pimblr.com

The Rocket Man is headed to Fairbanks.
Sir Elton John will perform at the Carlson Center on May 29, according to Joe Wooden, the regional general manager for SMG of Alaska, which manages the venue. The pop superstar — who boasts more than 200 million in album sales, membership in the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame and knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II — is making his debut in Alaska.
With a career that spans nearly 40 years, John is famous for his flamboyant style, piano prowess and songs like “Rocket Man,” “Daniel” and the best-selling single in history, “Candle In the Wind.”
Wooden said he expects the show to sell out in a matter of hours. “This is by far the biggest concert that I can ever remember coming to Alaska,” he said.
Carlson Center box office manager Kristin Baysinger said Alaska is benefiting from a stopover that John is making following a concert in Hong Kong. He’ll perform on consecutive nights in Anchorage and Fairbanks before continuing to Las Vegas.
Baysinger said specific details of the concert are still being worked out, but she expects at least eight sections will be opened on the Carlson Center floor, using a configuration the arena has never used before. The venue will do its best to maximize space while maintaining good sight lines, she said, with an expected capacity of about 6,500 seats.
“Basically, we will have every seat available that we can get,” Baysinger said.
Ticket prices for the event are set at $115 and $75, not including fees. Tickets for the event go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, and will be available at Fred Meyer Ticketmaster outlets, the Carlson Center box office, 456-4800, and www.ticketmaster.com.
Sounds like a heck of a deal. $115 to see the a middle aged prima donna sing a few songs in an acoustic nightmare of a venue, and tell us what crappy people Americans are. On second thought, I think I’ll just go somewhere and drop a rock on my foot. Less painful.

newsminer.com

Elton John will perform in Sullivan Arena on May 28. The show is part of his 2008 “Rocket Man: Number Ones” tour.
Tickets will be available starting at 10 a.m. on Monday, with a six-ticket limit per purchase. Ticket prices will range from $56.50 to $116.50, including the municipal surcharge, said Joe Wooden, regional general manager of SMG of Alaska Inc. The show’s promoter is Los Angeles-based AEG Live.
“This will be the biggest thing we’ve had here in recent memory,” Wooden said.
He noted that this would be Sir Elton’s first performance in Alaska and that, in addition to the Anchorage show, John would also perform at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks the following night.
In a recent interview with TV personality Larry King, John expressed an interest in performing in the U.S. states in which he had not yet appeared, and he mentioned Alaska specifically. (Vermont and Delaware were the other two.)
Since his first hit, “Your Song,” in 1970, John has sold more than 200 million records, recorded numerous Top 40 hits and 35 gold and 25 platinum albums. His most recent CD, “Rocket Man: Number Ones,” released in March, features newly compiled and digitally mastered hits spanning the singer-songwriter’s career and forms the core of what the Anchorage audience can expect to hear.
Reserved tickets for the Anchorage performance will be available Monday online at Ticketmaster.com, Charge-by-Phone at 562-4800, Fred Meyer Ticketmaster outlets and Sullivan Arena box office.

adn.com