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New York Governor David Patterson is proposing to add a 4 percent sales tax on event tickets in the next fiscal year, a plan that could take hold considering the budget deficit the state government is facing. And, to add insult to injury, New York City, home to Broadway, is also mulling over including a 4.5 percent tax on tickets on top of the 4 percent Patterson is proposing, raising ticket prices in the country’s largest entertainment market by a combined total of 8.5 percent. Read More

With less than four days to go before Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, the question being asked is not how many touchdowns the Arizona Cardinals or Pittsburgh Steelers will score but how low ticket prices will go for the game. The Super Bowl is traditionally one of the hottest tickets in sports, but this year’s match up continues to suffer from a weak economy and lackluster interest from fans, particularly when one of the two teams, the Cardinals, has a legacy of losing seasons and has never played in the game in the Super Bowl’s 43-year history. Read More

Acclaimed singer-songwriter James Taylor has started outlining his 2009 tour itinerary with a round of spring dates. The 15-city trek begins April 23 at Bass Concert Hall in Austin, TX, and ends May 16 at Verizon Wireless Theater in Houston, TX. Taylor’s upcoming tour will feature stops on April 27 at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, FL, on May 10 at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis, MO, and on May 13 at Andrew Jackson Hall in Nashville, TN. Tickets for select dates of the month-long tour are already available. Read More

Fortunes continued to fall like the temperature on Broadway this past week with just $12,684,919 in gross receipts, compared to the previous week of $13,882,638. It also compares poorly to the same week last season of $14,451,085. However, the figures are based on only 22 productions; six of them are plays with smaller venues and smaller audiences. The balance of productions is made up of 14 musicals and two specials, Soul of Shaolin at the Marquis and You’re Welcome America. A Final Night With George W Bush at the Cort Theatre. If the presidential inauguration wasn’t enough of a production for you, this is Will Ferrell’s comic view of the presidency, launched the same day. According to Playbill, it was written by Ferrell and will feature a performance to be seen on HBO as well. Opening Night is scheduled for Feb. 5. “Soul of Shaolin”, with just 24 performances scheduled, was one of only two productions to enjoy an up-tick in ticket sales this past week. The other was Wicked at the Gershwin. “Wicked,” along with Billy Elliot: The Musical at the Imperial, Jersey Boys at the August Wilson, South Pacific at the Beaumont and The Lion King at the Minskoff, maintained leads at the box office, with “You’re Welcome, America” in sixth place. Read More

Fans of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band are finding that good things come to those who wait. Last week, the Boss announced his first dates for his 2009 tour in Europe. This week, the iconic musician has followed suit with a new 26-date spring itinerary for the United States. The coast-to-coast outing kicks off April 1 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA, and wraps with May 21 and 23 concerts at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, NJ. Additional two-night stands are booked for April 21-22 at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, MA, and April 28-29 at the Wachovia Spectrum in Philadelphia, PA. Read More

Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL, home of Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, takes over the number one slot in TicketNews’s exclusive venues rankings for the week ending Monday, January 26. The stadium finished out the week with a monster power score of 22.66. Though initial interest in tickets appeared low for the game between the Arizona Cardinals playing the Pittsburgh Steelers, sales have picked up a bit because tickets are competitively priced, and this week the event trounces all competitors in TicketNews’s Top Combined Events and Top Sports Events rankings. The Stadium also will have a date on the popular Monster Jam Trucks tour in the coming weeks. Madison Square Garden (MSG) moves up two slots to the number two position this week. MSG’s upward mobility is aided by strong sales for New York Knicks tickets as well as for a number of top selling tours with dates at the venue, including The Dead, Rascal Flatts, and the Dave Matthews Band. MSG power scores a 2.91 this week. Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX also moves up two this week, landing in the number three spot. The Stadium plays host to a number of well-attended tours in the coming weeks, including the Monster Jam Trucks and WWE tours, as well as Rascal Flatts playing at the Houston Rodeo in March. Reliant Stadium has a power score of 2.66 this week. The Gershwin Theatre continues a theme, also moving up two slots this week to finish at number four. The home to top-grossing musical Wicked power scores a 2.12 this week. Read More

As students across the country return to their colleges and universities at the end of their winter breaks, they should be on the look-out for one famously familiar face: rock musician David Cook. The winner on the seventh season of “American Idol” has announced plans for a spring 2009 tour that will hit many of the nation’s institutions of higher learning. The 36-date Declaration Tour kicks off February 13 at Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL, and wraps April 25 at the University of Tulsa in Tulsa, OK. Stops include a February 20 show at the University of Wisconsin in Green Bay, WI, and a March 24 gig at Penn State’s York campus in York, PA. Read More

Grammy nominated indie band Death Cab for Cutie will hit the road this spring for more than 20 performances across the United States. The jaunt begins with a March 7 appearance at the Langerado Music Festival in Miami, FL, and picks up again with an April 7 set at Tower Theatre in Upper Darby, PA. Before closing out on May 6 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA, the rock quartet will play dates from coast-to-coast. Stops along the way include an April 11 show at Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, TN, an April 17 gig at Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, IL, and a May 4 performance at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. Read More

A plan to limit the amount that brokers or fans could resell their tickets for in Colorado was unanimously defeated Monday, January 26, by a state Senate subcommittee. Colorado Senate Bill #SB09-071, sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Mary Hodge, was killed in the Business, Labor and Technology Committee in part because members believed it went against basic free market rules, according to published reports. In addition, some said it would hurt fans who wanted to resell some of their season tickets to defray costs, among others. Read More

To Jason Berger, the primary and secondary ticket markets are becoming one and the same and it all comes down to providing ticketing solutions to clients. Berger, a 20-year veteran of the ticket industry, is the managing partner of Greenwich, CT-based Allshows.com, and in keeping with his philosophy, the company has launched a move in recent months into the primary market. All Shows has partnered with the Heirloom Arts Theatre in Connecticut, and Chocolate Tango: The Event in New Jersey, to provide primary ticketing solutions, a move Berger said helps the company continue to grow. The company has also partnered with the Ridgefield Playhouse in Connecticut to help offer VIP experiences and meet-and-greets with artists, as well as premium seating for playhouse events. Read More