Ticketmaster to Refund "Processing Fees"

Any concert goers who bought tickets from ticketing giant Ticketmaster can expect some money back following a settlement against the company.  According to Billboard.biz, Ticketmaster will refund customers for the so called dubious "processing fees" they place on every ticket order.


Ticketmaster customers who bought tickets between Oct. 21, 1999 and Oct. 19, 2011 can expect a partial refund of $1.50 per ticket order, on up to 17 ticket orders. The refunds are to be paid in the form of Ticketmaster giftcards.


The lawsuit that was filed against Ticketmaster claimed that the company profited off these fees without indicating they were doing so. This does not mean the end of processing fees by any means. The company is allowed to make a profit off the ticket sales as long as they make this a known fact.

Past Ticketmaster customers won't receive the settlement until after April 2012. This will come as a large expense to the company. If customers redeem less than $11.25 million, the rest will be still donated to charity.

Final Poet's Lounge of the Semester

Flier via CSULB Program Council's website. 

Poet's Lounge is much more than poetry, as it's name might lead you to believe. According to their website, the monthly event put on by the USU Program Council is a place where poets, musicians and any other types of artists can come out in a open mic environment and strut their stuff for their fellow students.

This is a free event that welcomes anyone to come watch, as well as participate if they so desire. Along with the volunteers that come to perform, there are also scheduled performances to enjoy. Past performances have included Megan Gage, Hana Kim, and Mike Sullivan. This week's performance will come from Long Beach Unplugged, which is a local, all acoustic band.

The next Poet's Lounge is on Thursday, Dec. 8th, and it runs from 8 PM to 10 PM. It is located in room 103 of the University Student Union on the CSULB campus. Be sure to check out the free event for great entertainment. Free snacks will also be provided, as an extra incentive for you to come out and support your fellow student performers.

Winter Wonderland Comes to CSULB Campus

Flier via CSULB ASI Facebook

There is a Winter Wonderland coming to The Beach this week for CSULB students to enjoy as they wrap up the Fall semester.

Although not strictly a music event per say, the many festivities at this wonderland are definitely worth heading out for.  The completely free event fot CSULB students will feature the unique chance for students to enjoy ice skating on campus, without even having to worry about renting skates.

The event advertises to include music, food, and giveaways, which are three things that almost all college students love. Also at the Winter Wonderland there will be a gathering of the Student Clubs for potential future club members to check out.

Another excellent reason to head out to this event is to find out the winners of the Owen's Condition for Tuition Scholarship. Students who signed up for this scholarship opportunity have the chance to win their spring semester tuition paid for. The announcement for the winners will be at 5 PM

The event will be held in front of the Student Recreation and Wellness Center on Thursday, Dec. 8. It will go from 2 PM to 7 PM.

Warpaint Play Sold Out Show At The Galaxy

Warpaint by Lillian Fahey

The Haley Butcher Benefit Concert featuring the headliner Warpaint was an absolute success at the Galaxy Theater in Costa Mesa. The show sold out before the day of the show and the many bands made sure it was a fun, music filled night in honor of Haley Butcher.

Pangea by Lillian Fahey

The opening band Pangea was a great start to the show, providing great, fun music that was easy to get into. The band, which were color coordinated with their red outfits had the audience singing along in no time. The singing along was most prevalent in their catchy, yet semi-inappropriate song called, Too Drunk to C**. "Are they saying what I think they are saying?" asked fellow CSULB student Tessa Nevaraz as we listened to the song in interest as well as slight shock. "I would pay to see that band play in underground club somewhere for sure," Nevaraz proclaimed after Pangea finished their set.

Following Pangea, Long Beach band Tijuana Panthers took the stage. This three man outfit were relatively good, getting the crowd moving with one of their most popular songs, Redheaded Girl. Unfortunately, they couldn't quite compete with the energy from Pangea's set. The relatively weak vocals were delivered by their lead singer, who accompanied them with the most interesting shoulder shimmies. This made it entertaining to watch, but not as much to listen to.

TRMRS by Lillian Fahey

The third band that played were the TRMRS, who pronounce their name tremors. As you can see in the photo, this band hand a lot of energy on stage, constantly moving around and getting into their music. At one point one of the guitarists pushed the bass player into the crowd for some impromptu crowd surfing. Once again though, good stage presence does not always translate into a good music performance, which as the unfortunate case here. The TRMRS needed a little more excitement in their music to differentiate them from any other band out there and make them memorable.

The Growlers by Lillian Fahey

Speaking of memorable, the concert featured a secret special guest, The Growlers, who came and performed a couple new songs. The lead singer of Long Beach band, Brooks Nielson, has one of the most unique singing voices, and combined with his preference for dressing like a young man from the 60s, makes him an unforgettable performer.  

Warpaint by Lillian Fahey

Finally it was time for the headliner, and most anticipated band of the night, Warpaint to go on. According to their website, Warpaint is a four woman band from Los Angeles. Known for their hypnotic vocals and chilling songs, they did not disappoint. They played an incredible set, including the song Undertow, which the crowd enthusiastically sang along to. The energy and the music the band managed to put out had the whole crowd enthralled. Warpaint put on a great show that was worthy of being in Haley Butcher's honor for sure.

Warpaint to Perform Benefit Show

Flier via surfingmagazine.com

The band Warpaint is to headline a benefit concert for a very important cause this Friday in Orange County. 


Haley Butcher was a high school student from Huntington Beach who passed away from MDS this November . Butcher was a active, fit athlete who fell ill in October of 2010.  In august of 2011 Butcher underwent a bone marrow transplant in an attempt to correct her MDS.  Unfortunately, the bone marrow did not graft and Butcher fell gravely ill in late October. Warpaint was one of her favorite bands, and according to the Galaxy Theatre's write up on the event, played for her at the hospital during her last days, as did the band, The Growlers. 


This concert is in honor of Butcher, with all proceeds going towards the Butcher family and also to the Make A Wish Foundation. Tickets are only $10 and it all goes towards the cause. 


There are many other bands joining Warpaint on stage for this benefit concert, including TRMRS, Tijuana Panthers and Pangea. There are many sponsors, including Make A Wish Foundation, Volcom, 4th Street Long Beach, Vice Records, Be The Match, and many others. 


The all ages concert is December 2nd, at the Galaxy Theatre in Santa Ana. This venue is a 25 minute drive away from CSULB, which is not far to go for such a great cause.  


Haley Butcher Benefit Concert Tickets

A Modern Day Speakeasy Comes to Long Beach

If you thought the speakeasy died out as soon as prohibition was over, you might be surprised to find that one of the newest amd exciting places to head out to on a Friday or Saturday night is a place called Speakeasy Art Gallery.

Speakeasy Art Gallery is bringing back all the fun of a speakeasy, without the  worry of breaking the law. Every Friday and Saturday night, there is live music, art exhibitions and much more according to the Gallery's Facebook page. This weekend there will be performances by a couple bands, including local Santa Ana band, Time and Energy, as the headliner for both nights. The two opening bands are Itchy Palms and Concrete Shiva.

Not only is this a good place to hear new, local musicians, it is also a great place to view new artwork. There will be seven artists displaying new artwork at the gallery this weekend.

The admission to the festivities is $5, and unlike many other venues, is all ages, so those who haven't reached the elusive 21 just yet can still come out and have fun. To keep the energy exciting, the Speakeasy has resident DJs, Psychedelic Partners playing before and after the bands, as well as a photo booth to capture the fun with your friends.

Speakeasy Art Gallery is located at 1679 West 9th Street in Long Beach. The doors for this weekends events open at 8pm, with the live music starting at 8:30. It goes to midnight both nights, so be sure to drop by and check out the live music and artwork.

...And All That Jazz

Nothing is better than free concerts, and the USU Program Council is working hard to make sure Cal State Long Beach students get their fill. In this upcoming week, they continue their free noontime concert series, with a jazz performance called All That Jazz.

The concert will feature jazz musician, Pancho Sanchez, who is known for his use of soul, Latin American, and South American influence in his music, according to his official biography from Concord Music Group, Inc. Sanchez has been performing for over three decades, and knows how to play the guitar, flute, drums, and timbales, but mainly focuses on the congas. 

The USU has been bringing consistently good, yet interesting artists to campus each week. They have managed to book a wide variety of performers, so every week there is something completely new to watch. 

The concert will take place Wednesday, the 16th, at the University Student Union, on the south terrace. The free concerts are put on every Wednesday from 12-1pm, and are the perfect place for students to go enjoy some good music while they have lunch or relax between classes.