early ticket sales with no box office; a terrible policy

Wow, awesome, two early ticket sales without the box office selling in two weeks! Belle and Sebastian and Clap Your Hands. What the hell is going on? For people who don't like spending $8 extra on a ticket, this week has been a real fucking over. Thanks 9:30! I think it is really slimy of you to have tickets on sale only on the internet when the box office isn't open. Why is it called a "pre-sale" when all the damn tickets are on sale? Why aren't some reserved for people who are willing to get over to the club and buy tickets?

I already saw Clap Your Hands at the Black Cat, a place that sells tickets at the club when they are available and doesn't charge $4.50 for a Budweiser bottle.

I'm really fucking pissed at the 9:30 this week. Refashion your ticket sales so people can get a ticket and not have to pay tickets.com some fucking ridiculous fee.

Originally posted by nayr497:

I already saw Clap Your Hands at the Black Cat, a place that sells tickets at the club when they are available and doesn't charge $4.50 for a Budweiser bottle.

You wouldn't have gotten tickets for this show if it were held at the Black Cat this time either, as their "box office" doesn't open until 8:00 p.m.

I kind of hear you (I didn't get Clap Your Hands tickets either, I was heading to the club this afternoon), but there's virtually no place that opens its box office same time as tickets go on sale. Only ones are Ticketmaster outlets at Hecht's, for instance, and then you're paying the extra fees anyway (and maybe not even getting tickets to shows that sell out in minutes unless you're the first person in line).

You're frustrated, but I don't agree that the club's policy is out of line.

There was a pre-sale for CYHSY that was in Volume the clubs paper newsletter send by post.

The B&S show was announced in the 9:30 email blast and by the band, but was never listed as a presales. As quickly as the B&S went I doubt being at the boxoffice would have made much of a difference. CYHSY tickets were available two full days after being announced. I'm sure some will call it a "suprise" sellout and the real fans gots locked out.

Besides the club has been holding early sales for awhile a now and tickets those shows have been available at the boxoffice.

I agree with the original poster.

I had hoped to get tickets to both the Pogues and Belle and Sebastian at the box office.

However, since online sales started at 10 am, and the box office doesn't open until Noon, both shows were sold out before they ever went on sale at the box office.

Is there a way for the 9:30 Club to stipulate to tickets.com to start online sales at the same time that they open the 9:30 box office? Or does 9:30 Club get a cut of the tickets.com ticket fees, thus making it more lucrative for the 9:30 Club to have the tickets sold through tickets.com than through their box office???

ok so tickets go onsale at the boxoffice and tickets.com at the same and a hundred people show up at the boxoffice wanting to get tickets. as quickly as those shows went do you think everyone in line is going to get tickets? people will complain about that too…

i bought tickets for clap your hands on the bands' website two saturdays ago… plus the 930 presale there probably just weren't that many tickets left when the general sale started

And my 2 cents is that it's a hassle buying tickets at the Black Cat. You ask the person at the front desk, someone has to go get the manager, the manager has to show up, and then he goes and gets your tickets. The process usually takes 10-15 minutes, or longer, which is not convenient.

At 9:30, you pull up to the window and buy tix straight away. Or you buy them online. I've missed out on some shows, but it's always been because I waited too long.

I kinda disagree.

It at least gives fans some chance of getting tickets for shows that will sell-out. Most people on here who wanted B&S tickets who were awake actually got tickets. For shows with countless pre-sales that was rarely the case.

I don't really care that much, but the original poster has a point.

As for the Black Cat, the inconvenience never bothered me… go in, sit at the bar, have a Red Room Ale, and your ticket will be delivered to you before you're even halfway through it.

http://www.alex.to/alt.dc.music

Originally posted by Doctor Mood:
I don't really care that much, but the original poster has a point.

As for the Black Cat, the inconvenience never bothered me… go in, sit at the bar, have a Red Room Ale, and your ticket will be delivered to you before you're even halfway through it.

http://www.alex.to/alt.dc.music

by the way, i noticed that the price of a red room went up recently…

You must have a very fast watch, or be an impatient person.??

I've bought tickets at the Black Cat box office maybe 8 or 10 times, and yes they are slow. But I've never had to wait more than maybe five or six minutes.

Originally posted by Relaxer:
And my 2 cents is that it's a hassle buying tickets at the Black Cat. You ask the person at the front desk, someone has to go get the manager, the manager has to show up, and then he goes and gets your tickets. The process usually takes 10-15 minutes, or longer, which is not convenient.

At 9:30, you pull up to the window and buy tix straight away. Or you buy them online. I've missed out on some shows, but it's always been because I waited too long.

Originally posted by Relaxer:
And my 2 cents is that it's a hassle buying tickets at the Black Cat. You ask the person at the front desk, someone has to go get the manager, the manager has to show up, and then he goes and gets your tickets. The process usually takes 10-15 minutes, or longer, which is not convenient.

its a huge hassle buying tix at the Black Cat….and don't get me started on the soviet-style, show your ticket and id to one person at the door….shuffle 4 steps and hand your ticket to someone at the desk and receive another ticket in return….shuffle 4 steps to your right and hand that ticket to someone else to get upstairs……oh so efficient when dealing with a sold out crowd

Originally posted by brennser:

Originally posted by Relaxer:
And my 2 cents is that it's a hassle buying tickets at the Black Cat. You ask the person at the front desk, someone has to go get the manager, the manager has to show up, and then he goes and gets your tickets. The process usually takes 10-15 minutes, or longer, which is not convenient.

its a huge hassle buying tix at the Black Cat….and don't get me started on the soviet-style, show your ticket and id to one person at the door….shuffle 4 steps and hand your ticket to someone at the desk and receive another ticket in return….shuffle 4 steps to your right and hand that ticket to someone else to get upstairs……oh so efficient when dealing with a sold out crowd

I blame Dave Grohl…it's his club! (Gets ready for angry assault from bags)

I found it quite amusing buying tics at the Black Cat….it's like the old "Frankie said to ask for Vinnie" "oh, okay….I'll go get vinnie" then you wait till they find Vinnie.

That old ticket shuffle is also very interesting. I thought it was a David Blane trick at first…like when you get to the last ticket swap/check they give you back your underwear that you were wearing at the first ticket exchange…Then Vinnie turns his back on you and does that levitation thing.

Originally posted by HoyaParanoia:
by the way, i noticed that the price of a red room went up recently…

Really? I bet their rent has skyrocketed since they opened there, given what has happened to that neighborhood. I wonder how long they'll be able to stay there….

Originally posted by brennser:
soviet-style

heh… let a bunch of indie kids manage anything, and Soviet-style is exactly what you'll get. :D

Okay how do I handle this without coming accross as being less than understanding?

First, I feel your frustration in not being able to get tickets to the shows you wanted to. I myself was locked out of the Foo Fighters sale a couple months ago. The fact remains though that as fast as some shows sell out there would be very little chance that more than the first person in line would get tickets if we opened our box office at the same time as tickets went on sale. There are just too many people sitting in front of their computers ready to hit enter at 10 AM. A person sitting in the box office or even taking phone orders just wouldn't be able to compete with the speed at which these seats get locked.

We only have a limited number of tickets for sale for each show and the demand can often times be much higher than what we have available. This is why you see people offering their tickets for hundreds of dollars on e-bay.

Here are some tips other people have used:

1. Subscribe to the 9:30 e-mail blast. You'll get the 411 on shows and when they go on sale often times before they are advertised. To join simply send an e-mail to list_serve@930.com

2. Use a computer with a high speed connection.

3. Have your CC info copied and ready to paste so you can get processed faster.

4. Have a friend or coworker trying to get tickets at the same time to increase your chances.

The fact is that even if you do these things there will still be times when others are faster and you'll get shut out, but that's the nature of rock shows. Again I'm sorry and better luck next time.

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer:
You must have a very fast watch, or be an impatient person.??

I don't wear a watch. And waiting patiently is not a problem for me, but often I buy tickets when I'm there to see music, which has already begun. I could arrive at the Black Cat earlier, but I enjoy putting my kid to bed before I go out.

And if you've only had to wait 5 or 6 minutes, how come you think they're slow? You must have a very slow watch or be an impatient person. Besides, in order to make a snarky point, I think you're lying about buying tickets at the Black Cat and never waiting more than 5-6 minutes.

Well I can see it being a pain in the ass if you're waiting to see a band. Why not come down and buy them between bands?

And I haven't really timed it, though I do wear a watch. It just seems longer, because you have to stand around a bunch of hipster dorks. The kind who think that the girls who hang out at the Red Room are hotter than Angelina Jolie.

Originally posted by Relaxer:

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer:
You must have a very fast watch, or be an impatient person.??

I don't wear a watch. And waiting patiently is not a problem for me, but often I buy tickets when I'm there to see music, which has already begun. I could arrive at the Black Cat earlier, but I enjoy putting my kid to bed before I go out.

And if you've only had to wait 5 or 6 minutes, how come you think they're slow? You must have a very slow watch or be an impatient person. Besides, in order to make a snarky point, I think you're lying about buying tickets at the Black Cat and never waiting more than 5-6 minutes.

did a little research…

we used to bring people in early to open the box office for onsales and apparently 2 things happened:

1. very few, if any, people showed up to buy
2. the people that did, if it was a hot show, got beat out by the people online anyway

so, we could pull tix off early to sell to people in line, but now we're talking about giving them an advantage, and paying people to come in early and work

the question is…for what?

so they can save the ticket charges? we should really go thru all of this trouble & expense so that a few people can pride themselves on getting out of paying ticket fees?

I think not

if tickets go on sale online first, and they ultimately cost $XX including ticket fees, then that's the deal. if they don't sell out immediately, then they will be available at the box office when we open at noon, and thereafter.

We have changed a lot of policies and procedures to accomodate our regular patrons, but this one is too much for too little people.

If it's that big of a deal to spend an extra $5 perhaps you should stay home and save even more money.