How supply meets demand at the Wave House

So, how much are tickets for tonight’s Barrington Levy outdoor show at the Wave House in Mission Beach? $10? $15? $25? It depends on when you buy them.

If you were one of the early ticket buyers, it was only $10. But if you wait until the last minute, the price could go as high as $25.

That’s according to an insider who is one of the group assembled to put together a concert lineup for the Wave House this summer.

Barrington Levy will be supported by the B-Side Players, Seedless, Through the Roots, and four local DJs at the Wave House July 4. The insider maintains that the moveable price scale is a reasonable way for supply to meet demand.

The Wave House will host a number of upcoming shows this summer, but the July 4 show is the only one that has been announced so far.

Insiders say that the City of San Diego has indicated to the new owners of the Wave House that the previously successful Sunday-evening electronic dance music series was not a good idea, based on complaints from nearby residents.

Yet the new owners, a company called Eat.Drink.Sleep (which also operates Moondoggies bar and the Tower 23 hotel), have opted to stage some big-name summertime concerts at the Wave House this summer.

The company has booked the shows themselves versus using promoters such as AEG or Live Nation.

When Barrington Levy tickets first went on sale, they were advertised at $10. The insider says once the allotment for those tickets were sold out, the advance-sale price then went up to $15; if demand continues to surge, the day-of-show price could bump up to $25.

Previous Barrington Levy tickets for San Diego shows have been in the $25–$30 range.

The insider would not say who may be booked for upcoming Wave House shows this summer but that they are pursuing “reggae, indie-rock, and rock” artists.

Some are wondering how Eat.Drink.Sleep can make a profit on its first concert venture when the company promised Levy a $10,000 guarantee, the opening acts $2000 each, and the four DJs $500 each. The Wave House has a 1200-person capacity.

The insider would not get into specifics but said there were other night-of-show revenue streams to make sure that Eat.Drink.Sleep meets its bottom line on Independence Day.