Death to indie show price gouging

I'm in the camp that believes most shows aren't expensive enough these days. When a Le Tigre side project is selling tickets for $12 a pop, that's a hell of a deal. Sometimes, you can do better than that, and watch four great bands for $10 at an amazing venue.

But every once in a while, I see shows that are so expensive they send me into an uncontrollable fury that goes beyond a misguided sense of the band's popularity. Although I'm perfectly aware that it's a free market and bands can charge whatever the hell they please, some of these shows are simply priced to gouge.

Here are some of the most recent rock and roll offenders.

HOT CHIP

Show: 2/6/2010 @ Music Hall of Williamsburg, with French Horn Rebellion
Ticket price: $35
What it should be: $20 - 25

Forget the fact that the new Hot Chip record is totally unmemorable for a second - this band has put out a slew of hits ranging from "Ready to the Floor" to "Boy From School," which was recently (and unfortunately) musically mauled by Grizzy Bear. Not too long ago, Hot Chip at the Highline Ballroom was under 20 bucks - and their popularity hasn't really been on that much of an uptake to necessitate a doubling of their ticket prices. Here are some comparable bands, with cheaper shows:

The Magnetic Fields @ Brooklyn Academy of Music on 2/14, $25 (Arguably bigger than Hot Chip)

Phillip Glass w/ Regina Spector and Patti Smith @ Carnegie Hall on 2/26, $30 (Yes, it's a bigger venue, but there's way more star power here than Hot Chip multiplied by seven.)

Nada Surf @ Bell House on 3/26, $25 (probably about the same in popularity as Hot Chip, but the correct price)

Had the band's newest record been better than a bombastic turd, I would've considered coughing up the 35 bones for a ticket. Silly me.

TEGAN AND SARA

Show: @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Ticket price: $75
What it should be: $25 - 30, $40 if seating is very limited.

I'm going to start by copying and pasting an excerpt from the letter Tegan and Sara sent their fans in anticipation of this show:

we've decided, quite spontaneously, to offer an opportunity for some of you to spend an intimate night with us at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. perhaps it's worth noting that my use of the word intimate only applies to the small-ish size of the venue and the stripped down nature of the material we will be performing. i wouldn't call it an acoustic performance so much as a night of reinterpretations of the well worn and well loved album versions you've come to love.

Let's get this straight - Music Hall of Williamsburg's max capacity is 550 people. I wouldn't consider that small and intimate unless they were selling 100-200 tickets and capping it off at that.

Semantics aside, the real issue here is the price. Comparably, Sufjan Stevens recently did a small New York City tour of smaller venues (Bowery Ballroom and Music Hall of Williamsburg are smaller in relation to Radio City Music Hall) for $15 bucks a ticket. There was a two ticket per person limit, and tickets had to be picked up at Will Call in order to help prevent scalping. It was smart, and truly a gift to the fans. And although it's sorta close, I'd definitely give the edge in popularity to Sufjan. Tegan and Sara could've easily done something similar.

As it stands, $75 is a gift to fucking nobody. Unless this show comes with an autographed vinyl of "Sainthood," hugs and kisses to each member in attendance from both Tegan and Sara and strands of their hair for obsessed fans to put in their lockets, this is a pillaging of wallets everywhere. Presenting this as an "opportunity" to their fans is both egotistical and insane. How many 17-year-old girls can afford 75 dollar concert tickets (which will be around $90 after Ticketmaster rapes you with their service charges) anyway? (Unbelievably, the show is sold out already. Sometimes, greed wins.)

DIRTY PROJECTORS

Show: @ The Lincoln Center
Ticket price: $40
What it should be: Death (Or, I guess $20 realistically)

Can anybody explain to me why this band deserves anyone's money?

Have you seen any other examples of price gouging at the ticket booth? Tell us in the comments!

Comments

[Krystyn]

Beach House at the Prospect Park Bandshell, on the HOTTEST weekend of the year, for $35.

Attention everyone -- you can hear this concert for free anywhere in Windsor Terrace. Better yet, we can listen to the album in my apartment with the air conditioner at full blast. BYOB.

[austin]

You have apparently never seen the Dirty Projectors live. Do yourself a favor and go. Maybe not for $40, but they are great.