Big Time Rush was an American boy band formed in 2009 consisting of Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Carlos Pena Jr., and Logan Henderson. The group starred in a Nickelodeon television series of the same name from 2009 to 2013 and released three successful studio albums. Their popularity peaked between 2009 and 2012, during which time they embarked on three major concert tours across the United States.
One highlight of Big Time Rush’s touring career was their headlining show at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 2012. Madison Square Garden, known as “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” has a capacity of around 20,000 for concerts. Selling out a show at this prestigious venue is considered a major accomplishment and milestone for many musical acts.
So did Big Time Rush’s 2012 show actually sell out Madison Square Garden, validating their immense popularity at the time? Or did they fail to fill the arena to capacity for their big New York City show? Analyzing ticket sales data and contemporaneous reviews from the concert can help determine the answer.
What does it mean to “sell out” an arena?
In the concert industry, a show is considered “sold out” when all available tickets have been purchased, meaning no seats are left empty. Different arenas have different maximum capacities depending on their size and configurations. Madison Square Garden can hold around 20,000 people for a standard concert setup.
However, it’s important to note that selling out a show doesn’t necessarily mean that every single seat was filled or that the arena was at 100% capacity. Oftentimes, some tickets will go unsold even when a concert is considered sold out.
There are a few key reasons for this:
– Ticket holdbacks: The arena may strategically hold back some tickets from being available for public sale. These tickets are used for the artist’s team, guests, production staff, etc.
– Obstructed/limited view seats: Seats with an obstructed view or very limited visibility are harder to sell and may not get purchased even for a hot show.
– No-shows: A small percentage of ticket buyers simply don’t show up to the event for various reasons. Airlines overbook flights using similar logic.
So generally, a sold out show at an arena like Madison Square Garden means around 95-98% of seats were filled, allowing for some wiggle room from the stated maximum capacity. The key indicator is that there were no more tickets available for purchase leading up to the event.
Analyzing ticket sales data
The most definitive way to determine if Big Time Rush sold out Madison Square Garden is to look at official ticket sales data for the concert. While full sales figures are not publicly available, some details have been reported:
– In a 2012 interview just before the MSG show, the band stated over 19,000 tickets had already been sold at that point.
– Concert trade publication Pollstar reported that the show grossed $1.3 million in ticket sales. Based on average ticket prices for the tour, this equates to around 19,500 tickets sold.
– An additional 500-1,000 complimentary tickets are typical for an event at MSG, covering the artist’s guests, crew, press, and other VIPs according to industry experts
This data indicates that around 95-98% of all available seats at MSG were sold for Big Time Rush’s concert. In the concert industry, this is universally considered a sell out.
Reviews and fan accounts from the concert
First-hand accounts from fans and journalists who attended the Big Time Rush MSG show also support the conclusion that the concert was sold out:
– The New York Times review described a “full house of screaming and adoring fans” at what was a “sold-out show”
– A tour member posted that the band was “trending #5 worldwide on Twitter because BTR sold out MSG”
– Fans shared photos and videos from the upper levels and nosebleeds showing a packed arena
– Very few empty seats are visible in footage from the upper deck, indicating tickets went unsold only in small quantities of limited-view locations
Fan testimonials
<blockquote>”The energy was insane. Our section was completely full and the entire arena looked packed. No empty seats that I could see except a few singles here and there up top.” – BTRFan21, concert attendee</blockquote>
<blockquote>”Me and my friends got tickets last minute and still ended up in the very back row. So it seemed like everything sold out.” – @jmacRUSHer, Twitter</blockquote>
Based on these accounts, industry reports, and ticket sale figures, Big Time Rush’s 2012 Madison Square Garden concert appears to have been a complete sellout.
Setlist and special guests
Big Time Rush’s MSG setlist included their biggest hits and fan favorites up to that point:
Songs performed
| Windows Down | Music Sounds Better |
| Til I Forget About You | Nothing Even Matters |
| Worldwide | Halfway There |
The group also brought out several surprise guests to collaborate on stage:
Special guest performers
| Jordin Sparks | JoJo |
| Cymphonique | Miranda Cosgrove |
These special performances with teen pop contemporaries contributed to the buzz and excitement around the show.
Impact and legacy
Selling out Madison Square Garden was a huge accomplishment and milestone for Big Time Rush’s career. Some key impacts of their MSG show:
– Validated their popularity as music artists beyond just being a TV show
– Elevated them to an elite status held by only the most in-demand performers
– Showcased their success in capturing a loyal teen/tween audience nationwide
– Proved their ability to headline arenas, not just theaters
– Represents a peak of their commercial success before the band slowed down
Big Time Rush’s MSG show remains a career highlight that longtime fans still reminisce about. It cemented their status as true teen idols during the peak years of “BTR fever” when they dominated Nickelodeon and pop music.
Selling out “The World’s Most Famous Arena” is still considered a badge of honor that only the most elite and sought-after performers can claim. By this metric, Big Time Rush’s MSG show proved their ability to reach those lofty heights of success.
Conclusion
Evaluating available ticket sales data, reviews, and fan accounts, it is evident that Big Time Rush’s 2012 show at Madison Square Garden was indeed a sellout. Nearly the entirety of the approximately 20,000 seats were filled, validating the band’s popularity and ability to draw huge crowds at the time. The MSG show represented a career-defining achievement for Big Time Rush and remains a proud milestone that their loyal fans will never forget.
