hmmmm - - Amy, I might find that more comforting without the manically laughing smiley

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Lisa,
you are probably going by tay-online's info - - think I remember reading back during the tour that the sold outs are put up if the main ticket outlet is out - doesn't necessarily take into account close in sales until - or if - the venue itself decides to share info - - - and reports from attendees at the two Council Bluffs shows do differ btw
this has been discussed pretty thoroughly on a couple of the older sites which was great for someone like myself who wasn't even interested until a few months ago - what I learned was this - -
Sold Out is not all that relevant as a measuring tool - - first always keep in mind that if the box office has even a very few unsold tickets it will prevent the designation - - and then there are some other factors - - capacity relative to the physical layout, the expectations for the area, good / bad promotion of the show and even the reliability of communication from the venue -
for example some venues have a choice of layout meaning the available maximum could be 6000 seats if all tiers are used but they also offer configurations for an intended capacity of say 3000, or 1200 - so if the artist books and fills the 1200 set up they probably wouldn't be reported as sold out even though they may be happy with the show
here's one recent example from Big Flats which has a capacity listing of OPEN - - the piece is worth reading too
http://www.stargazettenews.com/apps.../LIFE/706150302
What: Taylor Hicks concert, with opening act Dan Mills, an acoustic performer from Ithaca. Part of the 2007 Kent Brown Toyota Concert Series on the Summer Stage at Tag's.
When: Gates open at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Summer Stage at Tag's, 2679 State Route 352 in Big Flats.
Tickets. $39.75 reserved and $24.75 general admission tickets available.
The $44.75 VIP tickets are sold out.
there is no capacity given so you appear to have virtually unlimited SRO but the best seats are sold out - - so how do you report it ? - - from reports of the show am betting no one was crying
some venues even have mixed messages as to capacity - - the Avalon in Boston for example - don't think a definite capacity was ever confirmed for that venue and there were several people trying to find it - it was an SRO and think those of us who were in spots so could even look around pretty much agreed that they could have put some more bodies into an area way back off the end of the bar but not very many - -
and two days later in Hampton Beach provides a good example of "expectations" - - HB is not marked as sold out and there was apparently some SRO space left - but talked with some locals the night before at the hotel bar - one of whom had worked at the casino ballroom - and they were amazed at the crowd he had drawn to a cold windy deserted summer tourist town the first week of April - - so yes a few more bodies could have been standing a long ways from the stage but to anyone walking in late to their sets as we did the place sure looked " sold out" and I'm sure the venue and Taylor thought it was a very successful show
won't belabor the point any more but will try to find the stats someone posted on another site quite a while ago about concert ticket sales in general - - as I said earlier quite an eye opener for someone like myself who was new to all this a few months ago - - for example I learned there are some artist's PR companies that give away hundreds of tickets just so they can claim the filled seats - - and it's not unusual for established artists to have venues that sell less than 50% - - sometimes even lower - - think I remember a number like 73% being a typical concert's ticket sales ? ? ?
let's just say our guy is doing just fine ! ! ! !
Margaux - know you have a better memory than I do - if you see this do you remember when/who/what thread the specific concert sales numbers were discussed ? ? ?
ETA: just a point of info for people who might be new - - the Dan Ackroyd charity event in Niagra Falls wasn't part of Taylor's tour - he was hired for a personal appearance - - the $500 seats - 1100 of them - were for the Gala Dinner - - a night of food by top chefs and entertainment from several artists with Taylor as the headliner - - IMHO it was a big compliment and one could certainly do a lot worse than have Dan Ackroyd in your corner - - not to mention actually getting up on stage with you at the event 