Do fan clubs get better concert seats?

CINCINNATI - Thousands of music lovers are snapping up seats to concerts this summer. And with a popular act, the best seats are often gone within minutes of tickets going on sale.

But can joining a fan club help you beat the crowds? Not always, as one woman learned.

Jason Aldean: Red Hot

When it comes to country music, the hottest act this summer is Jason Aldean, with a string of recent hits like "Flyover States ," "Dirt Road Anthem" and " Tattoos on this Town."  His concerts are selling out in 15 minutes or less.

Tracie Roberts says she is a huge fan. Worried she wouldn't get seats, Roberts decided to join Aldean's fan club.

"I was afraid he was going to sell out, which is the main reason I joined, and to get better seats, so I wouldn't be stuck way in the back," Roberts said.

Does Fan Club Presale Help?

Roberts paid $25 to join Aldean's fan club, and get a coveted password for the ticket presale. But she couldn't believe what happened next.

"I signed on 10 minutes before they went on sale, at 10 a.m.," she said. "But when I clicked on it they offered me lawn seats. Clicked on it again, more lawn seats!"

Roberts was furious, especially since she found much better seats, much closer to the stage, when tickets for the general public became available.

"They went on sale Friday after the fan club at 10 a.m. I logged on and actually received better tickets," she said.

Ticketmaster and venues won't discuss how many tickets are set aside for fan clubs. But the Jason Aldean fan club sent an email, stating that there are "far more fan club members than available tickets" to almost all his shows this year.

Only a Few Hundred Available

Country music radio host Chris Carr says typically, only a few hundred seats go to fan club members.

"With somebody like Jason Aldean who is so popular, you just can't appease thousands of people," Carr said.  "We would love it to be a thousand seats for fan club members, think how happy they would be. Sadly that's not the case."

Tracie Roberts just wishes the fan club had alerted her when she joined that it was not guaranteeing better seats.