SAN FRANCISCO (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Iconic folk-rocker Bob Dylan's attempt to shake up the concert business with a throw-back ticketing model proved to be a modest success.
On August 25th, Dylan performed a concert at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco with a ticket price of $60 – pretty reasonable for Dylan tickets in this day and age. The catch though, was that there were no advanced ticket sales, tickets were cash-only and they were available first-come, first-serve, with the idea being that this would take a bite out of not only scalpers, but tack-on ticketing fees as well.
The experiment proved to of limited success. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, fans lined up for tickets, but not enough to fill the 2,250 capacity.
"I think it was not what everybody had hoped for but it was an experiment worth trying," Goldenvoice Vice President David Lefkowitz told the Chronicle. "The attention and buzz we created within the industry made it worth doing. But I think it just proves people are very used of the convenience of sitting at home and buying their tickets on a computer."
Lefkowitz also noted that some would-be concert-goers were put off by the long line that had formed outside of the venue.
"Some people maybe didn't like the idea of leaving home without a ticket; the uncertainty. Most of his fans probably have jobs so to get here before 6 or 7 p.m. was probably a stretch. It was challenging." Lefkowitz added.
For contrast, consider Dylan's concert, staged the previous night at the Fox Theater in Oakland. Tickets were more expensive and available online, and the concert sold out in an hour. – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
