Watertown, NY show canceled - Charity rejects $1 price inc.

[roycap]

Agency rejects Journey's offer over $1 rise in ticket prices
By CHRIS BROCK
TIMES STAFF WRITER
THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2008
A spokeswoman for a live-events company booking Journey concerts said she assumes another charity will be sought by the band since the Disabled Persons Action Organization turned down the band's offer to give DPAO $1 from each ticket sold for an upcoming show.

DPAO Executive Director Joseph L. Rich said earlier this month that it had been his understanding when booking Journey, along with Cheap Trick, that the groups would be playing only one show in the area and that it would be Sept. 4 on the baseball field at the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds.

That show was canceled by DPAO last week after it was announced that Journey and Cheap Trick, along with the duo Heart, would perform Aug. 23 at the New York State Fair in Syracuse. DPAO's concern was that a concert by the same bands two weeks earlier, so close to Watertown and with cheaper ticket prices, would cut significantly into attendance at the Watertown concert.

To make up for that snafu, the management of Journey decided to donate to DPAO a dollar from each State Fair ticket sold. But ticket prices already were announced at $45 and $55; they are now a dollar higher to make up for the band's intended donation to DPAO.

"We got the information after the ticket price was announced," said Donna T. Eichmeyer, the upstate New York marketing manager for Live Nation, a concert events company based in California. "We raised the ticket price to follow the band's direction."

Mr. Rich said he received calls from people wondering about the ticket cost increase and blaming DPAO. "The perception out there is we wanted a buck extra for their mistake," Mr. Rich said. "By accepting the money, I'd be untrue to myself and untrue to the agency."

He added, "They should have donated from what the ticket price was, not what they wanted to change it to."

Miss Eichmeyer said 60 percent of the bands her company works with donate to charities. The only difference in this situation, she said, is that the charity was announced after ticket prices were set, resulting in the increase.

"The band is trying to do good here," she said from Live Nation's Saratoga Springs office.

Ms. Eichmeyer said she expected that 12,000 to 14,000 tickets to the State Fair concert would be sold.

She was surprised at DPAO's rejection.

"I never heard of that happening," she said.

But Mr. Rich offered a solution: Journey should come to Watertown next year and lower its price by whatever amount it raised in its State Fair ticket price hike.

[mistiejourney]

Ouch - this is a bit of a public relations boo-boo. The DAPO should realize that it wouldn't matter if Journey was playing the same day, they'd still have an unbelievable crowd for their show.

Think about it. You have Journey, Heart AND Cheap Trick together. Many people might not be able to make the Fair, so they would rather see the groups in a smaller venue, even if it meant more money.

Journey tried to make it right, they didn't even have to do that.

Good lord, I'm defending Journey! Sometimes I amaze myself!

[Saint John]

A charity that turns down easy money? I feel for the people that actually may have needed said money.

[conversationpc]

Sounds like nitpicking to me.

[brywool]

"DUO" Heart? Does this mean it's not Heart with a band, but just Ann and Nancy? I hope not