Jessie J. in Good Morning America

PRESS PLAY! 😉

May 22, 2015

Hey loves! I finally decided to go to Good Morning America’s Summer Concert Series. I didn’t mind going by myself but it’s always fun to be with friends so I dragged two of my friends with me and left New Jersey at 4:15AM. Just to give you a little background, GMA’s Summer Concert Series is a free concert held at Central Park in New York City every Friday all throughout summer. Yes, you heard it right, it’s FREE! Now, before you get too excited, here’s some insights and tips if ever you decide to go.

Pre-Concert:

1. TICKETS: Although the concert is free, make sure you check Good Morning America’s website to see if you need to get tickets online. It doesn’t mean you’re going to pay. The show probably wants an accurate number of people attending. In our case, we didn’t have to register or purchase any tickets online.

2. TRANSPORTATION: Decide whether or not you are going to drive or take public transportation. If you don’t want to walk and generally hate to take public transportation, driving is preferable. Traffic will not be an issue early in the morning but after the show is a different story. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time.

I DO NOT SUGGEST STREET PARKING AND PAYING THE METER. I am pretty sure that there is a 2 hour limit and you will be gone longer than that. You don’t want the stress and the hassle to go back and forth paying for your parking meter. Park your car in a parking garage. $70 for all day parking. I know I know. What in the world right?! CARPOOL! It’s not too bad when split among few people. Download icon parking app as well for coupons or just search google. We were able to use a coupon we found online so we ended up paying $47 which was not bad when split into 3 people.

If you love to walk around Central Park and around New York City, take public transportation. Use Google Maps to plan out your route. Take the opportunity to appreciate Central Park and New York City itself. 😉

NOTE: Do not drink too much water, coffee or soda. Make sure you go to the restroom before standing in line. Once you get to the play field, there is no way you are getting out. If you really have to, then don’t even try to come back and reclaim your spot.

ARRIVAL

3. RUMSEY PLAYFIELD. That’s the actual location where concerts are held. It’s hard to locate it even with google maps. Note that the entrance going to the play field is in 77th Street and 5th Avenue. When we found the play field we still had to find the entrance. We had to walk for 20 minutes from 59th because we went through the park instead of walking up on 5th Avenue.

4. LINE. From the line on 77th and 5th Avenue, there will still be three stops before you get to the play field. Around 5:45AM, staff lets you through the first point. Where you stand in line is irrelevant. Just make sure you walk fast (DO NOT RUN! They can ask you to leave and not enter the field) and stay on your left side.

5. PLAYFIELD. All bets are off. Once you get through and in the play field, it is up to you where you want to stand. You can either try to squeeze your way in the front or stand in the middle.

The website tells us that the concert is from 7am to 9am. Sure. Here’s a rough timeline or production schedule of what actually goes on between those times:

7:00-7:15: Staff asks the audience to cheer, scream, shout, jump or whatever, for what they call “audience shot.”

7:15: Artist comes out but no, relax. Artists don’t perform until later on.

7:15-8:00: Artist rehearses his/her entrance, his/her songs, and they do sound checks and all the technical stuff. You stand there and watch. Staff usually asks for more “audience shot.” By the time the show goes live, you are already tired, hungry, and lost your voice from all the cheering and screaming that they ask you to do.

8:00-9:00: Roughly around this time, the artist actually performs live. He/she performs 3 or 4 songs and in between, GMA hosts interview him/her. Of course you need to wait during commercial break.

9:00AM Concert is over. Artist says thanks and leaves.

It’s a free concert. Try not to expect too much from it and just enjoy the experience. I am not taking away any credit from Good Morning America. The show is actually doing something amazing for the fans. I am always grateful for all the things I go through, good and bad. Yes, GMA’s Summer Concert Series might not be that amazing but hey, it’s a free concert. If you just want a quick glimpse of your favorite artist, take advantage of this opportunity, but, if you are looking for a once in a lifetime type of experience, then look through ticket master and buy $200-$300 worth of concert ticket. 😉