Ticket Alternative Adds Shows For The Crown Theater in Las Vegas: Squeeze, The Swell Season and More!

We’re happy to announce that we will be selling tickets for shows at Las Vegas’ fantastic Crown Theater, located in The Rio Casino. Here’s what we’ve got lined up so far:

Metal rockers Queensryche play on July 24.

Classic British pop band Squeeze are back on the road and will be playing with ska legends The English Beat and The Scooners on July 27. Check out the video of Squeeze on Jimmy Fallon below.

Level 42 bring the bass with their jazz-funk fusion on August 1.

The Swell Season, the duo formed by Irish musician Glen Hansard and Czech singer and pianist Markéta Irglová from the movie Once, play on August 16.

California metal band In This Moment play with Otherwise on August 19.

Ticket Alternative Outlet Fantasyland Records Moves to a New Spot!

Local crate-diggers will be happy to hear that Fantasyland Records has found a new home! The used (and now new as well) record store has moved from its old address of 2839 Peachtree Road to their new spot 360 Pharr Road NE (Suite B). Fantasyland has recently got in some goodies from the likes of Dead Weather, Black Keys, and of course vintage gems that any collector would be happy to drool over.

And don’t forget – the store is also an outlet for Ticket Alternative! So go by and see the new location, buy a couple of records and a few tickets too!

Maxine’s in Hot Springs, Ark. Joins Ticket Alternative!

We’re very excited to welcome Maxine’s Pub to the Ticket Alternative family! This space that once housed a brothel now keeps the love strictly platonic for local and national touring acts, with a strong emphasis on supporting the local music scene. The venue already has some great shows listed (below) and we can’t wait to hear more from them!

Maxine’s Pub
700 Central Ave

The Vail w/ Red City Radio and Kingsdown
Friday, May 21

Outernational
Monday, May 31

Hammock
Saturday, June 12

Ticket Alternative Welcomes Criminal Records Back As An Atlanta Outlet!

We’re very happy to welcome back Criminal Records as a Ticket Alternative outlet! They had a brief time away as they moved the store to its huge, amazing new location (still in Little Five Points, 1154-A Euclid Avenue), and now they are back selling tickets for Ticket Alternative again, joining the crew of Decatur CD, Fantasyland Records and lots of CD Warehouses around and near Atlanta, Ga. Welcome back!

Billboard picks up the Washington Post story about Ticket Alternative’s low fees

Billboard has picked up The Washington Post story we reported earlier comparing our fee’s to other ticketing companies.

Here’s their piece:

– The Washington Post has broken down the service fees of tickets for shows at ten DC-area venues (see the chart here) and comes to the incredible conclusion that “venues aren’t likely to get rid of service charges any time soon.” As is often the case, the article is an example of the irrational mindset of the ticket buyer. When the Post puts forward the question, “Why am I being charged $23.75 for a $15 concert ticket,” it reflects a common misunderstanding. The real price is $23.75, not $15. The face value is only the beginning of the final price that will be paid. If consumers prefer a single, all-in ticket price, they will pay a higher price but will blind be to the amount of service fees being tacked on. Maybe that ignorance would be a good thing. Either way, they’re paying those service fees. Side note: if you look at the prices and fees on the chart, you’ll see that Ticketmaster’s fees don’t fare too poorly to some of its competitors. Ticketfly events in the sample have an extra $8 to $11 of fees while Ticketmaster fees range from $9.60 to $17.50. As a percent of face value, Ticketmaster’s service fees are quite average. Ticket Alternative, which counts the Black Cat and Rock & Roll Hotel as its clients, charges $3 or less per ticket, the lowest in the sample. (Washington Post)

The Washington Post compares ticket fees & Ticket Alternative comes out on top!

On Sunday May 9th The Washington Post ran an article comparing ticket fees between different venues in the DC area. Naturally, Ticket Alternative came out on top with The Washington Post saying “The is one of the best deals in town.”

You can read the full article below, or online here.

An attempt to break down concert ticket service charges

By Chris Richards
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, May 9, 2010

Why do birds suddenly appear? Should I stay or should I go? Who let the dogs out?

And why am I being charged $23.75 for a $15 concert ticket?

The last question has an answer: Service charges, those annoying fees tacked on to the price of a concert ticket for no apparent reason. Along with hidden credit-card fees and staggering ATM surcharges, ticket service charges offer another twist in the maze of penalties facing American consumers. And concertgoers are getting tired of it.

“I think the fans feel used and abused,” says Gary Bongiovanni, editor in chief of Pollstar, a trade publication for the concert industry. “As an industry, it’s extremely disingenuous to do what we do. These fees may exist for reasons that business people understand, but when a fan tries to buy a ticket for $60, and they pull out their wallet and it ends up being 80-something? Just tell them it’s an $85 ticket, so they don’t feel scammed in the process.”

So where’s the “service” in a service charge? And why do they vary so widely?

Local venues cite disparate operating expenses. Ticketing companies offer customized rates to venues, often based on the volume of tickets they expect to sell. Some venues profit from their service charges while others claim to break even. Sounds as simple as decoding your cellphone bill, right?

Despite complaints from concertgoers, venues aren’t likely to get rid of service charges anytime soon. To help fans understand the fees they should expect to pay, we picked a single gig from each of the area’s leading venues and clicked on the best seats we could find. Below, a breakdown. (Click on the image below to enlarge it)

Luis’ 3 Picks for the Weekend – 8th Annual Boulder Strong Ale Festival, Bassnectar, Echo and the Bunnymen

As busy and jam packed as the weekdays can be, lately it seems like the weekends are equally, if not more, insane. So in case you need a couple more suggestions of what to do, here are a few things I think are worth checking out!

… Continue Reading

Ticket Alternative Announces “No Convenience Fees” At Any of their Ticket Outlets on Record Store Day – Saturday, April 17

Ticket Alternative will waive all convenience fees on tickets purchased for any event at any Ticket Alternative outlet on Saturday, April 17, in honor of Record Store Day – a celebration for the culture that surrounds hundreds of unique record stores around the world.

Customers simply need to purchase tickets in person at one of the following Ticket Alternative outlets (which happen to be record stores!) on Saturday, April 17 during normal store hours.

In addition, customers will have a chance to win tickets and guest list spots to over a dozen concerts at multiple venues – such as The EARL, Star Bar, 529, Vinyl and The Loft.

About Ticket Alternative

Ticket Alternative (www.ticketalternative.com) provides a wide range of ticketing and box office solutions for hundreds of venues nationwide while maintaining the lowest service charges in the industry. This Atlanta based company, with an office in the U.K., prints millions of tickets for independent distribution throughout the U.S. and the U.K. through TA Ticket Printing.  Founded in 2004, by music lovers and entrepreneurs Iain Bluett and Jamie Dwyer, Ticket Alternative believes in putting fans first, dedicated to providing stellar customer and client support.  Combining these elements created a visionary solution that has catapulted Ticket Alternative to market-leader status as they continue to add venues as well as theatres, sports teams, festivals, non-profits and other events across the nation.

Visit www.ticketalternative.com for a complete list of concerts and events nationwide.

For more information, contact:
Melinda M. Bluett, Director of Marketing & Operations
P. 404.897.2375 | melinda.bluett@ticketalternative.com

Large orders? No problem!

Thanks to a recent suggestion from a customer, it’s now easier to order event wristbands in bulk. If you’re a returning customer, or simply want to place a large order of wristbands in one go, head over to EventWristbands.com.

Each box contains 500 Tyvek wristbands, and each box is only $12.50. Simply select the quantity of each design you require and click ‘add to cart’

Don’t forget!

We still offer free shipping via FedEx Ground for orders of 10 boxes or more.

Ticket Alternative’s Iain Bluett To Judge Ambassadors of Rock Battle of the Bands at Hard Rock Cafe Atlanta!

Our very own Iain Bluett, co-founder of Ticket Alternative, will be on hand at the Ambassadors of Rock Battle of the Bands at Hard Rock Cafe Atlanta tomorrow, April 14, to judge the second round! The free event will see local bands rocking out to win a spot at Hard Rock Calling, the British music festival taking place at the legendary Hyde Park in London this June. That means sharing the bill with the likes of Paul McCartney, Pearl Jam, Wolf Mother and more.

There are battles going on at Hard Rock Cafes around the country, and the winners from each battle will be judged by a panel headed by Little Steven Van Zandt, of the E Street Band. The finalists from that round will go on to the final voting round, which will see the fans pick the winner. More information is available at www.atlantasrockstation.com or www.hardrock.com – see you there!