Black Keys Share Statement Re: Hundreds Of Ticketholders Turned Away From Wiltern Show

Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

Black Keys Share Statement Re: Hundreds Of Ticketholders Turned Away From Wiltern Show

Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

Hundreds of fans who purchased tickets from reliable third-party vendors like StubHub, SeatGeek, and Vivid Seats were turned away from the Black Keys’ tour opener at the Wiltern on Thursday night, The Los Angeles Times reports. Disgruntled ticketholders who were denied entry spilled out onto the sidewalk outside the LA venue, stuck on hold with representatives from ticket companies, uncertain who to blame for the problem.

Not the Black Keys, say the Black Keys. “Last night’s concert tickets were $25 and geared toward the fan club,” the band explained in a statement yesterday. “This was our first show in over four years and the kickoff of the Let’s Rock Tour. Because we were playing a venue far smaller than the rest of the venues on the tour as a warmup show, we turned off ticket transferability to ensure that our fans got in the door at the low ticket prices we set for them.”

The Black Keys went on to blame third-party vendors, whose ticket prices were inflated as much as 800%, for the “customer service nightmare”: “Unfortunately, scalpers took this opportunity to defraud our fans and steal their money by selling tickets that were ineligible for transfer on scalper sites.” They say that everyone who purchased a ticket through Ticketmaster or the band’s fan page got in.

“The presenters of the concert directed that these tickets be made available only to fans and that they be strictly nontransferable,” Ticketmaster added in a statement. “This was messaged from the beginning with the announcement of the performance and throughout the sales process. Unfortunately, bad actors took advantage of this situation and posted screen shots of tickets that were not valid for entry onto the secondary market. We always recommend purchasing tickets from the official source.”

But the third-party sellers, of course, say that it’s not their fault and that the Black Keys, Ticketmaster, and Live Nation failed to indicate beforehand that tickets to the concert would be nontransferable. “I’ve never seen something like this happen,” said one third-party vendor employee. “It’s unfair for these third-party players because everyone had a valid ticket.” StubHub, SeatGeek, and Vivid Seats are offering refunds for the tickets.

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