History of concert ticket prices.

MoeDude

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I'm a big Bob Seger fan and I was going through some old memorabilia when I came across old ticket stubs for Bob Seger concerts. It was interesting to see the price differences from my first Seger concert in 1978 for $7 to my most recent concert in December 2018 for $120. Share your ticket inflation prices for any and all bands you've seen.
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I remember seeing Garth Brooks at the old Cooper Stadium in July 1997. A ticket was only $25+fees, a T shirt was only $15, and he played for 2 1/2 hours.
 
I remember seeing Garth Brooks at the old Cooper Stadium in July 1997. A ticket was only $25+fees, a T shirt was only $15, and he played for 2 1/2 hours.
He tends to keep his tix not outrageous and every seat is the same price so if one is lucky to get in early ya can get a great seat for a good price.
 
My three cheapest tickets that I recall were:

Kansas - 1977 $6.00
Harry Chapin - 1979 $6.50
The Knack - 1979 $6.50
 
I'm a big Bob Seger fan and I was going through some old memorabilia when I came across old ticket stubs for Bob Seger concerts. It was interesting to see the price differences from my first Seger concert in 1978 for $7 to my most recent concert in December 2018 for $120. Share your ticket inflation prices for any and all bands you've seen. View attachment 30394

View attachment 30392
Not sure where the seats are from either concert but that’s nearly 4x after factoring for inflation jeeze!
 
My three cheapest tickets that I recall were:

Kansas - 1977 $6.00
Harry Chapin - 1979 $6.50
The Knack - 1979 $6.50
I saw Kansas in 1981 in LaCrosse, WI and I think the ticket was $10 or so. Just paid a couple hundred apiece to see a Chicago cover band in Cincinnati. Times have changed :)
 
Just paid a couple hundred apiece to see a Chicago cover band in Cincinnati.
Wow. You must really like Chicago! :cool:

Oct 1975 - $5.50 for KISS on their Alive tour - had to work 3 hours at Arby's to pay for my first concert experience.
Sep 1979 - 8 or 9 bucks, I think. KISS, Dynasty tour
1980-81 - prob 10-dollar range for Cheap Trick, Rush, Black Sabbath

1985 - my first experience with "fees". Paid roughly $25 each for a couple of first-row tickets for Diana Ross in Columbus. Had to pay 3-dollar surcharge per ticket - $56 total. Then Diana cancels the show. The instructions said to get a refund, go to the venue - maybe the old Batelle Hall at the Convention Center. I go there and the clerk said "here's your $50". I said, "no, you owe me $56". The unhelpful clerk says, "no, just $50. We don't refund ticket fees."

No matter who wins or loses, the house wins every time. And I'll never ever have a shot at front row again.
 
One of the big drivers leading to increased concert tickets costs is the fact musical artists can no longer make $s on recordings. Most current record deals are basically 360 deals, in the music business that means the record label also gets ins on live performance revenue. Supply and demand is also driving the cost, big legacy names command the big $s, back in the day Frank Sinatra was the big high cost ticket price, now it is Bruce Springsteen. Finally the production values have sky rocketed and all those extras are not free.

Here is the Stones 1973 stage set up:
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Here it is in 2019:
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We went to a lot of concerts at Blossom summer of '76, and lawn tickets for all shows were 6 bucks, I think.
 
I saw the Grateful Dead/Bob Dylan/Tom Petty show there in 1986 and it was not a good venue for a rock concert. The traffic flow was even worse than Blossom as well as the fan flow in and out of the venue. Also the site lines were not the best and those stupid light stands that were in front of the stands was obnoxious. Of note, I believe no band ever played there multiple times, it was one and done for the most part.
 
I saw the Grateful Dead/Bob Dylan/Tom Petty show there in 1986 and it was not a good venue for a rock concert. The traffic flow was even worse than Blossom as well as the fan flow in and out of the venue. Also the site lines were not the best and those stupid light stands that were in front of the stands was obnoxious. Of note, I believe no band ever played there multiple times, it was one and done for the most part.
I was at that show myself, and you are correct.
 
Not sure where the seats are from either concert but that’s nearly 4x after factoring for inflation jeeze!

Inflation is figured much differently now, also lawyers get more of the cut. Much more involved technology might account for the price doubling. Most the rest is cooked books.
 
Tickets for 1969 Woodstock were $6.50 per day or $18.00 for 3 days. A friend of mine tried to get me to go, but I was working 2 summer jobs for college money and couldn't afford it. He didn't go since I would have been his ride. I regretted it for many years, but now I'm pretty sure it's a good thing I missed it. I might still be roaming around out there.
 
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