The rise and fall of concert culture

As an avid music lover, I’ve been attending concerts since 2015, and there’s nothing quite like being surrounded by people who share your passion for music. Yet, over the years, the overall experience, from buying tickets to the atmosphere at the show, has taken a noticeable hit.

Ticketing, in particular, has become a frustrating situation. In 2022, I faced the chaos of Ticketmaster while trying to get tickets for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. Although I was lucky enough to secure tickets, many friends were not. Ticketmaster’s system crashed, dynamic pricing was enabled despite Swift’s request not to do so, and tickets were essentially oversold. It’s disappointing to see that presales no longer serve fans but rather the bots resellers use to gauge and inflate prices. While the economy has been tough, reselling a $200 ticket for $10,000 feels downright exploitative.

You might wonder why artists don’t create their own ticketing platforms. The answer isn’t simple. Big-name performers like Swift and Beyoncé typically tour stadiums controlled by Live Nation, which merged with Ticketmaster in 2010. Live Nation also owns many of these venues, making it nearly impossible to avoid the combined ticketing giant.

Once inside the venue, fan behavior presents another challenge. At the Nashville Eras Tour, I found myself seated next to an overenthusiastic ‘tween’ who screamed along to every lyric of opening acts Gracie Abrams and Phoebe Bridgers. Despite hoping she would settle down once Swift took the stage, her energy only calmed midway through the concert after her friends intervened. This kind of distraction can take away from the shared joy that live shows should offer. To top it off, she ruined most of the videos I took at the concert because of her screaming.

I’ve also dealt with rowdy crowds at rock concerts. In 2019, at a Greta Van Fleet show, my friend and I spent six hours camping out in the blazing Carolina sun to secure barricade spots. Throughout the concert, people pushed and shoved relentlessly. I admit to elbowing someone trying to displace my friend. At one point, a fan attempted to shove us as the show was coming to an end — an odd choice of timing. To top it off, a girl jumped on stage, an ongoing issue for the band. Clearly, concert etiquette has eroded over time.

I don’t want to sound like a baby, but these challenges are wearing me down. I plan to keep going to concerts, yet I dread the thought of fighting Ticketmaster queues or battling bots to get tickets. This problem isn’t unique — sneakerheads face similar issues. I hope more artists follow Swift’s lead in opposing dynamic pricing. It was heartbreaking to see empty seats at her shows, caused by scalpers holding out for inflated prices. Even sadder were the fans outside the stadium holding signs, begging for tickets.

Despite the constant nonsense, there has been some movement — former President Joe Biden proposed banning junk fees for concert tickets, and Ticketmaster and Live Nation have promised to display fees upfront. But scalpers still harm the experience, and the industry has more work to do.

As for annoying fans, I’m not sure what the fix is. Maybe channeling your inner “Karen” and standing your ground might help. Until then, the concert experience will continue to be a mix of magic and mayhem.