Setting a Course in Pursuit of Bruuuuce

OK, so maybe there’s hope after all, a reason to believe, as the Boss would say. Here’s some info to help in your search for a ticket:

* Tickets cost $37.50 and $67.50. All seats are reserved.

* If you use the phone, have your credit card information ready. Why the rush? Because five seconds may cost you 50 rows, says Tim Wood, executive vice president at Ticketmaster. And, grudgingly, Wood confirms that fans who find a busy signal when they call the Los Angeles area phone numbers can call Ticketmaster numbers in other cities in the region, such as San Diego, Bakersfield and even as far as Phoenix. “They’re all on the same system, so it’ll work if you call there, but we don’t advertise it because those other areas aren’t thrilled to be handling our events instead of their own.” Some of the local numbers: (213) 365-6300, (714) 703-2525, (805) 583-8700.

* If you use the Internet, practice ahead of time. You can go to the Web site https://ticketmaster.com for a dry run, pretending to buy tickets to, say, a Cher concert in Ohio, just to see how the process works. The system will ask to confirm the purchase at the end and you can cancel it. “Definitely a good idea to tour the site and get comfortable with it ahead of time,” Wood said. Ticketmaster officials won’t say whether the Internet tactic is faster or more efficient than the other options, but that’s definitely the verdict of online Springsteen fans on the East Coast, according to fan Web pages. More than a third of the tickets sold for the band’s 15 sellouts in New Jersey were sold online.

* If you opt for walk-up sales, resist the nostalgic impulse to camp out. The days of lining up at midnight have given way to the wristband era, where randomly numbered bracelets determine the purchase order. One wristband per person, and children under 12 aren’t eligible to get them. You must buy the ticket at the site where you get the wristband. Ticketmaster outlets include Tower Records, Robinsons May, Wherehouse Music, Ritmo Latino and Tu Musica. Most accept credit cards. One place you don’t want to go is the Staples Center box office--it’s not open yet. A Ticketmaster box office at 6233 Hollywood Blvd. will be the only one offering tickets without a service charge.