Hottest tickets in town are for insiders and the lucky only

TAMPA - Some of the biggest stars in music and entertainment will be performing in Tampa next week during the Republican National Convention, but chances are you're not invited.

Tickets for big name concerts are reserved for GOP officials, guests and big-money donors. And in the case of the daily show tapings at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts?  Those free tickets are long gone.     

Tickets to the Daily Show taping were offered for free online several weeks back but they were snapped up in under an hour.  Michael Kilgore of the Straz says Comedy Central rented out the 1200-seat Ferguson Hall for four nights starting Tuesday and they control admission completely.

"I can't even get my wife in," lamented Kilgore.

Renee King of Tampa Heights is proud that Tampa's in the spotlight next week, but wishes there was more for the locals to do.

"I'd love to see Journey and Kid Rock and the Daily Show -- any of those tickets, if they were made available to the public. That would be great," said King.

National acts that would easily sell out to the public will be performing for a select group of political insiders.

In the case of the Daily Show, the tickets were offered free to the public but are now so coveted, craigslist lists only people wanting tickets -- none offering them.
 
Comedy Central says you can check their website for additional tickets that might be released because of cancelations, or show up at a standby line the day of the taping at the Straz Center between noon and 4:30 pm.