12/9/2008: Ridiculous Fees at the Fillmore

Emailed to Ozomatli and their booking agent:

I'm a live music lover writing to let you know that ticket fees at the Fillmore in San Francisco have gotten to be completely out of control. A $26.50 Ozomatli ticket purchased online now gets a mandatory fee of $14.30, which means that fans have to pay more than a 50% upcharge to see a band like Ozomatli. In a tactic that can only be described as absurd, fees are charged even when tickets are purchased directly from the Fillmore box office.

Anyone who goes to see live music expects some kind of surcharge from a venue, but this level of fees is exorbitant, ridiculous, and insulting. These charges that do not benefit the band in any sense, are actually preventing people from going to see their shows. Folks I know who can well afford to go to shows like the upcoming Ozomatli gigs are refusing on principle.

I'm writing in hopes of encouraging Ozomatli and Paradigm booking to seek out venues that are much more friendly to the fans that make them what they are. The Independent by comparison would add about less than half of the fees that the Fillmore (and Ticketmaster I assume) are currently charging.

Thanks for your time.

-Davin Pukulis in San Francisco