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New York Attorney General Issues Scathing Report on Concert Ticketing Industry

Many of us have been there. Ticketmaster queued up, ready to click “buy tickets” as soon as sales begin. You’re sure you’re going to get quality seats for the show; after all, you clicked on that “buy” button the second the clock struck 10. Alas, you discover you’re in the nosebleeds once the purchase is complete.

How does this happen so regularly to concert goers? New York State Attorney General Eric Shneiderman had the same question, and his office conducted a three-year investigation into the ticketing industry and Thursday issued a report on the findings.

The report details results of his office’s investigation into online ticketing and the practices of third-party ticket resale sites such as StubHub and TicketsNow.

The 44-page report cited numerous complaints the AG’s office has fielded concerning “price gouging,” “scalping,” “outrageous fees” and “immediate sell outs.” One consumer quoted in the report stated, “The average fan has no chance to buy tickets at face value…this is a disgrace.”

The AG confirmed this concerned consumer’s remarks, finding:

The majority of tickets for the most popular concerts are not reserved
for the general public at least in the first instance. Rather, before a member of the public can buy
a single ticket for a major entertainment event, over half of the available tickets are either put on
“hold” and reserved for a variety of industry insiders including the venues, artists or promoters,
or are reserved for “pre-sale” events and made available to non-public groups, such as those
who carry particular credit cards.

The figure below illustrates New York-area shows between 2012-2013 for which tickets were held from general sale for pre-sale insiders. An “insider” can be classified as a holder of a sponsoring credit card, a member of a fan club, members of social media sites or shopping sites. The consumer who is not a member of any of the above mentioned groups is immediately at a disadvantage once tickets are officially on sale to the general public.

In addition to tickets being held in advance of an on-sale date, brokers use bot software to purchase hundreds of tickets at a time using a four-step process. In December of 2014, ticket sales for a June U2 show at Madison Square Garden saw one broker, using ticket bot software, purchase 1,102 tickets within the first minute of sale. The report defines a ticket bot as:

Software that automates ticket-buying on platforms such as ticketmaster.com. Automation lets the Bot (1) perform each transaction at lightning speed, and (2) perform hundreds or thousands of transactions simultaneously. As a result, in the first moments after tickets to a top show go on sale, Bots crowd out human purchasers and can snap up most of the good seats.

Bot programs allow brokers access to hundreds of tickets which are then immediately placed for sale on third-party sites. Frustrated consumers still wishing to attend a concert or sporting event are then left with only the ticket resellers as an option to buy, and at a markup anywhere from 15 percent to 118 percent of face value.

As illustrated in the figure above, brokers using bot programs are able circumvent any prevention methods instituted by ticket sellers such as Ticketmaster and Live Nation.

Several startups, such as Cash or Trade, are becoming more popular among savvy ticket buyers. Cash or Trade touts itself as the “World’s first social ticketing platform.” There, members have the ability to sell tickets at face value or in trade among themselves [Cash or Trade is a partner of NYS Music].

While bots and pre-sale events comprised the majority of the AG’s report, one complaint that has been fielded repeatedly for years is that of “convenience” or “handling” fees on the part of the ticket agency. One complaint stated, “I purchased a 30 dollar ticket to see A View From A Bridge. During the transaction I saw that a ten dollar fee would be added for handling. Handling what? I am using my own printer to print my own ticket!”

Ticketmaster often takes blame for many of the added charges, but the report states that some of the blame can also be given to the venues as well.

In its final recommendation, the report calls for the state legislature to conduct hearings challenging the key players to level the field for everyday fans to be able to get their hands on tickets to even the most high-profile events. The call for ticket resale platforms to comply with the law, greater transparency in regards to allocations and limits, and addressing what the AG termed the “Bot Epidemic” are steps the state legislature needs to take. “A longer-term solution must include improvements in Bot detection and prevention methods. While the industry works on long-term technological solutions, steps can be taken to reduce Bot use in the near term,” the report states.

In the meantime, keep your mouse finger at the ready for the next big show you hope to attend.

January 30, 2016
Perfect Medicine for Winter Blues: Bluegrass with Floodwood

The year was 2012 and it was my first Utica Music and Arts Festival. Asked to cover the festival by a friend who knew I enjoyed taking photos of bands, I dove right into the deep end of the pool of venues on Varick Street not quite knowing what to expect. The diversity of music was amazing as the festival featured several venues throughout the city and artists from all over the country playing music from all genres. For me, this sensory overload had been an eclectic introduction to what would become a new passion for me – music photography. It being the final evening of the three day event, I followed the crowd as they dispersed to the hub of what was the final show of the festival to be held at the Hotel Utica. Little did I know, this would be my introduction to a band that would quickly become a new favorite.

The crowd seemed eager and excited for the final show to begin. Although I wasn’t sure what type of music this Floodwood played, I felt a sense of excitement in the room that piqued my curiosity. Making my way to the front, which wasn’t an easy feat, I positioned myself front and center for the best access to these five musicians. Given the green light to make my way in and around for crowd shots from behind the stage, I was excited to see what was in store and hoped to get some good shots.

As the music began it was as though a bell went off for me. Already a music lover of all things Celtic and all things country, this bluegrass sound mixed the two sounds I loved so much, the banjo and fiddle. And so began my love and appreciation of bluegrass music. Bluegrass wasn’t new to me as I was raised during a portion of my childhood in the heart of Tennessee. Bluegrass was prevalent there, but country music was beginning to become increasingly mainstreamed and less “picking and grinning” as Buck Owens and Roy Clark coined. So this reintroduction was welcomed and so much more appreciated than those days of my childhood. Playing the heck out of the set, the crowd didn’t allow the band to stop until more than three hours had passed. It wasn’t until the management put their foot down that the music stopped and crowd dispersed. It was the perfect closing to an amazing weekend of music in the city of Utica.

Fast forward four years and several shows and festivals later and I find myself in the village of Clinton on a December evening at the Kirkland Art Center, a venue that often features some amazing music. This sold out show was a highlight in my hectic month, and with some new additions I was anxious to see the new chemistry of the band. Original members Jason Barady, Nick Piccininni, and Vinnie Amico (moe.)were joined this evening by Chris Eves from Castle Creek, and Tony Markellis from the Trey Anastasio Band. The chemistry they shared was as though they were meant to be. Not missing a beat, this group certainly knows how to get the feet moving and the hands clapping along as they pick and grin. Their individual talents are outstanding, and together they are beyond exceptional.

I highly suggest you take in a show soon this winter if you haven’t yet been introduced to Floodwood. You can thank me later for helping you beat the winter blues as I’ve never left a show without a huge smile on my face. #musicismedicine

[FinalTilesGallery id=’598′][FinalTilesGallery id=’600′]

January 29, 2016
Otis Live Presents: Blind Owl Band

The latest installment of Otis Live Presents features Blind Owl Band, whose roots are found deep in the Adirondacks. Their tour kicks off February 4 at Saint Lawrence University’s Pub 56. Catch them throughout New York and New England in February and March!

January 29, 2016
From Flat to Fact: Neil deGrasse Tyson Schools B.o.B with Rebuttal Rap

The Twittersphere was abuzz this week when Georgia rapper B.o.B — Bobby Ray Simmons — posted a series of tweets dissing the Earth’s roundness theory. But have no fear, the media’s favorite celebrity scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson rushed to the rescue.

B.o.B’s self-proclaimed photographic evidence (posted below) in support of the Flat-Earth Conspiracy went viral, causing the New York City-based astrophysicist to fire back with point-blank scientific facts. B.o.B shot off more opinionated tweets, saying things like “the horizon is always eye level” and “once you go flat you never go back.” Tyson’s response? “Duude — to be clear: Being five centuries regressed in your reasoning doesn’t mean we all can’t still like your music.” The spat escalated quickly to a full-on rap battle.

https://twitter.com/bobatl/status/691411463051804676

On Monday night, B.o.B released “Flatline” on SoundCloud (now removed), and by Tuesday, Tyson had posted his rebuttal — a track titled “Flat to Fact” that was written and recorded by his nephew, Steve Tyson, and labeled B.o.B’s line of thinking as ignorant and mentally enslaving.

The Twitter fight was trending on news outlets across the country and highlighted on shows like “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore,” in which Tyson himself made an appearance and did a little freestyling before he literally dropped the mic. Here’s a sample:

Listen B.o.B, once and for all. The Earth looks flat because, one, you’re not far enough away, at your size. Two, your size isn’t large enough relative to Earth to notice any curvature at all. It’s a fundamental fact of calculus and non-Euclidean geometry—small sections of large curved surfaces will always look flat to little creatures that crawl upon it.”

Tyson continued by acknowledging the rapper’s freedom to think the world is flat, but deemed this “strain” of thinking for a public influencer as “the beginning of the end of our informed democracy.” And he left B.o.B with one last knowledge bomb:

Quoting my man Isaac Newton, ‘If I have seen farther than others, it’s by standing on the shoulders of giants.’ So that’s right B.o.B, when you stand on the shoulders of those who came before, you might just see far enough to realize the Earth isn’t fucking flat.”

While we love a good rap feud, it’s safe to say that Tyson will thankfully be sticking to his day job as the head of the world-renowned Hayden Planetarium. Case closed.

January 29, 2016
Jefferson Airplane’s Paul Kantner Dies at 74

Iconic San Francisco musician Paul Kantner died Thursday, Jan. 28, of multiple organ failure and septic shock.

A founding member of the Jefferson Airplane, Kantner, 74, suffered a heart attack earlier this week, reported the San Francisco Chronicle, adding that he had experienced many health problems in recent years.

With Jefferson Airplane, Kantner defined the mid-1960s psychedelic sound and created hits like “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit” featuring Grace Slick’s narcotic vocals. Most notably, the band was the first headliner at Bill Graham’s legendary Fillmore Auditorium and performed at Woodstock. Kantner and Slick transformed the group into Jefferson Starship in 1974; Kantner departed 11 years later, although the couple had a daughter together.

In 1996, Kantner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and he continued touring up until his death. Most recently, Steve Malinski witnessed Kantner perform with several bandmates for a 50th anniversary celebration at the Ridgefield Playhouse in Connecticut this past August:

The Starship’s presence on stage was bold and cohesive – original members of the Airplane Paul Kantner and David Freiberg kept the sound true and original to the Airplane along with longtime Starship drummer Donny Baldwin, keyboardist Chris Smith and guitarist Jude Gold. The animated and exhuberant Cathy Richardson fulfilled the big-shoes role created by Grace Slick’s powerful vocals, to whom she gave a tip of the hat to near the end of the set. Together they made the performance feel engaging to the audience with down to earth, unscripted banter and humor between songs, which has been a consistency for the group through the past several years.”

Paul Kantner at the Woodstock 40th Anniversary Concert, Bethel Woods Aug. 15, 2009

Paul Lorin Kantner is survived by three children: sons Gareth and Alexander, and daughter, China. At press time, funeral arrangements had not been released.

January 29, 2016
Motley Crue’s Vince Neil to Compete in ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’

This week, TMZ broke the news that Motley Crue’s Vince Neil is starring in the next season of NBC’s “The Celebrity Apprentice.” With Motley recently hanging the gloves, Neil, who is no stranger to reality TV, is returning to the screen.

On “The Celebrity Apprentice,” the stars that compete on the show partake in business tasks and assignments to raise money for their charity of their choice. No word on what charity Neil will raise money for. This season, Arnold Schwarzenegger has replaced Trump. Filming is expected to start in New York City in March with the show debuting this September on NBC.

In other post-Motley Crue news, guitarist Mick Mars is recording a solo album with former Motley Crue vocalist John Corabi, and Nikki Sixx is expected to tour with Sixx A.M. in 2016.

January 29, 2016
Hearing Aide: Gone Gone Beyond

Picture a small, dimly lit venue with a dusty stage in the back. The ambiance is quite relaxed; the space is occupied, but not packed. There is minimal chatter between young music-lovers who appreciate innovative music and ideas. The crowd vibes in time to a conglomeration of folk, indie, and electronic sounds. This is the mental imagery that could conceivably accompany Gone Gone Beyond’s self-titled debut album.

Danny Musengo’s raw, captivating vocals are quite prominent throughout the album. The raspy timbre of his voice coupled with the soul behind each note keeps the audience holding onto each syllable.

“Back Swing’s” electric guitar sounds haunting with the echo distortion and open melodic intervals. More unique instrumentation includes a growly trumpet harmony and violin. “Carnival” nicely juxtaposes what sounds like acoustic piano with electronic percussion. It’s got a flair of EDM with a dance groove towards the end that gives the a song cool ‘B’ section. “Under Seige” implements the innocent female vocals of Colibri which gives the track a refreshing quality.

Gone Gone Beyond says that the subject matter of their lyrics stems from life, nature, and love- The Human Experience. “Here for A Moment” highlights that love and life are both fleeting, and Musengo sings that he’s “here for a moment, then floating away.” The repetition of the line allows for the layers to build and solidify the concept. In “Ain’t Givin’ Up On Love,” it’s obvious the quest for love is ongoing and shouldn’t be missed out on. The longest and final track called “Long Day” is the longest track in the collection. This song seems to represent life as a whole as life can be thought of as one lengthy day. While lyrics touch on children growing older and seemingly unrequited love, the instrumentals say it all. The soft lull and highs and lows paint an aural picture of the ups and downs of life.

It is evident that David Block (producer) put a great deal of time and energy into writing and blending each of the compositional elements. The majority of tracks are just over five minutes long, which deviates from the standard four minute norm. There is more consideration for development of phrases and transitions between different ideas, which ultimately takes more time than a regular indie or folk song. Each song begins with a very sparse texture and builds throughout incorporating more and more instruments. The choice of instrumentation and musicianship of the players are what make this album enticing to listen to. Traditional band instruments like guitar and piano are combined with flute, violin, trumpet, double bass, synthesized sounds, and steel pan. Each instrument has a specific purpose and isn’t incorporated for the novelty of doing so.

This album is quite artistic in creation and the hard work of perfecting each of the elements is very apparent. Check the album out on SoundCloud and Bandcamp!

Key Tracks: Back Swing, Long Day, Ain’t Givin Up On Love

January 28, 2016
Barroom Philosophers Release Debut EP, Announce Shows

The Barroom Philosophers formed in the summer of 2014, and since then the self-described “funky reggae with a side of rock” band has played countless gigs throughout Central New York. Most recently, the Syracuse-based group released their debut EP titled, Thoughts That Count, and are still in the running for a SAMMYs People’s Choice Award for favorite local band.

Mastered by Langston Masingale (StudioDOG Pro), the three-track EP features the producer’s signature analog style (using his self-invented Zulu device) and has found airplay on Syracuse-area radio stations, including Dave Frisina’s “Soundcheck” on Rebel 105.9. The release, including songs “Role Models,” “Zillion Pound Babies” and “Animal is Caged,” dishes up 15 minutes of original funk jams. Frontman David Koegel’s soulful chops set the groove on TTC, backed by surfy blues-rock riffs, cool horns, mellow bass lines and steady beats. Think Sublime meets the Black Crowes.

The four-piece former cover band, consisting of Brenden Boshart (drums), Ty Hancock (bass), Koegel (vocals) and Joshua Way (guitar), have nearly 20 shows scheduled at hometown spots like Funk ‘N Waffles and the Westcott Theater, plus they are booked to perform at RocCity Brewfest in Rochester and Wild Weed Acres Music Festival in Ovid this summer.

A complete list of dates for the Barroom Philosophers is available below. Thoughts That Count can be streamed digitally through the band’s website.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b6Y_5IvtQE

Barroom Philosophers 2016 Dates (New York):

1/29 – The Ferris Wheel – Oswego
1/30 – Mac’s Bad Art Bar – Mattydale
2/6 – Mohegan Manor – Baldwinsville
2/12 – Funk N Waffles (University) – Syracuse
2/20 – RocCity Brewfest – Rochester
2/26 – The Ferris Wheel – Oswego
2/28 – Westcott Theater – Syracuse
3/5 – Mohegan Manor – Baldwinsville
3/11 – The Ferris Wheel – Oswego
3/18 – Old City Hall – Oswego
3/26 – Kitty Hoynes – Syracuse
4/1 – Limp Lizard – Liverpool
4/8 – The Ferris Wheel – Oswego
4/16 – Old City Hall – Oswego
4/23 – Bridge Street Tavern – Solvay
5/13 – Kitty Hoynes – Syracuse
5/20 – Old City Hall – Oswego
5/28 – The Ferris Wheel – Oswego
6/30 – Wild Weed Acres Music Festival – Ovid

January 28, 2016
Formula 5 and Strange Machines Get Weird at Funk ‘N Waffles Downtown

In these frigid mid-winter temperatures, sometimes even the promise of submerging the subconscious in metamorphic melodies is not a strong enough force to lure blanket-wrapped couch dwellers from the confines of ultimate comfort. Those that failed to emerge from their cozy cocoons missed Formula 5 and Strange Machines exploring an assortment of jam tactics at Funk ‘N Waffles downtown Saturday January 23.

Massachusetts-based Strange Machines opened, featuring Mike MacDonald (guitar/vocals), Christian Perron (keys), Bill Noonan (drums) and Craig Holland (bass). They launched their set with a hard rock attitude, temporarily taming their monster sound and diffusing into a nebulous ambience before mutating into a funky breakdown.

Throughout their set Strange Machines continued to cross genre boundaries, fully utilizing distortion techniques to broaden the scope of their sound and keep the crowd intrigued. At the conclusion of a song that culminated in a unification of crashing symbols and heavy guitar strumming, MacDonald posed, “You guys are okay with weird, right?” Swerving into a hip hop beat, the band continuously shifted gears to undulate seamlessly between rock and reggae overtones.

MacDonald’s vocals fluctuated conjunctively between soul and rock. While he nailed a falsetto covering MGMT’s “Electric Feel,” as is often the case with instrumental projects, the sound from his lips fell short of the grandeur projected from the musician’s fingertips. Despite vocals that at times felt forced, MacDonald and Holland conveyed an organic chemistry during a bluesy portion of the set as they merged into a matching rhythm, momentarily mirroring subtle full-body swaying. Knees and hips swiveled as skillful fingers dexterously plucked the stringed instruments slung across their bodies.

Formula 5 followed, the crew of young musicians channeling New York pride from their Albany home base. Joe Davis (guitar/vocals), James Woods (bass) and Matt Richards (keys/vocals) presented a gentler, more even-toned identity, flooding the room with a mellow jazziness. The pleasant tones washed the crowd in a sea of warmth, conveying a sensation of floating leisurely through tropical ocean waves, or perhaps burrowing in that same fuzzy blanket flung abandoned on the couch on a Saturday night.

Formula 5 and Strange Machines’ cover choices appropriately blended with each band’s sound aesthetic. Collectively, they served up a medley of jam-based dishes for every taste ranging from plain buttered noodles to jazzed-up spicy stew.

Strange Machines setlist:

Steal Away > jam, Squid, Golden Rule, Juxtaposed > Enter the Interceptor, Little Monster, The Shape of Things, Electric Feel*, Brighton Tickler, The In-between

* MGMT cover

Formula 5 setlist:

I: Earthbound$* -> Floating@ -> Earthbound, Kid Charlemagne (Steely Dan), Pedro* -> Excalibur$, Coming Home -> Mellow Mood! -> Jam -> Hot Box

E: Drum Solo -> Magic Carpet Ride (Steppenwolf)

* – Unfinished
$ – contains Tweezer (Phish) Tease
@ – contains Divided Sky (Phish) Tease
! – Bob Marley & The Wailers cover, First time played

January 28, 2016
Break Science to Break it Down Back to Back in Brooklyn

Brooklyn-based electronica duo Break Science will put on back-to-back hometown shows this week at Brooklyn Bowl.

Break Science is the project of Adam Deitch (drums) and Borahm Lee (keys). The duo fuses its hip-hop roots with dub and funk influences and a smattering of electronic styles to create a fusion music that rumbles and moves bodies. Both collaborators have extensive experience playing in other bands (Lettuce, Pretty Lights Live Band, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Matisyahu), and Deitch has produced the likes of 50 Cent, Redman and Talib Kweli.

In the past few months, Break Science have released the acclaimed single “Force of Nature” ft. Paperwhite and have toured the US. They’re set to appear at the Gem & Jam Festival in Tuscon, AZ, in February. In the midst of this activity, these Brooklyn Bowl gigs will showcase Dietch and Lee playing in two different live band configurations.

Thursday, January 28, will feature Break Science performing in conjunction with Manic Focus, the musical project of likeminded Chicago-based artist John “JmaC” McCarten. The High & Mighty Brass Band Horns and CX will round out the band. Artifakts and Brasstracks will open.

Friday, January 29, will feature the Break Science Live Band comprised of The Shady Horns, Adam “Shmmeans” Smirnoff and Jesus Coomes of Lettuce, Rahzel, CX and Bajah. Marvel Years and Dreamers Delight will open. Doors open at 6 PM and music starts at 8 PM both evenings.

January 26, 2016