SiliconSurfer

Check out Jim McCarthy (the one in the middle in the photo above), our CEO on “Ask the Expert” on WTTG TV in Washington, DC.

Good stuff! Go Goldstar.com!

At 8:09 am this morning Goldstar Events member Erin nabbed tickets one-million and one-million-and-one to Live Jazz at the Vic. Wow. (I love the Vic! I remember the phone call when they chose to come on board! It’s been great for both of us!)

As our CEO Jim McCarthy wrote:

“This is excellent. Of course, Rich, Robert and I can still remember February of ’02, when we launched the site and sold a grand total of 5 tickets.
Robert bought two of them because the system had to be tested, and a woman who worked with us at our previous company bought two others to her boyfriend (now husband’s) band, whose show was the first event listed on the site. Fortunately, things picked up a little after that.”

As well, the comments that our members are leaving in the guestbook are just priceless. When I joined Goldstar Events as the first employee one thing that had me really excited and committed was the fact that we would be getting people out to live events. I believe that enriches humanity. And, I really didn’t ever think about how it would feel to have contributed a MILLION evenings of live entertainment, or some other live event, to the lives of so many people. It feels GOOD! Thank you! If you’re not a member yet, what are you waiting for? Join Goldstar Events!

Check it out! I do remember when this seemed like it was a long, long way away. In fact, I remember not even thinking about this and now it’s here! We continue to grow, continue to hook up great people with great events, and I am very, very proud to be a part of Goldstar Events. I believe we make a real contribution to the world of the arts and to the many, many people who’ve bought tickets through our service. Thank you!

Charles Phoenix! What more need I say?

This is going to be fun. Visit the Great Nights Out Initiative and check out the funny videos.

There are three sample videos up already.

The video by Blendtec is the shortest and most to the point. If you want more like that visit Will It Blend? Hint, the iPhone blends!

All three videos are great.

The Fairy Godmother works at Goldstar Events. She’s hilarious.

And, Charles Phoenix is truly an Icon of LA.

Check out this interview with Jim McCarthy, our CEO. Looking for things to do this summer? Indoor, outdoor? Beauty and the Beast, Bike Rides Across the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin Shakespeare, and more… We have over 100 live things to do in the Bay Area!

From BizSolutionsPlus:

Give that company a Gold Star.

Goldstar Events is a company of which I am a part owner. I was the first employee, thanks to my mentor and very dear friend Dick Hackenberg. Dick is the gentleman I hired him to be my boss at Bigwords.com and I firmly believe he is a huge reason we achieved the successes we did.

This article in the Wall Street Journal is by Terrie Teachout, a very respected arts critic and I believe it captures Goldstar Events well. The only things I would change are: #1 we now have 400,000 members, notably more than the 315,000 cited in the article; and #2 much of our inventory is not actually from things I would call “undersold” performances. Most venues operate like 80% sold is pretty strong, but that still leaves 20% of the house for us to work with. So, although there are undersold performances on Goldstar Events, to think that they’re all undersold is a mistake.

As a final note, I was recently out at a play here in Los Angeles and although I won’t name names, someone who can be counted on told me that the conversation here in LA about Goldstar Events is that we have dramatically impacted the LA theatre scene and infused a whole new level of vitality and interest into it. I was very proud and grateful to hear that.

Recently I went to the El Cid Restaurant for the Flamenco Dinner Show. I will admit right now that I have a soft place in my heart for the El Cid, so I had a great time. If you’ve never been there I will tell you it is really a fun experience. It isn’t like they’re the youngest, or best Flamenco dancers ever. But, that’s not the point! People, this is happening in your city! You owe it to yourself to experience this!

First off, it’s not what one would think of as a typical Hollywood show. As you enter off of Sunset Blvd. you wind your way down lots of steps that have been warped over the years (El Cid was built around 1900 and was used to screen “Birth of A Nation” which opened in 1915 and had 12 reels of film!). It feels like you’re going back in time and you catch a whiff of the glory days of 1950s Hollywood. Once you enter the El Cid, you’re in an authentic replica of a 16th century Spanish Tavern, complete withoutdoor gardens and seating, and an indoor stage, armor on the walls, and very dim lighting. It’s great.

You order dinner (filet mingnon, pork tenderloin, Paella, and others, including a vegetarian option) and then the show begins. A singer, a guitar player and two women dancers take the stage. An aura of Gypsy Kings pours off the stage and the show begins.

One of the women who dances has a certain Bride of Frankenstein quality that I suspect inspires a cadre of admirers. They both give great performances and I was reminded again of the physicality of Flamenco. The intimacy of the El Cid really contributes a lot to the overall experience. You’re practically right there on stage with them.
I remember the first time I went, several years ago, I thought the singer was going to keel over right there on the stage, as he closed his eyes and rubbed his hands together. In between belting it out he’d close his eyes, lean back, and be so relaxed I thought he was going to fall askep. But then he’d lean forward and let loose again. He’s got a great voice for Flamenco and he’s looking better a couple years later now than he did then. The guitar player reminds me of Kieth Richard.
I guess what I am getting at is that this isn’t the youth obsessed, perfection obsessed, special effects driven performance one might expect from Hollywood. This is people performing from the heart, performers who are obviously human doing something they obviously have done for a long time and which they clearly love to do. It’s really refreshing, actually.
The Flamenco and Dinner at the El Cid is one of those things that is so totally and completely just “what it is” that it is really trancendental in its just being what it is and not being what it is not. And, I say: Right on.
And, if you dont’ like it you better watch out. With arm strength like they have (you try clapping that hard for that long) I am sure either of the women could give you a spanking till the cows come home, and I should probably just stop right now. But really, these women do not sit at home and obsess about whether their bodies look like Elle. They are themselves and they get up there and perform. They express themselves. As do the musicians, and they love what they’re doing… in my book that’s real beauty.
BTW, this is who El Cid was.