Foursquare, the location-based mobile platform for meeting up that allows users to keep track of other users’ whereabouts, has just released its global numbers for 2010. In addition to growing by 3,400% and having more than 1.5 million daily check-ins (including one check-in from the International Space Station), the report lists the top three music venues with Foursquare check-ins — with somewhat surprising results.
The venues, listed in order of popularity, are New York City’s Terminal 5 (3,000 capacity), the much larger Hollywood Bowl (17,400 capacity) in Los Angeles and, most surprisingly, the much smaller Lower East Side club, Mercury Lounge (room for 250).
The Mercury’s inclusion on the list may have something to do with the type of shows the small club books and the type of patrons it attracts. The venue, which predominantly books indie or unsigned rock bands, seemingly entices fans who are younger and perhaps more tech savvy than older fan bases. The club also has more than one show a night with up to five or six bands playing in a single evening. The crowd are often singularly-devoted to a particular band and cycle in and out of the club as bands go on and off stage.
The neighborhood itself may also lend itself to the Foursquare platform. The Lower East Side in the last decade has become a nightlife playground with a high-density of bars and restaurants opening in the area. Foursquare’s meet-up application is well-suited for the now-bustling and storied locale.
The exact number of check-ins supplied to Billboard.biz by Foursquare, are as follows: Terminal 5, 19,378; Hollywood Bowl, 12,417; and Mercury Lounge, 10,609. Coming in fourth place is the relatively new Best Buy Theater (up until last year it was named the Nokia Theater) in New York’s Times Square with 6,093 check-ins.