Scenestar

To help promote the BlackBerry Storm, the newest touch-screen PDA, the Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age performed at the Avalon last week.

And in conjunction with the launch party, the ticketing was distributed via text, which informed attendants of how to claim their ticket and the location of the show.

The Scenestar wondered if this paperless form of ticketing was the possible wave of the future, but Oscar Rangel found it surprisingly easy to circumvent:

For those who arrived there early, laminated tickets were distributed, but when I got to the door around 9 p.m., I just showed the security guards the text message I got and they gave me a wristband. I’m guessing they ran out of laminates. They didn’t ask for our phone numbers or check the phone number with the text, which allowed those who were forwarded the winning text to get in. The whole ticketing process wasn’t really policed. Surprisingly, the venue wasn’t too packed since most people flaked (possibly because the show was so last minute) and didn’t want to attend solo, as each text only allowed one entry. But for everyone who did show up, they all were able to get inside and see the show.