How to Get Into a Sold Out Show
By TuKute
Look, everybody knows that The Velvet Note is the hottest jazz spot in town. And with only 40 seats, they fill up pretty fast. Lots of friends have asked me the secret to getting a seat when they’ve all been presold. They say, “Why does she have such a tiny place– I can’t get in!!” I rarely have a problem, and it’s not just because I’m charming and beautiful. Here are my top 5 secrets:
- 5. Call the owner’s personal cell phone number. The Velvet Note is one of the few clubs I’ve ever seen in the world where the public customer service number rings directly through to the owner of the club. However, the owner stops answering that public number at about 5pm, although she takes calls to her private number around the clock. If you don’t have her number, I’m not going to give it to you, but if you do, you’ve got a special pass to last-minute reservations.
- 4. Let the club know that you plan to spend A LOT of money on both food and drink. Jazz clubs don’t make much profit on the ticket price at the door. Almost all of their revenue comes from food and drink, and out of that, it’s mostly alcohol. Unlike the genres of country, blues and rock, the amount of money patrons spend on alcohol in a jazz club is minuscule. Stating your intentions for dinner and/or drinks can potentially get you a priority status over those who plan to come in and order a soft drink or bottled water.
3. Ask for seating at the bar or in the “orchestra”. Despite its limited seating, it’s my understanding that The Velvet Note ALWAYS holds back at least a couple of seats for the unexpected. Where are those seats? At the miniscule bar in the back, or up near the side of the stage. If you specifically request that seating, you have a much better chance of getting into a sold-out show. And—by the way—based on some folks criteria—it’s actually the best seating in the house.
2. Call between 3:00pm and 6:00PM the evening of your performance. Stuff happens, and it always seems to happen at the last minute. Babysitter’s become unavailable… people get sick…people miss their flights…. This is the sweet spot when the club is getting cancellation and your reservation fits like a glove..
1. Just show up. For every show, there’s someone who just doesn’t show up. They’ve paid for their ticket, and something’s come up. Put yourself in the position to catch that lucky unfilled seat by just showing up.
