Council getting free-speech complaint
Submitted by jaydub on 03/17/2010 - 14:09The First Amendment comes up for a hearing tomorrow by the Durham City Council.
Citizens Richard Wark and Lee Mortimer claim their free-speech rights were violated at the Durham Performing Arts Center last November, and plan to ask the council to bring its policies in line with the U.S. Constitution.
They're on the work-session agenda for the citizens' comment period at 4 p.m., but they may be moved earlier when the session begins at 1 p.m.
The secondary ticket market: Wilco responds
Submitted by dmenconi on 03/12/2010 - 07:55
So the ticket-scalping story from last Sunday's paper is the subject of an editorial in Friday's paper -- check it out. The story also drew a response from one of the acts mentioned, which is below.
Dear Mr. Menconi,
I have a few points to make with regards to your recent article on the concert ticketing issues surrounding Wilco's upcoming show at the Durham P.A.C.
Most importantly, and despite the implications therein, let me say unequivocally that Wilco have never participated in nor profited from the secondary ticket market. Unfortunately there are many people, firms and organizations utilizing that market as part of their business plan; some of them in the employ of those responsible for ticketing thousands of venues across the country and around the world. I'm not implying that happened here, but it is something that anyone purchasing a concert ticket needs to be aware of, as you rightly point out in your story. Wilco does take measures, where possible, to minimize the number of tickets that wind up in the hands of resellers, but we have found that without resorting to costly, intrusive, time-consuming security measures, it's impossible to eliminate that market completely.
Specifically regarding Wilco's show in Durham, the actual number of tickets available to the public for this 2700 capacity show was 2566 tickets -- not the misleading 1000 ticket number cited by promoter Frank Heath in your article. That total includes 837 tickets sold via the Ticketmaster public onsale, 449 tickets sold via phone / box office public onsale, 270 tickets sold via the presale at www.wilcoworld.net (available to anyone who logs into the site and requests a password), 250 tickets made available to Duke University ID holders (of which 69 were purchased by students; the balance folded back into the public onsale allotment) and 939 tickets sold via a presale run by the venue. (Note that the 900+ ticket venue presale was not approved by the band or anyone in their organization, but that's another story for another time). The entire purpose of our presales is to better control the ticketing and to offer the band's fans at least one way to buy tickets with significantly lower ticketing fees.
So there you have it. Despite the fact that sometimes Wilco tickets wind up in wrong, greedy hands, the band continue their efforts to keep ticket prices reasonable and to give those who actually buy the tickets and attend the shows real value for their money by putting on the best performance possible every night in every venue.
Thanks for your time.
Sincerely,
Tony Margherita
manager, Wilco
On Broadway: Less Raleigh, more Durham
Submitted by dmenconi on 02/18/2010 - 08:35
Last March, this story wondered if there was enough live-entertainment business in the Triangle to support both the Durham Performing Arts Center and Raleigh's Progress Energy Center complex. A year later, here's part of the answer: At least in terms of touring Broadway shows...No. And there are some potentially dire financial consequences, too.
For more see today's paper. And here's the view from Durham.
Steve Winwood would rather not say
Submitted by dmenconi on 02/05/2010 - 11:45
Ask Steve Winwood how he goes about preserving his trademark voice against the ravages of time, and he has a somewhat unexpected answer.
"Strange to say, one thing I always insist on not doing is interviews while on tour," he said, laughing, in a recent phone chat. "It does take a lot out of your voice, so I like to get all those done well before the tour starts, to give the voice a rest. In the bad old days before monitors and that kind of thing, it was a lot easier to strain your voice."
Fortunately, we got our interview in before Winwood's U.S. tour starts Tuesday night in Durham. For details on that and more, see the story in Friday's paper.
Norah Jones to DPAC
Submitted by dmenconi on 02/02/2010 - 09:30
Durham Performing Arts Center continues its hot booking streak with the announcement of yet another notable singer/pianist, one-time toast-of-the-Grammys Norah Jones, who will play there on Aug. 8. Tickets go on sale on Feb. 12 -- wow, almost six months ahead of time. That's quite an advance set-up.
Wilco will love you live, baby
Submitted by dmenconi on 01/04/2010 - 10:12
The Durham Performing Arts Center gets 2010 off to a fine start in terms of concert bookings with a great one -- Wilco, who will play there on March 27. Tickets are $35 and go on sale Friday. Expect a very fast sellout.
Coming our way: Steve Winwood
Submitted by dmenconi on 12/21/2009 - 10:49
Further cementing its status as headquarters for all things '70s around these parts, the Durham Performing Arts Center has yet another venerable rock dude coming in. Steve Winwood will play there on Feb. 9, on the heels of a couple of Grammy nominations. Tickets go on sale next Monday, Dec. 28.
Something about Harry Connick Jr. coming back
Submitted by dmenconi on 12/15/2009 - 13:19
Harry Connick Jr. is getting to be a regular around these parts. He just popped up on the schedule for Durham Performing Arts Center, where he'll perform on Feb. 16 -- following a December 2008 show at DPAC, and a June 2007 show in Cary. Tickets start at $48 and go on sale Monday.
Roger Daltrey: Who are you?
Submitted by dmenconi on 10/23/2009 - 07:15
In my line of work, one constantly hears a great deal of high-falutin' yammering about artistic integrity, What It All Means and so forth -- much of which, quite frankly, is ridiculous. So it was truly refreshing to chat with Roger Daltrey, a man who has most decidedly been to the mountaintop and yet seems to harbor no illusions whatsoever about the cosmic meaning of it all. The interview is in Friday's paper, or right here; and it has where/when details about his Durham performance next week.
Triangle-bound: Alice Cooper
Submitted by dmenconi on 08/16/2009 - 13:47
Alice Cooper has been staging his own demise for so long that it hardly even qualifies as shocking anymore (especially compared with what else is out there nowadays). Still, if you've never experienced the original shock-rocker, he puts on quite a show. And here's your chance: Cooper will bring his "Theatre of Death" roadshow to the Durham Performing Arts Center on Sept. 30. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday.
