Dixie Chicks tour struggling in several markets

[a kennedy]

(anyway to verify this?? and sorry was found on DR)


NASHVILLE (Billboard) - Initial ticket sales for the Dixie Chicks' upcoming tour are far below expectations and several dates will likely be canceled or postoned.

Ticket counts for the 20-plus arena shows that went on sale last weekend were averaging 5,000-6,000 per show in major markets and less in secondaries, according to sources contacted by Billboard. Venue capacities on the tour generally top 15,000.

In contrast, the band's new album, "Taking the Long Way," sold 526,000 units in its first week, according to Nielsen Soundscan, the third-largest sales week of 2006. The album logged a second week in the period ended June 4, according to sales data issued Wednesday.

Despite those numbers, early ticket sales are clearly not meeting projections. The plug was pulled on public on-sales for shows in Indianapolis (August 23), Oklahoma City (September 26), Memphis (September 27) and Houston (September 30) because of tepid pre-sales in a national promotion with Target stores.

The Memphis show has been pulled off the route and the status of the shows in Indianapolis, Houston and Oklahoma City remains uncertain. Industry speculation has it that much or all of the tour may be postponed. At the very least, it is likely routing and capacity will be reconfigured.

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=entertainmentNews&storyid=2006-06-07T230808Z_01_N07224908_RTRUKOC_0_US-DIXIE.xml&src=rss&rpc=22

[OKNancy]

1. Bummer. My daughter has two tickets to the OKC

show.

[LaPera]

43. Rolling Stone: Country Rockers the Dixie Chicks Stay on Top #1

"The Dixie Chicks held onto the top spot for a second consecutive week, with the much-hyped, more rock-tinged Taking the Long Way selling another 271,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan."

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10509842/country_rockers_the_dixie_chicks_stay_on_top

[mainer]

2. they need to tour in the blue states

They'd get bigger crowds.

[ClassWarrior]

3. At the rates Clear Channel's charging, I doubt ANY tour is doing well...

...this summer. I bought tickets to another show recently, and the service charges nearly DOUBLED the already-expensive ticket price.

NGU.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

9. exactly class warrior I only paid $5 to see Jimi Hendrix for Christ's sake

on edit: Old hippie types are willing to buy their CDs but not pay today's ridiculous prices for tickets.

[ClassWarrior]

10. You saw Hendrix!!? I'm not worthyyy...

:headbang:

NGU.

[tibbiit]

22. I saw him too

at the University of Oklahoma greekweek hehe can you dig it?
1970
tib

[Bridget Burke]

26. I'm not sure what I paid for Hendrix....

It was at Houston's Music Hall & Soft Machine opened. Probably pretty cheap.

HOWEVER--we old hippy types need to get out of the house sometimes. Support your local musicians!

[DancingBear]

41. I paid $3.50 to see him at Woolsey Hall - New Haven, CT

We had tickets for the second show, but we got there very early, climbed up the outside of the building to the exterior window wells (about 10' or so off the ground - thank you elm trees!) and watched the first show through the window!!

[4morewars]

4. The Chicks need to stick to blue cities !

The red state goobers spend their entertainment dollars on cars driving around in a circle.

[marmar]

6. I think sales are doing well in the blue states...

The tour starts here in Detroit and that show has sold quite well.

[Jokerman]

8. Indianapolis:

Mayor Bart Peterson DEMOCRAT
US Congress Julia Carson DEMOCRAT
City County Council - split down the middle
More democratic state reps than any other county in the state.


I personally don't spend my entertainment dollars on cars driving around in circles OR listening to country music so this "red state goober" thinks YOU ARE FULL OF SHIT!!!!

[Ex Lion Tamer]

14. I wish it were so . . .

but I live here in Indy too, and I'd definitely say it's full of red state goobers.

Not including you and me, of course!

[Jokerman]

27. Hi Ex Lion Tamer!

True, you can't shake a stick around here without hitting a right-winger but I can't let a sweeping generalization about my city or state pass without saying something.

Now I think I'll go shake some sticks because I kinda like hitting right-wingers with sticks.

BTW - If you want to meet other local DUers, check in at the Indiana forum. We try to get together from time to time.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

29. I hope they're big sticks . . .

so that it hurts!

I'll check into the forum; I've never looked into those.

[MemphisTiger]

5. That sucks, I was going to go to the one in Memphis

How much are the tickets

[Warpy]

7. Well, the original Billboard article is at

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002649839

I'm not surprised, either. I'm sure they're getting NO play in Clear Channel saturated markets. The only play they've gotten in this town is on the college station.

Plus, people aren't able to pony up the price of concert tickets plus the gas to get there and back. I doubt this is exclusive to the Dixie Chicks, but they're high profile so they get the story.

[RaleighNCDUer]

11. They are high profile

AND everybody is SUPPOSED to hate them. They get no air play on country stations, and no doubt their tour gets no advertising on those stations as well. A segment of the industry is actively working against them so despite their best-selling album I'm sure there are a lot of people who have no idea they are even on tour, much less when they will be where.

[GR]

12. I Wonder If This Is Legit....I Couldn't Buy Tickets For KC Concert...

They were only selling internet tickets for those with special passwords...I wanted to buy tickets but couldn't but read in morning Star that August 20th date has been postponed...

They are $68 for the top ticket and there will be a service charge...of at least $12 on top of that...

But I'll still buy tickets, if and when they come on sale...

[RufusEarl]

13. I think low ticket sales,

reflect the economy more then the DC's popularity.

[Mike Daniels]

18. Well, the album sold almost 50% less this week than last

Enough to still keep them at #1 but it's becoming apparent that they've lost a significant portion of their base at least in the US.

[RufusEarl]

28. Well principal is important,

and if the DC stand on principal i'll stand with them.


Peace!

[fishwax]

54. It's not unusual for sales to drop significantly from week 1 to week 2

especially on such a highly-anticipated album. I wonder how many copies the #2 album sold this week?

[deaniac21]

15. What would Billboard know about it. Sounds like a plant.

[Mike Daniels]

30. Billboard's one of the major music related industry rags

I would think they have access to pretty damn reliable information when it comes to ticket figures.

[patcox2]

31. And they have zero axe to grind, you can trust them.

darnit.

[theboss]

34. Good Lord!

That's like saying that Variety is not reliable on movie industry news.
Billboard is the only outlet that would have accurate ticket sale numbers.

[patcox2]

35. The tip off is the name "deaniac."

If not for the name, I would believe the post was meant to be sarcastic, a swipe at those who have a knee-jerk denial of any news they don't want to hear. But the name Deaniac? It might actually be sincere, or else its a higher level of humor, playing off the very fact that someone who calls themself "deaniac" would be most likely to engage in rationalization and denial on hearing news they don't want to hear.

I am on the fence on this one.

[newportdadde]

16. I wonder how other concerts at similar prices are doing in those markets.

This could be an issue of people just not having the spare cash to afford very expensive concert tickets.

[Bridget Burke]

17. Here are prices for the Houston shows--now apparently cancelled....

The Venue is Toyota Center, where the Rockets play (or don't play). Prices? $180 to $240 apiece--sold in groups of 2 or 4 only. www.buyselltix.com/searchTickets.php

On the Chicks' site, Houston is "TBA." www.dixiechicks.com/06_ontour.asp

And Ticketmaster doesn't show any Houston show at all.

Touring bands OFTEN skip Houston--they'll hit Dallas and/or Austin, instead.

At those prices--I'll keep buying their CD's. Wish success to the Dixie Chicks & go see your local musicians!

[HeeBGBz]

21. Geez, who could afford that?

I love the D-Chicks, but that is way out of my price range. Oh for the days of $10-$15 concerts.

[lectrobyte]

19. It's not a big surprise. Concerts are expensive, and the

so-called disposable income is getting hammered.

[lonestarnot]

20. Well Dee Dee Dee Tennessee.

[bookman]

23. They haven't gone on sale..

..in the cities mentioned. Cancel a concert based on Target promotion sale? I've ordered tickets for the Houston show using the promotion, but the concert is not available yet on Ticketmaster.

[Bridget Burke]

25. That gives me hope for Houston.....

Although I'll probably miss the show. Those prices!

(Since you live in the Woodlands--I'd like to salute the Cynthia Woods Mitchell pavilion, with its cheap or free "lawn" seating. Too bad it's a long drive from Downtown.)

[warrens]

24. This is going to happen a lot to a lot of groups

This summer is chock-full of festivals with pricey tickets. But they give you 10 or 12 bands per day for about the same as a ticket to see a single band. It may be $80, but you get your money's worth. A lot of shows that were tentatively scheduled for Chicago have been postponed or canceled because virtually every weekend has some major package going on, from Pitchfork to Lollapalooza, etc.

[leftofthedial]

32. I'm a fan of theirs

but I haven't had a bona fide paycheck in two years. I can no more afford to go to a major concert like that than I can afford to buy a yacht.

[theboss]

33. I don't think this bodes well for them long term

I am now extremely curious to see how their next album does. It seems like they marketed their album as some sort of a political statement. And people are willing, I think, to make a political statement for a one-time $15 purchase.

But you need your hard-core fanbase in order to sell concert tickets. And they have apparently lost their hard-core fan base.

You can blame on whoever you want, but the Dixie Chicks not being able to sell out arenas in Texas is like Springsteen failing to sell out the Meadowlands, Billy Joel struggling on Long Island, or Mellencamp having trouble in Indianapolis. It's a bad sign.

And a country act that has to rely on New York or Massachusetts is having issues.

Obviously, they are not going to go hungry. And obviously, they still move a lot of product. But they are now a mid-level act at best. You can have a long and lucrative career at that level. (Ask REM). But they are no longer at the Kenney Chesney/Tim McGraw/Faith Hill level in country music.

[LynneSin]

36. What a Bullshit title for the article

Dixie Chicks debuted #1 on Rolling STones & Billboard charts. And althought they may not sell well in areas where they are previously a mainstain (red state country music areas) they are doing well in other regions where they preivously had no market.

This is just bullshit

[Hugin]

37. They're way better looking than M-ann Coulter to boot.

;)

[LostinVA]

38. And in Greensboro, which isn't exactly in a blue state

(pre-sale tickets are doing very well)

[theboss]

40. Concert sales are more important to artists than album sales

Artists makes most of their money on tour.

And I think that it is significant that what was once the most popular country group in the country has to cancel shows in Texas - where they got their start - for lack of ticket sales.

As I said earlier, this would be like Jimmy Buffet suddenly unable to sell out venues in Florida.

[LynneSin]

52. But Jimmy Buffett doesn't limit himself to just florida

if that was the case - he'd be screwed.

Dixies are proving to be quite popular in new areas and especially in areas with higher population counts and average incomes. Perhaps it was fulling of the Dixie Chicks to think they could stride into Country Music strongholds like Oklahoma or Tennessee and expect soldout crowds. Had I been their tour organizer I would have sticked to the market areas where their albums are selling well and allowed 'word-of-mouth' excitement grow about what a great album this CD is. I'm not keen on their earlier work because it is too countrish for me. But this album I do like. Perhaps I'll see if I can get some tickets for here in Philadelphia area.

[Mike Daniels]

42. I would have been shocked if they hadn't debuted at #1

The build up and controversy was enough to guarantee that people who were going to buy the album would rush out that first week as a sort of statement.

The test is how much of each prior week's sales do they retain. They had an almost 50% drop in sales from last week to this week. That indicates that the majority of people likely to buy the album bought it the first week it was on sale.

One can try to be as optimistic as they want but the figures are not showing a positive long term trend for this album at this time. Even debuting at #1 they sold less albums that first week than they did with the prior studio album.

They aren't going to be out of a job but I wouldn't be surprised to see them focus more on the overseas sales and concert market from here on out for a couple of years.

[theboss]

45. They still have viable careers

But you can pretty much end the "Superstar" chapter of their career.

Do country artists do well overseas?

[documaker]

39. Rock on, ladies!

Stood their ground and came back swinging.

[LaPera]

44. Rolling Stone Magazine: Country Rockers the Dixie Chicks Stay on Top #1

“The Dixie Chicks held onto the top spot for a second consecutive week, with the much-hyped, more rock-tinged Taking the Long Way selling another 271,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.”

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10509842/country_rockers_the_dixie_chicks_stay_on_top

[zulchzulu]

46. ALL summer tours are suffering....

Let's see the Freep Sheep mention this teensy weensy little factor...

http://money.cnn.com/2004/06/25/news/newsmakers/summer_concerts/

Snip:

Singin' the summer concert blues
Music industry feels the pain as Christina, Britney and Marc bow out of tours. Are fans in revolt?
June 25, 2004: 3:00 PM EDT
By Krysten Crawford, CNN/Money staff writer

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The summer concert season is looking a bit sickly these days, and not just because Britney Spears has a bum knee.

At least four top draws -- Spears, Christina Aguilera, Marc Anthony and Jessica Simpson -- have cancelled some or all of their tours, costing themselves, promoters and T-shirt vendors, not to mention people like stadium security guards, millions of dollars in lost ticket and merchandise sales, publicity, and income.

But these bowouts tell only half the story.

The other half: ticket sales have slowed across the $2.5 billion concert industry.

In response, Clear Channel Entertainment, the world's largest producer of live entertainment, has slashed ticket prices twice in recent weeks.

In two markets, San Antonio and San Francisco, the company has recently offered up lawn tickets to all of its shows for just $10 and $20 apiece.

"It's almost like the business went off a cliff and it has not come back yet," said Gary Bongiovanni, the editor-in-chief of Pollstar, a weekly magazine that tracks the concert industry.

[theboss]

53. That article is two years old

I don't think Britney's bad knee is affecting 2006.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

47. how much are tix?

the touring business is in a slump. unless you're u2 or bruce, you're going to be struggling. (incidentally, the best seats in u2's audience were only $45, which may explain why they survived while other tours struggled to fill to capacity)

[Innocent Smith]

48. They canceled their Fresno stop

The local news quoted their manager as saying it was because their European Tour was going so well. I didn't really buy the explanation.

[FredScuttle]

49. I wouldn't worry about it, though....

Fresno's not a big college town.

[Innocent Smith]

51. I think Fresno is a country music type of place

Fresno now has the big Save Mart Center which seats something like 15,000 people so it is getting more big acts. CSNY is coming in July and I'd be tempted to go if the ticket prices weren't so high.

[mmonk]

50. Their new release is selling well

considering the lack of airplay. As far as the tour goes, I have no answer except I have tickets to a show. You can help get them on the air.
http://www.dixiechicks.com/06_request.asp