Attention Cellcerters - Instant Clack Program

The CB's claysbuttercup99 has an interesting idea on getting clack to the Clay nation as quick as possible. Her idea is being dubbed the "Instant Clack Program" and is now up and running (the next concert is 7/17 in Philadelphia).

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The Instant Clack Program (ICP)

What is the horrible feeling of anxiousness that devours every Claymate? Having to wait for our precious Clack after an amazing concert. Well, thanks to the Instant Clack Program, the wait is no more!

The Instant Clack Program, or ICP, is a program based on improving technology & the desire for instant Clack. Thanks to cell phones, Clack can now be distributed seconds after it has been captured. It has already worked for the Frisco & Houston shows, and hopefully will work for every concert in the future. The problem? I need volunteers!

Here's how it works. Before the concert, you create a new contact on your cell phone. When you go to the new contact page, one option should be email. Type in claysbuttercup99@gmail.com and you can call the contact claysbuttercup99 or Kati, either will work. When trying to contact me, you send a text message to me by going to your contacts and selecting my name. So, when you're at your concert, you will take a photo on your phone and send it to me. I will then instantly post your username onto the photo and post it on the CB, providing Instant Clack for all to see! You can even send text messages so that you can give a first hand description of his outfit, setlist changes and more!

I know that security and privacy could be a question you may have, but let me assure you, when you send a text message to my email, it goes to my email account and no where else. I will never give out or post your number & I delete the emails as soon as I receive them.

If you are interested in helping with this program, please email me at claysbuttercup99@gmail.com. I believe that this program could nearly revolutionize the Clack-gathering World, thanks to upgraded technology!

Thank you & can't wait to work with you to share Clack to all,

- CBC99

USA Today Article "The Traps of Shopping For Concert Tickets"

USA Today has a very interesting article with 2 Clay mentions about "The Traps of Shopping For Concert Tickets". I think we can all identify with the frustration of trying to buy tickets for Clay before the good seats all sell out, and then the frustration of trying to find a good seat at a reasonable price that hasn't been bought by a ticket broker already. After reading this article, I'm afraid it looks like the brokers are here to stay.

Just a few highlights from the article:

"We have no problem getting tickets — we have a problem getting good tickets at a good price," says Linda Casey, 45, of Bayside, N.Y.

Casey bought tickets for Live Earth, Clay Aiken and the Goo Goo Dolls, but balked at paying $300-plus to see Bon Jovi open the Prudential Center in Newark in October — tickets that already are being offered for more than five times their face value on resale sites.

States like New York and Minnesota have rescinded anti-scalping laws, and online companies like StubHub, TicketsNow and RazorGator have taken the resale market national, transforming it into a multibillion-dollar industry built on convenience and fair market value. Want a pair of front-row seats for Jimmy Buffett at Madison Square Garden in September? They're still available from TicketsNow — for $2,000 apiece.

An estimated 700 ticket broker websites currently operate in North America, and business is booming. StubHub's gross sales have increased 3,000% over the past three years; TicketsNow's have grown 512% during the same period.

Estimates for the secondary ticket market for concerts, sports and other events range from a conservative $2.5 billion to a high of $10 billion annually, factoring in sidewalk Calpers.

"The super-fan doesn't care what it costs," says Waddell. "Price isn't the object, it's the seat location."

Ticket buyers gripe about the convenience fees that sellers often add, but for Carol Ellis of Hickory Hills, Ill., nothing's as convenient as being able to snag the seat she wants — and it's worth the extra price. Ellis, 58, recently paid $400 for a single ticket to an upcoming Clay Aiken show in North Carolina. She has grown annoyed with buying tickets by phone or online.

"You either can't get through, or you're told there are no tickets available," Ellis says. "You wait until you finally can get tickets, and the tickets are really far back.

"I'm at the point now where I'll try that once or twice, then I'll go to a broker and pay the big bucks."

The article is long but very interesting reading. It seems that it is not only Clay concert tickets that are being resold at triple and quadruple prices, but many other artists at well. Unfortunately, this is something that fans may have to live with for a long time.

San Diego, New York ... Get Ready for Clay In Concert

The first concert dates on what appear to be a tour have been announced:

• July 20, 2007, Chautauqua, NY - to be held at the Chautauqua Institution, tickets $38 each go on sale April 2. | More info
  
• August 2, 2007, San Diego, CA - to be held at the San Diego Symphony; tickets go on sale April 2 to the general public; tickets are NOW AVAILABLE to symphony subscribers. To subscribe, call the box office at 619-235-0804

For the San Diego concert, we've been hearing that Clay will be backed up by both the symphony and his regular band... should be very interesting!

CDD will continuously post tour news on our CDD ATDW Tour 2007 blog. Check it out today!