Latest Ticket News

Not only has the line been blurred between primary and secondary ticket sellers it has been completely eliminated, according to several speakers and ticket brokers at the first day of the National Association of Ticket Brokers conference in Las Vegas. The annual event drew a few hundred members of the ticketing industry to the Wynn Las Vegas where the topic of conversation centered on where the burgeoning industry is headed next.

"The primary ticket market wants to be in the secondary market, and the secondary market has already become like the primary market," said Dan DeMato, formerly the director of ticket operations for the New York Mets and now an industry consultant with FutureTix. "There are more first-time sales on secondary ticket broker Web sites than ever before."

Mariah Carey, one of the most influential pop singers of the last 20 years, announced this week that she is planning a tour that will begin in November. She made the announcement while speaking with Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS FM radio show.

While no details having been officially announced, the tour will be in support of her latest album E=MC² which was released in the U.S. on April 15. The album debuted in the number one position on the Billboard 200 chart, and has spent 13 weeks overall on the chart.

"Seatwave to become official reseller for all current and future Grand Union Management artistes"

LONDON, ENG (Seatwave) July 18, 2008 - Seatwave, Europe’s largest fan to fan ticket exchange, today announced a landmark partnership with the leading music management company whose roster includes The Enemy, Seasick Steve, Reverend and The Makers, Mongrel and Boy Kill Boy to become its official ticket reseller. In the first deal of its kind fans of the bands will be able to pick-up tickets they bought from other fans via Seatwave.com directly from the box office at the gig.

The agreement with Grand Union Management places Seatwave as the official fan to fan ticket exchange for all current and future artists represented by the management company. By working together, Seatwave and Grand Union Management are giving fans the best possible experience and greater security by guaranteeing ticket pick-up on the night. Fans will still benefit from the highest level of consumer protection offered by Seatwave including their TicketIntegrity and TicketCover guarantees.

Hanson has mapped out 37 shows from September 7 in Portland, OR through November 4 in Chicago, IL. The rock trio will play two nights in Chicago as well as two nights in Foxborough, MA. The first five nights of the tour will be acoustic evenings. Dave Barnes is the opening act from October 9 to the end of the tour.

The Hanson brothers--Isaac, Taylor and Zac--last album was "The Walk," which debuted in the Top 5 on Billboard’s Independent Chart. The Walk Around The World Tour has a refreshed message in their goals to fight poverty in Africa and a re-tooled live set for the fans. The Walk Tour began last fall with one mile walks helping to provide thousands of shoes to children in Poverty in South Africa with TOMS Shoes. Last November Hanson joined TOMS on their second shoe drop, delivering a whopping 50,000 pairs of shoes to children in Africa.

Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino and his company have been in the news frequently over the past few months signing mega-deals with the likes of Jay-Z, Shakira and Madonna. Rapino appeared on CNBC's PowerLunch recently to discuss the company's future. (see video here)

Rapino talked about the economic situation of Live Nation, whose stock price sits at about $10, down from its previous high of nearly $25.

"TicketNews announces top ticket sellers rankings for the week ending July 12, 2008"

Vernon, CT July 19, 2008 - For the second week in a row, Live Nation was in fourth place with a power score less than 7, a drastic decline from the 4-week temporary second-place position the company held in the rankings from week ending 06/07/08 to week ending 06/28/08. At the end of the year, LiveNation's contract with Ticketmaster will end. Shakira, Madonna and Jay-Z have already formed deals with the company.

This week, Ticketmaster and Live Nation announced additional partnerships. OurStage, a music discovery destination providing professional opportunities for up-and-coming talent, has partnered with Live Nation; Ticketmaster partnered with Simon Property Group, Inc. and will have an on-mall retail location.

Cyndi Lauper, Rufus Wainwright and Melissa Etheridge are headlining "Rock to Win" in Denver, CO on August 26. This event will take place the second night of the Democratic National Convention, and will be held at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver; a venue modeled after the historic San Francisco Fillmore rock club.

"Rock to Win" is presented by The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization.

The city of Tulsa is looking to pass legislation banning ticket resale within the Oklahoma city. At the heart of the proposed ticket ban is Tulsa councilor Bill Christiansen, who wants residents of Tulsa to be able to buy tickets to high profile events at the city’s newly opened BOK Center.

Citing that city residents are having a difficult time purchasing tickets to such events, Christiansen has proposed a new ticketing ban that would seek to stem ticket resale, including resale on popular ticketing sites such as StubHub and TicketLiquidator.

Sam Soni and Jason Parker, two top executives at RazorGator, who were integral to the recent success of the company, have resigned effective at the end of the month. The moves mark the most recent resignations from the company, which saw the CEO of its RazorGator Experiences division, David Lord, leave in April.

Soni, who owned Encore Tickets, and Parker, who owned Sports Tour Classics, joined RazorGator three years ago when each sold their respective businesses to the company, at which time both agreed to stay on for at least three years.

In an exclusive interview, Parker told TicketNews that the decision to leave for both men was purely their own. Each will take time to consider their next moves and are in no rush to announce any plans.

Chris Oxley, a member of the Rose Quarter's executive staff since 1999 and assistant GM since March 2007, has been promoted to general manager.

In his new position, Oxley will be responsible for the management of all event services and operations at the 19,680-capacity Rose Garden and 12,000-capacity Memorial Coliseum--both in Portland, OR-- including development and programming, tenant relations, financial management, contract negotiations, logistics, community relations, parking, box office management, marketing, public relations and event production. He will manage a staff of 800 that includes 67 full-time employees.

"MSG ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES MANAGEMENT REORGANIZATION TO SUPPORT UNPRECEDENTED DIVISIONAL GROWTH"

New York, NY (MSG entertainment) July 17, 2008 – Jay Marciano, president of MSG Entertainment (MSGE), today announced that MSGE has reorganized its operations and expanded its executive roster to include several highly respected entertainment veterans, in order to continue to drive the organization’s significant growth strategy and further develop MSGE’s brand.

Tickets for the USC Trojans 2008 home football season and tickets for upcoming tour stops for The Who are on sale throughout the weekend ending July 21 as compiled by TicketNews.

Starting off the weekend onsales are tickets to upcoming 2008 home football games for the USC Trojans. Going on sale Sunday morning, the tickets include match-ups with Ohio State University, Notre Dame, and division rivals Washington and Oregon. Saturday offers two other events for sports fans; tickets to upcoming WWE events in Minneapolis and Saint Louis, and a chance to catch the first ever UFC fight in Nebraska.

The newly renovated Mountain Winery Amphitheater in Saratoga, CA was forced to remain dark for the first couple of shows of its 2008 season; Styx (July 2), Wynton Marsalis (July 6), Boston (July 7-8) and Bob Weir & Ratdog / Gov’t Mule (July 9-10) were either relocated or rescheduled.

For the first two shows, work on the venue had not yet been completed, promoter Live Nation's Lee Smith told the Mercury News. Truss installation issues raised by Boston's production crew forced Live Nation to move several shows to alternate venues and postpone other shows to later dates.

Singer/songwriter/composer/multi-instrumentalist Taj Mahal, a two-time Grammy winner and one of the most influential American blues and roots artists of the past half-century, will embark on a nationwide tour in support of his new album "Maestro" to be released on September 30. The tour kicks off September 25 in Napa, CA and concludes November 30 in Seattle, WA, with eight nights at Jazz Alley. Mahal is also playing double night engagements in Chicago, IL and Brownfield, ME. At least three more concerts will be scheduled.

"Maestro" is his first U.S. recording in five years and marks the 40th anniversary of Mahal's rich and diverse recording career by mixing original material with chestnuts from vintage sources and newcomers alike. Guests on this anniversary gala include Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Angelique Kidjo, Los Lobos, Ziggy Marley and others – many of whom have been directly influenced by Mahal’s music and guidance.

"SeatExchange.com Bullish on Bears; Cal Bears Move To Upstart Ticket Partner"

Chicago, IL (SeatExchange) July 17, 2008 - SeatExchange.Com announced today that it has taken a position investing in the bear market - The University of California Bears - that is expected to pay big dividends all around. SeatExchange becomes the new official secondary ticket partner for the Cal Bears for the next three years, beginning immediately. The Bears join a growing portfolio of 13 other major collegiate properties and five foreign partners, including another global partner added today, Manchester City, for Seat Exchange, the rapidly expanding ticketing service.

Dave Gorman, CEO of Seat Exchange, noted that his company “likes to invest in blue-chips like the University of California because they are as committed as we are to transaction efficiency and marketing creativity that puts the fans first. SeatExchange is much more than just a ‘ticket broker’ because we understand that the ticket itself is only one aspect of a fan’s overall experience. Our goal is to enhance the relationship between the fans and the school so that every transaction is a win-win for both the fan and the school.”

Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews will headline Farm Aid 2008 on September 20 at the Comcast Center in Mansfield, MA., marking the first time the organization will bring its annual benefit concert to the northeast. Other acts will be named soon. The event is being presented by Whole Foods Market and Horizon Organic. Tickets go on sale July 28 and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, or by calling (866) 448-7849. Farm Aid will offer special advance sale tickets to its FarmYard members. To become a member of Farm Aid's FarmYard, visit them at their website. Since 1985, Farm Aid has raised more than $30 million to support programs that help farmers thrive, expand the reach of the Good Food Movement, take action to change the dominant system of industrial agriculture and promote food from family farms.

"New England was built on the strength of independent family farmers," said Mellencamp in a statement. "We can honor that independent spirit by joining Farm Aid to grow the movement that is changing the way all of America eats."

North Carolina, one of only a few remaining states to have restrictions on reselling tickets, moved another step closer on Thursday to lifting those restrictions. The House of Representatives voted 85-29 to allow tickets to be resold online for a profit. The current state law says that tickets can not be sold for more than $3 above the face value.

The bill that was initially approved by the North Carolina State Senate July 3 but was modified by the House Finance Committee prior to it's House approval, which omitted the controversial provision that would have required resellers to pay taxes on the profits they made from the resale.

An all-star lineup has been assembled for the third annual Heineken Red Star Soul concert series. The nine-city series kicks off August 6 at Boulevard3 in Los Angeles, CA with performances by Ashanti and Goapele. Following the launch, the tour will continue throughout the fall and feature Grammy-nominees Raheem DeVaughn, Chrisette Michelle and Dwele in addition to Lyfe Jennings, Bilal and Musiq Soulchild. Kenny Burns, emcee of the BET show "Black Poke Stars International, returns as the host for the third year.

At each Heineken Red Star Soul concert, the Heineken Independent Achiever Award will be presented, which recognizes the qualities of hustle, integrity and drive while serving as an inspiration to others through their work in music.

Live Nation has signed a contract to operate Bayfront Park Amphitheater in Miami, FL. Final approval by the Miami City Commission is scheduled for July 24.

The city will earn about $625,000 a year with a 3% increase yearly from the deal, reports Miami Today, and is also pocketing 10% of name sponsorships and about $2 per ticket as a surcharge; Live Nation will control ticket prices.

Person L, the new band from The Starting Line's lead singer/songwriter Kenneth Vasoli, is joining Anthony Green and Good Old War on a 32 city, 33 date tour beginning August 6 in Philadelphia, PA at Starlight Theatre and continuing through September 14 in Farmingdale, NY at The Crazy Donkey.

Person L will be supporting the release its debut album, "Initial," on August 5 via Vasoli's own imprint, Human Interest. The band features Vasoli on lead guitar and vocals, Ryan Zimmaro on drums, Brian Medlin on percussion, Charles Schnieder on bass, and Nathaniel Vaeth on Rhodes piano and guitar.