Entertainment companies and local bands react to rising concert prices in Triangle

As the Triangle continues to grow its music scene and the elements of live music change, concert tickets in the region have seen a notable increase in price over the past few years. 

Adam Castiller, co-founder of Dugout Entertainment, said the biggest culprit for rising prices are venues partnered with large corporations like Live Nation or Ticketmaster. 

“[Artists] really don't have a say in ticket price unfortunately — especially when Ticketmaster or some other reseller site gets involved and they just can really jack up the price of tickets,” Jackson Reed, lead guitarist of Harvey Street, said. 

When utilizing the platforms’ websites to purchase tickets, there are also many hidden fees at the end of checking out, Sarah McCombie of Chatham Rabbits, a folk duo based in Chatham County, said.

However, on April 1, a state law went into effect that requires sellers to disclose the full price of a ticket before checkout. The law applies to both the sale and resale of tickets and any violation of the law is considered an unfair trade practice.

Since Chatham Rabbits began playing music for a living in 2018, McCombie said they have seen a complete shift of the way shows are marketed and advertised.

Rather than posting on social media to advertise shows, it is now more about feeding the algorithm and paying digital marketing companies to direct ads to reach the right people, she said. 

“We're having to build in advertising budgets to our touring budgets that we never had to do before,” McCombie said.

The transition to music streaming, rather than selling records and CDs, has also put more pressure on the live music industry, Reed said.Artists now depend on concert sales for most of their earnings. He also said the amount of royalties artists receive, which are derived from streaming numbers, does not compare to the profit of selling their music.

Despite increasing costs of live music, Henry Kunz, founder of Southend Entertainment, said ticket sellers have realized many fans are still willing to spend a significant amount of money on concerts.

“There's nothing quite like seeing an artist perform in person, knowing that this is the only time you're going to see them perform at this venue on this exact day with this exact setlist,” UNC student Lillian Propst said.

As a frequent concert-goer, she said she did not think increasing prices would limit how many shows she attended, but it can make her think twice about the purchase.

Although Raleigh is not necessarily known for its cultural music scene, the area itself has seen a lot of growth, which has increased the demand for music and live events, Kunz said. 

“You’re getting more and more different pockets of people that are interested in more and more different things,” he said. “Artists are starting to come around to that, and instead of just exclusively stopping by Charlotte on their national tour, they see opportunity in Raleigh and they see opportunity in Chapel Hill.” 

Castiller said the Triangle is unique in comparison to other regions because there are many independent venues that are private and not partnered with large corporations, leading to a massive difference in ticket prices.

The Triangle has also been able to rival large corporations, McCombie said, because artists love that venues like Cat's Cradle and Haw River Ballroom are owned by real people and are dedicated to supporting the music scene.

“The more that people support these venues and support us and come to our shows, the more shows we're able to have without having to raise that price,” Portal HQ owner Jake Berlin said. 

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