Tom Waits is an American singer-songwriter and musician whose work is often a cross of jazz, blues, folk and experimental rock. He debuted in 1973 with “Closing Time,” and has since released a total of 20 studio albums. In the ’70s and ’80s, he toured regularly to match his prolific record output, though by the ’90s he was focusing on his theatrical and film work.

Waits launched his most recent North American and European tour, the Glitter and Doom Tour, in 2008 with dates running from June through early August. Ticketmaster used Wait’s North American tour dates to premier its new paperless ticketing system, which admits patrons through a credit card scan and ID check at the venue’s door rather than with a ticket. Waits held back premium tickets for a few cities on the tour for an auction, which the musician called “scalping for charity.”