Ticket aggregator and daily deals site Thrillcall.com is celebrating the launch of its new app for Los Angeles area residents this week.
The app, having its inaugural launch just last month in San Francisco, provides users with a list of upcoming shows across the U.S. as well as exclusive “flash” offers for locals, including VIP and backstage access.
The Thrillcall app allows users one-touch ticket purchase directly from their mobile device. Access to social media sites makes it easy for fans to share the news of their purchase as well as to share the deal with friends.
Built-in maps provide a view of the venue location for each show.
Following the app’s San Francisco debut, a Los Angeles launch seemed the logical next step. In a recent conversation with TicketNews, Thrillcall co-founder Matthew Tomaszewicz noted, “L.A. was a natural choice as part of our preliminary city rollout, as it is has no shortage of talent and music enthusiasts. For our launch we have also partnered with some of the most well-known venues in L.A.”
Plans for expansion are in the works, with a New York rollout expected in the next month, and Austin, TX, soon after.
As part of the Los Angeles rollout the company ran a contest on its website this week, inviting area fans to download the app and chose L.A. as their city. The winner received free tickets to the Neon Indians’ sold out April 17 show at L.A.’s Echoplex.
The app has created a fair amount of buzz in the industry, making the list of finalists for this year’s MediaPost Appy Awards. In a statement accompanying that announcement, Thrillcall co-founder Chad Taylor highlighted the benefits of the new technology: “The best nights out happen spontaneously, and our app makes it easy for music-lovers and last-minute planners alike to discover live music events in their local city.”
In his recent conversation with TicketNews, Tomaszewicz touched upon the larger aims of the app as well: “We want to help build the local music scene in every major city,” said Tomaszewicz, “removing challenges with discovery, ticketing and purchasing by making it all about the music. We work with venues, promoters, ticketers, and artists to inform music aficionados what music is on tap tonight, while giving them exclusive access not available anywhere else.”
The company prides itself on its ability to get fans into seats at the last minute. They are clearly going after the user who has a free evening and is looking for a great deal on entertainment, à la Groupon.
“The key here is that the app is addictive,” said Tomaszewicz. “A large percentage of our users come back every day, either because they want to see what the special offer is or because they want something to do that evening or weekend.”
And that is an untapped audience, according to the co-founder. “That part of the consumer demographic — the one that is ready to purchase but still needs discovery — has never been serviced.”
In fact, according to a recent article in Hypebot.com, that audience is just the niche group that Thrillcall is uniquely equipped to serve, helping fans into cheap seats while helping venues to avoid empty ones.
With just two cities under its belt, it is hard to predict how Thrillcall’s app will fare in the long run. But with New York on board shortly and more cities to come, the company will be able to test its model this year with real-world experience.
