Recession, what recession?  The year 2009 was a great year for concert goers, as acts new and old hit the circuit and provided concert fans some amazing entertainment!

The year 2009 was also the year many music lovers used the FanSnap ticket search engine for the first time - early in the year when we were still in test mode, and of course all year long since our mid-March official launch.  It is gratifying to see music fans who are unable to find the concert tickets they desire from the box office increasingly turning to FanSnap to give them fast and easy visibility to the dozens of ticket providers whose tickets we search and display.

So who were the most popular acts?  The performing artists and groups whose fans would not take ’sold out’ for an answer?  The most searched for concert tickets on FanSnap in 2009?  You asked, you got ‘em:

1.  Taylor Swift tickets

2.  Miley Cyrus tickets

3.  Bruce Springsteen tickets

4.  Jonas Brothers tickets

5.  Dave Matthews tickets

6.  Phish tickets

7.  American Idol tickets

8.  Kenny Chesney tickets

9.  U2 tickets

10.  Britney Spears tickets

11.  Rascal Flatts tickets

12.  Lady Gaga tickets

13.  Elton John tickets

14.  Keith Urban tickets

15.  Blink 182 tickets

16.  Aerosmith/ZZ Top tickets

17.  Metallica tickets

18.  Jay-Z tickets

19.  Jimmy Buffett tickets

20.  No Doubt tickets

21.  Kid Rock/Lynyrd Skynyrd tickets

22.  Kiss tickets

23.  Beyonce tickets

24.  Coldplay tickets

25.  Nickelback tickets

At FanSnap we can not wait for 2010 to unfold as many of these tours continue, and as new concert tours announcements begin.  Soundgarden, anyone?

While fans attend live theater all year round, whether going to Broadway or catching a show from the growing number of national tours, traditionally this is the time of year when going to live performances peaks.  Many a holiday trip to New York centers on seeing one or more shows.

Of course, a growing number of theater fans are coming to FanSnap to find show tickets.  We are ready for you - we have built many, many FanSnap Maps for the theater venues to make it easy for fans to make good choices!

1.  Wicked tickets
2.  Billy Elliot tickets
3.  Jersey Boys tickets
4.  Mary Poppins tickets
5.  Stomp tickets
6.  A Steady Rain tickets *
7.  Addams Family tickets *
8.  Hair tickets
9.  Hamlet tickets *
10.  Phantom of the Opera tickets
11.  West Side Story tickets
12.  Cats tickets *
13.  Nutcracker tickets *
14.  Grease tickets
15.  Rock of Ages tickets *
16.  Shrek tickets
17.  Mamma Mia tickets
18.  Riverdance tickets *
19.  God of Carnage tickets *
20.  Wizard of Oz tickets *

Many of the newer shows and some old favorites are really doing well.  New shows to the FanSnap “Top 20″ this month are noted by asterisk (*)

Check out the tremendous ticket choices!  Many of the ticket companies FanSnap searches have show tickets, including TicketNetwork, StubHub, Razorgator, Broadway.com, Ticket Solutions, Worldwide Event Group, Prestige Entertainment, Monmouth Tickets, eBay, AllShows.com, and Choice Tickets.

If you do happen to be hitting New York this season, don’t forget to catch the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. As usual, the shows run multiple times a day starting in mid-November.  Catch a show, see the tree at Rockefeller Center, grab something warm to drink at Dean & Deluca, and a wolf down a cupcake from Magnolia Bakery. Now that’s a fun trip to Manhattan!

Mike

Yo, Miley don’t tweet, but she raps!

Fans of Miley Cyrus were the second most active searchers on FanSnap in September.  Despite the controversy around the use of non-transferable paperless tickets on her tour, there are tickets available for essentially every show on the Miley Cyrus Tour on the ticket market.  Check out some of the bigger shows:

What is Billy Ray’s little girl, the busiest teenager since the Olsen twins (and there were two of them) doing in between concerts?  Is she practicing, schooling, working on what she hopes is her fifth number one album, or just doing “girl stuff?”  Miley’s fans glimpse into her day just disappeared, since she just shut down her popular Twitter account.

How could she do such a thing?  Do you even care?  Well if you do, she just released a rap video on YouTube to ’splain herself.  No really.  Enjoy!

After years of underachieving, the San Francisco 49ers have started the 2009 season with a bang, leading the NFC West at 3-1.

The 49ers have mowed through division rivals, pounding the Seattle Seahawks (and Matt Hasselback’s ribs), dispensing with last year’s Super Bowl team Arizona Cardinals, and treating the St. Louis Rams like their practice squad, forcing the Rams to consider immediately selling to Rush Limbaugh.  Only a last second miracle throw and catch from Brett Favre to Greg Lewis has kept the 49ers from being undefeated.

There is no secret to the reason behind the turnaround.  A ferocious defense that is channeling Coach Mike Singletary at his Chicago Bears “Super Bowl Shuffle” finest.  The Hall of Fame linebacker who used to make NFL quarterbacks wet themselves has cloned a team in his image.

The NFL has just released a great video of Coach Singletary on the sidelines that is evidence of the master motivator at work.  No wonder the 49ers are on a mission.  You do NOT want to disappoint this man.  Check it out.

As a result, the 49ers have become the hot ticket in the Bay Area.  Fortunately, at FanSnap, fans can easily find the ticket values among the thousands of tickets available for each remaining game.  Speaking of the Bears, 49ers fans have the November 12 Bears at 49ers game against Jay Cutler and his squad at Candlestick Park circled and tickets are getting hotter by the minute.

Coach Singletary wants winners!

Mike

The other day we noted that the Miami Hurricanes have moved into the top ten most searched for NCAA football tickets on FanSnap based on their early wins over the Seminoles, Yellow Jackets, and Sooners.

Now we know the reason for the team’s early success: focus.  Coach Randy Shannon has forbidden the team from watching ESPN, ABC, etc. coverage of the team’s recent phoenix-like rise.  No getting the “big head” in Land Shark Stadium for these guys.

Sure the team is playing its best ball since the 80’s.  Where do they get their inspiration?  Now the secret is out….  Spongebob Squarepants!

Hurricane fans have to feel pretty good about Miami’s chances in the BCS picture, with their remaining schedule.  Check out these ticket values on FanSnap:

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?  The “U” baby!

Mike

The Packers and Vikings are playing twice in the next five weeks.  Brett Favre vs. the team he led to a Super Bowl championship!

We have noted previously the impact of future Hall of Famer and noted actor Brett Favre’s move to Minnesota on market prices of Vikings tickets (including the “yes, he’s coming, no he’s not, yes he is” trough.)  The first game, on Monday Night Football, is being played in the humongous HHH Metrodome.  The second is at legendary Lambeau Field, home of the Cheeseheads (get yours here!).

The price to see the teams play is vastly different depending on whose house you want to see it played in. The stadium size difference, together with Packers fans’ historical reluctance to part with their tickets means less available supply, therefore higher asking prices. Bottom line, there is a substantial Cheesehead premium if you want to see Brett return to Wisconsin.

A search on FanSnap finds more than 9,000 tickets from nine ticketing companies making a market in Packers @ Vikings tickets: StubHub, TicketNetwork, Razorgator, eBay, TopStarTickets.com, ASC Ticket Company, Totally Tickets, AllShows.com, and Ticket Solutions.

A search for Vikings @ Packers tickets finds more than 4,000 tickets from eight ticketing companies: StubHub, TicketNetwork, Razorgator, eBay, Connections Ticket Service, Totally Tickets, GoldCoast Tickets, and Golden Tickets.

As you can see, while average asking prices have slowly declined for both games in recent weeks, there is about a $450 difference in average cost per ticket between seeing the teams play in Minnesota vs. Green Bay.

The punch line?  Fans can travel from Green Bay to Minneapolis and save a lot of money. It’s only 277 miles or a 4.5 hour drive.  Don’t feel like driving?  A quick search on awesome travel search engine Kayak finds round trip flights starting at only $204!

These tickets are smoking hot, and these games will definitely be remembered by NFL fans for a long time.  If you are lucky enough to go, send us some photos!

Who knew?

A few weeks ago, it was not clear who would even be QB’ing Minnesota this year.  The Wrangler Jeans guy was in. He was out. He came back.  Fans of the purple and white didn’t know what their future held.  Of course, Brett Favre, after wins over the Browns and Lions, has led the Vikings to 2-0 record in the NFC North.

In the meantime, Mike Singletary, back for his first full season as head coach, and in between his stints on Letterman, told the SF 49er fans he wants winners.  Well, he has them, led by dynamo RB Frank Gore, with two early wins over NFC West rivals the Cardinals and the Seahawks,

Early luck, or are these two teams destined to go deep in the NFL playoffs?  Well, Sunday’s game in the Metrodome will give us a clue: