Ticketmaster and Live Nation have destroyed the concert experience. But it didn’t use to be this way. Today, Oasis and Taylor Swift tickets might go for thousands of dollars, but back in 1955, you could see Elvis Presley in concert for less than the modern-day equivalent of $20.
It’s actually more of an issue of artificial supply and demand caused by a monopoly that controls ticket sales, secondary market, and venues. They’re also very hostile to performing artists, using their monopoly to force them to play more expensive venues and charge higher prices or risk blacklisting at virtually every major venue. It’s the kind of shit that anti-trust laws were created to prevent but, there has been little to no enforcement for near a half of a century.