. My wife went with me, and just through being with me for over 13 years, she knows more about Steve than most any casual concert-goer does - and many people who brought wives/girlfriends were similarly acquainted with Steve. The people we attended with, even the more casual attendees, all knew Steve and his music very well.

That's what was nice. Serious fans were there, asking Steve good questions about his music in the 90 minutes he spent with us - he stayed with us until nearly 3am after the show. Holding EVO herself was a bonus, I didn't know we were going to get to do that and since I'm Atheist, I'll say that holding EVO is as close to a religious experience as I can have.

If you think it's whoring, so be it. I can't change your mind. But I can point out the obviousness of the reasoning behind it. And if he makes a little coin off of doing it in a logical, pre-planned manner rather than "being a cool musician and being there for your fans" as Drew describes it, so be it. I don't begrudge him his success or a few dollars. I watched that show at arm's length from Steve, Billy and Dave. That in and of itself was worth the price of admission - seeing some of my heroes play less than four feet in front of my face was priceless.

Sad that people will tear down people they claim to idolize.

-R

The Euphor · #8 07-14-2005, 11:34 AM

Good post Bluestreak!

Drew · #9 07-14-2005, 04:02 PM

When did I ever claim to idolize Vai?

Just because I post here doesn't mean a thing, until recently this was the best seven string guitar resource on the net.

"Alien Love Secrets" is the last disc of his I was really able to get into.

Like I said, it's cool if you just do it. As soon as you put a price on it, it's not about being a good guy, it's business. and that just rubs me the wrong way.

I rather gathered that the Evo experience was a $175 upcharge on a ticket from an above poster, and not that it came with admission. Like I said, Steve used to let people watch soundchecks on occasion. So, if $175 is worth it for you for a Q&A, a pick, a pamphlet, a CD, and an autographed set of liner notes, go nuts.

Sorry if we don't see eye to eye on this, but I don't agree.

-D

Bluestreak · #10 07-14-2005, 04:46 PM

And I didn't really mean to single you out; I just quoted what you said, Drew. No offense meant, amigo.

Music is business if it's your living. I just don't see how it could be expected of said business person to give access to him/herself for free when what you're asking for is access to their talent, which is what they sell you when they're on stage or putting a new CD out. When you consider how many people would enjoy access to a musician like Steve, I just don't think the cost of an EVO ticket is all that much.

I wonder if they increased the price a little. I think my whole bill for both EVO tix was $300 and change (for some reason, the number $313 sticks in my mind), but I can't quite remember. If they're upcharging on top of the tix... well... that's up to the concert goer to decide if it's worth the money. To me, it easily was; but to me, $300 ain't all that much jack. I spent 10 hours with Steve, the Breed, Eric Sardinas and his group, and met a few really cool people that night who we now call friends. Maybe I just happened upon one of the better EVO experiences and came away with more from it than anyone else did. Who knows...

Those are the most expensive concert tix I've ever purchased - and I've been to 226 rock/metal concerts since 1987. But then, I remember when VIP tix at venues here in FL were $25... and that was considered expensive!

-R

sniperfrommars1 · #11 07-14-2005, 05:46 PM

My question for you guys is what was it like getting to hold evo?

Bluestreak · #12 07-14-2005, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sniperfrommars1

My question for you guys is what was it like getting to hold evo?

Physically, it's just like any other Ibanez I've ever held. After all, she's just wood and a little bit of metal.

But what did it feel like? The respect I have for an instrument that has given fans around the world what EVO has when she's in Steve's hands is what made it special. I didn't play her. I just held her. Looked at her. Put her on my lap like I would any of my guitars. I noticed how she was set up. Ran my hands up and down the neck. Looked at her many scars. Inspected the crack. And I relished the fact that this guitar, the guitar I've seen in many videos, DVD's and heard in concert so many times, was right there, in my lap.

And after a few brief minutes with her, I passed her to the next person. And I can say I've held EVO.

-R

Drew · #13 07-15-2005, 02:16 PM

Yeah, no worries mate, sorry if it looked like I was slagging off on you, or taking it personally or anything - it's not my thing, but it's apparently something quite a lot of concert-goers think is a worthwhile experience, so whatever works.

microdmitry · #14 07-30-2005, 01:11 AM

It's not the upcharge that's rubbing me the wrong way. I'm not poor, Steve's my God, I can sacrifice a hundred dollars there. It's the "corporate speak" that I can't stand. "EVO Premium Experience"... sheesh.

Wis Redz of Silvanost · #15 07-30-2005, 07:35 AM

Well, I thought about this a lot. I don't know if he will come to Turkey and even if he does we will have evo experience. But I really think that it is kinda wrong. Come on man, you could meet steve after the show or if you were lucky before the show as well. I actually don't care what that price includes. Nobody who gets the evo tix pay for the limited editon cd or the deluxe tour book. Even if it sounds wrong to me I guess I would do it. I have waited a looooong time to see him live, and I really want to him. Paying for it is not the correct way to do it but would not try my chance about this matter, given that it is really important to me. I dream about the guy, I think I'm going nuts. With all these aside there rests the problem of money. I know you guys are quite big and you earn your money, but I still am a goddamn student I will have to collect some money before going to show. And 300 bucks IS much for me...