Jamtopia News   

After just three weeks, I'm pleased to say that the 2008 Jamtopia Concert Photo Contest is going strong. The entries so far are just superb including over 50 great concert photos from a wide range of music genres. But don't take my word for it. Here's a sampling of recent entries…

Anthrax || June 22nd, 2008
Photo by Jazmin$Million

OK Go || May 16th, 2008
Photo by Tasha

Velvet Revolver || March 27th, 2008
Photo by the Avangelist

?uestlove || June 4th, 2008
Photo by greenwoodimages

Radiohead || June 9th, 2008
Photo by Lost Pixel.net

Jimmy Cliff || April 20th, 2008
Photo by Beana Bern

Think your concert photos can compete with these? Visit our concert photo contest area to learn how to enter, meet the judges, read the official rules, and get some great concert photography tips & advice.

Based on feedback from the concert photography community and invaluable advice from Pro-Imaging.org, I've decided to make some changes to the Official Rules for the 2008 Jamtopia Concert Photo Contest.

The changes not only open the contest to even more photographers, but also make the rules more favorable for entrants, clarifying and limiting how the submissions will be used, who can use them, and for how long. It's my hope that with these changes will come increased participation and with that an even better collection of great concert photos!

Learn more about the 2008 Jamtopia Concert Photo Contest.

Jamtopia's directory of live music streams has been updated with more live music from the Grateful Dead, Widespread Panic, and live concerts from NPR's All Things Considered. If you know of any other great concert streams you'd like to see added to the directory, please send an email.

After many months of preparation, Jamtopia is pleased to announce the 2008 Jamtopia Concert Photo Contest — featuring great prizes, an esteemed panel of judges, and of course face-melting concert photos.

Think your photos stack up with the best of 'em? Visit our concert photo contest area to learn how to enter. That's also where you can meet the judges, read the official rules, and get some great concert photography tips & advice.

And don't forget to go see live music — you can't win if you don't hit the shows!

I've just added a new area to the site... it's called the Concert DVD Finder and you can use it to shop for concert DVDs right here on Jamtopia.

It's pretty easy to get started, and hopefully the interface speaks for itself. Right when you arrive, you'll immediately see the best-selling concert DVDs from Amazon. Or, if you're looking for something specific, just enter some keywords, choose a genre, pick a format, and select a sort order to find a concert DVD you're sure to love.

Hope you find it useful! If you have any suggestions or feedback, please post a comment here or email me using the contact link at the top of the site.

According to a recent USA Today article, so many people are getting their musical fix with live concert videos at Jamtopia that they no longer feel the need to go see actual live concerts!

Okay, it doesn't actually say that. But it does say that North American concert dollars through November 2007 were down just over 10% to $2.6 billion from 2006, and attendance was down almost 20% to 51 million.

So what were the highest earning concert tours in 2007? Glad you asked.

1. The Police: Reunion $212 million
2. Genesis: Turn It On Again $129 million
3. Justin Timberlake: FutureSex LoveShow $126.8 million
4. Kenny Chesney $71.2 million
5. Rod Stewart $70 million
6. Cirque du Soleil's Delirium $59.4 million
7. Roger Waters $53.2 million
8. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill $52.3 million
9. Christina Aguilera $48.1 million
10. Rascal Flatts $41.6 million

The decline in earnings for 2007 is attributed to a lack of “iconic magnets” such as The Rolling Stones, U2 and Madonna, all of whom toured in record-setting 2006. Worse yet, it seems there aren't any replacements for these acts on the horizon in 2008 either... though of course a Led Zeppelin Reunion tour would certainly help!

Jamtopia's recommendation... Head over to JamBase, find a show, and go see live music!