Thank you fan_de_lok!
In doing my research and looking at these dates I am undecided between 4 main options
. Hopefully going through some of this will help others with their own decision making because there are certain issues that I feel everyone should be aware of concerning these cities. I kindly request that anyone with better knowledge than what I have please correct me as my research via Google and other sources can't replace the knowledge of those who live in or have traveled to these places.
Saint Paul and St Louis: These cities have similar advantages and disadvantages. There is no need to rent a car as there is a metro that runs to the airport and reasonably close to the venue if you're not against walking a little bit. There are direct and reasonably priced flights generally available from many major US airports (it is a different story for those outside the US of course). Both cities have fairly compact city centers and/or tourist attractions which are easily accessible by a metro line; these areas contain various tourist sights, museums, and the like which can be explored. Both venues are beautiful and large cathedrals.
Oklahoma City: This may unfortunately be the least accessible of the three cities; especially for those travelling from the St Louis concert. For starters I could find no direct flight from St Louis to Oklahoma City. The stopover flights that exist require either a several hours layover in Chicago or Denver or some other city. Alternatively a 50 some minute layover in Dallas-Fort Worth is an option but the risk of missing the 2nd flight due to delays is quite high with such a short layover time. Driving 8 hours between the cities is an option but if you are renting a car there could be extra costs for having a pickup and drop off point for the vehicle that are different. Once in Oklahoma City, the venue is not accessible by public transit and so a car is absolutely essential. While I admit that I haven't researched the matter in the greatest depth, there seems to be little to do in Oklahoma City as a tourist compared to all of the other places. The only advantage to Oklahoma City appears to be the modern church venue with none of the columns or other physical obstructions to see the stage area - likely good quality sound as well. The other piece of good news is that flights to Oklahoma City can be less expensive than average; so this may be an ideal spot for the very fiscally conscious.
LA area: The two concerts are spaced far apart (1-3 hours depending on traffic
according to Google) and this will also make choosing a hotel an interesting and annoying undertaking. Traffic in LA is awful and you can forget about public transit to reach either of the venues, so renting a car is essential. On the other hand LA is huge and there are many things to do in and around the city and flights are plentiful and reasonably priced to this major metropolis!
So here are my personal 4 options:
1) Saint Paul only.
Pros: Low cost, no car needs to be rented, first show of the tour, not as hot as the other places in July and August
Cons: Only 1 show.
2) Saint Paul & St Louis.
Pros: 2 shows rather than 1, beautiful venues, have been to St Louis before.
Cons: Need 3 separate flights which increases the cost (Home -> Saint Paul -> St Louis -> Home), both venues are similar cathedral types.
3) Oklahoma City only.
Pros: Lowest cost of all the options.
Cons: Nothing much to do in Oklahoma City.
4) The two concerts in the LA area.
Pros: 2 concerts, only 1 round trip flight, I've never been to California in my life so this would be a totally new experience.
Cons: Higher potential costs as LA is much more expensive than the Midwest, lots of travelling or maybe having to switch hotels due to the distance between the venues.
Each of the 4 options has advantages and disadvantages and I'm completely undecided.
My gut tells me that options 1 & 2 are the most reasonable, but I am not sure.