This would lead to even fewer shows in Duluth.  Sad, but true.

The terrorists would win.

Cutting edge of pants!

I'm no fan of TM, but the ticketing industry AND the live entertainment industry are far more complicated than simply requiring tickets to be sold "locally."

Without getting into lots of detail, bear in mind these acts are national acts that like consistency in distribution. Every artist contract I have read requires a bonded ticketing agency.

You could probably devote an entire website to ticketing "101." 

Is it a racket? Sure. And yes, Paul is probably right, things will change in the next year. Will convenience charges and facility fees ever go away? Doubtful. They may come down, but someone will pay for the convenience of sitting at home in their pj's, coffee and buying tickets online. 

Again, I do not defend Ticketmaster. They make a lot if money on someone else's back.

Pearl Jam and others tried to take this on in the 1990s and failed.  But it does work when I can buy tickets safely and with confidence for shows across the country and in Europe when I go on holiday.  I think I would be happy if they just started calling the extra charges our profit.

While we're on the subject of concert tickets, we should all be writting our St. Paul reps. and the Governor asking them to repeal the law that was passed just a few years ago and made scalping legal in MN.  What's the point of that?  Where is the benefit in allowing people to make thousands of dollars off the work and talent of others?  In the end, the consumer loses as well as anyone else legitimately involved in these concerts.

Agree with Patty. That law makes no sense.

First Avenue managed to dump Ticketmaster.  Thanks to the Internet, it's certainly possible these days, and I hope and expect that more venues will soon follow suit.

I second MJ's sentiments. If First Ave can drop ticketmaster, there's no reason local venues and Secret Service can't drop them as well.

Mr. Digits, sir...  I don't really think Communism is based on stealing the talents of others and making a profit.  In fact, although I'm not an expert, it would seem that an individual making a profit runs counter to basic Communist principles. Sharing the wealth economic models are not the same thing as scapling concert tickets. Just the opposite, in fact.  Capitalism loves a profit, and doesn't always require an ethical route to making one...  Just sayin'!

And the Devil wears a flag pin.

Patty, what I was basically saying is that capitalism is based on stealing the profit's (or excess capital, as it were) from those who create it, and that Ticketmaster pretty much exemplifies it. 

Perhaps you assumed that I was accusing you of something?  False.  I know that people use "socialist/communist" as a bad word or name, and generally incorrectly at that, but I wasn't using it there.  Nor am I at all "conservative" myself.  

In other words, mellow out.