Not what they paid for: Loverboy fans seek compensation

EVERETT — Some fans remain irate about the Loverboy concert in Everett last month where the lead singer bowed out after only two songs.

Amber Tait, of Arlington, wants to file a complaint with the state Attorney General’s Office over the show. She’s been a fan since she was 14 and went to a concert with Loverboy and AC/DC at the Tacoma Dome. She’s gone to about 15 of the band’s shows altogether.

“I’m really disappointed in the singer. That’s not the way you treat your fans, especially longtime fans,” Tait said.

Tait’s not alone. Other fans say they’re irritated about shelling out hundreds of dollars for the show that also featured Survivor at Xfinity Arena on Sept. 22. About 2,000 people attended the ’80s nostalgia concert.

Loverboy lead singer Mike Reno stopped playing shortly into the concert, telling the crowd he was too sick to perform.

The rest of the band continued to play for a full hour with other singers including at one point inviting a fan from the crowd to sing on stage.

Connie Treftz, of Gold Bar, spent $256.95 on concert tickets for her and her boyfriend.

“I’m pretty disappointed in the fact that it turned out to be a karaoke show,” Treftz said.

The tour canceled a show in Wenatchee the next day, Sept. 23, and tickets were refunded. Xfinity Arena’s market manager Ryan Hart said in the days after the Everett concert that he had been in contact with the band and the tour management company discussing ways to satisfy disappointed fans.

He said he expected have an answer soon. He has since stopped returning messages from The Herald.

Tait said that she’s been in talks with one of the Xfinity Arena managers. She said the arena has offered her complimentary tickets to a future concert of her choice.

She had bought tickets on the floor for her and her husband’s 35th anniversary. She spent $78 per ticket plus other fees and purchased a Loverboy T-shirt before the failed show.

She has a disability that makes it difficult to walk on uneven surfaces. That’s why she and her husband sprung for floor seats. Xfinity Arena management have told her they can’t guarantee floor tickets to a future show.

She’s angry that she’s not being compensated similar seats.

“Anybody who bought $100 tickets should be getting good tickets and not tickets up in the stands,” Tait said.

She contacted her disability lawyer, who suggested that she file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office.

“I don’t want to go against Xfinity, but I’d love to go against that band,” Tait said. “I’m really irritated that I spent $50 on their shirt. If I knew what was going to happen, I would have bought a Survivor shirt.”

She would like the band to come back and fulfill the commitment to play the concert, but knows that’s unlikely. If not, she’d like her money or equal value tickets returned to her.

Another fan, Jessica Schultz, of Kirkland, said the last two concerts on her bucket list were Tom Petty and Loverboy. She saw Petty in Seattle in August and was excited to see Loverboy in Everett.

She purchased tickets for her and her husband on the first day they went on sale, paying about $180 altogether for third row seats. When the band left the stage, she remembers one of the band members saying the next concert would be on them — in other words, they’d be back.

“I actually kind of felt torn,” Schultz said. “I wish they had done the right thing and rescheduled. … People get sick, but do something as an alternative to make it up. To not do anything is not very cool.”

Treftz said she felt she let her boyfriend down. She had purchased the tickets for his birthday. She said the fan from the floor turned out to be a decent singer, but she had brought her boyfriend to see the original Loverboy.

“You try to enjoy the moment regardless, but it’s not what you pay for,” Treftz said. “I live all the way out here in Gold Bar and could have gone to a bar out here and got the same results and only had to pay for a drink.”

Jim Davis: 425-339-3097; jdavis@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @HBJnews.