Who wouldn't want an iPhone app that instantly dials up access to the cheapest concert tickets, admission to sporting events and theater productions going on all over their city?
That's exactly what the Rukkus app is all about. The impressive part is this apps fluid user interface that's extremely easy to tap through — offering the perfect amount of eye candy and listing ticket prices right up front as you scroll.
One of the coolest features offered on the right side tab of each artist slide is the ability to listen to music from bands without exiting the app. In the case of both Cibo Matto and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.— I listened to over 14 songs from each. The same was true of comedian Anjelah Johnson where the app featured audio excerpts from her live show. Brilliant!
So what's not to love about Rukkus? The most important feature that I'm after is finding the cheapest tickets for shows. I noticed the list price for some concerts were not always the best deal after checking prices directly through the concert venue website. While Rukkus posted $106 dollars for two tickets to Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. at Neumos in Seattle — the venue sold the same pair of general admission tickets for $30.
"We scour the entire web and pull tickets across thousands of sites and from our own direct channels to make sure you always get the best deals." - Rukkus
So what went wrong? I called the phone number the app lists for their Concierge service and learned that before Rukkus actually charges my credit card they confirm if the actual ticket price is lower than they've listed. I was guaranteed that if I somehow paid too much based on the cheaper venue price listed Rukkus would refund my credit card the difference.
In fact, the customer service rep confirmed that Rukkus stands by their service of offering the lowest ticket prices. The key here for any new user would be establishing trust with Team Rukkus over time. You can even scan your credit card with your phone cam to pay at checkout.
I found Rukkus to be a genuine leap forward with loads of epic potential — the kind of real innovation in an app that could quickly make Ticketmaster seem obsolete partly because this app creates a more immersive connection with artists.
But future updates will need to include venue seating charts in order to compete with the big boys and a chat feature that offers even easier access to their Concierge service would also be a huge plus.
There's no doubt that Rukkus is an attention grabbing free app worthy of a proper test drive for every live music maniac. But don't just take my word for it — download it yourself and give it a go.
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