20 posts behind in Natter, and it's all cold weather and the academic capability of emus.

So, I am planning to take Casper to a k-pop concert in late March in Chicago. (I like the band, but it's her favorite, so this isn't really for me. It's a band that's beloved of teenaged girls. Like, sort of like we're going to a One Direction concert, but in Korean, and One Direction a couple of years ago before they started having kids.) I have been to an arena concert once in my life, in college, and I didn't make the arrangements. What are obvious things I need to think about? The first step is tickets, which go on sale Friday afternoon on Ticketmaster. How can I make buying them less clusterfucky?

Are the tickets all one price level? If not, maybe know how much you want to spend and where you want to sit.

Okay so both coats, with linings, seem fairly close in warmth now that I'm trying them on, and the trench is longer so I'll probably plan on wearing that one.

I think the lined trench with many layers should work okay. Do you have a warm scarf or a pashmina? Beanie?

There are apparently one zillion levels of tickets (okay, 5-6) that range from "early entrance that allows you to attend the sound check and stand on the floor right in front of the stage" to "nosebleed seats." I am cheap, and also do not want to lose my kid, so seats, right? But there's not a lot of info up on the site yet associating prices with locations. Will that get posted last minute when the tickets go on sale? The place seats 14K but the Anaheim and Newark shows sold out instantly, but then, they are coastal.

If not, maybe know how much you want to spend and where you want to sit.

What Dana said.

What's the venue? I have done General Admission at arenas in Chicago, but I assume there won't be any moshing dudebros at this concert, so I will just caution that it's exhausting to stand that long. It also take a lot longer than you may expect to get in and out of an arena venue, especially if you're parking.

There may be a pre-sale code for people who are in fan clubs or whatever.

It's the Allstate Arena in Rosemont. I am thinking mr. flea and Dillo will drop us off and pick us up (and stay in a hotel watching Star Wars movies or something.) There's no presale for fan club, apparently, but for the other US shows it seems like a LOT of tickets got snapped up immediately and then resold at premiums on Stubhub? I kind of don't want to do general admission, because shrieking teenage girls are probably scarier than moshing dudebros.

Apparently for general admission, people line up like 12 hours in advance, so they can be at the front? I am not doing that.

I imagine that general admission is extra difficult in Cincinnati specifically.

Ah, the fucking Allstate Arena. Yes, general admission people line up super early in advance in a giant gray parking lot. I have done it. I cannot recommend it for an adult.

If mr. flea is picking you up, you may want to arrange to meet somewhere nearby the arena so it's easier for him to find you. IIRC, there's a Target across the street and a strip mall.

Ear plugs may be a good idea.