New Year’s Tickets Fly
Miami 2009 > 2010 (Wendy Rogell)
Yesterday, the last Phish Tickets-By-Mail emails of the year went out, notifying lottery winners of their booty and officially kicking off the final ticket-trading frenzy of 2010. With this weekend’s on-sales, just like that, the end of 2010 is in sight. It’s hard to believe that 2011 is on the horizon; Miami feels like only yesterday. As fall tour kicks off in a matter of days, the Phish scene is in full swing once again. With the band’s second Halloween and New Year’s Run of this era on the docket, we have seamlessly slid right back into a Phish-filled existence. With all of the “firsts” behind us, this upcoming season has the distinct feeling of a musical blast into the future. Ready to move mountains again, less than two years into their return, Phish has infused the entire community with unparalleled excitement, as the next 15 shows drip with limitless potential. With proficiency no longer a factor, this tour will be the first in which the band hits the ground running.
Then Phish will return to the only real venue for a New Year’s Eve blowout – Madison Square Garden in New York City. After not knowing how this era would unfold, things could not look more positive at this point in time. And for that we can be all be grateful. Austin on Friday and Colorado on Sunday…we’re almost there. The final quarter of the year looks like the best one yet!
Congrats to all lottery winners and good luck this weekend in the last Ticketmaster battles of 2010!
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Jam Of the Day:
Here’s a scorching flashback to the early summer in Hartford, Connecticut.
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DOWNLOAD OF THE DAY:
10.10.1991 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR SBD < Megaupload
10.10.1991 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR SBD < Torrent asap
Oregon Ducks
Another retro-nugget from a college town, this show – 19 years ago this week – comes from Oregon, a state Phish may or may not ever play again. If current trends are indicative, the Pacific Northwest, except The Gorge, isn’t even on the band’s radar screen. Here’s to some west coast Phish in 2011!
I: Chalk Dust Torture, Foam, Paul and Silas, Split Open and Melt, Bouncing Around the Room, The Landlady, Runaway Jim, It’s Ice, Eliza, Llama, Memories, Golgi Apparatus
II: Brother, Reba, Poor Heart, Cavern, Run Like an Antelope, I Didn’t Know, Sparkle, The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony > Suzy Greenberg, Fee, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove
E: The Squirming Coil, Fire
Note: Many copies of this show that circulate include Alumni Blues and Lizards at the end of set I but this is filler from an unknown show.
Source: SBD
Tags: 2010, New Years, Tickets
Love playoff baseball.
@GD, if you’re out there, you must be lovin that game today.
Wow.
That’s a serious run, sumo.
I bow to your dedication.
GD is shitfaced right now after Doc created history.
silly sumo.
you won’t be able to get a kang sit in at those later western shows….
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/kungfutunes
Try this again
That benefit is going to be one I wish I was able to attend for sure…
I can’t at all picture how that’s going to turn out, but I’m sure the playing will be inspiring as hell.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Kung Fu, set Two.
I suggest strongly to the board as usual.
Zappa…name the song?
As usual…
neemor all alone.
phils ripped it.
Doooo00000-yoooUUU/feeeel like I do?
I saw Peter Frampton once at Music Midtown before a closing wsp show that included me being dosed-in-eyeball.
Might have told night one of this story here before…not sure
^^^<<<PHiSH
This tour I’ve definitely re-claimed the nickname my old crew gave me, “TicketMasters”
(my last name is, in fact, Masters)
***
@neemor: c’mon, you’re not alone -we’re gonna rage some fresh PH so very soon
***
I know, of all the shows I’m seeing, I can’t believe I’ll miss the Kang sit-in. I’m such a loser
Peace out -time to leave before neemor comes back 😉
@neemor: you planning to hit Casserta’s Pizza with Willowed before the Prov show? I haven’t been there in ages and may have to join in.
and ps…i am no longer a Bells Two Hearted Ale virgin. had a few tonite and chase utley was in the spot I had them when we were walking out. nuts. him and his wife and another couple. Benzo sittin on lorenzos (well, not really) right out front. No comment on Halladay…fucking robots.
finally, ride home from the city i revisited 12/29/97 antelope for the millionth on the ride home. still stands up.
and oh yeah @Nagarjuna….i hit that GD 88 MSG benefit. Suzanne Vega played…and mick taylor guested for West LA Fadeaway, which is such a sleeper tune. i never hear people talk about it…when done right it was nasty.
Fuggin yankees
^ yessir!
@gdad
i am cracking open a Two-Hearted myself at this very moment.
brought home from my Charlotte trip.
@gdad – good call on west la. total sleeper. i haven’t thought of that tune in ages but you’re right, they could really light that shit up. you’ve inspired me to spin one tomorrow.
Boy, two lost emails in two tours. C’mon PHiSH, get your boys/girls at Music Today on track. I’m a little surprised that no email surfaced. Guess I’ll take sumodie’s advice and call them tomorrow morn.
Anyone want to trade their two floor/really good seat 12/28s for an Augusta/Amherst2 or an Amherst/Providence? Since PHiSH can’t seem to give me a birthday wish…
Goodnight.
Oh, and yes, fuggin yankees!! Maybe Randy can do some fielding for the Twins while he’s out there. He has nice hands. Go Yanks!!
“finally, ride home from the city i revisited 12/29/97 antelope for the millionth on the ride home. still stands up.”
^ this
Miner has to be a Yankees fan?
Seriously?
No one’s perfect…
Anywho, sumo…I should be meeting up with willowed at some point b/4 Prov, seems like a good a place as any…we’ll talk.
Final phish thought:
When was the last time Trey and Mike wore matching outfits on stage?
Answer:
7.4.10 Alpharetta
Check it out.
Night all.
Miner you are a Yanks fan; will pound you :<) Actually my hate for the Lakers has trumped all other teams. Last night preseason Celtics game reminded me of 86', the passing, star power, so many positives. It's now all about imjuries. Just seeing Shaq and KG joking, as Ray Allen looked rejuvinated, and Rondo is Rondo. Plus Perk is going to benefit so much from watching Shaq as he recovers from his injury. C's +900 to win it all, will be a loser-double jinx reverse, but if u do want to maybe earn $$$, take a flyer.
As for the Pats trading Moss, never ever will I diss BB, but Kraft is a jerk. Did U know it costs $40 just to park for a Pats home game? Anyway my Pats over 9 1/2 is a loser now. welker is going to get hammered without the deep threat. So what if he's a freak, so was Manny, we ran him out of town, and although i think he was less of a case, they should of stayed with Moss.
Ohh well. and I also got denied on NYE MO. hey my first show was only 86, why not f me? Joking actually, I think it should be completely random, as why not a first timer have the chance as much as me. I'll get in if I want, the young kid may not have the same chance. Also I think the key to loving Phish is seeing them within 10 rows the first time or at least one of them. Then you will be hooked for good. Spread the wealth, I can't even come within 30 shows of how many i've seen, don't care. Just want all people who LOVE Phish, ****not the fact they can do n2o in the lot, to get at least a few shows. I can make it in to any show i want for face if I really pull favors, thanks Ernie Sr for 20th anny shows :<), and Marge M for too many to count. Funny I know marge and ernie better than their sons. I was talking to Marge once, and Mike came over and looked at me pissed :<) Settle Cactus, yes I looked high, but was just being nice.
Agree as usuual with Miner, phish is set for some of their best ever shows, the key is take the musical chance, do the segue madness. It's all good folks, let's keep our fingers crossed we can make it back to late 90's not just Phish, who i think has their best days ahead, but in every facet of life. F### Fear.
GOD BLESS JOHN LENNON :<) SUNDAY IS THE BIG DAY
ps skimming saw a post about lost email from music today. I never got my formal denial until I emailed music today. they said comcast must of never showed it. BS, then it would of gone into my spam inbox at the very least. Music Today, by the way I did get T-Ride, so it’s not like they have never hooked me, but I think they suck over the long hall. Why not do the 3 by 5 card on one day. Then it really would be random if phish hire their own folks. The whole thing reaks, as one broker told me he pays music today to hook him, just like ticketmaster vendors in no where places. The ticket business is a dirty business. That’s the bottom line. But what can one do? Pearl Jam tried, and they got stiffed. If someone gets a random ticket or pair in luck, not sending in 100 attempts, I am all for that person doing whatever they want with the tix if they can’t make the show. We all deserve to have luck pay off, and be realistic, we will never eliminate brokers. That said, the mass ease of brokers who junk the electronic system by not having to put up REAL MONEY, but just credit cards, just seems not the fairest route. Having to actually buy a MO, would IMHO cut the attempts in half, and also get more tix to more phans.
Hey guys!! I have 4 tix on the 30th. Anyone looking for a trade so we can get to the show on the 31st?
Nobody’s gonna beat the Philies this year
This is a must read for all that have ever had to go the TM route in a last attempt to score access to that which we covet so closely. I wrote this email to a few of my pals after one of the most unsuspecting course of events wrapped up last night:
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So, tonight I received one of the most incredible, customer service phone calls ever. I’m passing this on simply because I know that each of you has had a similar negative experience at some point in time or another trying to obtain Phish tickets.
A customer service representative called from Ticketmaster, and he was calling in response to the following email that I sent (after my experience this morning). In short, he apologized for what had happened, asked what Ticketmaster could do to make it right (to which I basically echoed my email). He then asked what night I was trying to obtain tickets to see; I said that since I knew the online system would be a crap shoot, I figured I’d put in for the 31st, as I’d probably only have one shot at one night. He then told me that he was in possession of a ticket (in some cases, multiple tickets) for each of the three shows. I was speechless, but I held it together long enough to place my order for one (1) ticket for EACH NIGHT. Seriously.
I am flabbergasted. I’ve talked to Sean and to Andrew. I’ve posted it to Twitter and Facebook. I simply can’t believe it. I know that typically, when one has a good experience, they tell one person; when one has a bad experience, they tell everyone. This is the opposite! I think I’m actually going to even write Rolling Stone on behalf of Ticketmaster Customer Service.
Read on.
THE EMAIL
10.09.10
To Whom It May Concern,
This morning while attempting to purchase one (1) ticket to see Phish at Madison Square Garden on New Year’s Eve, I became a victim of an apparent system overload, and despite having carted a ticket and walked through the bulk of the order finalization, I was left empty handed.
In summary, I called in, made my way through the voice-activated prompts, and received confirmation that I had actually placed a ticket in the basket. Next, the system collected my name, phone number, zip code, and preferred method of distribution (to which I chose UPS 3-day, I believe), but bombed out at the point in which I was asked to speak my street address. This then led to an extended waiting period, and when I was finally connected to an agent, I was told that “as of three minutes ago,” no tickets to any of the three performances remained.
The agent routed me to a manager on request, and after an unsatisfactory response, that manager routed me to Mr. Bill Marrs. Mr Marrs was polite and patient, and took the time to hear my complaint. As I told Mr. Marrs, unfortunately I don’t choose to do business with Ticketmaster because of its convenience and customer service, but as a last resort. Within a fan community such as the one that Phish has built over time, fans are given the opportunity to enter a pre-sale lottery. In the past, I’ve been very fortunate and received tickets to scores of shows over the years (approximately 20 years at this point) by using this approach. That said, I was saddened to find that once again, though, after years of having to rely on Ticketmaster when my number wasn’t called in such a lottery, I wasn’t in the lucky few that successfully claimed tickets during today’s on sale for Phish.
Despite my frustrations, I will say that the upside of my experience today was getting the opportunity to be heard as a customer. Bill was accommodating and attentive. He offered little rebuttal, and I thanked him for making the time to speak with me about my situation (as I suspect hundreds if not thousands of others felt the same sense of defeat that I did). He also noted that he would attempt to investigate my case further, which I applaud.
Given the advancements that have been made over the years in distribution, I still see a major flaw in the processes in place to handle the volume of demand. I completely understand the partnerships that need to exist between the ticket distributor, the venues and the artists. Phish in particular is a band that has grown a substantial following in time, and when a limited number of tickets are made available for a few shows at the Garden during New Years, these things happen.
If there is any way to investigate whether or not my ticket order is able to still be processed, I’d greatly appreciate it. Perhaps in the future, Ticketmaster may institute customer prioritization or loyalty programs for issues such as this, and when tickets become available (whether through additional releases or orders that default), said customers are notified and given the option to purchase, that would be great. I loath the practice of scalping tickets via eBay or other online venues, and doing so defeats the goals of the fan base to attend shows.
I appreciate the time that you’ve given to read this letter. Please let me know if these is anything that can be done to resuscitate my order.
Thank you,
Stephen