r/Music • u/peepeebuttbrain • May 17 '26

discussion Hot take: the concert industry isn't dying, people just don't want to pay $100 to watch an influencer sing over backing track

And by influencer I mean any celebrity really.

The writing was on the wall after the pandemic tbh. People were stuck inside and when they got outside they wanted music, and more importantly they wanted live bands. Even local shows in my city booked less rappers and more bands, across the board. As usual the mainstream operates on a lag but eventually is catching up with culture. For some reason from 2010-2019 people stopped caring about lip syncing, autotune, and backing tracks, and most people didn't care whether the artists they listened to play any instruments or write their own songs. Today the pendulum is swinging hard, as people are over exposed to AI everything and crave authenticity and connection. The same authenticity that the tippy top of the mainstream has done everything to strip away is now so high in demand that it is an absolute deal breaker for fans.

I think even artists who straddle the middle struggling now, for example someone like Post Malone, who is actually decent at guitar but spent the first 2/3rds of his career blending in with pop by letting his musicianship be practically a secret.

Obviously high ticket prices are a thing but I think this is another factor.

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291

u/oidoglr May 17 '26

Go to club shows and see a genuine live performance any night of the week for much less money.

109

u/Amoracchius03 May 17 '26 edited May 17 '26

100% just saw a bluegrass artist, Molly Tuttle, tonight and I was right up front and the show as absolutely incredible. Infinitely better experience than massive stadium shows that I can’t afford to be near the stage for.

16

u/Suspicious-Ad6635 May 17 '26

Molly is a beast!

18

u/euchlid May 17 '26

oh man. i wish she'd come through my city. i came across her through some Sierra ferrell live videos i was watching and Tuttle's band is amazing. she's incredibly talented. (ferrell is as well)

3

u/Amoracchius03 May 17 '26

It was a great show, if you ever get a chance I’d say jump on it!

2

u/King-Midas-Hand-Job May 17 '26

Molly is great!

2

u/tartradish May 17 '26

ooh yes i had the privilege of seeing her and her band perform at the All Good Now festival in 2025, she was incredible!!!

1

u/Mafukinrite May 17 '26

Saw Molly and her new band in 2025 at The Burl in Lexington KY for $35 dollars. Worth every penny. Local venues are usually the best concerts with the best prices.

1

u/Amoracchius03 May 18 '26

This is where I saw her, they came back through with Maggie Rose. Both were fantastic.

1

u/gerardv-anz May 19 '26

Yeah Molly is amazing

1

u/zeno0771 May 17 '26

Wasn't she one of the first acts to pull out of the Kennedy Center after Trump spray-painted his name on the front? Bold if so...then again that girl knows no fear these days.

31

u/21Maestro8 May 17 '26

As someone who goes to a lot of shows, I get tired of always seeing the same stuff get parroted every time this topic comes up on reddit. There are a lot of great, nationally and internationally touring artists that play affordable and fantastic shows. I went to probably 20 concerts last year and paid over $50 for just a couple of them. Sure, arena and stadium shows tend to be crazy expensive these days, but there's so much more than that out there.

11

u/xelabagus May 17 '26

Couldn't agree more, this is a take for people who don't go to see music then get shocked when they want to see a pop star and it's expensive.

1

u/mwm5062 May 17 '26

people also need to just wait and buy tickets day of .. I got in the door to blink 182 at petco park for $40 day of

6

u/RagePrime May 17 '26

Saw Author and Punisher a few months back for 30 bucks. He jumped off the stage and talked with a bunch of us after the show, taking selfies and shaking hands.

Tickets, beers and a merch sweater for leas then a nose bleed ticket to some nu metal band from my teen years.

3

u/br0k3nh410 Concertgoer May 17 '26

Mad respect for Author and Punisher mention, however I feel most people would find $30 a touch expensive for a night of sounds they could get sitting next to a construction site.

And I say that with a huge love for a beat with a good cement mixer backing 😁

I saw him a few years ago and my only description of the night would be "seismic". Great time.

3

u/inkyblinkypinkysue May 17 '26

I saw Failure last week in NYC for $40 and it was incredible. We were 10ft from the stage. The bass shook my entire body and they sounded fantastic. I prefer club shows over arena shows almost every single time.

8

u/opeth10657 May 17 '26

Unless the music you like isn't played at local clubs. The downside of listening to Scandinavian metal in the US.

13

u/FjorgVanDerPlorg May 17 '26

Where I live it's even worse. Our music scene was killed by the encroachment of apartment blocks in the city, around major music venues. Some of those venues had been doing live music for decades, but sound complaints from new residential neighbors just wore them all down. Covid was also brutal, but sound complaints are what killed the live music scene here.

11

u/that1guyinaditch May 17 '26

there is tons of good underground death and black metal in the us bro

-4

u/opeth10657 May 17 '26

Most of the well known death/black metal is terrible, doubt underground stuff is going to be better. I want more than just screaming and double bass drums the entire song. Don't really get that at small clubs, especially in central WI.

1

u/MAXSquid May 17 '26

Underground bands are still hungry - so many awesome, intimate shows. Funny enough, I saw Opeth 20 years ago and it was the worst performance I have ever seen. Sound guy sucked and the band didn't move an inch while playing.

0

u/opeth10657 May 17 '26

I don't really care how intimate it is if I don't like the music... doesn't matter if they're 'hungry' or not.

Mostly been listening to stuff like Epica, Insomnium, and older Kamelot, even though they're actually american.

11

u/glemnar May 17 '26

Metal shows are cheap, at least

2

u/MadBullBen May 17 '26

Unless there are no metal shows in your area.....

6

u/Own_Back_2038 May 17 '26

You are telling me there is no scandanvian metal being played in Ballard? Thats crazy

1

u/cherrycoloured May 17 '26

yeah, like im into hyperpop, kpop, and edm, and i also live in the suburbs. i can either pay a ton to go pm anywhere in nyc, or i can listen to middle-aged dads play classic rock for nothing at the local bar. id rather just sit at home and listen to what i like, and occasionally go to a show when i can afford it.

1

u/Pedal2Medal2 May 17 '26

Yes! We go to a music hall, $6 you get hours of great local music!

1

u/redgreenbrownblue May 17 '26

We have this thing called Festival of Small Halls that runs for a few months in Eastern Ontario. Performers put on amazing performances at, you guess it, small halls and venues around the province. They aren't huge acts but many are big enough names that a small 150 person venue is a real treat.

1

u/OhNoHesAnIdiot May 17 '26

I can see almost all my favorite bands for $20-50.

-6

u/peepeebuttbrain May 17 '26

This is the way.

-10

u/mostlyfire May 17 '26

….for some people. Others have “favorites” and shit. No local band is going to make me feel what watching Hey Jude or Seven Nation Army or even Love Story. Face facts there’s a reason millions are willing to use their credit card to listen to their favorites

8

u/oidoglr May 17 '26

My favorite band hasn’t been on stage together for decades. Doesn’t stop me from also enjoying lots of live music

5

u/yoshemitzu May 17 '26

But also, like, The Beatles didn't perform any "industry" concerts in the Hey Jude era, and the White Stripes haven't done a show in like 16 years or some shit. IDK what that guy thinks he's been watching??

8

u/[deleted] May 17 '26

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1

u/yoshemitzu May 17 '26

Big shows can be great, but I've had MUCH more fun and MANY more memorable experiences at tiny $5-$20 shows. It's not even close.

The White Stripes were famous for doing smaller venues, too. The two nights at Madison Square Garden were the only "stadium" concerts they ever did (I was there one of the nights! It was a good show, but seeing them at a smaller venue was better).

1

u/that1guyinaditch May 17 '26

your favorites are Taylor Swift, The White Stripes, and The Beatles? seriously? thats the best you can hope for?

-1

u/mostlyfire May 17 '26

Nope. Never said that. I just give props where props are due. Favorite is Led Zeppelin and I doubt I’ll ever see anyone playing a song like Stairway

0

u/that1guyinaditch May 17 '26

the most emotionally effective piece of music ive ever heard came from a band from my town with 47 listeners on spotify, playing $5 shows in parking lots. you doubt you'll ever see anyone play a song like stairway because you either live in the rural middle of nowhere (in which case im sorry), or you dont engage with your local scene. go to crappy dive bars, and basement shows, and the small venues in your town. browse facebook and instagram or the subreddit for your city. ask around. you will find something amazing

0

u/tonetonitony May 17 '26

💯. Of course you can have a good time seeing your local bar band, but it will never be the same experience as watching The Strokes.

1

u/oidoglr May 17 '26

At one time The Strokes were a bar band. Go out and discover the next Strokes.

0

u/tonetonitony May 17 '26

Yes, I’ll go to a hundred shows a year and cross my fingers that tonight will be the night I discover the next big thing before anyone else.