More Faux 'Parking Tickets' Promote Band, Ticket Sales

Becvare brought The Lust Killer's signature design scheme to our attention a few weeks ago in the wake of our story about Wicker Park hotwing restaurant Wing Stop employing the parking ticket icon in a promotional flier.

"He (Wing Stop owner Mike Pirozzoli) totally got the idea from us," says Becvare who points out the first time he used it was for a show at the Double Door, about a block from where Wing Stop is located.

It was this show his band played with The Romantics in February of 2004 where he debuted his promotional concept.

"When I got  here back in 2003, I was drilled with parking tickets so hard, I came up with the idea to use parking tickets to promote our show," says Becvare."I just knew this idea would put us on the map."

The promotion worked. The Double Door was sold out. But it also got the band some unwanted attention of the city. It seems some of Chicago's finest decided to come to the show to confront the band for alleged forgery of city documents.

"It was a shakedown," explained Becvare. "The cops tried to fine us for 'forging a city document' but we ended up paying a fine for littering of $10 per flier they found which was just five, so 50 bucks."

Despite using the same concept every year the band is back in town from touring to play a show, The Lust Killers have not run afoul of the city for the last five years.

"We got smarter about it," Becvare says. "Now we send out a group of girls out to the bars to pass out fliers for the show. They get a kick out of it."

Becvare explains that he likes using the parking ticket concept to promote his band because it reflects his personal outlook on life.

"It's serious enough to piss some people off but it's still all in good fun," explains Becvare. "It's hilarious when people come out of the bars at 2 AM and flip out when they see a 'parking ticket' on their car. They start checking out street signs and then just throw it in the car without reading it. The next day, they take the time to look at it and see it's realy a flier."

And according to Becvare, the strategy succeeds.

"It absolutely works for us," says Becvare. "We see a spike in web traffic every time we do it. We're known for it now."

Becvare, a professional musician, was a member of Vancouver punk band The Black Halos until their breakup in July 2008. It was then he decided to devote his energies to The Lust Killers. While not currently signed to a label, the band recently finished recording in July and spends a lot of time out of town touring both coasts and Europe.

"It's '77 New York sort of rock and roll," says Becvare describing the band's sound. "Sometimes people call us punk because it's fast. But it's also a little moody at times."

Check out The Lust Killers this Wednesday with Nothing to Gain and I Love Rich at Underground Lounge, 952 W. Newport (at Clark).

It's a little difficult to park over in Lakeview, so make sure you feed your meter and don't go home with a real Chicago parking ticket.