Ticket Scalping (OzzFest, Patti Smith and more)

Occasionally, I'll buy heavily discounted tickets off of eBay to shows I am sort of neutral about and don't care enough about the band(s) to pay for a full price ticket. I can't think of anything (outside of The Jam or At The Gates reuniting) where I would pay scalpers prices.

I get a kick out of looking through eBay to see what tickets are going for:

- OzzFest tickets (at PNC Arts Center) are getting no bidders at .99 cents a pair
- Beastie Boys tickets (at McCarren Pool, Brooklyn) are going for $175+ a pair
- Patti Smith ticket (at Music Hall of Williamsburg) are going for $175+ a pair

I'd love to see the Beasties and Patti Smith but just I can't see paying almost $100 per ticket. OzzFest ticket prices are a bit closer to my speed. I'll have to check out the lineup of bands to see if it is worth driving out to NJ for the show.

Last year, I was sitting in the Brooklyn Brewery on a Saturday afternoon and they were trying to give away a free pair of OzzFest tickets (to the show on Randall's Island that same day) and I don't think they had any takers.

Links:
OzzFest (link)

Redemption for OzzFest Tickets Starts Tomorrow

Let the madness begin...OzzFest ticket redemption starts tomorrow.

For anyone in the tri-state area, the closest show is either Hartford, CT or PNC Arts Center in Homdel, NJ. Here are the scheduled times for redeeming your ticket vouchers for these show:

New England Dodge Music Theatre - Hartford, CT - 8/18/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 1:00 PM

PNC Bank Arts Center - Holmdel, NJ - 8/16/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 5:00 PM
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Here is the complete schedule for ticket redemption times:

White River Amphitheatre - Seattle, WA - 7/12/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 10:00 AM

The Gorge - George, WA - 7/14/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 8:00 AM

Sleep Train Amphitheatre - Marysville, CA - 7/17/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 4:00 PM

Shoreline Amphitheatre - Mountain View, CA - 7/19/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 8:00 AM

Hyundai Pavilion - Devore, CA - 7/21/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 10:00 AM

Cricket Pavilion - Phoenix, AZ - 7/24/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 6:00 PM

Journal Pavilion - Albuquerque, NM - 7/26/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 7:00 PM

Coors Amphitheatre - Denver, CO - 7/28/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 7:00 PM

Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre - KC - Bonner Springs, KS - 7/30/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 10:00 AM

Smirnoff Music Centre - Dallas, TX - 8/2/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 6:00 PM

Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre - San Antonio, TX - 8/4/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 2:00 PM

Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - St. Louis, MO - 8/6/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 4:00 PM

Germain Amphitheatre - Columbus, OH - 8/8/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 11:00 AM

First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre - Chicago, IL - 8/10/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 8:00 PM

Alpine Valley Music Theatre - East Troy, WI - Date: 8/12/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 12:00 PM

Verizon Wireless Music Center - Indianapolis, IN - Date: 8/14/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 3:00 PM

PNC Bank Arts Center - Holmdel, NJ - 8/16/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 5:00 PM

New England Dodge Music Theatre - Hartford, CT - 8/18/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 1:00 PM

Tweeter Center - Boston, MA - 8/20/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 3:00 PM

Tweeter Center at the Waterfront - Camden, NJ - 8/22/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 7:00 PM

Post-Gazette Pavilion - Pittsburgh, PA - 8/24/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 3:00 PM

DTE Energy Music Theatre - Clarkston, MI - 8/26/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 5:00 PM

Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte - Charlotte, NC - 8/28/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 7:00 PM

Sound Advice Amphitheatre - West Palm Beach, FL - 8/30/2007
Code Redemption Starts: 6/12/2007 at 5:00 PM

OzzFest Pre-Tickets Are Available as of Noon Today

I registered for a chance to get tickets but I suspect this will turn out to be a real boondoggle. I hope everyone interested in this show understands all the steps involved in getting tickets. Today's registration doesn't do anything more than give you the right to try and get tickets when they are made available on June 12th. Reservered seats will be distributed first so...the reality is that if you want a reserved seat, you need to purchase the limited pre-sale version of Ozzy's new CD, Black Rain. Pre-sale CD purchasers can redeem the code included in their CD for tickets in advance of the general public. Pre-sale redemption dates run from June 8 - June 11. I am now wondering if the pre-sale is over as the page that had the pre-sale purchase information is now a bad link.

I also get a kick that the ticket site is explicitly spelling out that parking will be a separate charge. The OzzFest FAQs state:

Q: The websites say that I have to pay for parking. Parking is usually free at this concert site. What gives?
A: Parking actually isn’t free - the cost of parking is included in the cost of a ticket. Because the tickets to Ozzfest are free, there will be a per car charge for parking.

Mike's interpretation -- Expect parking to be expensive.

All-in-all, I'd like to see this show but if it turns out to be too much of a pain -- I am really not going to miss driving all the way out to PNC. (I still can't believe there are no NYC dates)

OzzFest 2007 Tickets -- Let the Hype Start

As much as I am going to make fun of the hype around this year's free OzzFest tickets and I really hate the idea of the closest location being PNC in Jersey, I am still going to try and get a pair of tickets. (If anyone can get me a photo pass, please drop me an email).

I just received the following email tonight:
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OZZFEST Announces How Fans Can
Obtain Their Free Tickets
To This Summers Ground-Breaking Extravaganza

You’ve heard about how OZZFEST is boldly redefining the concert industry this year by making all the tickets to the summer’s premiere touring concert festival entirely free for fans.

Well, Ozzfest fans have a number of ways to score a pair of tickets to “FreeFest”--which will rock mightily with festival’s namesake OZZY OSBOURNE and Lamb of God, Hatebreed, Lordi, Behemoth, Mondo Generator, Nile, Ankla, Circus Diablo, The Showdown, 3 Inches of Blood, Daath, Chthonic and In This Moment.

Ticket codes will be distributed through sponsor websites beginning May 12. Details on these programs are available on ozzfest.com, livenation.com, monsterenergy.com, jagermusic.com and fye.com. In the meantime, various sponsors will have offline initiatives, details of which will also be available via their respective websites.

These codes can be redeemed for tickets beginning June 12--exactly one month before the first OZZFEST 2007 show in Seattle. Fans will return to the site where they registered or www.livenation.com/ozzfest, enter their code and download two tickets to the show of their choice. Note: To ensure that everyone gets the chance for free tickets, there is a limit of two tickets per customer.

The 24-city earth-pounding 12th annual OZZFEST will launch July 12 in Seattle, WA at the White River Amphitheatre. OZZFEST will also hit George, WA, Sacramento, CA, Mountain View, CA, Devore, CA, Phoenix, AZ, Albuquerque, NM, Denver, CO, Kansas City, MO, Dallas, TX, San Antonio, TX, St. Louis, MO, Columbus, OH, Tinley Park, IL, East Troy, WI, Indianapolis, IN, Holmdel, NJ, Hartford, CT, Boston, MA, Philadelphia, PA, Pittsburgh, PA, Detroit, MI, Charlotte, NC and West Palm Beach, FL.

Stay tuned to www.ozzfest.com and www.LiveNation.com for the most up to date information on this summer’s extravaganza.