The Sweet Seats

Box Seats at The Centre in Vancouver

One thing I didn't mention when I was talking about Rock of Ages yesterday, was that we were fortunate enough to get to sit in a private box for the show. I'd always wanted to try sitting in one, so when there was a five seat box available for the show we wanted to see, I grabbed it. Having comfortable seats that we could position any way we wanted was a huge bonus, but the sight lines from the box were terrible. The far left hand side of the stage and a good chunk of the video screen at the back were obscured by speakers, although they also managed to block out the bathroom romp between Stacee and Sheri, so maybe it wasn't all bad.

Sitting in the box got me thinking about some of the other places we've sat for shows. We've spent our share of time in the front row, and we've sat far enough away that you had to check your ticket stub to see who was on the stage, but the most memorable places we've sat all had something extra that made them stand out from the others. These are some of my favorites:

Staples Center Los Angeles - Section 318, Row A
I don't know why they did this, but for some reason they started the press boxes in the Staples Center in row 2 of the balcony, leaving one row of seats in front of them. These seats are right at center court, giving you a perfect view of the game, and with nobody in front or behind you (they don't use the press boxes during basketball games) your only opportunity to be annoyed is by the person on one side of you. Or the people you came with, which actually seems far more likely.

 
Blue Man Group Las Vegas - Front Row
You can probably get a slightly better view if you back up a couple of rows, but the real fun of the Blue Man Group in Las Vegas is sitting in the front row for the final act. Added bonus: If you want to see your kids squirm, point out the place in the program where it says that all of the toilet paper in the show is recycled, and watch their minds go down the wrong track for a few seconds.

Prospera Place Kelowna - Hospitality Suite
Prospera keeps one suite that they rent out on an event by event basis. We rented it out for a Kelowna Rockets game to have a surprise party for my wife, and we got a great space that had lots of room for 36 of our friends. Not sure how we ended up on the stools though. You'd figure the birthday girl would at least rate one of the cushy seats out front.

Chase Field Phoenix - Friday's Front Row Outdoor Seating
My kids don't really have much of an interest in baseball. They do, however, have a great interest in food. That's why I love the outdoor seating at Friday's Front Row Sports Grill. Sitting in Left Field at a Diamondbacks game while my kids are preoccupied with chicken wings and cheesecake is one of the best (and definitely one of the most relaxing) baseball experiences I've ever had...and it probably didn't hurt that our food credit was more than the five of us could possibly eat. I should have ordered more of that cheesecake to go.

Harlem Globetrotters - Courtside
I'm imagining that courtside for any basketball game is a blast, but the Globetrotters are all about fan interaction, so getting the chance to watch my kids talk to the players was a pretty cool experience. That being said, while the courtside seats were pretty sweet, one of us managed to find an even better place to sit....

 She looks nervous. She's probably wondering if we're going to eat all the cheesecake before she gets back.