July 4th, 2012

Newton-bred comic Louis C.K. is proving he knows the power of technology. After recently scoring a Webby honor for selling his concert DVD online for $5, just last week he posted a message on his website stating tickets for his upcoming tour will only be sold on LouisCK.com to “bring the price of tickets down and make them easier and less complicated to buy.”

The measure is meant to reduce the effect of fees and services charges inflating prices beyond what is affordable for most fans, and also reducing the instances of scalping, a phenomenon that has plagued his show dates when he’s attempted to reduce prices in the past. Ticket re-sellers have then scooped up even more of the tickets in the hopes of making an even higher profit off of them. The funnyman went on to explain that “we have the right to cancel your ticket (and refund your money)” if the original ticket shows up anywhere with a jacked-up price.

His methodology means that he’s avoiding using the industry standard, Ticketmaster, and creates a convention: all the tickets, regardless of venue or seating location, are all $45. The experiment seems to have worked in the comedian’s favor, as in just the first two days of sales, C.K. generated $4.5 million.