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Venerable D.C. music venue the Black Cat announced today that it will stop selling advance tickets through Ticketmaster, instead switching to competitor Ticket Alternative. The change will become effective September 25, so all shows that are taking place after that date are already on sale via Ticket Alternative.
In a strongly worded release, the venue made plain the reasons for the switch: Ticket Alternative's service charges are lower, typically $2.50 or less for the vast majority of Black Cat shows; and Ticketmaster's impending merger with Live Nation.
In a conversation with DCist, owner Dante Ferrando explained that while the local version of Ticketmaster has been relatively easy to deal with versus the oft-maligned national corporation, the company's merger with Live Nation made continuing to work with them impossible. Live Nation operates several venues in the Washington, D.C. market, including the Warner Theatre and Nissan Pavilion.
"It just doesn't make any sense to be handing a portion of your shows to your competition," Ferrando said.
According to Ferrando, tickets for Black Cat shows that are $10 and under will be charged a flat $2 fee by Ticket Alternative, while for tickets that are $11-$20, it will be $2.50. The Black Cat's box office will remain free of all service charges.
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i have a ticket altermative magnet on the fridge, but i can't remember where it came from. who else in the city uses them already?
Rock and Roll Hotel.
thanks, jamie. now, i just have to remember which show was the last one i saw there...
Who handles the 9:30 Club's advanced ticketing? Is it Ticketbastard as well?
Tickets.com does the 9:30 Club's ticketing.
The Black Cat has been using Ticket Alternative for a couple months now (ever since shows 9/25 and later have been on sale) and it's been great... way better than Ticketmaster. Printing your tickets at home for free? Why, that sounds almost... logical!
well played, BlackCat!
AWESOME. Other venues in DC need to follow suit. Nice work by Mr. Ferrando.
The other day when trying to book tickets via Live Nation to the Aziz Ansari show, they tried to charge me $14 in service fees!! The final check out price was $36.50 for a $22.50 ticket! WTF. I cancelled out. But it's fitting how Ticketbastard wants to get into bed with another rip-off corporation.
Good riddance.
"Other venues in DC need to follow suit"??
How 'bout, other venues in the whole country need to follow suit!
Hear hear.
Bravo Blackcat. Now if only 930 club and DAR would follow suit. $15 in "service fees" for Pixie tickets? I was mugged.
oedrex1: i know it's not always convenient, but you can get tickets for any IMP show (9:30 and most DAR stuff) at the 9:30 box office window for only $1 service fee per ticket. much better than the $15 rip off you mentioned.
at least 20
I don't know how tickets.com compares to ticketalternative (re: 9:30 club) but it's very easy to get tickets at the 9:30 box office free of service charge.
What's curious is that IMP who operates both 9:30 and Merriweather Post uses two different services for the two venues. Five or ten years ago, I could see the argument that a small operation wouldn't have the capacity to deal with a big show at Merriweather, but not now.
And based on my experience with Live Nation's web site for a few big shows recently, they don't either. Total disaster. These days, there's no reason why any operation, big or small, can't have their web site running from a place with enough bandwidth/server capacity to compete with anyone else. And obviously based on Livenations' ticket site failure, just being big doesn't make you good. It would be great to see IMP dump ticketmaster for Merriweather.
9:30 still charges their own "convenience fee" to buy from their box office, right?
mustourdman: yeah, but at least it's only $1. and someone is actually handing you something, so i guess they need to get paid...
I'd gladly pay a couple bucks for a "mail me my tickets" option. I also miss the option of running over to Macys and buying tickets from the TM outlet.
I also miss the option of running over to Macys and buying tickets from the TM outlet.
I bought my tix to the Beasties & Run-DMC "Together Forever" tour (circa '88) at the TicketMaster outlet in the Landmark Macy's back when Landmark Mall was a weird collection of multi-level outdoor strip malls. I remember thinking to myself what an unbelievable service TM was providing for $2 or whatever it was I paid.
I hate TM as much as anyone these days, but it's important to remember that before the internet being able to call an 800 number and buy tickets for shows wherever, whenever was (and to some extent, still is) a pretty valuable service. TM didn't get to be as big as it is by just stealing money from people and giving nothing in return.
yep, and now it is time for some good healthy competition.
I couldn't agree more.
YAY!! LiveNation's staff sucks at traffic control out at Nissan.
I swear, the TM surcharges added another $20+ to my Pixies tickets.