Partnership Between Bank And Concert Venues Captures Today’s Rock And Roll Spirit

Just in time for a looming global credit crisis, WaMu–the bank formerly known as Washington Mutual, and before that known as “the bank that tried to get people in New York to like it by having free ATMs for the first year of its existence here”–has upped its in-venue presence at sheds and arenas in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, and Seattle. Anyone holding a card from the bank (credit, debit, and “home equity cards” are eligible, but gift cards aren’t) can get access to the VIP area^* as well as parking spaces and, um, “special concession lines.” And people who don’t have WaMu cards can get socked with the bank’s ATM fees–making this deal a clear win-win for everyone.

This isn’t mentioned in the Billboard piece, so I don’t know if it’s the case at other co-branded venues, but WaMu also has a small stage of its own on the logo-festooned plaza at the Jones Beach Theater, where the other night I was treated to a pre-main-show performance by the band readyin10. Amazingly, despite their branding-consultant-designed name (apparently inspired by a local Chinese takeout place) and Matchbox 20-inspired sound, they are an actual Long Island bar band, and not a group cobbled together especially for the purposes of making WaMu seem “down.” (And they didn’t have CDs for sale, either.)

WaMu Partners With Venues Nationwide [Billboard.biz]

^* Which may make getting at least a debit card a good idea for people who go to shows at Jones Beach–since it’s set on a state park, the VIP area is the only place where concertgoers can order a beer.