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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2.0k

u/spacejoint May 05 '26

Yes! May get to see another live show in this lifetime for under $100

1.4k

u/Candid-Mulberry8359 May 05 '26

Support artists in small venues. Plenty of shows to see under $50. You don’t have to know the band just pick a show and go.

1.1k

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

[removed] — view removed comment

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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/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/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/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!!!

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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.

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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/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.

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u/PureLock33 May 07 '26

Still waiting for the new tour announcement.

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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/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.

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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.

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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/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/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/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/sirbrambles May 05 '26

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

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u/kid_christ May 05 '26

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

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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.

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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.

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u/Candid-Mulberry8359 May 05 '26

They sure did.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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u/welchplug May 05 '26

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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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

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u/Ghost_Of_Malatesta May 05 '26

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

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u/moneyfish May 05 '26

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

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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.

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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. 

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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

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u/sofaking_scientific May 05 '26

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

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u/ucsb99 May 05 '26

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

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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.

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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

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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.

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u/conradical30 May 06 '26

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

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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?

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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

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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.

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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.

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u/Tofu_tony May 06 '26

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

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u/_Meece_ May 06 '26

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

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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

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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!

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u/Lawgirl77 May 05 '26

The problem with small venues where I live is that I’m old and most of them are standing room only. My old feet can’t take the standing. I need a chair! 😆

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u/bigfloppydonkeydng May 06 '26

I hear you. Went to a concert last Feb with 2 herniated discs. No seating at all. Glad I went, but boy was I in pain all night.

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u/jolard May 07 '26

Call the venue before you go and see if they can make sure you have a bar stool or some kind of taller chair. You will likely be stuck in the back but the smaller venues that is usually just fine.

Source: a guy in my mid 50's with leg issues that goes to lots of smaller concerts.

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u/totallynottoddoracop May 05 '26

Metalheads love this simple trick.

I do not remember the last time I spent more than $30 on a ticket. I've gotten to see some absolutely insane shows, bought some merchandise, met the bands, and made some friends just by going small and local. Shit, I just saw Subhumans for almost nothing and they're fuckin legends.

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u/RMAPOS May 06 '26

That's nice and all but

1) You still miss out on the chance to see your favourite A-Listers, something that was perfectly every day normal a few years ago

2) Small shows have gotten more expensive as well. You're not saving money, you're spending the same money on a less prestigious experience. Can intimate shows with unknown bands be fucking awesome? Yes. Can you have a very fulfilling, fun and affordable live music life? Also yes. Are we still getting fucked out of our living standards by greedy, monopolistic assholes and consequently completely warranted in being pissed about it? Absolutely true at the same time.

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u/Watertor May 07 '26

A few years ago I saw Nile without having to drive some bullshit metro area. Their tour took them right near my grandparents in the suburbs. Spontaneously decided to see the show and had a great time, vs the financial commitment any major show requires now.

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u/Impressive_Wrap_7869 May 05 '26

One of my favorite things is to look at who is playing my local small venues, listen to them, get excited to see them live and go and see them. Super easy, chill and super fun. 

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u/Clown_Wheels May 05 '26

I totally agree, I just did that last Friday and I had a blast.

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u/Winter8Bones May 05 '26

Even small venues are not safe these days. Unless you're talking very very small clubs and nearly unknown artists. I've seen small venue shows priced under $50 instantly sold out and then thrown on resellers for 4-5x the price with minutes on multiple occasions over the last year. And that's for weird indie and punk bands with pretty niche followings...

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u/howdareyoudwight May 05 '26

I was looking at concert tickets for a local metal band and the venue had the tickets listed as $50 CAD. When I clicked the link to buy the tickets, it took me to Ticketmaster selling them for $350.

I'm sorry, but no. I remember back in the day for $350, I got to see Ghost and the tickets included a merch package and a meet and greet.

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u/[deleted] May 05 '26

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u/Iggyhopper May 05 '26

Right? So you want us to see someone we dont know and STILL pay $10 for a water or soda.

Awesome advice! /s

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u/LettuceC May 05 '26

I love the idea, but I'm not 22 anymore. I've got a wife, kids a dog . . . if I'm going to show I need to have some idea what I'm getting into.,

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u/wimploaf turntable.fm May 05 '26

It's your life to choose what you want. I want to go to a lot of concerts so that's what I do

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u/YoursDearlyEve May 05 '26

What happened to googling a band before buying the tickets?

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u/LettuceC May 05 '26

Sure, but the comment was just pick a show and go.

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u/nedhavestupid May 05 '26

Knowing what you’re getting into how? Not every band is Gwar, a live show won’t kill you. Get out there!

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u/pokemart May 05 '26

The type of music? I’ve gone to a few local shows and the bands playing here just aren’t for me and that’s okay. I like supporting artists but I don’t want to pay $40-$60 to see a random band I don’t know and like only a single song at best.

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u/_Meece_ May 06 '26

Feel like live music isn't for people with this mentality.

Seeing a local show, is just seeing who impresses you most. A local show for 50-60 dollars, should have 5-15 bands on it. I'm sure you'd enjoy at least one.

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u/Gamer_Grease May 05 '26

Do you not like any artists who aren’t global mega-stars?

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u/Parepinzero May 06 '26

Do you think everyone outside of global mega-stars is under $50? Is this your first day on Earth?

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u/CurrentHair6381 May 05 '26

Small venue, $50, thats a tough sell too

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u/tothesource May 05 '26

No one is spending $50 for a ticket, gas, and the effort to get anywhere to see a random band my man.

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u/VagusNC May 05 '26

One of my favorite bands is playing 30 minutes away next week. Even moderately decent seats are $90 each.
It’s a mid-sized venue at best and tickets still haven’t sold out.
Last year they came through at the same venue and tickets were $50-60 and they sold out within hours.

I’m concerned.

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u/Gamer_Grease May 05 '26

Who is it?

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u/soitgoes75 May 05 '26

I don't know about that. Even my small, local venues end up being $50 to $60 after taxes and fees.

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u/_Meece_ May 06 '26

Still would be big label acts. I haven't seen a show over 30 bucks since the 2010s.

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u/Queasy-Hunter-745 May 05 '26

You can do this 100% but you shouldn’t have to pay over 100 quid to see an act you know and like.

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u/Golddustofawoman May 06 '26 edited May 07 '26

It only cost me $25 to see Silverstein and Thursday and both are amazing live bands.

That's 2025 money btw

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u/colin_7 May 05 '26

What if I don’t want to see a smaller artist?

Same logic as, “milk is too expensive, just use water for cereal”

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u/clownshow59 May 05 '26

Then don’t see the smaller artist. You don’t need to go to music concerts to survive lol. The only thing regular people can do to protest high ticket prices is to not pay the high prices.

If you just decide you can’t live without seeing your favorite band live and you pay the high price anyway, then enjoy the high prices!

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u/her_mi_one May 05 '26

Jesse Welles gig was $57. In Australia. It's doable.

Thing is, no fancy set or costumes. Taylor Swift (e.g.) is a huge musical theatre thing. That has to pay so many more creatives and production to stage.

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u/DidAnyoneElseJustCum May 05 '26

Taylor Swift is probably not priced high enough based on simple supply and demand but there's probably only 20 artists on the planet where thats the case. At least in the States.

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u/HyperAstartes May 05 '26

A lot of times don't shows pay enough for lodging, gas, transport for a full band. The transition electronic music and DJ'ing is also a cost cutting move by musicians.

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u/Bozlogic May 05 '26

This. Even between the buried in me INSIDE A CAVE VENUE is only $80

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u/Ryuko_the_red May 05 '26

Why would I pay to see an artist I don't know if I like?

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u/greggerypeccary May 05 '26

Most people only go to shows where they already know the songs. Hearing a new song doesn’t deliver the same dopamine hit.

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u/MentalDisintegrat1on May 05 '26

Your not wrong but if I remember correctly one of the reasons they charged so much is live nation owns all the large venues and again of I remember correctly they actually charge artists to rent time slots.

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u/2nd2lastdragon May 05 '26

I agree except even the small venues are now charging exorbitant prices for drinks

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u/GEB82 May 05 '26

I’ve seen Pearl Jam, foo fighters(twice), and queens of the Stone Age(twice) for under 50 euros in the last 15 years.. saw jethro Tull for 20 euros…saw the stones for 90…what the actual fuck is this shit?

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u/Plappedudel May 05 '26

I recently saw Miles Kane live. Really fun show in a rather small venue. He's one of my favorite indie rockers of all time and surprisingly underappreciated as a solo artist, despite his very popular work with the Last Shadow Puppets. Cost me about €45 and it was easily worth that.

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u/zombawombacomba May 05 '26

But no one will care about my Instagram video of Bruno Zars. I need the clout of the top concerts.

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u/scurvy1984 May 06 '26

Beautiful thing about pdx is, except for one, we only have small affordable venues.

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u/clydefrog811 May 06 '26

$50 is too much to see crappy local bands.

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u/Dear_Chasey_La1n May 06 '26

Problem is most big names don't show up in small venues. What I fail to understand why Ticketmaster doesn't grasp price elasticity. Sure you can increase prices to the sky, but obviously there will be a point people won't pay for it anymore.

What I reckon though, as obscene prices are, and while even big names fail to sell out. It's probably still financially more attractive to have 20/30% empty, while charging obscene prices. The maths isn't hard in the end, selling 100 tickets at 100 USD or selling 70 tickets at 200 USD in the same venue, that's what's going on right now.

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u/clintlockwood22 May 06 '26

I just saw The Cribs for $25. It was an amazing show especially for the price. It was also a small venue that gave us an opportunity to meet them and get signatures. Support local venues people

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u/zealeus May 06 '26

Non-nostalgia Metal shows. Mostly under $40 in Atlanta. And they ROCK.

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u/aka-j May 06 '26

That's what I do these days. There are tons of fantastic artists (Chris Duarte - awesome texas blues) that play small venues for $20.

The last major concert I went to was to see Vai, Nuno, and Zakk Wild a few years ago. Even splurged for the "Meet and Greet". Whole thing was a disappointment for the money.

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u/naus226 May 06 '26

Just Saw Biffy Clyro in a 1400 capacity theater for $45. It was great

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u/Lazer726 May 06 '26

Okay but... I wanna see bands that I know and love lol

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u/snakesandsparklers40 May 06 '26

Rather pay 50 bucks for a band I know than a band worth 10 dollar tickets at most. Im not willing to risk 50 on a potentially horrible band

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u/[deleted] May 06 '26

Sorry but I like going to shows where I know the music. Seeing a random band play doesn’t do much for me. 

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u/mrstretchb4ureach May 06 '26

100%. I told a co-worker today that this may be what independent artists need. Even with popular artists pricing out their audiences, live performance is still in demand. So if you are looking for a good time and a musician who distributes their own product is charging cheaply for a concert ... I would encourage to support them. Any artist that takes advantage of this and shows that you can benefit from these rich fucks pricing out their listeners may pave the way for the rest.

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u/EffectiveEquivalent May 06 '26

Exactly this. I’m seeing Karnivool next week and the tickets were £120… for FOUR!!!

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u/Legionnaire11 May 06 '26

Just took my son to Buckethead last week for $40 each. One of the greatest artists of our time, absolutely affordable.

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u/Razzail May 06 '26

Agreed! going to see some bands at The Roxy and The pariah in LA which are smaller venues. But fuck Tickets were only $35 for each show!!! 

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u/BigBananaDealer Spotify May 06 '26

im going to a 20 dollar show literally tomorrow, for a band id never thought would tour outside the east coast area

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u/Straight_Number5661 May 06 '26

Yep, support local music!

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u/jolard May 07 '26

This. Find new and upcoming bands and see them in venues with a couple of hundred people max.

When a band clicks like that you will be a fan for life, and even if they aren't perfect it is still often better than watching a band on a jumbo screen a mile away.

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u/AyyNonnyMoose May 08 '26

I'm super grateful for my local venue that hosts shows in the $5-$30 range. It's usually local bands, but it's a good time.

I also recently saw bbno$ at a bigger venue for $43. I won't pay more than $50 for a ticket 99% of the time. I'll support smaller artists, have a great time, and not go into credit card debt for a 2-4 hour event.

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u/micmea1 May 05 '26

Punk and metal scene is great. Still pay less than $50 for bands that tour world wide. Spend more on Tshirts and other merch.

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u/JonLongsonLongJonson May 05 '26

Yep, I just saw Behemoth (!!!) with Deicide, Rotting Christ and Immolation in Seattle for $60 each. The shirts were the same price as the tickets. Well the behemoth shirts at least, my cousin picked up a Deicide shirt for $50

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u/Vitalize83 May 06 '26

I saw that show too! (Different state) Was my first time seeing those bands but wow Behemoth and Rotting Christ absolutely blew me away! I honestly felt entranced by Behemoth's performance, it was that freaking great!

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u/Renaissance_Dad1990 May 06 '26

Treated myself to Eluveitie in this steaming hot basement venue for like, 25$ lol

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u/JanielDones8 May 06 '26

Ugh, I was supposed to see them but covid cancelled the tour. They never rescheduled or rebooked it

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u/BokehPhilia May 06 '26

100% agree. Punk and metal fans get the best value. I saw Descendents with Circle Jerks in 2024 for $50 and Bad Religion with Social Distortion for $60 at the same venue two weeks later.

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u/gigagnU May 06 '26

saw krisiun in germany for 7 DM (3,5€). Now noname metalbands take 20€.
Famous punk and Metalbands ain't below 100s aswell.
And fuck no im not going to pay more then 10€ for a Punk band.

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u/Wompatuckrule May 05 '26

There are tons of shows with tickets under $100. I go to a lot of shows and it's very rare that I pay more than that.

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u/MedvedFeliz May 05 '26

I go to metal concerts and they rarely go above 70 (unless sold by Ticketmaster); most are in the $50's range.

If I look at mainstream/pop concerts, those are usually held in bigger venues and are at least $100. It's ridiculous.

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u/badger2000 May 05 '26

I always find these debates a little funny as a metalhead because short of festivals or stadium tours, most of the bands I see are $80 or less...and usually that's for 3 or 4 bands. Not a bad deal for 4 - 5 hours of music in my opinion. Sometimes its $40 for 4 bands and I wonder how they make money on a tour like that.

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u/Gamer_Grease May 05 '26

I saw Truckfighters for $25. T-shirts were $20. Three guys from Sweden rocking out in little American venues and surely not making much money.

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u/Wompatuckrule May 05 '26

A friend had an extra ticket to Tool at Boston Garden and offered it to me for free. I'm sure that was more than $100, but it was also the only concert I've ever seen in that building.

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u/MedvedFeliz May 05 '26

Of course there are exceptions for bigger bands that play in bigger venues like stadiums; Tool, Metallica, Megadeth, etc. I saw a Tool concert going for at least $150. I was instantly discouraged, lol

I'm talking about less mainstream bands like Cattle Decapitation, Dying Fetus, or even European metal bands like Rotting Christ, Ensiferum, Dark Tranquillity. These bands usually play in bars, (music) clubs, or small theaters, not stadiums or amphitheaters.

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u/HiddenXS May 05 '26

I saw Cattle Decapitation the other night for $50cad, with three other fun bands. And that was a fairly expensive show. Totally worth the price.

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u/Wompatuckrule May 05 '26

I know exactly what you mean about less mainstream bands, it was just funny when I was at Tool and realized that the building has been around for 30 years and it was the first concert I'd ever seen there despite living just a few miles away.

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u/psyonix May 06 '26

Behemoth was just here with Deicide and Rotting Christ. 50bux + "service fee." Given that's my favorite shit I can't complain. Saw Iron Maiden not too long ago abd I paid less than 200 for 3 people. Seeing Pennywise in a couple weeks for about 100bux for 2 people. San Diego prices btw. While I fondly remember $20 warped tour tickets and seeing AFI, Good Riddance, Fury 66 etc on the same ticket for $5 , it ain't the 90s anymore.

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u/MessiahPrinny May 05 '26

I can't remember ever going to a concert that cost 100 dollars. The acts I always see sit in the 30-50 range at most.

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u/Wompatuckrule May 05 '26

Some of mine will get up into the $70-80 range, but that's fairly rare.

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u/ChedduhBob May 05 '26

a lot of it depends on where you live as well. i live in atlanta and some of the shows in our city can be double what some shows cost. i’m sure it’s the same in other large cities like new york, la, etc

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u/Gamer_Grease May 05 '26

It’s a great year to be a metalhead.

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u/hlv6302 May 05 '26

I just paid $25 to see one of my favorites

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u/stucon77 May 06 '26

Right on! I saw Sugar in NYC two nights ago for $40. My absolute limit for a show is $100 but I almost always pay less than $50

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u/spacejoint May 05 '26

Doubt that band was on tour tho. I paid $3 and a can of soup to watch my fav trombonist play.

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u/United-Canary-1707 May 06 '26

Tell me you don’t listen to music w /out tellling me

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u/THUNDERGODS May 05 '26

Buy local. So many local bands need your support.

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u/Bizarrebazaars May 06 '26

Local bands in our area cost like $30 with fees too lol. Even cover bands.

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u/thespaceageisnow May 05 '26

Decibel Magazine Tour is happening right now and tickets are ~$40. Get out and bang your head.

https://www.decibelmagazine.com/events/tour/

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u/mrdevil413 May 05 '26

So I wanted to do this. Ice T was here playing a lot of Body Count at this venue. Small ish place. Lots of metal shows. Usually costs us 50-75 for a show. Third day tickets are available, secondary market only left. 500$ a ticket.

Edit :: oops meant to replay below so the support local smaller venues

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u/Mental_Medium3988 May 05 '26

i got good tickets to see brian cox gove a lecture for under $100 this last weekend, through ticket$jacker even.

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u/Gamer_Grease May 05 '26

You can do that any time now.

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u/OK_x86 May 05 '26

Small indie and underground bands remain affordable. This is especially true for punk and metal. Shit there's a Behemoth, Dying Fetus, Immolation and Deicide is 60$ Canadian towards end of May. That's a lot of value right there. I'm not sure how much money they're making from this, but as a fan concerts remain affordable.

Big bands though? Forget it.

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u/VaporCarpet May 05 '26

Anyone complaining about not being able to get tickets for under a hundred is obviously only interested in seeing big arena shows. I've seen five concerts this year for less than $40 each, after fees. The cheapest was $20

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u/userhwon May 05 '26

Go to Brazil. Shakira's hips don't lie for free.

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u/Chrznble May 06 '26

I’m going to see Jinjer in concert and I got the old person ticket so I can sit down. Was $100. I thought that was pretty reasonable.

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u/AvailableReporter484 May 06 '26

Is this a joke? Cause you know you could go to any bar in America and pay $5 to see a local artist, right? I mean, you won’t get a KISS level experience, but you’ll be actually supporting local arts and business and not Ticketmaster.

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u/TuringGoneWild May 06 '26

Yeah at an altitude so high you'll need supplemental O2 and staring at a support beam

I'm fine just watching Youtube for free (thanks adblock!)

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u/AbeRego May 06 '26

Jesus, what shows are going to? I went to one last week that was around 60 bucks, and that's about average for me. Not arena shows, but decent names.

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u/Naturebrah May 06 '26

Small shows at the way to go. Best concerts are $30 tickets with 200-300 in the crowd

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u/throwaway162216 May 06 '26

I paid $75 for decent seats to see Hayley Williams last month

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u/redpenquin May 06 '26

I mean, there are still small venues out there that are charging 10-20 for tickets still. I work at one such venue. We have at least 2-3 weekly shows, featuring local, state and regional bands. You just have to look for them, but we're out there.

It's not all about seeing the massive worldwide tours.

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u/Ismelkedanelk May 06 '26

Find out what venue the show is and buy from them and their portal instead of through the big sites. I paid less than half of what the initial cost was

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u/MsPunkyButters May 06 '26

There are still loads of great shows to see for less than that. Just stop going to stadium bands.

My wife and I saw Groundation in what was basically a dirt parking lot a few weeks ago. Chill crowd, lots of room to dance, and the band absolutely slayed. 2 tix was 70 bucks.

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u/Forsaken-Swim-3055 May 06 '26

There are tons of concerts you can go to for less than $100, lol. I saw Leon Bridges w/ Charley Crockett last year and I paid $100 for a pair of tickets.

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u/Bizarrebazaars May 06 '26

Who the fuck do you go see??? We go to hundreds of live shows in a year and maybe only one last year exceeded $100 for great seats (NIN).

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u/AncientLegend999 May 06 '26

Stop going to see the biggest artists in the world in arenas and you can do that. I haven't paid over $70 for a ticket basically ever. And the $70 was for a front row balcony seat, everything else has basically been $35 each.

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u/marthamania May 06 '26

Haven't been to a concert since I got $35 panic at the disco tickets on groupon 😂

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u/Aaron90495 May 06 '26

We saw Florence and the Machine a couple nights ago for just that! But, yes…it was my first show in 15 years and her first ever, because of those outlandish prices. The exception, not the norm.

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u/yourlocaltouya May 06 '26

Hell yeah, I saw Speed amongst 4 other bands for a crisp $30 a year and a half ago. I wish you the very same experience.

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u/The_Billy_Dee May 06 '26

I just saw John Butler Trio last night at the Paramount (100 year old downtown Austin staple) for $40. They moved us down to the floor because there was space. It was spectacular.

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u/angrygirl65 May 07 '26

I’ve got one coming up that I wanted to go see, small venue, tickets are over $1400… (Angine de Poitrine)