The piece I saw on Nola.com detailing some things you could have gotten for the cost of The Eras Tour tickets in New Orleans was quite eye-opening, and I honestly appreciated it.
It really goes to show how much concert/event culture has devolved in recent years. For the first time in many years, I was living in a city one of my favorite artists is touring through. I, like so many others, did not have tickets because we either didn’t get presale, or we can’t afford to pay the equivalent of a down payment on a house.
The cheapest resale seats appeared to be fully behind the stage. Thousands of tickets were sitting on resale sites inaccessible to thousands of fans who would have loved to go. I’m saying this as a fan, but I’m a little disappointed because Swift had the power to curtail some of this, much like Ed Sheeran has done.
A smaller artist I admire recently shared something on her social media that said, “Music is not just a form of entertainment; it’s a vital component of the human experience that enriches our lives in so many ways,” and that really resonated with me. Music and fandom and concerts are supposed to bring people together in a joyous way. Can we denormalize making things that bring people joy inaccessible? I hope this whole experience starts a reckoning around ticket sales for concerts and other events.
ALEX PRITCHARD
New Orleans