Most, if not everybody, enjoys music. It’s a near universal experience to love at least some genre of music.
It’s one of those uniquely human things: to enjoy different combinations of sounds arranged in a way that results in a piece of artwork. The stories behind these bands, artists and musical projects resonate with the listener and deepen this tie. Even better than listening to music through a phone, CD or vinyl is watching it be performed by the artist in person. These shows provide a deeper listening experience, not just because you’re hearing the louder, live instruments, but also because you get to be in a closer proximity to the artist you enjoy. You get to see them interact with the audience in real time, and see how they perform and what type of energy they bring to the crowd. This experience many love does have one fault, one that has grown and grown as the years have gone on. This problem is just exactly how much money your average concert costs.
Many ginormously popular bands or artists are known for their extravagant shows. It’s simple, oftentimes the more funds a band or artist rakes in, the bigger the shows can be. Things like renting out huge stadiums that hold thousands of people as opposed to smaller venues, fancy lights, pyrotechnics, large props, and in some cases, sets where you’d be forgiven for thinking you were witnessing a full play rather than a concert. One band that has always been prone to these sorts of theatrical, large showcases is the massively popular punk/emo band My Chemical Romance. Most of their albums such as “Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge,” “The Black Parade” and “Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys” are known as “concept albums.” This means that these albums are more akin to a musical with a cohesive narrative they follow calling for larger shows. Even with these bigger shows, many criticize the band for the unreasonable prices of tickets for their upcoming tour, with prices ranging anywhere from $119 for just entry all the way up to $937. These obscene prices have been criticized by fans and detractors alike. Many believe features many ticket vendors possess like dynamic pricing, which raises and lowers prices based on supply and demand, are scummy and something the band themselves are in control of. Plenty of other huge creators use these features too, but while there may not be much you can do to stop this massive price inflation, you can choose which artists you see.
With all of this, it can be easy to lose sight of the fact that even with the insurmountable fame and attention some have gained, they are still just people. People are able to make mistakes and do wrong. You are still able to enjoy an artist, but criticize some of the choices they make, and recognize when an unfair deal is presented. It is important to not hold someone to a higher standard just because they’ve made things you enjoy. If no one recognizes or speaks up about issues such as this, they will never be solved.
In this time of massive price hiking, there are groups of artists that do not participate, and host smaller local shows. St. Louis local band Inches from Glory charged as low as $10 for entry at a recent show. It is a simple fact that these smaller shows are often cheaper, and come with the added benefits. Not only do you get a closer and more connected experience with an artist or a band, but going to random live events near you can introduce you to new bands and genres as well.
Despite what Ticketmaster might think, fighting the rising costs of concert ticket prices is possible if people realize how unreasonable it is and look for more local bands to enjoy in the meantime.
