Don’t Get Duped: How to Ensure Your Concert Tickets Are the Real Deal

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Every year, events all over the world see expectant fans hoping to beat the rush and secure themselves a ticket before they all sell out. Unfortunately, not everyone can be lucky, and many are forced to hunt down scalped tickets in order to be a part of the event.

These tickets are already extremely overpriced, so it only adds insult to injury that a lot of the time they’re not even authentic. These sorts of scams are becoming increasingly common, and it’s a trend that needs to be stamped out before it grows any bigger. Here’s how you can avoid getting duped and help to shut down the culture of fake ticket cons.

What Exactly Is a Scalper?

Scalpers are people who mass-buy event tickets in order to sell them for a slightly inflated price once the official vendors have sold out. They prey on people’s passions, knowing many regard the chance to see their favorite artists as priceless.

Historically, scalpers could be found hanging around venues before the concert started, pawning off their ill-gotten gains to fans who have been turned away at the door. However, the advent of the internet has allowed them to take their scam one step further. While scalpers would have had to go to great lengths to create fake tickets to sell in person, online they can easily take your money without ever having the product to sell in the first place.

This means that there has been a drastic rise is fake ticket purchases. Whether it’s in person or online, it’s time to make sure you know how to avoid getting duped next time you buy a scalped ticket.

How to Spot a Fake Ticket

More often than not, a fake physical ticket will be obvious to spot. They are usually printed on low quality paper or the printing will be smudged and faded. However, just because it doesn’t obviously look like a fake ticket, doesn’t mean it’s authentic.

Because of this, it’s always sensible to ask to see a physical receipt for the ticket. If they have genuinely bought it firsthand, then this shouldn’t be a problem to provide. If they come up with an excuse to avoid having to do so, then another tactic you can use is checking the serial number, or barcode, with the original distributor before you make the purchase.

Not only will this ensure that the ticket is real, it will also help you avoid buying a lost or stolen ticket that has since been cancelled, as companies keep a record of those that have been reported missing.

Choosing the Right Vendor

Obviously, your first port of call is to purchase a ticket from an official seller. Sites, such as Ticketmaster or Live Nation, are always a trustworthy place to start. Although the classic ticket release rush is still a problem on these sites, some vendors are now releasing several batches over time to help ease this issue. Similarly, some have even begun to re-sell tickets from fans who can’t make it in an attempt to reduce scalping, so buying these kinds of tickets is a great option to avoid falling victim to a scam.

If you do end up having to turn to Craigslist or eBay, then be sure to look for sellers who are well reviewed. If there are several comments from happy customers and a long history of successful transactions, then you’re probably good to go. This option is always preferable to making the purchase on a random website that you’ve never heard of before.

Making Payments Online

Another unfortunate element of concert ticket scams is that often they’re set up in order to collect your payment details and cause even more financial damage. Particularly with tickets sold from fake sites, there’s the very real possibility of it being a well thought out data collection scheme. Because of this, it’s wise to be extremely stringent when making these sorts of payments online.

It’s always best to opt for trusted payment options, such as PayPal, where you are ensured a significant level of buyer safety; if the transaction is made via direct debit, then it’s much harder to get your stolen money back. Alongside this, running a Virtual Private Network while browsing potential sellers and making payments is essential. This handy piece of software encrypts your data, so even if malicious hackers are piggybacking these fake websites, they won’t be able to steal any of your details.

Don’t Support The Problem

Buying scalped tickets is occasionally a necessary evil. No one wants to miss out on the event of a lifetime just because they missed out on the initial ticket release. However, if we ever want to stop mass ticket purchases being sold on for extortionate prices, the best thing we can do is not support the practice.

As scalped ticket prices are beginning to rise, everyone in the industry is worrying about the repercussions it will have on live shows. If the prices get too high, then it’s likely that the live music scene will be the one to suffer. So, while it may suck to miss your favorite artist, making the decision to stick to trusted sellers may be the best in the long run.

About the Author: Caroline is an entertainment and online security blogger, who specializes in avoiding scams and getting around geo-restrictions. She hopes these tips will encourage you to think twice before purchasing scalped tickets and take the necessary precautions before you do. Check out other articles by Caroline at Culture Coverage and Secure Thoughts.

 

EP Reviews: Hemmingbirds and Nate Leavitt

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Hemmingbirds

Hemmingbirds “Half A Second”

Chicago’s Hemmingbirds began as a solo project of singer/guitarist/violist Yoo Soo Kim, but has since emerged as truly talented band. On this latest EP, its blasts out of the gate on the title track a blend of indie rock and catchy power pop in the chorus. It grabs hold and doesn’t let go with subtle layers of instrumentation and balanced noise. “Mess of Things” follows with its tribal beat and rhythmic guitar riffs, in fact the album notes specify that it “isn’t necessarily a concept but more so a feeling. “

“Stay” has some dissonance and a repeating synth loop that reminded me of Tokyo Police Club a little, with a quiet break in between the frantic drums, and it ends with the solid ballad “Lover, You’re Out There” but even here the instrumentation drowns out the piano and lead vocals at some point. While way too short, this EP is highly recommended and worth repeat listens.

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Nate Leavitt

Nate Leavitt & The Elevation “Someone Send A Signal”

Not power pop, but solid alt. country and blues pop. Nate Leavitt and bandmates entered the studio at Studio A in Somerville, Mass and coaxed out the spirits of Neil Young, Wilco, Butch Walker and even Alex Chiton here. “Relieve Me” opens up a painful story with longing in each riff and organ chord. It builds in intensity with each verse, and Leavitt’s guitar work is exceptional here.

The ballad “When I Was With You” is a detailed love story where both people connect to the music and then separate. “Take Me Back” is a rousing layered guitar gem with a catchy chorus that hits the sweet spot. Unfortunately, that bit of optimism is followed by mid tempo wallowing in sadness and then on the title track, moving on after heartbreak. “I Can Breathe Again” is emotionally draining, but ultimately this themed album is a gorgeously produced and performed. Highly Recommended.

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Tommy and The Rockets and Sons of Morning

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Tommy and The Rockets

Tommy And The Rockets
“Beer And Fun And Rock ‘n’ Roll”

New Trocaderos’ songwriter/producer Michael Chaney teamed up with Danish multi-instrumentalist/vocalist/rocker Thomas Stubgaard to make a retro beach party soundtrack. Guitarist Brad Marino (The Connection, The New Trocaderos) heard the demos and agreed to play drums and bandmate Geoff Palmer engineered the album. So the similarity to The Connection/Trocadero’s sound is intentional, but this is definitely different .  

If you can imagine The Ramones playing The Beach Boys, then you got the formula right. The title track is an infectious hook driven single that takes no prisoners. “Here Comes Summer” is a bit more bubblegum with those “wee-ooh” backing harmonies, and innocent 60’s school boy lyrics. “Need Your Love” and “Silly Teenage Love” have the same percussive bounce and jangling riff structures. The next several tracks keep the quick tempos, gradually losing the backing harmonies as they start to resemble Radio Days. Despite the sense that we’ve heard this stuff a million times before, this is still an incurably addictive album. Highly Recommended.

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Sons of Morning

Sons of Morning “Sons of Morning”

East Haven, Conn. band with a lot of classic influences; from The Rolling Stones to Lou Reed. It all begins with the unassuming “Outta My Head” featuring a simple bass guitar lead. “Way Beyond” is a slow 12 string, country blues tune and later its followed up by the ballad “He Wore Black,” about a performer wishing Johnny Cash would visit him.

The “side two” portion has more of a rock orientation, but it isn’t as memorable until we get to the impressive “Didn’t See The Man” where the boogie tempo picks up and the vocals of Tom DelFavero and H.Miller suit the style perfectly. Add to this a rockin’ guitar solo at the end and you’ve got something special.

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Starling Electric and Colman Gota

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Starling Electric

Starling Electric “Electric Company”

Seven years is a lifetime for a band like Starling Electric and its been that long since we reviewed their debut album. But singer/songwriter Caleb Dillon soldiered on to finish Electric Company. Like the last album, a myriad of influences from melodic ’60s and ’70s pop, prog and rock are the base of this musical soup. Based out of Ann Arbor, Michigan the band’s players have changed a little, but the sound is consistent and the songs resonate even more. 

“No Clear Winner” blares out a chord before it quietly gets to the verse. Then Dillon has the blaring chorus sound like Peter Gabriel had joined Guided By Voices. Some lovely song fragments float in, like “Expression One” but after this we are treated to the joyous “Permanent Vacation,” the magical melody of “Arrowsmith” and fuzz-drenched “Mild Thing.” The elegant Brian Wilson styled orchestration meets CSN baroque harpsichord on “Young Man of The Mountain” continues this string of  great songs. “Bad Blood” has an irrepressible beat and hand-claps, then we get to “Zodiac,” a catchy mid-tempo gem about a girl with an precognitive abilities. The Rundgren-like structure of “(Save Me From This) Amy” is another brilliant tune amongst the bunch with rarely any misstep in its 16-track running time. This is simply a great album that deserves to be on my top ten list for 2016. Super highly recommended.

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Colman Gota

Colman Gota “Tape”

Last year Colman Gota (Insanity Wave) embarked on a successful solo career, and Tape is a really good follow-up. If you can imagine Tom Petty with less alt country, and a lot more alt rock you’ll enjoy Gota’s music. “Waiting for a Change” starts us off with a dense riff and driving chorus. Even catchier is “Another Chance” with its “ba-ba-da-ba” backing harmonies and hand claps. But its the title track that explains it all as Colman sings “I fell in love with rock and roll/that kind of music soothes my soul.”

Colman is more focused and you can hear the difference; “Sing Your Song” and “A Long Week Ahead” speak of long nights on the road, and domestic bliss. My favorite here is “Do What I Want,” a great message about living life the way you want, all set to a great hook. There is no filler here, and even the indulgence of a horn section in “Something I Don’t Need” make it a great party tune. Highly Recommended.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57gK7iUTrss

Dum Dog Run and Love In October

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Dum Dog Run “DDR 2: Still Dum After All These Years”
A decade later the heavy rock band DDR is back. Lead singer Rick Altizer is back playing rock loud and proud, and this time they add some keyboards in the mix. The DDR sound is a bit like Judas Priest meets Van Halen with guitarist Jade Hanson making the most of the late 80’s style. Like the title, the music is light-hearted, macho and still a labor of love for the players involved.

Rick’s vocal’s are still perfection on the opener “Transmareo,” about a dream car mix of Trans Am and Camero. The biographic “David Lee Roth” drops all sorts of VH lyrics, riffs, solos and tributes through this fun song. Speaking of macho, they have a tune called “Machismo” which recalls Altizer’s power pop past. Rick does get a chance to rant on “Off The Hook,” taking on the critics in the music press – and its dissing of Kiss. “Get To The Chopper” is another impressive song that encourages air guitar playing. Despite a few artistic indulgences, this is a solid album that grows on you with repeat listens and deserves to be highly recommended.

CD Baby | Amazon


 

Love in October

Love in October “Love in October III” EP

Love in October is composed of brothers Erik and Kent Widman hailing from the northern mountains of Sweden, now residing in Stockholm, Sweden and Chicago, IL. Love in October III is their first release since 2011 and ends the band’s four-year hiatus. The EP is a bouncy, positive slice of modern pop than manages to to be catchy without the pretentious attitude of most pop bands.

“Teenage Evolution” is a pop single that’s both approachable and danceable. “Time Shifter” and “Date Night” are a bit more standard pop (yawn!), but thankfully “My Old Future” adds a sweet guitar rhythm and a melodic chorus similar to Weezer. In the lyrics he mentions “Han Solo’s ghost would be proud of me,” I would be quiet proud adding Love in October to my playlist this May.

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