By Jake Schroeder | Photographer
One of the best parts of being music fans is supporting our favorite artists. We buy and listen to their music, share their new releases with our friends and make sure to purchase front row tickets for every show. Well, maybe not that last part, but for many fans, simply getting into the building to see their favorite artists can be a challenge.
If you’re lucky enough to get in early on a rising star, you can grab a standing room only ticket in front of the artist for $20 to $30. You may even be able to meet them afterward during a meet and greet, where they’ll sign merch and take every picture you ask for.
If you happen to find an up-and-coming artist singing at the local mom-and-pop restaurant or at your school’s talent show, then congratulations. Cherish those moments and feel free to tip them for their hard work keeping you entertained. It’ll be pennies on the dollar compared to what you’ll be shelling out to see them headline their own tour one day.
I’m not just an angry man shouting at clouds, either; these issues have actually affected me personally. In my own experience, I remember going to Sabrina Carpenter’s show in Dallas in March 2023. She was playing at a packed-out venue called The Bomb Factory. I was able to grab two tickets, which each cost around $30, and went with a friend.
While she wasn’t an unknown in the industry, having been on Disney Channel for 72 episodes of “Girl Meets World” from 2014 to 2017, while having debuted all the way back in 2014, she hadn’t blown up the way she was about to.
After opening for Taylor Swift during her Eras Tour in 2023 and 2024, her popularity continued to rise. The release of her next album, “Short n’ Sweet,” skyrocketed her popularity after the album featured three songs on the Billboard Hot 100. “Espresso” ended up at No. 3 on the charts, while “Taste” debuted at No. 2, and “Please Please Please” topped the charts at No. 1.
Naturally, this newfound fame caused changes in her next tour. She moved venues to the American Airlines Center, and ticket prices soared to over $300 just to get in the door. A price I couldn’t pay. It might have been my naivety, but I know I was not the only one who did not expect the prices to take as drastic a hike as they did, and many of us, unfortunately, had to miss out on the concert for people who might not have been as big fans as we were.
This is just one story of the many fans who are bearing the costs. It’s not the first time that prices have exploded out of control, and it certainly won’t be the last.
