McGraw tickets sell out quickly for Covelli show

March 12, 2011 at 12:09a.m.

By GUY D’ASTOLFO

YOUNGSTOWN

It took only about two hours to sell the nearly 6,000 tickets available at Covelli Centre for the May 6 concert by country superstar Tim McGraw, making it the second-fastest sellout in the arena’s history.

Only last May’s Elton John concert sold quicker.

The tickets, priced at $50 and $75.50, went on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. By afternoon, only a few dozen single seats remained, said Eric Ryan, director of the arena, who declared it a sellout.

Most buyers stayed home to make their purchases, either online or over the phone through Ticketmaster. But about 200 people did show up at the Covelli box office Friday morning to buy tickets. About 30 people were on hand when the windows opened.

All who stood in line at the box office were able to buy tickets, said Ryan. That’s not always the case for high-demand shows such as Tim McGraw, because digital and phone buyers exhaust the supply at lightning speed.

Most concerts have 180-degree seating, Ryan explained, referring to a semi-circle of available tickets that abuts the front line of the stage. Seating for the McGraw concert ranged to 240 degrees, which includes seats along the side of the stage.

Additional seats might become available closer to the date as production plans are finalized, said Ryan.

Tim McGraw’s Youngs-town concert is part of his 56-city “Emotional Traffic” tour. The Band Perry, which last week accepted the fan-voted Academy of Country Music award for Top New Vocal Duo or Group, will open the show.

McGraw has sold more than 40 million albums in his career and has scored 31 No. 1 singles, including “It Felt Good On My Lips,” which topped country charts in January.

McGraw also is becoming known more and more as an actor. He played a lead role in the 2010 film “Country Strong.”