11 posts tagged “sold out so what”
With one insanely successful NO DOUBT REUNION TOUR concert in the bag (I was filming that for a pilot we are doing for the Max Deale TV show, so I will blog about that concert story soon as I get the clearance to do so), I set my sights on the weekend shows they were doing in Orange County. I wanted to share this experience with the Squirrel and long time friends Adam & Megan Warren. The Squirrel had never seen NO DOUBT and I was positive she would love the high energy combined with the non stop dancing that the show ensured. According to Megan “nobody does it like Gwen”.
We had four shows to choose from in Irvine, but with work, babysitter scheduling for their kids, etc., it looked like Saturday night was the only viable option for us. It just so happens that Saturday night is EVERYONE ELSE’S first choice too, which made getting tickets that were both a good value and premium seating extremely difficult, maybe even the toughest ticket of the summer. NO DOUBT is from the OC and this is their reunion tour, so to say that the show was a big deal is a major understatement.
As was the case in Los Angeles, all of the tickets in the venue (minus the lawn seats) were the same price ($90 per ticket plus venue fees). Doesn’t matter if you are in the front row or the back row, the face value of your ticket was the same. Lawn seats were cheaper, but we were saving that option as a worst case scenario.
The Squirrel spent three days leading up to the event looking at tickets online. Prices were ranging from $100-$130 per ticket for the Terrace (the farthest seats from the stage), $120-$175 per ticket for the Loge, and $175-$500 per ticket for the Orchestra and PIT. By mistake, she bid on 5 separate pairs of tickets on Sunday night. Luckily she was outbid on all of them and we didn’t have to worry about re-selling them or going back for a third ND show (not that I would’ve minded, of course).
While looking online myself, I noticed a V.I.P. parking pass was available for $10. I checked on the Live Nation website, and those same V.I.P. passes were going for $40, so I grabbed it. Sweet! V.I.P. parking is a huge upgrade if you can get it, as the regular parking can take over an hour to get out of after a show. I picked up the parking pass on Friday. Now all we needed was tickets for the show. Easy, right!?
I had my eye on a few different groups of 4 tickets in the premium orchestra sections. One group was row B and one was row E (row 2 and 5 respectively). They were going for $999 and $1,199. I tried in vain to offer $400 for them and didn’t even get a response. These guys were set to make a killing with a 300% markup on their tickets. There was no negotiating with these guys. I wrote down where their seats were located…just in case (Which is a move in my book I call BROKER BACKFIRE. More on this later).
Saturday rolls around and the Squirrel was searching feverishly for the great deal that was sure to pop out at any moment. That moment never came. The best offer she found were for pairs of 2 seats together. That would mean four of us would have to cram into two seats. That can be done pretty easily at a concert like NO DOUBT where no one is going to be sitting, so we did have a few options. But ultimately we let them go. Besides, these seats were way too far from the stage to consider accepting that as our final option. It was 3pm and time to take off for Irvine…with no tickets at all. This was a tricky move considering the travel for both couples, the babysitter for Adam and Megan, and the fact that this was THE concert of the summer. It would seem as though there was a slim chance at best that we were going to pull this off.
I talked it over with Megan and decided that $150 was going to be the maximum we would pay per ticket. This is 50% over face value and something I would NEVER normally do. I wasn’t planning on doing it this time either, but at least now I knew where we stand. Megan did a little Craigslist searching while we made the drive, but nothing came up. We were on our own.
We arrived to the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine at 4:45pm. We drive straight past the giant marquis leading into the parking lot that boldly claims “NO DOUBT SOLD OUT”. I was ready to have to take on the scalpers, but after a close call earlier in the week with a group of 5 of them (that story coming soon), I would prefer to avoid that scenario if at all possible.
The Squirrel and I pull up to the box office/will call. The V.I.P. parking wasn’t going to be open for another hour or so. Already, the NO DOUBT fan club faithful were lining up to be the first to enter the General Admission lawn area. Guys dressed in Mohawks and Tutu’s, girls with the Gwen Stefani pig tails and crazy fashion statements everywhere. The will call and box office windows were deserted. Literally not one person was in line for either of them. I half figured that as I approached the box office window that read “ticket sales”, there wouldn’t be anyone there to talk to. But to my dismay, there she was.
A wave of Zen flushed through me as I approached the window. It seemed as though everything was slowing down. This is the play in my book that I call “OUT OF THE BOX.”
Almost jokingly I told the girl behind the window that I would like four seats together, lower orchestra, preferably row E or less (the first five rows of the orchestra are even better than the PIT tickets because you are just above their heads, with a clear shot of the stage).
I was fully expecting her to say one of three things:
- All we have are lawn seats available.
- We have four single tickets, but nothing together, and nothing in the orchestra.
- Sorry, didn’t you see the huge sign with bold lettering as you drove in that the show is SOLD OUT!?
But instead, she comes back at me with “I don’t have any that close, but I do have four seats together in row M of Orchestra 3 (that’s the 13th row of the stage right Orchestra section)”.
“Yeah, I guess those will do” I calmly replied. I look over at the Squirrel who doesn’t fully comprehend what is happening. The tickets are printed out and handed to me. As this is happening I feel this amazing rush coursing through my veins. I got so high from the feeling that my arms were numb. I started dancing out in front of the box office. A celebration was in order. I called Adam and Megan who were already on their way, and Adam said he was never worried for a minute, that I always come through.
This was, in fact, the truth. I have always come through when it comes to this. I have been so extremely fortunate over the years to have my ticket adventures turn out well. But of them all, this was absolutely a top 5 event experiences. To score like that is nothing short of amazing for me.
We met up with Adam and Megan and drove in together to the VIP Parking. Moments later we are in our seats. We enjoyed the two opening bands THE SOUNDS and PARAMOUR from our 13th row seats. About 5 minutes before NO DOUBT went on, I brought out my list of where those seats were located that were selling for $1,199 earlier. It was in the same orchestra as me, but down in row E, the fifth row. I brought Adam down with me to see if anyone was there. We walked down the side of the stairs so as not to cause attention to ourselves and made it down to row E. I looked straight across the row and there they were. Four seats are available on the far end of the row. The four empty seats next to the aisle, which is right next to Center Stage.
I hear Adam say halfway out loud to himself “Is this our row?” The person who was sitting down in the chair as he was passing said “Probably not.” Adam kept on walking. I signaled to the girls to meet us down there, and minutes later we were all five rows from the stage. And then the lights went out.
Madness ensued. The crowd was so loud it was overbearing. I figured if we got even one song in these seats, it is totally worth it. The worst thing that could happen if someone came with the tickets for those seats is that we have to go back to the 13th row. What a great consolation prize! But no one ever came to claim the seats. We got to enjoy the entire show from the 5th row. The last three songs we upgraded one final time to 3rd row in the center.
There is a difference between going to see a show and being A PART OF the show. Tonight, we were a part of the show.
Rock On.
Max
Upcoming Blogs:
No Doubt Los Angeles: Ticket Jedi in Training
George Thorogood at The Greek
Depeche Mode
Dodgers
Aerosmith/ZZ Top
….and many many more.
Thank you so much to Scott Ferrall (www.scottferrall.com) on Howard 101 Sirius Satellite Radio for lending his voice to the play by play action of this rediculously idiotic spoof commercial. Also BEST ACTRESS nominee Angela Malhotra for putting herself in an embarrasing situation...all in the name of laughs.
This is the latest in the series of video spoof commercials for Sold Out SO WHAT! The secrets that high priced ticket brokers and scalpers DON'T want you to know! I hope you enjoy it half as much as we did making it.
I just got these pictures back from my book signing in Seattle. We decided to officially call it the BOOKS FOR BEER tour. The idea was that anyone who came to the Fox Sports Grill and bought a copy of Sold Out SO WHAT! got a free domestic draft. It worked out well and I met a lot of cool local people. This was the day after my appearance on THE MENS ROOM on 99.9 FM KISW. Thanks again Miles, Steve, Ted and Ben. Great time.
I'd like to extend the BOOKS FOR BEER tour. My dream tour would be to follow around Monday Night Football this season and do a book signing at a sports bar on Sunday in each city that is hosting MNF that week. All I need is a sponsor. Anyone out there game!? I would do radio and television interviews on the few days leading up to the weekend, then do the book signing on Sunday and give away two tickets to MNF the following day and bring the winners with me to the game. Sounds like a successful book tour to me!
It has been an incredibly busy week since I got back from Seattle. I followed up the Fox Morning News interview (that you see below) with back to back to back Dodgers games and then topped it off with a little 80s heavy metal on Saturday night at Gibson Amphitheater with Sebastian Bach, Dokken and Poison!
I did a photo diary of one of my trips to Dodger Stadium last week. Starting with the free parking, then maneuvering to better seats until I am right there in the action.
No, it's not what you think. The guys from THE MENS ROOM show at KISW FM in Seattle had me on today to promote my book signing tomorrow at Fox Sports Grill. Yesterday, I finally came up with a name for my upcoming book tour. It is now officially the BOOKS FOR BEERS tour and it kicks off tomorrow. Anyone who comes to the book signing event and picks up a copy of Sold Out...SO WHAT! will get a free draft beer. If you already have a copy, just bring it in, and you'll get a free beer anyways!
It's my way of saying thanks for the amazing launch so far. I will be continuing the BOOKS FOR BEERS tour throughout the year at various locations. Tomorrow I will be on IAN FURNESS at 950 KJR, Seattle's # 1 Sports Station.
Thanks again to Scott Ferrall who had me on the show again last night. YOU'RE THE MAN!!!
Let's see if this works. I embedded the video here, but it's my first time trying it. If it doesn't work, I posted the interview on my you tube page (www.youtube.com/soldoutsowhat). I had a great time with the KTLA morning news crew Tuesday morning. Here is the five minute clip. This interview brought almost 1,000 people from Los Angeles to our website (www.SoldOutSoWhat.net) which was a new single day record! Enjoy.
Today was my first television interview and it was a total blast. KTLA invited me to come on and share some of the tips I have in my book. I met the anchorman a few weeks ago when I was dropping off shirts at the dry cleaners. He just happened to be doing a story in the parking lot. We got to talking and he has a healthy disdain for Ticket Brokers and Scalpers. Immediately I knew we were going to get along great! He blogged about it on the KTLA site, and then yesterday I got a call from their Producer inviting me on the show.
I think I only ended up talking about two of them because we got caught up in the telling of the stories, which is a big reason for why I wrote the book. The stories are so much fun to tell! I gave a gift to the KTLA viewers and anyone else who may want to see an event in Los Angeles. On my website you will find a link in the middle of the home page for KTLA viewers. If you click on that, you can download a page that tells you where I park for free at most of the major venues in Los Angeles. An added bonus for checking in.
Enjoy!
Max
I just found out that my first print interview was released yesterday on MVN (most valuable network), a syndicate of sports bloggers. Pretty cool to see things coming together like this. Here is the interview they did about Sold Out...SO WHAT!
Takin’ a T/O With BT: Sittin’ Down With Max Deale—Author, Sports Fan, Strategist
Here at MVN, we’ve been waiting a long time for something newsworthy in the world of hockey to happen, and unless you count Mats Sundin’s indecision, we’re still waiting.
Well, in an attempt to break the boredom, I was able to sit down with a man who has his fingers on the pulse of the sports and entertainment worlds.
His name is Max Deale.
Now Max is really just a normal guy with a normal job, but there is one difference between you and me, and him—Max has written a book.
But not just any book, a book that’ll help you get to your favorite sporting event (or concert) and experience the action for the most reasonable price and (sometimes) the best seats in the house.
I was fortunate enough to be granted the opportunity to speak with Max about his book Sold Out…SO WHAT?! and was privileged to some information that can not only change your sports experience, but your bank account statement as well.
Bryan Thiel: Max, I’d like to thank you for allowing me the opportunity to sit and talk with you about your book.
Now, you’ve told us this book is for the everyday sports fan or music fan who has trouble getting tickets after sales have gone through to scalpers and re-salers. Were the people getting frozen out of these tickets your main inspiration for writing this book, or were there others as well?
Max Deale: There were a couple of Events that happened that actually spawned the writing of Sold Out….SO WHAT?
I’ve been told for a long time now by a close friend of mine that I should start a concierge service for the average fan and help them the same way I help myself and friends.
Whenever we would go to a game or concert, my friends would just automatically defer to me to get the tickets. I was fascinated with the “game within the game” and scoring the impossible ticket was great fun.
I thought about the concierge service for a while, but at the end it just seemed like a bunch of work for little reward. After all, I would have to charge some kind of fee for my services, and then I would just end up being one of “them”. I remembered the old saying “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime” and that made me think about another way I could contribute that would help in the long run with only having to charge them once.
The second event that was a prologue to writing the book was another good friend of mine who was so set in his ways about going to scalpers, I actually had to prove my methods to him on three different occasions before he came around.
He spent hundreds if not thousands of extra dollars needlessly because he believed it when “the man” told him the show or game or event was “SOLD OUT” and therefore MUST spend whatever the going rate is to get in. After witnessing the three events (A Roger Water DARK SIDE OF THE MOON concert, a Van Halen with David Lee Roth Concert and an NHL Hockey game where I spent 700% LESS than he did for better seats than he had) first hand, he decided to have a little faith in my system.
I know that he’s not alone in his old ways of thinking. By his own admission, he just goes along with what everyone else is doing. He was skeptical, even afraid of making a change. Unfortunately, a lot of people fall into this category. They believe what they are told when they hear the words “Sold Out” and their mindset becomes that they have to spend more to get in. It’s just not true.
BT: How did you go about doing the research for “Sold Out…So What?” Was it all based on personal experience, through a centralized location, or did you explore different markets throughout the world and develop different strategies and notice different patterns dependent on where people where buying?
MD: Trial and Error over the course of a couple hundred events was the culminating research done for the book.
Over the years this had been strictly a fun way to spend my time on a limited budget (I have had several “jobs” over the years but never made it beyond the paycheck to paycheck lifestyle that a lot of people I know exist in). It wasn’t until 2007 though, that I had it in mind to begin documenting my experiences for the purpose of writing. After all, I wanted to keep everything fresh and current, so my ways of going about things years ago wouldn’t necessarily work the way they do now.
All of the “plays” in Sold Out…SO WHAT! are formulated from the past 18 months of research.
I live in a city where there are a TON of options for live events at venues of all sizes, so a great majority of them were in my major metropolitan city. That being said, I did get a chance to test the plays at certain landmark venues across the country.
One of the beauties of the playbook is that it will work for any arena or stadium in any city in the country.
BT: Did you have trouble getting a hold of Scalpers, Brokers, or
re-sellers to gather your information? What was their reaction when (or
if) they found out why your were doing this?
MD: I talked to a Ticket Broker who posted on Craigslist recently after responding to an ad that he placed. It was the day before a show that featured Robert Plant (of Led Zepplin fame) with Allison Krauss.
This particular Ticket Broker had several dozen pairs of tickets and had sold off most of them already. Throw in the fact that the venue announced a second show and the Broker was practically giving away the rest of his tickets for the following evening’s performance. I told him my strategy about when to strike when looking for the great deal and he told me that 99 times out of 100, if I wait until the day before or the day of the show, I will get a ticket for face value or below.
On this occasion, not only did he sell several pairs at a high profit rate, the announcement of a second show was a death knoll for him trying to get top dollar for the remainder tickets. The face value was $143 EACH and I snagged them up for $50 a pop. A $246 value for $100 just for waiting it out.
When I asked how he can get away with charging so little, he told me that he makes such a killing on the tickets that people buy up when they first become “SOLD OUT”, that everything towards the end is just gravy. His biggest clients are big corporations who would rather have the tickets in hand to give to clients or whatever, so he will have business for life. But he told me flat out that the way I was working the angles was the way to go to score the deals.
Another example of just how much these Ticket Brokers make: I was talking with a guy who was a close personal friends of one of the biggest Ticket Brokers in town. It was just as the 2008 NBA Finals were about to start this past June. This guy knew I was writing Sold Out…SO WHAT! but still chose to tell me that at this one particular Broker, a game 5 (the series is best of seven, so games 3-5 were in LA) in Los Angeles was worth $800,000 profit to their company. Profit! Had either team swept the series and there was no game 5, that’s how much they would’ve lost out on. And that is just THAT ONE Broker.
So these guys aren’t going to lose any sleep over my book. They will be raking in the dough for a long time coming. Just not off me, or anyone who reads Sold Out…SO WHAT!
BT: What were some of the biggest challenges you encountered throughout the process?
MD: The biggest challenges came from the Business end of producing the final product. The research and writing were the easy and fun parts. Making sure I did the appropriate business details correctly was new to me. But I had a great support team that helped me see it through. All in all, it was a blast to make this book.
BT: How long did the entire process take: The research, the writing of the book, attaining a publishers’ contract, ect. ?
MD: I put my first pen to paper in November of 2007. After writing I hired a talented team of editors, cartoonists, designers, etc to come in and help me produce the final version that you see today.
I did a lot of research on the subject of Publishing, and after reading all of the fine print, I decided to open my own publishing company and make my book available via my Website as well as on the Internet via online Distributors such as Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com.
It will be available in certain stores in the near future and we look forward to expanding based on the demand.
BT: As you say on your website, there has never been a “How-To” book
dealing with ticket purchasing. What do you think the public’s reaction
will be, and do you think you may be a trailblazer for others who want
their lesser-known strategies to be more well-known?
MD: The public reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. Even if you know some of the strategies I outline in the book, you’re bound to pick up some new ones as well.
The book EASILY pays for itself the very first concert or sporting event you go to after reading it. My decision to price the book less than a single “convenience” charge that you would have to pay on Ticketmaster or through any Broker was on purpose. I’ve gotten emails from all over the country in a short amount of time saying that they wish they had this information years ago. It’s all good and I love the feeling of being able to be of service to my fellow fans.
I also know that my tricks aren’t the only ones out there. At the end of my book, I tell the readers that for the follow up book (call it a sequel if you like), I’m going to publish tales “from the battlefield” from other fans: Their sweet victories and their agonizing defeats.
You can go on my website (www.SoldOutSoWhat.net) and see the tab for “CALL FOR ENTRIES”. That is where I’m collecting stories. I already got a fantastic letter from David S. in Boston who shared his strategies on how he got front row center for the Rolling Stones “Bigger Bang World Tour” for face value (expensive at $450 but WELL BELOW the $12,000 asking price on the Broker sites).
One of the great things
that came out of telling people about my book is I learned that I am
just one member of a whole society of “event commandos” out there. And
one thing about us is that we love to tell our stories. I felt that a
book dedicated to us sharing our trials and tribulations would be the
perfect follow up to Sold Out…SO WHAT!
BT: You say that you’re not only a big sports fan, but a big music fan
as well. So our readers can get to know you a bit, what’s your most
memorable sporting event, and your most memorable concert attended, and
which do you prefer: Sports or Music?
MD: Oh man. I have been to so many great sporting events over the years. I will keep it current by picking my most memorable RECENT game.
I got two tickets to game 1 of the NBA Western Conference Finals with the Lakers vs. Spurs for face value ($80 in the 300 level of the arena. They were going for an average of $150 on the Broker sites) on the day of the game and then used a play called SEASON’S GREETINGS, which begins on page 64 of the book, to land us six rows behind the Spurs bench. We got to enjoy the entire first half in seats that were going for $1350 EACH on the Broker site before we had to move to our regular seats for the 2nd half. The Lakers came back from being 20 points down in the second half to win the game. It was AWESOME!
My most memorable recent Concert attended would have to be the Roger Waters DARK SIDE OF THE MOON at the Hollywood Bowl. Tickets for the show were going for $125 in the nosebleeds to over $500 up close. I was able to pick up a pair of tickets behind the sound board using a play called OUT OF THE BOX for $46 a piece. I’m a big fan of Classic Rock, so to see an original member of one of the greatest rock bands of all time do their definitive album live for $46…well, let’s just say it was something that I’ll never forget.
There’s no easy way to say with validity that I prefer one experience over the other. I love them both for different reasons. It’s like asking a parent which child they would choose to keep. But since you’re asking me if I had to choose, I would take the big time sporting event over the concert. As a kid I played sports non-stop and it was definitely my first love. The thrill of competition coupled with the anticipation of the unknown outcome and the chills I get when it comes down to the wire is one of the greatest feelings a guy like me can experience.
BT: Staying with the theme, are concert tickets or sports tickets harder to acquire?
MD: Just because of the available number of tickets in relation to the size of the venue, I would say that concert tickets may be a bit harder to come by. That being said, there are ALWAYS tickets available to ANY live event you want to attend. Once you get over what I call the biggest lie in Live Events (the notion that the event is SOLD OUT; There’s no such thing), and you learn where to look and how to play the “game within the game”, you’ll be able to acquire tickets to your event, guaranteed.
BT: A few times (on your website) you’ve mentioned the legalization of scalping in most states as of 2007. What was your initial reaction to that?
MD: I don’t think it really mattered. Once everything went to the internet, it became far too big of a monster for anyone to patrol. Scalpers and Ticket Brokers are going to charge as much as they can whether they’re supposed to or not. Even if they got busted and fined, the number of times they were doing it and the profits they’re making on them far outweighed any slap on the wrist they would receive for Scalping. It comes down to what are we, the fans, going to do about it? For me, it’s never been an issue because I know how to maneuver around them.
BT: On your website, you have testimonials and reviews of your book that go as far to say your tips actually provide an increase in quality to the live experience. If you could distance yourself from your work for a second and give your own review of your book, what would you say about it?
MD: The techniques seem so simple that it’s hard to imagine that everyone isn’t already doing it. Reading the stories that go along with the strategies prove that the author had done this time and time again and knows what he’s talking about. This book would be a great gift to any fan. It’s unique and highly relatable. It’s also a quick read. The author speaks to you as if you are old friends sitting at a bar sharing stories.
BT: Ok, you’ve got one opportunity to make the pitch for your book to our readers. Let’s here the inner salesman:
MD: If you are tired of getting the shaft with ticketmaster fees, radio contests to sold out shows you never win, or jacked up resellers prices, give the book a shot. It just might help you out.
Game On.
For more information on ‘Sold Out…So What?!’ you can visit www.soldoutsowhat.net
Not only can you order your own copy, but by buying online, you can enter into Max’s Dream Event Giveaway for you and a guest to attend a sporting event or concert of your choice!
I’d personally like to thank Max for taking
the time to sit down with me and discuss his new book, and I’d also
like to wish him best of luck in the future.
Chimpanzee Rage, the reviewer for DEUCE FROM DAVENPORT, a top 25 sports blogger, weighed in yesterday with his review of Sold Out…SO WHAT! Here’s what he says:
http://www.deuceofdavenport.com/2008/07/deuce-book-review-sold-out-so-what.html
Monday, July 28, 2008
Deuce Book Review: "Sold Out So What!"
Right of the bat, I noticed that its a thin read, that could be a good or a bad thing depending on the person. Me, I think its a good thing, because I don't have a ton of time to read books and review them since I have a day job here (Sorry Kenny Mayne). The first couple chapters are a lot of background as to how Max got started scoring tickets to events, which got me to skip ahead pretty quick to how he actually goes about getting tickets to sold out events and from there I indeed found some useful information.
I could probably sum up the book in a few paragraphs because the tips are pretty easy to get a grasp of, but then you'd have no reason to buy the book and thats the point isnt it? I mean its only 15 bucks on Amazon and you'll certainly save that money in ticketmaster fees from the first pair of tickets you purchase for a show.
Overall, there's a bit of filler for a the tips and tricks given but the points that are made in the book are valid and well thought out. You could tell that he has done these many times and they have worked. The style of writing is extremely conversational, kind of like a conversation between you and Billy Mays (you should watch that link) so get used to your book speaking loudly to you. Also, on a side note, Max and I certainly have different tastes in music, I was completely appalled at some of the concerts he tried and got tickets for but that is besides the whole point...which is to tell you how to score tix to sold out shows and the book does succeed in this.
If you are tired of getting the shaft with ticketmaster fees, radio contests to sold out shows you never win, or jacked up resellers prices, give the book a shot. It just might help you out.
(If you want to hear Max on the Radio, he'll be on the Ferrall show on Howard Stern's channel on Sirius on July 31st at 8:30pm EST give a listen if you've got the technology.)
You can get the book at Max Deale's site or Amazon
Well friends, we are coming to the end of the first week of Sold Out...SO WHAT! being in publication and we have our first review. I'm posting it here for you to read. This is from Mitchell Blatt, who runs the sports blog site: JUICED SPORTS
http://juicedsportsblog.com/2008/07/sold-out-so-what.html
Thanks Mitchell for the honest review. He didn't hate it...that makes ONE IN A ROW!!! A new record!
