{"id":485,"date":"2006-07-25T15:00:09","date_gmt":"2006-07-25T23:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/archives\/2006\/07\/25\/sold-out\/"},"modified":"2006-07-25T15:23:15","modified_gmt":"2006-07-25T23:23:15","slug":"sold-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/2006\/07\/25\/sold-out\/","title":{"rendered":"Sold Out"},"content":{"rendered":"

Madonna<\/strong>
TD Banknorth Garden\/Boston-Thursday thru Monday-7\/6-7\/10
Gross: $6,337,115
Sold\/Capacity: 36,741\/36,741
Ticket Price(s)-$350.00\/$55.00<\/p>\n

What ever happened to the BOSTON Garden.<\/p>\n

What bothers me is we no longer complain about the creeping commercialism.\u00c2\u00a0 What next, Citibank Yankee Stadium?\u00c2\u00a0 And we wonder why the acts have all sold out too.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s part of our CULTURE!<\/p>\n

As for Madonna…\u00c2\u00a0 Who do we blame more, her or MTV, which made her possible.\u00c2\u00a0 Suddenly, concerts went from music to spectacle.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s now about the SHOW!\u00c2\u00a0 Let’s see Madonna nailed to the cross.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s like fucking DISNEYLAND!<\/p>\n

Madonna has put out some great tracks.\u00c2\u00a0 But it’s less about the music than the media manipulation.\u00c2\u00a0 Always tiptoeing up to the line, and going one step over.\u00c2\u00a0 This illustrates how out of touch the mainstream media is, that they portray an almost fifty year old woman as edgy.\u00c2\u00a0 In an era when the President says "shit" and no one gives one, let’s stop saying that Madonna is testing limits, especially with her last safe dance floor album.\u00c2\u00a0 Madonna is a phenomenal businesswoman.\u00c2\u00a0 A less than mediocre singer.\u00c2\u00a0 And a horrible guitar player.<\/p>\n

Kenny Chesney, Gretchen Wilson, Big & Rich, Dierks Bentley, Carrie Underwood
<\/strong>Gillette Stadium\/Boston-Sunday-7\/16
Gross: $4,136,945
Sold\/Capacity: 55,124\/55,124
Ticket Price(s)-$85.50\/$72.50\/$37.50<\/p>\n

Fifteen years ago, never mind THIRTY years ago, the biggest country acts in America couldn’t have sold out a stadium, probably not even an arena, in Boston.<\/p>\n

Time to start taking country music seriously.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s not a sideshow, but one of the MAIN SHOWS!<\/p>\n

Used to be Top Forty was everyman’s format.\u00c2\u00a0 Now it’s an urban wasteland playing to a slim part of the musical audience.\u00c2\u00a0 Hell, despite all the carping about me-tooism in country, there’s more room for innovation in the Nashville format than there is on Top Forty.\u00c2\u00a0 Hell, Big & Rich feature a BLACK RAPPER!<\/p>\n

Sure, one can lament the loss of a lot of shitkicker country, but what’s left is closer to the Eagles, who own the biggest selling album in history.<\/p>\n

Let’s see.\u00c2\u00a0 The people can sing.\u00c2\u00a0 There are melodies, and hooks.\u00c2\u00a0 You wonder why country does such big business?<\/p>\n

(Kenny Chesney and most of the same characters also sold out in Greenville, SC, Madison Square Garden\/NY, Louisville, KY, Tampa and Nashville.)<\/p>\n

Dave Matthews Band, Gomez<\/strong>
Tweeter Center\/Camden, NJ-Tuesday\/Wednesday-6\/27-6\/28
Gross: $2,130,763
Sold\/Capacity: 50,045\/50,045
Ticket Price(s)-$56.50\/$37.50<\/p>\n

How’d you like a piece of THIS action.<\/p>\n

Illustrating, once again, it’s about careers.\u00c2\u00a0 Sure, Dave has been helped by MTV\/hits, but he hasn’t had one in a long time.\u00c2\u00a0 And, he was doing quite well, arena level business, BEFORE he had any hits.<\/p>\n

Oh, you know.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s the production.\u00c2\u00a0 The lasers, the backdrops, the PYRO!<\/p>\n

Err…\u00c2\u00a0 Dave doesn’t feature any of that.<\/p>\n

No, it’s about the MUSIC!<\/p>\n

Go to a Dave show.\u00c2\u00a0 People lose their minds in the MUSIC!\u00c2\u00a0 It’s not about spectacle.<\/p>\n

This guy is seemingly teflon, he can work forever.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s not like he’s never on the road, he’s on the road almost ENDLESSLY, yet his fans still come.<\/p>\n

And they don’t look like the fans of the MTV\/Top Forty acts.\u00c2\u00a0 They look like college students.\u00c2\u00a0 They look kind of…normal.<\/p>\n

So, if you’re chasing the fads, maybe you’re missing the point.<\/p>\n

Hell, if Dave hadn’t gotten his masters back for re-signing with RCA, he could have gone independent, and gotten seven bucks a record.\u00c2\u00a0 Seven times a million…mmm.<\/p>\n

As for Gomez.\u00c2\u00a0 Good move signing with Red Light Management.\u00c2\u00a0 This audience is YOURS!\u00c2\u00a0 (This is a good opening act fit, unlike so many of the head-turning bills we see today.)<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Dave also sold out in Bristow, VA, Scranton, PA and Hershey, PA.<\/p>\n

And while I’m here, did you notice those TICKET PRICES!\u00c2\u00a0 Respect your fan, treat him right.\u00c2\u00a0 Rip him off and the odds of him coming back are greatly reduced.\u00c2\u00a0 (Can you say Streisand?)<\/p>\n

Tim McGraw & Faith Hill<\/strong>
Sawis Center\/St. Louis-Friday-7\/14
Gross: $1,471,310
Sold\/Capacity: 17,870\/17,870
Ticket Price(s)-$87.00\/$67.00\/$47.00<\/p>\n

The couples\/love act makes me puke.\u00c2\u00a0 I’ll relish the divorce.\u00c2\u00a0 Don’t all these country acts usually split up?\u00c2\u00a0 Didn’t Garth move on?<\/p>\n

Being together all the time breaks up relationships.\u00c2\u00a0 I read it in a book.<\/p>\n

Well, actually, I made that up.\u00c2\u00a0 But, don’t you need a break?\u00c2\u00a0 Don’t you get on each other’s NERVES?<\/p>\n

Faith went back to her fans, she returned to country.\u00c2\u00a0 That’s the story here.<\/p>\n

Hell, wouldn’t you rather deal with these two than Madonna?\u00c2\u00a0 No diva attitude, just a raining cash register.<\/p>\n

(Also sold out in Bossier City, LA…where the hell is THAT, got to give ’em props for going to the boonies…, New Orleans, Atlanta and Des Moines.)<\/p>\n

Rascal Flatts, Gary Allan, The Wreckers
<\/strong>Cricket Pavilion\/Phoenix-Thursday-7\/13
Gross: $690,884
Sold\/Capacity: 18,608\/18,608
Ticket Price(s)-$49.00\/$25.00<\/p>\n

How long have Rascal Flatts been around?\u00c2\u00a0 God, if they weren’t a country act, the manager would be charging $100 and have a gold circle to boot.<\/p>\n

It’s not about taking every last dollar out of a market, it’s about being in business for a long time.\u00c2\u00a0 If people are new to the act, how much should they pay to experience it?\u00c2\u00a0 Concertgoing is no longer a regular habit, but a once in a blue moon event.\u00c2\u00a0 And high ticket prices have contributed to this.<\/p>\n

And to think of all the rappers who couldn’t do close to this number.\u00c2\u00a0 What a fucked up business we have.\u00c2\u00a0 Used to be that airplay coincided with road business.\u00c2\u00a0 Back before the exec believed he was the star, and it was about music.<\/p>\n

And believe me, Rascal Flatts PLAYS music.\u00c2\u00a0 Yup, on regular instruments.\u00c2\u00a0 Songs you can sing along to, that are not only good for dancing in the club.<\/p>\n

But the true props have to go to Bob Cavallo and Hollywood Records.\u00c2\u00a0 From worst to first.\u00c2\u00a0 Sure, some luck was involved, but it’s now starting to look like skill, exercised by a man who’s seen it all, from Lovin’ Spoonful to Prince.\u00c2\u00a0 And notice he doesn’t toot his own horn, like the besuited pricks at the competition he’s whomping.\u00c2\u00a0 Positively old school and I LIKE IT!<\/p>\n

(Also sold out in Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas and Staples Center\/L.A.)<\/p>\n

Red, White and Boom: Ashley Parker Angel, Teddy Geiger, Mario Vasquez, Dirtie Blonde, Saving Jane, Cheyenne, Aly & AJ<\/strong>
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre\/Bonner Springs, KS-Saturday-7\/1
Gross: $203,765
Sold\/Capacity: 11,969\/11,969
Ticket Price(s)-$35.00\/$15.00<\/p>\n

I guess there’s an exception to every rule.\u00c2\u00a0 The nineties haven’t completely evaporated.\u00c2\u00a0 Gather up everybody with a radio hit, sell tickets for a cheap price and you can get newbies who’ve never been to a show before to attend.<\/p>\n

But in the days of Spitzer, how long will this go on?<\/p>\n

Then again, can any of these act play on their own?<\/p>\n

One thing’s for sure.\u00c2\u00a0 In a year, no longer than two, all of these acts will be irrelevant has-beens.\u00c2\u00a0 Yup, I can say that with confidence.\u00c2\u00a0 That’s how important Top Forty radio and MTV are.\u00c2\u00a0 They’re like AM in the seventies.\u00c2\u00a0 The only people listening\/paying attention are those who aren’t music fans to begin with!\u00c2\u00a0 They’re casual listeners.\u00c2\u00a0 Anybody who cares about music is into the acts with CAREERS!<\/p>\n

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young<\/strong>
MTS Centre\/Winnipeg-Friday-7\/14
Gross: $1,225,084
Sold\/Capacity: 11,929\/11,929
Ticket Price(s)-$157.37\/$45.31<\/p>\n

Must be a Canadian thing.\u00c2\u00a0 Because these guys can’t come close to selling out south of the border.\u00c2\u00a0 They did two-thirds of the house at Tweeter in Camden and not quite three-quarters in St. Paul.<\/p>\n

This is sad.\u00c2\u00a0 Without Neil, the other three no longer mean much.\u00c2\u00a0 And their debut is as fine an introductory record as has ever been made.<\/p>\n

When these guys reunited in 1974, it was big news.\u00c2\u00a0 Now it’s…shit, baby boomers trying to relive their youth\/college days by going to see a band that’s just as enmeshed in adulthood as they are.\u00c2\u00a0 Shit, they even LOOK bad.<\/p>\n

Except for Neil.<\/p>\n

Neil’s maintained.\u00c2\u00a0 Both career and his thin, lithe body.\u00c2\u00a0 But despite all the hoopla in the press, how many people truly cared about his last record.\u00c2\u00a0 His career’s been waning too.<\/p>\n

If you were truly a fan of these old acts, bought the records when they came out, not when everybody else already had them, like the attendees at most Stones\/classic rock shows, then you don’t really want to go to these shows.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s creepy.\u00c2\u00a0 Like you’re dead.\u00c2\u00a0 You’d rather sit at home and listen to the original recording, frozen in time, reminding you of who you were and what was going on back then, maybe inspiring you to do something worthwhile in the future as opposed to making peace with the fact your life is over.<\/p>\n

Counting Crows\/Goo Goo Dolls<\/strong>
Red Rocks\/Morrison, CO-Wednesday-7\/5
Gross: $545,858
Sold\/Capacity: 9,484\/9,484
Ticket Price(s)-$69.50\/$49.50<\/p>\n

Don’t tell me venues don’t count.\u00c2\u00a0 Red Rocks is the most spectacular outdoor venue in America, people want to GO THERE!\u00c2\u00a0 Hell, even JOHN TESH did his video\/record there!<\/p>\n

Kind of like the old Fillmores.\u00c2\u00a0 Red Rocks is a home to music.\u00c2\u00a0 Whereas most of those usual suspect amphitheatres are bunker-style edifices erected solely to pull money from your wallet, you go there BEGRUDGINGLY!<\/p>\n

Elsewhere…<\/p>\n

Well, this tour did do 54.8% in Albuquerque, where they must be starved for entertainment, because it did 36.4% in Phoenix, 23.8% in Ridgefield, WA, 33.6% at Shoreline, in Mountain View.\u00c2\u00a0 33.4% in Marysville, CA and 46.3% at Concord, in CA.<\/p>\n

Nickelback, Hoobastank,\u00c2\u00a0 Three Days Grace, Hinder<\/strong>
U.S. Bank Arena\/Cincinnati-Friday-6\/30
Gross: $349,031
Sold\/Capacity-8,150\/8,150
Ticket Price(s)-$47.50\/$39.50<\/p>\n

Yup, keep on saying they suck.<\/p>\n

Mmm…\u00c2\u00a0 Seems like Long Beach Arena in the seventies.\u00c2\u00a0 Put together a bunch of rockers, charge a cheap price and VOILA, you’ve got a sellout!<\/p>\n

Teenagers have angst.\u00c2\u00a0 They need to work it out.\u00c2\u00a0 What better place than the show?<\/p>\n

Especially when tickets are affordable…<\/p>\n

(Also sold out in Indianapolis, Portland, ME, Buffalo, Albany, Columbus and Cleveland.)<\/p>\n

Def Leppard, Journey
<\/strong>Mohegan Sun Arena\/Uncasville, CT-Wednesday-6\/28
Gross: $419,100
Sold\/Capacity-7,589\/7,589
Ticket Price(s)-$85.00\/$70.00<\/p>\n

Like Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young for barely fortysomethings.\u00c2\u00a0 People who remember MTV fondly.<\/p>\n

Do they even know that Steve Perry’s not there?<\/p>\n

No, and they JUST DON’T CARE!<\/p>\n

Oh, Journey could sell out stadiums if Perry reunited with the band, but as long as the act continues to be an afterthought, a mix-in with another headliner, they can do business.<\/p>\n

It appears that Howard Kaufman is the king of the packagers.\u00c2\u00a0 He’ll constantly unite you with another act, convincing people to see you one more time, so you can fill up your retirement account.<\/p>\n

Buffett is golden.\u00c2\u00a0 He’ll always play alone.\u00c2\u00a0 Maybe even from the grave.\u00c2\u00a0 But if Fleetwood Mac ever reappears, especially without Christine McVie, make no mistake, there will be a name opening act.\u00c2\u00a0 (Or, they’ll do shitty business!)<\/p>\n

AFI, Dillinger Escape, Nightmare Of You<\/strong>
Roseland Ballroom, NY-Thursday thru Friday-6\/22-6\/23
Gross: $147,867
Sold\/Capacity-6,859\/6,859
Ticket Price(s)-$23.00<\/p>\n

They call this underplaying.\u00c2\u00a0 They call this playing to your fans.<\/p>\n

Sure, it’s New York City.\u00c2\u00a0 And the ticket price is cheap.\u00c2\u00a0 But, despite appearing on the national radar only recently, AFI has been slogging for a decade, they know it’s about fans, and they want to treat theirs RIGHT!<\/p>\n

(Also sold out in Chicago.)<\/p>\n

Panic! At The Disco, Dresden Dolls, The Hush Sound
<\/strong>Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing-Philadelphia, PA-Saturday-7\/1
Gross: $135,000
Sold\/Capacity-6,207\/6,207
Ticket Price(s)-$22.50<\/p>\n

Come on, this band won’t mean shit next year, right?<\/p>\n

(Also sold out at the 9:30 Club in D.C.)<\/p>\n

Michael Buble, Jann Arden
<\/strong>River Center Arena\/Baton Rouge-Sunday 7\/9
Gross: $349,031
Sold\/Capacity-6,073\/6,073
Ticket Price(s)-$65.00\/$49.50<\/p>\n

Okay, also sold out in: Des Moines, Birmingham, AL, Kettering OH, Hershey, PA, Valley Center, KS, Pensacola, FL, Colorado Springs, CO, Toledo, OH, Wilkes-Barre, PA…<\/p>\n

Fuck, where do we start?<\/p>\n

Credit a great job by the label, Warner Brothers.<\/p>\n

And an even better job by Bruce Allen, Buble’s manager.\u00c2\u00a0 As Bruce always says, it’s PERSONAL management.\u00c2\u00a0 As a result, he can only work with a few acts, but each of those do STRATOSPHERIC business.<\/p>\n

And, notice the promoter is not Live Nation, but Beaver Productions.<\/p>\n

Like his act, Bruce is old school.\u00c2\u00a0 And it appears that old school triumphs.<\/p>\n

Charge a reasonable fee for someone who sings songs!\u00c2\u00a0 It’s not about image (have you seen Buble?), but MUSIC!<\/p>\n

Mark Knopfler, Emmylou Harris
<\/strong>Bank Of America Pavilion\/Boston-Friday-6\/23
Gross: $289,578
Sold\/Capacity-5,100\/5,100
Ticket Price(s)-$71.00\/$35.00<\/p>\n

Well they certainly don’t go to see Knopfler for his looks.\u00c2\u00a0 Or for his voice either.\u00c2\u00a0 But he can PLAY!\u00c2\u00a0 Not the quickest, not the flashiest, but with SOUL!<\/p>\n

Are teenagers going to go see their Top Forty heroes twenty five years from now?\u00c2\u00a0 Right.<\/p>\n

But baby boomers believe in music.\u00c2\u00a0 And want to purchase it and go to the show.\u00c2\u00a0 And respect an act like Knopfler.\u00c2\u00a0 Who will play and take you away, on a journey no video game or movie can ever hope to replicate.<\/p>\n

(Meanwhile, not every date is a hit.\u00c2\u00a0 They did 57.9% in Chicago, although about the same number of people attended, but in Minneapolis they did 83.1% and in D.C. 92.3%.)<\/p>\n

Zappa Plays Zappa: Dweezil Zappa, Steve Vai, Terry Bozzio, Napoleon Murphy Brock & others<\/strong>
Wiltern Theatre\/Los Angeles-Friday-6\/23
Gross: $92,248
Sold\/Capacity-2,035\/2,035
Ticket Price(s)-$52.50\/$42.50<\/p>\n

Where’s Frank when you need him?\u00c2\u00a0 Someone to speak the truth and blow the roof off this phony music business, this phony SOCIETY, we live in.<\/p>\n

The emperor had no clothes, and Frank let us know.\u00c2\u00a0 With stinging guitar and wild chord changes to boot.<\/p>\n

I truly thought he was forgotten, that nobody cared.\u00c2\u00a0 But his son and his old players are barnstorming the country and in excess of ten years of his death, it turns out people STILL REMEMBER!<\/p>\n

They sold out in San Francisco too.<\/p>\n

If they discovered Zeppelin, can the youth discover Frank Zappa too?<\/p>\n

I guess we can hope.<\/p>\n

Badfish-A Tribute To Sublime, Dookie-A Green Day Tribute, Hand Me Down Buick<\/strong>
House of Blues\/Atlantic City, NJ-Thursday-7\/13
Gross: $40,809
Sold\/Capacity-2,500\/2,500
Ticket Price(s)-$20.00\/$17.00\/$15.00<\/p>\n

Admit it, doesn’t this sound like MUCH MORE fun than going to hear some new wannabe band?<\/p>\n

Talk to club promoters.\u00c2\u00a0 Tribute bands are their secret weapon.<\/p>\n

Pink, Matt Nathanson<\/strong>
Avalon\/Hollywood, CA-Wednesday-6\/28
Gross: $33,507
Sold\/Capacity-1,454\/1,454
Ticket Price(s)-$27.00<\/p>\n

Dear Mr. President,<\/p>\n

Please tell me how I could be the biggest act in the land only a few short years ago, and release a new album that was hyped more than almost any other out there, yet still have to play clubs.<\/p>\n

Could it be that it’s not about being a pretty face, but the music?\u00c2\u00a0 Could it be that I truly have no fans?\u00c2\u00a0 Could it be that I’ll have to live off the earnings of my motocrosser husband?<\/p>\n

(Also sold out in San Francisco, with almost identical numbers.)<\/p>\n

Mindless Self Indulgence, Kill Hannah, Julien-K
<\/strong>The Music Box@Fonda Los Angeles-Friday 6\/30
Gross: $26,075
Sold\/Capacity-1,300\/1,300
Ticket Price(s)-$25.00\/$20.00<\/p>\n

Admit it.\u00c2\u00a0 You’ve got no fucking idea who ANY of these acts are.<\/p>\n

But obviously their fans do.\u00c2\u00a0 Not via traditional media, either.<\/p>\n

This is how it used to work.\u00c2\u00a0 When bands grew up from the street instead of being forced down our throat by corporations.<\/p>\n

You’ve got to believe every person who went told all his friends about it.\u00c2\u00a0 They’re members of a secret club, which is growing.\u00c2\u00a0 THAT’S what you want to belong to, not be the eight-millionth fan of some overhype.<\/p>\n

(Also sold out in San Francisco.)<\/p>\n

\n

Box Office statistics provided by CelebrityAccess and Billboard.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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MadonnaTD Banknorth Garden\/Boston-Thursday thru Monday-7\/6-7\/10Gross: $6,337,115Sold\/Capacity: 36,741\/36,741Ticket Price(s)-$350.00\/$55.00 What ever happened to the BOSTON Garden. What bothers me is we no longer complain about the creeping commercialism.\u00c2\u00a0 What next, Citibank Yankee Stadium?\u00c2\u00a0 And we wonder why the acts have all sold out too.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s part of our CULTURE! As for Madonna…\u00c2\u00a0 Who do we blame […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-live-shows","category-music-business"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p96vPs-7P","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/485","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=485"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/485\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=485"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=485"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lefsetz.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=485"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}