Photos from Space Capone – A FanFueled Event

Space Capone

FanFueled’s fall concert series concluded Friday night with a show by Space Capone and Jeffrey David at Lasalle Power Co.  Thanks to ticket sales powered by FanFueled, fans were able to earn rewards for inviting their friends and sharing the event.  The Nashville band killed it on stage, with danceable, 70s-style funk and a hugely energetic sound, and after their performance at Bonnaroo this summer, the group seems poised to take off big. Here’s an interview from Chicago music blog TheFiveThreeSix with frontman Aaron Winters, a.k.a Space Capone. Opener Jeffrey David Goldford and his band  got things warmed up with groovy, soulful rock.  Check out more pictures from the show on Facebook here, and send us your shots from Friday night for a chance to win some FanFueled gear.

Jeffrey David

Dan Black LIVE at LPC – A FanFueled Event

Dan Black closed out his U.S. tour with a show sponsored by FanFueled at Lasalle Power Co.

The weekend started early here in Chicago as fans packed Lasalle Power Co to see British rocker Dan Black finish up his U.S. tour before heading back to Europe.  His set was full of energy, and the intimate nature of the third-floor venue got everyone involved.  Black was nominated for two MTV Video Music Awards this year, and performed at Lollapalooza this summer.  His return to Chicago was a blast – join us for the next show in FanFueled’s fall concert series, Space Capone w/Jeffrey David on Friday, Nov. 5. Get your tickets now, and start sharing to earn rewards:  Last night, one lucky fan, Lexi Berg, won a pair of tickets to the sold-out Hot Chip and LCD Soundsystem show at the Aragon.  How’d she do it?  Her referrals were responsible for bringing more fans to the show than anyone else.  You could be next…

Check out a full album of pictures on our Facebook page, and here’s  a video from the show:

FanFueled Concert Series Launches with Codebreaker, Kid Color

Kid Color spins at LPC

Fans flocked to the top bar at Lasalle Power Co. on Saturday night to catch electro-funk band Codebreaker and Chicago DJ phenom Kid Color.  Codebreaker is fresh out of the studio recording their new album “The Space Chase,” and you can check out some of their tracks on their Facebook page.  Kid Color, a Chi-town favorite, took a break from his residency at SmartBar to spin a high-energy, disco-infused set.  Check out more photos from the show, and send us your pics and video using the comment box below to win some free FanFueled gear!

This was the first show in FanFueled’s concert series at LPC – we’re bringing a bunch of hot new artists to Chicago throughout the fall.  By sharing the event through social media, fans at the show earned rewards and were able to bring their friends into the experience.  How?  FanFueled rewards you for sharing the events you’re attending – the more you share, the more you earn.  The next show is Dan Black and The Glamour on Saturday, Oct. 21 – get your tickets HERE.

Today’s News: Live Nation wants to pay artists less

TicketNews reports that Live Nation, facing declining ticket sales, is seeking to cut costs by paying the artists it promotes less money.  At a Bank of America – Merrill Lynch Media, Communications and Entertainment Conference last week, Live Nation President and CEO Michael Rapino announced that the big, up-front paydays of the past to artists and their managers are over:

While artists might not be happy with the move – since most music acts generate the lion share of their revenues through touring – fans and Live Nation investors will likely cheer the plan because it could lead to lower ticket prices and improved profits. Earlier this month, influential media and entertainment analyst Ben Mogil with Stifel, Nicolas & Company lowered his rating of the company, in part because of concerns that Live Nation was spending too much on artist guarantees. The move led to an immediate sell off, and drop in price, of Live Nation’s stock, which trades under the symbol LYV.

“2011 will be less about growing market share and more about profitability,” Rapino said. He added that the company is looking to acquire more international artist management firms through its Front Line Management division to help grow Live Nation’s international business, particularly in Spain, France, Brazil and Latin America.

With artists relying more on live shows to offset lower sales of both CDs and digital downloads of their music, this move is certainly not going to be taken well.   It’s especially telling that Rapino announced this at an investors’ meeting, rather than through a normal press release or interview.  Live Nation uses a system of kickbacks and rebates to the venues and artists, taken out of the service fee, to “sweeten the pot” and convince them to sign long-term deals with the massive company.  By announcing that they want artists to take a smaller share (and really, only the biggest arena-packing groups, such as the Rolling Stones and U2, are getting these rebates), LiveNation is signaling that their current model needs to change in order to remain a viable business plan in an changed economy.

Today’s News: Ticket Prices Deter 72 Percent of Concertgoers

According to a Billboard.com poll released this week, price is the main deterrent for fans for live concerts.  They haven’t released full results from the online survey, which had 642 respondents from July 19-26.  This shouldn’t be a shock to most people: especially as the recession has stretched budgets, rising fees and surcharges have made live music prohibitively expensive for many people.

Other reasons for skipping a favorite band’s live show included not knowing about the event (15 percent), poor choice of venue (9 percent), or having recently seen the artist in concert (4 percent).

Similarly, a poll by Rasmussen Reports in late July found that 67 percent of adults who attend at least one professional music concert a year think tickets in general are too expensive.  Women are more likely than men to feel priced out of concert tickets, with 73 percent of female concertgoers saying tickets are too expensive, compared to 60 percent of men.  However, men are more likely than women not to attend concerts at least once a year.  Those in their 30s are the most critical of concert ticket prices than any other age group, even though they’re the most likely to attend rock or pop shows.  The nationwide telephone poll of 1,000 adults was conducted in February, and a follow-up poll of 5,000 adults found that concertgoers were even more price-sensitive, with 70 percent saying concert tickets were too pricey for them to attend shows.  The result: tours are struggling, and most adults (62 percent) have not attended a concert in the past year.

According to Pollstar’s mid-year report (PDF), the average face-value ticket price for the first 6 months of 2010 for the Top 100 national acts was $60.77, down 6 percent from last year’s record average of $64.61.  These prices don’t include “convenience fees,” which for some shows can be more than half the face value of the ticket.

Whose fault is this?  Well, 42 percent say performers most influence the price of concert tickets.  Twenty-one percent think the venue is to blame, and 17 percent blame the ticketing service.

This is a lot of data, and it all all points at the same thing: something needs to change in the live music industry. The fans are being priced out of their favorite shows, and while the biggest acts are still able to pack arenas, a lot of mid-tier concerts are struggling.  FanFueled aims to change that — keep checking back here, and on our Facebook and Twitter, in the next month for more info and exclusive pre-launch offers.

Arcade Fire Unstaged

A few weeks ago I wrote about a new idea some companies had to offer streaming HD video feeds of concerts for fans at home.  This week, American Express and the Arcade Fire (an awesome band, check out their new album ” The Suburbs” which dropped today) are streaming the second show from their two-night run at Madison Square Garden free on Youtube.

Arcade Fire has been embracing social media and using the Web to reach its fans for years, but for this tour they’re taking things to the next level.  Live-stream concert viewers can “Tweet the Band” to ask questions for the band to answer during a pre-show Q&A.  In addition, Amex is supporting “Digital Happenings,” where artists will collaborate with the online audience.  For this show, that means fans will have the opportunity to submit photos of their suburbs, which will be projected on stage during a song from “The Suburbs.”

Terry Gilliam (Monty Python, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) is directing the show, but viewers can choose between the director’s stream and a second camera that captures alternative vantage points, such as backstage or the balcony.   This is the first of five concerts in the American Express Unstaged series – future shows include John Legend and The Roots.

The show’s this Thursday, August 5, at 10 pm.  Check it out at www.youtube.com/arcadefirevevo.  If this is popular, it could signal a shift in priorities for the live music industry, which has struggled this summer due to higher ticket prices and fans reluctant to spend in a tough economic climate.

Photos from Shwayze

Friday night FanFueled brought Shwayze to Enclave here in Chicago. He played a solid set, accompanied by MC and producer Cisco Adler, and everyone there was way into it. Here’s a photo from the show, check out the whole album over at Facebook.

Shwayze

Get your tickets for Shwayze and Cisco Adler tomorrow night at Enclave before they’re gone! Also, check out a free download of his new track, “Can’t Do it Alone,” here.

Shwayze

What’s the best way to end a summer Friday afternoon? We’re going to say it’s by seeing Shwayze (and Cisco Adler, his hilarious reality TV partner and producer) in the club. We’ve been listening to his new album, “Let it Beat”, pretty much non-stop recently. Love the beach vibe layered on top of some crazy beats.

The two are coming to Chicago next week, playing at Best of Citysearch Nightlife-winning club Enclave. We’re stoked for the show, it’s going to be an awesome night. Ciroc Vodka is hosting a private cocktail reception during the show too, so come check it out. Friday, July 16 at 8:30.

For videos (including the awesome “Get You Home,” check out Shwayze’s sites here and here

Get your tickets now here.

Today’s News: Summer Concerts Struggle to Please Fans

From this morning’s Wall Street Journal

“It’s not just that ticket prices are high, but bewildering. They can change based on when and where the tickets are purchased, making it hard to know if you’re getting the best seats for the best price. From quiet, targeted promos to last-minute fire sales, ticket discounting has emerged as one of the most divisive issues in the business. Some in the industry worry that potential buyers are being trained to wait for price cuts. Fans who buy early, only to see discounts roll out later, often feel penalized for their loyalty….
The industry is trying to rationalize all this by saying it’s the same as being on an airplane, where you don’t know what the person next to you paid,” says Alex Hodges, an independent promoter who runs Los Angeles-area venues including the Greek Theatre. Today’s music fans vigilantly monitor discussions online, so they know if others are getting a better deal.”

By the numbers:

“Overall full-year ticket sales have been rising for a decade, according to the trade publication Pollstar. But in a just-released report for the first six months of this year, Pollstar says the biggest acts are suffering: The top 100 tours in North America show gross ticket-sales revenue of $965.5 million, down 17% from a year earlier. Number of tickets sold: down 12%. Average gross per show, down 14.4%. Ticket prices now average $60.77, compared with $64.61 last year.”

And what does LiveNation have to say about all this? Their CEO, Jason Garner, defended the company’s practices and essentially blamed artists for the problems, saying “cancellations are part of the business.” Here’s the stunner, though:

Still, he says failed tours and slower ticket sales should serve as a collective wake-up call: “When 40% of tickets across the industry are going unsold, you have to have an honest talk about ticket prices.”

Are artists playing more shows than their fan bases can support to make up for falling record sales? Are promoters getting too greedy? What makes you go out and see a concert?