Tim Bracken, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – When it comes to keeping track of concerts, there are plenty of websites and smartphone apps, most notably Bandsintown.
But a new app on the scene aims to do for concerts what Yelp does for restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
Called ShowScoop, it lets users review individual performances so that others can decide whether to shell out money for a concert ticket.
ShowScoop developer Micah Smurthwaite came up with the idea while planning a trip to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif.
“I was familiar with about 20 percent of the artists,” Smurthwaite tells WTOP in an email.
“I watched YouTube videos and read concert reviews on blogs to figure out which bands put on the best shows. It was a lot of work. There wasn’t anything that tapped into the wisdom of crowds using quantitative reviews.”
The free app allows users to search for bands and read reviews of concerts. Bands are rated for stage presence, crowd interaction, sound quality and visual effects – all on a five-point scale.
Users also can write a detailed review and upload photos from the concert. Reviews can then be shared via Facebook and Twitter. The app itself can be integrated into the user’s Facebook account.
Smurthwaite says he is happy with user feedback, and emphasizes that the app will improve based on users’ suggestions.
“Some people are interested in geo-locating other users,” he says.
“Being able to see other ShowScoop users that are at the concert and meeting up, that is something we are thinking about for version 2.0.”
Another feature missing from the app is a way to track where specific bands will be performing.
ShowScoop is currently available only for iPhones, but an Android version is in the works.
See how ShowScoop works:
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