Bowery Ballroom release statement as Yo La Tengo benefit ticket sales backfire
Iconic New York venue Bowery Ballroom has issued an official statement after “many tickets” for the forthcoming Yo La Tengo benefit shows were swiped by resale sites.
Earlier this week, the band announced their much-loved holiday tradition, the annual Hanukkah run, which is spread across eight nights from December 4th to 11th.
Different from a usual show, the eight nights feature surprise comedians and artists as opening acts, and many guests throughout their main set. No song is repeated across the entire run.
As a taster, last year’s benefit shows included guest appearances from Jeff Tweedy, Lucinda Williams, This is Lorelei, Patti Harrison, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Scrawl, Built to Spill, Sun Ra Arkestra, Susanna Hoffs and more.
Upon the original announcement, the band shared that presale tickets went up for grabs on July 22nd at 10 am local time, while any remaining tickets went on sale on July 24th at 10 am local time.
When fans logged on on July 24th to get a ticket for the benefit shows, they found that most, if not all, had already been purchased.
“We are aware that many tickets for the Yo La Tengo Hanukkah shows did not end up in the hands of fans, and we are actively working to recover as many tickets as possible for redistribution,” Bowery Ballroom wrote on its social media channels.
The statement went on, “We realise this is especially disappointing in that these are benefit shows and it is extremely important to the band and to Bowery Ballroom that everything runs smoothly for all involved, especially their fans.”
The statement concluded with a short bout of advice, sharing, “We strongly advise against buying from resale sites.”
The New Jersey band has been playing Hanukkah runs since 2001. They played most years at NJ’s Maxwell’s in Hoboken, before reviving the tradition at Bowery Ballroom in 2017.
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