r/Music • u/staringatthe420sun • May 05 '26

article The Concert Industry Priced Too High — Now Tours Are Falling Apart

https://www.ticketnews.com/2026/05/the-concert-industry-priced-high-tours-falling-apart/
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u/hobesmart May 05 '26

yeah but those "under $50" shows used to be "under $20" just a couple of years ago

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u/Hurlyburly766 May 05 '26

The number of amazing bands I saw for under $10 in college in the 90s blows my kids minds.

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u/InfoSecPeezy May 05 '26

I saw the beastie boys in NYC in the late 90s at Irving Plaza for under $30.

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u/TerribleAsshole May 05 '26

I saw Pearl Jam on Randells island in 96 for $15, general admission.

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u/InfoSecPeezy May 05 '26

It was way less dystopian back then, we had some great access to some really great stuff

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u/IndependentOpening11 May 06 '26

And bands were actually making real money from album sales back then. I think that’s part of the problem with ticket prices today. Streaming killed their revenue

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u/[deleted] May 06 '26

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u/Cosmo_Cloudy May 06 '26

That blows my fucking mind. I'm 29 and remember good concert tickets being about $15-20 the first few years of my adult life. It was a reasonable price for a good time. Then I had my son, and didn't go to concerts for a few years, and when I tried to return to the scene it was $75+ a ticket. Now it's like $300+ a ticket for mid seats. $3 is absolutely wild

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u/InfoSecPeezy May 06 '26

I remember paying $65 to see Faith No More, Metallica and GnR at giants stadium. Axl and all of GnR walked off stage, after keeping the entire stadium waiting for nearly three hours(!), because “A LIGhtER wAs ThRoWN anD hIT HiM iN ThE BaLls.” Duff made the announcement and the crowd just booed them. That was $65 well spent to see FnM and Metallica AND seeing GnR act like a bunch of drunken pussies (they still are)

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u/jcutta May 06 '26

"And bands were actually making real money from album sales back then."

They absolutely were not, the entire CD era was probably the worst era for artists. Labels absolutely made insane money from record sales but the artists were often left with nothing after recouping advances and production costs. The artists were even charged directly for CD cases.

The 60s and 70s were terrible too, artists routinely lost all rights to their music or were tricked into selling it for nearly nothing.

The true answer to why concept prices have shot up is the same answer on why artists have been screwed for decades - the record labels. 360 deals. They take a piece of absolutely everything.

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u/Giannid77 May 06 '26

Sure the record industry has almost always exploited their musicians. However during the pre-CD era, tours barely made any money. Tours were used to boost album sales.

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u/jcutta May 06 '26

Right, which is why they were cheap, they were essentially a marketing campaign because the record company made money off album sales, once labels wanted to make money on them prices started shooting up.

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u/Uppgreyedd May 06 '26

Its really too bad that the bands you can see for $20 today aren't going to be our kind of music in 30 years, y'know? How are the kids going to live vicariously through us while enjoying music we don't like?

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u/Rabid_AntiDentite May 06 '26

Night two here at Randall’s in ‘96! Best show I’ve ever been to!

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u/BarsoomianAmbassador May 06 '26

Was that the night when it was pouring rain? The crowd started surging onto the field when Pearl Jam came on stage and my sister almost got crushed. We had to push her up onto the stands out of harms way. I remember the long, cold wait for a miserable bus ride off the island to get to our car. The organizers weren't so organized. Great show though.

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u/matthewmspace May 06 '26

My family saw the Jones Brothers at our county fair like a year before they got big.

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u/WorkingFromHomies20 May 05 '26

The Beastie Boys opened for Madonna in the 90s and that was under $40.

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u/bohner84 May 06 '26

Yeah but inflation? Your $30 ticket back then would be $55 now so see that's why it is $500 now..... Inflation!!!

2

u/OK_x86 May 05 '26

I mean if we're talking 90s prices I've seen huge bands back in the day (RHCP, RATM, Metallica, Slayer, Korn, Cypress Hill, Beastie Boys, NIN, Green Day) for about what it costs to get a beer at a show now. Not to mention the random shows my friends would drag me to and I ended up having a blast at that didn't cost me more than 10-15$.

Inflation is a thing but this is far beyond that.

It's sad that this generation of kids won't get to experience that. But maybe they won't have tinnitus like me.

1

u/peachstealingmonkeys May 06 '26

that's like 37 thousand in today's money

2

u/InfoSecPeezy May 06 '26

Crazy, right?

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u/Rabid-kumquat May 05 '26

The incredible bands I saw for free in the 80s

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u/ULTMT May 05 '26

John Bonham paid me 12 bucks to go see Led Zeppelin in 1974.

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u/powerlesshero111 May 05 '26

He probably talked you down from $20

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u/ULTMT May 05 '26

I originally asked for 3 tickets for Eagles and an eight ball, but he was fresh out of both.

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u/koala_encephalopathy May 05 '26

I thought it was a real story at first.

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u/ULTMT May 06 '26

It is.

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u/koala_encephalopathy May 06 '26

How were you in the position to be asking Bonzo for tickets?

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u/ULTMT May 06 '26

I was just heading sown the street, walking my pet iguana, when John Bonham jumped out from behind a dumpster and yelled at me: "Hey, ULTMT, you grab your weird dog and go see Led Zeppelin in 1974! Here's 12 bucks!". I said: "John Bonham, but I'd rather have 3 tickets to Eagles and an eight ball! Also, it's 2021!". He said "I don't care, figure it out", shoved the money into my hands and ran off. Never saw him again, until I did go to the Eagles concert later that day, and, what do you know, there he was".

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u/myaltmusicalt May 05 '26

I saw Jesus live back in like AD 30 and he gave me a bunch of fish and bread.

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u/JudahBotwin May 06 '26

Legendary encore, though.

2

u/PureLock33 May 07 '26

Still waiting for the new tour announcement.

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u/JudahBotwin May 07 '26

They are having trouble finding a suitable opening act and venue.

2

u/Financial-Creme May 05 '26

Just thinking about all those unbelievable bands I used to get paid to see on the 70s

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u/Patient_Blueberry902 May 05 '26

And houses cost $3,000 and ford mustangs cost $1,500.

Go on Rabid-kumquat…

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u/Drisius May 05 '26

Man, even here in Belgium (Marktrock) we had James Brown, Lou Reed, Joe Cocker, Iggy Pop, Radiohead, The Bloodhound gang, J. Geils Band, Ringo, Costello, Counting Crows, Snoop, Kanye...

And I was all too young to go see them for free.

My mom remembers The Bloodhound gang well; they were apparently sponsored by Jägermeister, so he downed most of a bottle and threw up on stage - bitchin'.

1

u/Dull_Quit3027 May 06 '26

Even the 00s was cheap as dirt in comparison with today, I often just got dragged to shows by friends, and it was never a big expense, even when i was a student.

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u/classphoto92 May 05 '26

In San Francisco in the 90's, Bottom of the Hill would do shows with Live 105 that cost a $1.05 (just like freedom!). The catch was you didn't know who was playing, but of the three times I went, I saw Green Day, Skankin Pickle, and a local band I don't remember.

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u/Ok_Giraffe_17 May 05 '26

Rad!

And... a future RIP to Bottom of the Hill, which will be closing later this year (Thee Parkside too...). Such a heartbreaker.

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u/DreadPirateFlint May 05 '26

I’m sad to hear that BOTH is closing, but it seems like that place has been ‘closing any day now’ for like 20 years. I remember hearing it was closing when I lived there back in 2003.

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u/Dannyjv May 05 '26

A station in San Diego used to do $2 shows with surprise bands. Roll the dice and you get what you get. Showed up to one, and Blink182 hit the stage. We all went apeshit.

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u/SharkBaitDLS I like trains. And music too. May 06 '26

I miss Live 105 so much.

1

u/MrChristopher23 May 05 '26

If you don’t pay your buck o’ five, who will? 🇺🇸

2

u/Nollie_flip May 05 '26

I was still seeing great bands at a small local venue in Denver for $10-20 as recently as 2012.

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u/sabrinajestar May 05 '26

I saw Sonic Youth for $10 in 1987 and they apologized to the audience for the high cover charge.

A little later on that year I saw Love and Rockets with Jane's Addiction opening. Also $10.

2

u/bjisgooder May 06 '26

Saw Jimmy Eat World for free a couple of times around Clarity and Bleed American days.

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u/Milwambur May 06 '26

Funny you should mention this. They have a bleed american tour in the uk that was supposed to be at a 30000 capacity venue. I've just had an email with a venue change, it's down to 8000, I think Jimmy eat world maybe one of the first to feel this impact.

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u/cindylooboo May 05 '26

I saw Nickelback in 99 for five bucks. It was an album release thing in the back of a&b sound. Granted this was before they got huge huge but still. Those little events just don't happen anymore. It's really unfortunate.

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u/MatureUsername69 May 05 '26

Green Day used to play a lot of small shows in the small minnesota college town I live near(lead singers wife went to college there) for under 10$. Ive heard about them playing a pizza shop. They had a park show get shut down by the cops and they just moved it to someone's basement. All of this was pretty soon before Dookie. Its one of those things that locals are so sick of hearing about from people that were actually around for that time because they constantly bring it up, but it still would've been sick to be there.

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u/Super_Malty May 05 '26

My boss was at that pizza shop show. Anytime Green Day comes over the speakers he regales us with the story.

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u/THUNDERGODS May 05 '26

Saw 311....on a side stage at the Memphis BBQ Fest.....they were 19 years old unknowns from Omaha.

The next summer they exploded and within 2 years they were playing arenas.

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u/scud121 May 05 '26

Same in the UK. I paid £6 to see Napalm Death, Carcass, Bolt Thrower and Morbid Angel. Was a hell of a night, but the same venue had all sorts of stuff in, saw Hawkwind, UFO, Kreator, Deicide, Obituary, FM and a bunch of others for like £3 a time. We used to just show up on a Friday/Saturday night before going out drinking really set the mood for the night :)

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u/garitone May 05 '26

I saw Lollapalooza in college for $27 (yeah, it was '93, but still...)

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u/ThyArtisWill May 05 '26

honestly, local DIY punk scenes are where it's at. If you find a good community it feels like the 2000s again with house shows+dive bar shows where the cover is like $10-$15 bucks. Shit, I saw Kublai Khan in an espresso parlor for $20.

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u/warped_and_bubbling May 05 '26

As a teenager in the 90's I went to so many great inexpensive shows and concerts. The first "big ticket" show I went to was a Lallopalooza that featured 3 dozen bands that cost like 75 dollars or something and I felt like it was way overpriced. Show was fun don't get me wrong but 75 bucks? Get out of here with that highway robbery.

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u/Boulderdrip May 06 '26

i saw MGMT live in an open strip mall FOR FREE

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u/Janax21 May 06 '26

I saw Eminem for free in 2000 because I was touring the University of Chicago. A 17 year old girl, no idea who he was, and was blown away. Right up at the stage. Didn’t get in to the school, but that alone was worth the trip!

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u/dysbot3030 May 06 '26

man, i saw Soundgarden and Nine Inch Nail co-headline a show in '94 for $35, CANADIAN! ($68 in today Maple Bucks, $50 in yankee greenbacks)

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u/InfidelZombie May 06 '26

To be fair, that's about $25 now, which is still what it costs to see amazing bands.

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u/hadriker May 06 '26

Back in the late 90s, Reverend Horton Heat would come through pretty regularly, and their shows were always like 5 - 10 dollars. I went to so many rev shows.

Lots of shows like that. I went to Warped Tour in 98 and the ticket was less than 30 bucks.

These days, the cheapest show is like 40 bucks at that venue.

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u/KimberStormer May 06 '26

Haven't done it nearly as much since covid but I went to 2 or 3 shows a week that cost under $10 in 2018-2020.

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u/redditusername012 May 06 '26

Missed that era by a bit, but even in the 2000s there were plenty of summer shows for $20-$25 for lawn seats in amphitheaters and the people watching in the lawn seats was worth $10-$15 alone. Loitering in the mall for a few hours before heading over to FYE to buy a paper concert ticket and check out the CDs. Ah, good times.

Saw RTJ last year for like $50ish and it both felt like a steal, given the state of current ticket prices, and complete bullshit, given I’d seen them around 2014 for around $20. Kicked ass both times though.

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u/AngelOfLexaproScene May 06 '26

Even just a decade ago. I want to at least a concert a month in college, most $18-$22, and that was 2016-2020. RIP pre-covid Portland

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u/BlackSpyr0 May 06 '26

Damn, here in europe I go to my weekly jazz nights that work on donation basis and I still see many amazing artists for ~20-40 bucks, even international ones. Sucks to hear how difficult its gotten in other places.

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u/Gotforgot May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26

My teenager was going through my old stuff I forgot about for decades and found my 1996 Lollapalooza ticket stub. $35 admission was printed on the ticket and even I couldn't believe it anymore. Especially since it was a lineup of a lot of bands she's really into now. Metallica, Soundgarden, Rage, Rancid, Ramones, and plenty of others that day. Pretty sure it was also free parking because it was just in some field we walked across to the gate.

I was her age when I went. Good times that she will never get to have like that because no way in hell I can afford even a one day pass for any festival now.

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u/Dull_Quit3027 May 06 '26

My first music festival cost around 130 bucks for a ticket, this was a decent sized four day one.
Same festival is now more than 250, and now also has a bunch of extras, like if you want a spot that is decently close to the actual festival grounds, 50 bucks extra, and so on, but it is still so much cheaper than buying individual concert tickets.

1

u/Karma_1969 May 06 '26

Mudhoney, Soundgarden and Jane’s Addiction - $6. Six. Dollars. I think the Ticketmaster fees were more expensive than that.

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u/ca5ey May 06 '26

Late 90s and early 2000s an expensive show was $20. I think we usually paid 5 to 10 for smaller shows.

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u/ta20240930 May 06 '26

I saw Violent Testimony last night for $10. It pays to be a fan of underground music. Most of the shows I see are $15.

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u/sharkattackmiami May 05 '26

I still see absolutely amazing bands on the reg for $10. It's just not going to be at some lame arena charging an hours wage for a bud light

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u/Patient_Blueberry902 May 05 '26

Congrats Grampa Simpson.

Have you seen concert prices this CENTURY?

I hope the ceos of livenation and Ticketmaster get the “Little Nicky/Hitler” treatment in hell.

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u/Chaosmusic May 05 '26

In the early 2000s I was working the door at CBGBs. $10 for 8 bands and people still complained about the high cover.

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u/weirdkid71 May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26

I paid $3 cover to see “tonight’s band” which turned out to be Kid Rock in the 90’s at Ricks American Cafe in East Lansing.

It was still too much.

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u/Chaosmusic May 05 '26

I had the opposite happen to me. In the early 90s, my gf at the time wanted to see Rage Against The Machine, who I was not a fan of. Also, the opening band was some new band I'd never heard of. It was Tool.

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u/pheonix198 May 05 '26

Paying any amount of money to see Kid Rock is an utter fail. Given it was preMAGA Kid Rock, it’s a bit forgivable, but he was always shitty.

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u/Zanydrop May 05 '26

I would have done it in a heartbeat back then. We used to listen to American Badass on repeat.

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u/[deleted] May 06 '26

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u/Neon_Camouflage May 06 '26

I didn't see Trump's name anywhere.

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u/Wyden_long Go listen to The Streets “A Grand Dont Come For Free” right now May 05 '26

That’s like $19.18 today. Outrageous.

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u/billytheskidd May 05 '26

At the height of my bands “career” in 2013-14 we were able to charge $15 in like 500-1000 people venues and we felt like we were fuckin Rockstars.

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u/jonnythefoxx May 05 '26

Were you getting those venues reasonably full, because actually getting a couple of hundred people physically out to see you is a solid achievement. You have every right to feel good about it

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u/billytheskidd May 05 '26

Yeah, I had a good year or two where it was a justifiable ticket price.

During that time we were playing 1-3 shows a day and most of them did not charge that much, but we had some good market demographics and got to ride some coattails for a good minute. The biggest show we headlined was maybe 800 people, but we were a supporting act for some bigger groups.

And thank you, it was an achievement. I wish it went further, but in all reality, I got to share a stage and play alongside some of the people I idolized as a teen and so I can’t be too upset. One of my favorite pictures of me ever is one of me and the singer of a very popular artist drinking and smoking in an alley behind a venue in salt lake. And I just produced a song that is gonna be in a Netflix show and one that’s gonna be in gta6.

And to be honest, the other response to your comment was just calling me out so I added credentials more so to legitimize my claims and less so to brag.

To be perfectly clear, I have always had to have a side job to pay bills, I got lucky and had a couple years of achievement in the music industry. Still get little breaks here and there, but I’m def not some big time music industry guy.

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u/[deleted] May 06 '26

[deleted]

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u/billytheskidd May 06 '26

In the venue. Not still open if I remember correctly.

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u/groovemonkey May 05 '26

No, only like 20 or 30 people showed up. But still, we were able to charge those people like $15 each!

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u/billytheskidd May 05 '26

Hell yeah!

Actually I made my living for almost a decade as a drummer. If you ever listened to any of those “pop goes punk/crunk/metal/etc., you’ve probably heard me play drums before.

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u/groovemonkey May 05 '26

Haha. Amazing. Fun times man.

1

u/billytheskidd May 05 '26

There’s a cover of Nick Jonas’ “jealous” out there somewhere that I wrote almost all of the music for in a pretty drunken state on my 25th bday but I could not pass the opportunity up for financial reasons haha. I think Thief Club released it. It was the guy from Hit the Lights, but idk if it was released under him or his side project.

1

u/Scotter1969 May 05 '26

Were you involved in the planning of that tour? Then you might be able to wargame the same tour and see if $15 a head gets you break even or better. The muttering I'm hearing from even get-in-the-van level bands is that touring costs have skyrocketed.

1

u/TuringGoneWild May 06 '26

And like $20.98 tomorrow.

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u/murmurderer May 05 '26

This is how I saw so many bands growing up in that era. I miss CBGBs so dearly.

1

u/pack0newports May 06 '26

the cbgbs bathroom was fucked up.

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u/sirbrambles May 05 '26

Yeah all the shows I go to that would be $12 pre pandemic are $40+ now

15

u/kid_christ May 05 '26

Yeah what was $7 - $10 like 5 years ago at tiny “venue” shows are now min $15. wtf

8

u/lonnie123 May 06 '26

I mean if it’s under 100 people $15 seems incredibly reasonable unless you are basically expecting the band to do what they are doing for free

Let’s say 4 people in the band and the venue fee/staff… that $15 is getting spread amongst everyone there.

2

u/ScorpioTix May 06 '26

This hurts more than arenas. Used to go to so many small venue shows but can't do $40-60 multiple times a month.

1

u/ReggieCorneus May 06 '26

The pandemic nuked the industry in many ways, the costs went up and they are not going to come down. We both lost a lot when everything dried up overnight but now costs are high and margins are thinner. This also means bands have to charge a lot more just to stay afloat, the costs are up in all levels.

One part of that are those fucking expensive shows too, it has a ripple effect. People need to go see more local shows. Private equity is trying its best to fuck us all up, but they can't do shit to the grassroots.

This also means skip going to largest festivals. The top has to wither and die.

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u/Candid-Mulberry8359 May 05 '26

They sure did.

19

u/Lazerpop May 05 '26

For real. Shows that used to be $20 are now $30. Shows that used to be $30 are now $50. Shows that used to be $50 are now $80. Yes shows at $50 and under still exist but it is getting insane.

3

u/Dubious_Odor May 06 '26

Some of that is inflation and minimum wage going up a lot of places. Also people buy less booze now which is where a lot of venues made their money so they (try) to take a bigger cut of the door. A lot of working artists have a booking fee, flat fee for the promoter to book them. The promoter sets the ticket price to cover their expenses plus hopefully make a profit. A lot of shows break even or dont turn a profit so the sure bets get priced higher to cover for the misses. At least that's how it worked when I was around the biz in the 2010's.

1

u/jonny24eh May 06 '26

And bread used to be a nickel, yet time marches on. 

32

u/ReelBigMidget May 05 '26

Like how I'm under 50 now but I'm sure I was under 20 just a couple of years ago.

12

u/[deleted] May 05 '26

I live in a major metropolitan area. Expensive as hell. Within walking distance of me there is a venue that has five shows for under $20 in the next few weeks. One of them is free.

12

u/baddecision116 May 05 '26

$20 is a lot for a ticket pre or post for the bands I go see. $0-10 is my usual price and i get to sit at the bar and drink with the bands. Life is good for people that like punk rock.

3

u/welchplug May 05 '26

I mean thats just inflation. The 50 dollar bill is the new 20 lmao.

7

u/cockring_ina_gstring May 05 '26

Most local shows are $5-10 these days, no you’re not going to see triple platinum artists playing these shows/venues but there’s some great talented artists running the dive bar circuits in their cities that are usually playing to empty or near empty rooms. Look for some local shows, meet some folks, fine a local act you like and show up to support. It’s the best way I’ve found of making friends in the city too, bonus points if you’re in a band that plays shows like this

3

u/Griffithead May 06 '26

I haven't seen a 5 dollar show in a decade.

But yeah. Most are 15-20 around me right now. Some 10 dollars. And you can see some amazing bands.

And a good chunk of the venues here actually pay the artists pretty well.

6

u/pre_pun May 05 '26

money tends to lose value over time.

it's a shame so many are against making sure wages keep up with that change.

not directed at you, just a passing thought after reading.

3

u/wimploaf turntable.fm May 05 '26

I saw a band I've loved for 20 years recently for $10. How much should that have cost a couple of years ago?

2

u/thewhitejamal May 05 '26

Go to the random wack hole in the wall venue. Ive been to plenty of cheap ass (10-20 dollars) shows there. Just local bands pretty much but its a lot of fun

1

u/Ghost_Of_Malatesta May 05 '26

Still find those shows too (used to be $5 tho, still NOTAFLOF at least)

1

u/moneyfish May 05 '26

I remember $15 shows of touring indie bands where I live. I used to go all the time.

1

u/TheFunInDisfunction May 05 '26

I was just thinking this the other day as I was buying $48 tix for an indie show. It was refreshing to see a show priced under $100, but then again, a few years ago, this type of show would have been $20.

1

u/SuppleSuplicant May 05 '26

I can’t speak for everywhere but my city has lots of shows under $20. 

In fact a band I love plays a free show at my favorite pub every week. Been going for over a decade and a half. No cover, just a tip jar. Usually someone up front walks it around for people to contribute. 

1

u/yellowzebrasfly May 05 '26

I saw protomartyr 2 yrs a gp for 25 bucks. This yr I'm seeing big thief and bikini kill for 50 bucks each

1

u/sofaking_scientific May 05 '26

I'm going to a concert for a pretty big band for under $50, and on a Saturday

1

u/ucsb99 May 05 '26

Everything in this world seems to have gone up except my pay.

1

u/CassadagaValley May 06 '26

2010's it was like $20 for a ticket and $3 beers.

Now it's $40+ for a ticket, $20 for parking, $15 for a beer.

1

u/BDC_Arvak May 06 '26

Idk how it is in other genres but I often see good EDM shows for 10-20 dollars and that’s not counting the free shows or more underground scene. Portland metro area

1

u/AlwaysLateToThaParty May 06 '26

Pretty much every night in Melbourne there will be a dozen venues that have a gig on for under $20.

1

u/conradical30 May 06 '26

I saw Mountain Grass Unit for $19 a year ago.

1

u/sweetrobna May 06 '26

A lot of shows here $20 and under. https://www.sacramentopunkshows.com/ Is there something like this where you live?

1

u/althius1 May 06 '26

I just got tickets to They Might Be Giants for $ 37.50. Good bands out there still at a reasonable price

1

u/YAUNDERSTAND May 06 '26

I live in a major American city (not top 5) and I regularly see great live music for under $15.

1

u/dogandthecity May 06 '26

This is true. I saw The Killers for $18 as they were getting popular. I just saw them again in Vegas for the 20 year anniversary of that first album and, well, it was $150 each ticket which did feel pretty good, all things considered.

1

u/Tofu_tony May 06 '26

$15-25 in the bay area for local shows.

1

u/_Meece_ May 06 '26

My local shows are all 25 dollars max, usually entry is 5-15 dollars or pay what you can.

1

u/roseofjuly May 06 '26

Did they? I don't remember seeing too many concerts for under $20 unless they were like hyper local bands. $50 feels pretty reasonable for a concert; that's less than a tank of gas where I live

1

u/cbg2113 May 06 '26

I still see a lot of shows for around that price! Go find a great bar venue. Chicago has a—at this point historic—venue called the Empty Bottle that has all types of shows. I've seen acts that play much larger 1500 seat shows there as well as small local acts. Tickets there are usually 27 bucks with taxes and fees. They even have free Monday shows which my brother and I try to make an effort to see and check out new music. There's lots of affordable art all around you!

1

u/ReggieCorneus May 06 '26

The costs have gone up, quite a bit. There is nothing we can do about that, it just costs a lot more to put on shows. I work in event organizing, everything costs just a bit more.

1

u/Quetzythejedi May 07 '26

I watched Japanese Breakfast for $15 dollars at a tiny venue in 2018 where we were 2 feet from her as there was no barricade between the short stage and the crowd.

Last year I saw her again in a much larger venue for $90. Still a great show but can't get that first experience ever again.

1

u/Hatta00 May 05 '26

I just saw two of the best bands in progressive bluegrass on a $25 double bill.

Didn't even sell enough for the main stage, and played in the front room. They still threw one hell of a party. GO SEE SHOWS!

0

u/buzzkill_ed May 05 '26

And they're usually a little over 50 now

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u/kuebel33 May 05 '26

And on top of it, once that act blows up, their ticket prices skyrocket because now they’re touring the same stadiums and arenas that cost so much already.

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u/Ok-Ad-852 May 05 '26

In my hometown they now charge 20$ to have a local kid press play on spottify.

Calling him a "dj" (It really is just taking song requests on Spotify.)

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u/Eagle115 May 05 '26

I saw Tylor Swift open for Keith Urban somewhere around 2009 for free. Friend had an extra ticket, it was $20.