BONUS TRACKS: Why This Summer’s Arena Shows Are Missing the Mark

There’s a fairly big-name concert in a fairly big amphitheater I’m not attending tonight because the ticket price is too high. I bet you’ve run into that lately too. Of course, we all recognize that music has value (as well as costs to everyone involved in presenting it) and that a little cash in return for a shared live experience is worthy trade. But at some point our desire to support a favorite band and have a fantastic evening runs up against the reality of what’s in our bank account. All artists are feeling some of this squeeze, I think, but it’s most publicly apparent toward the upper tier as people share images of arena seating charts heavily splattered with blue dots marking available seats. The Black Keys recently scrapped their entire North American tour — booked for arenas with no tickets under $100 in several cities — and have promised a new schedule for a more “intimate experience.” (They also fired their managers.) Jennifer Lopez, after reworking her tour into a greatest hits theme earlier this year, finally just cancelled the whole thing. And many other pop stars are seeing their summer ticket sales met with “meh.” What’s going on? As with everything in the music business, it’s complicated. But Stereogum offers a deep look into some factors causing high tickets prices and what’s prompting fans to stay home.

Of course, there’s a silver lining to this somber situation. While we might be tempted to sit out a few more big shows than we might have in previous times, smaller shows in smaller venues remain reasonably priced. Your attendance helps bands at that level get to the next town, not to their next Cadillac, and everyone’s bank account can feel good about that.

If you read No Depression, you likely know a lot about the blood, sweat, and tears (metaphorically and sometimes literally) an artist puts into making an album. From writing to recording, and promoting to performing, it’s a whole lot of work for an artist and their team. If that album lands in your hands in the form of a vinyl record, there was a whole other laborious process involved too, by artisans in the pressing plant. Earlier this year The Washington Post went inside Nashville’s United Record Pressing to learn about the nuts and bolts (and drills and silver and hydraulic presses and more) of making a record. In this multimedia story, follow a record through the entire process, a fascinating blend of science and art.

WHAT WE’RE LISTENING TO

Here’s a sampling of the songs, albums, bands, and sounds No Depression staffers have been into this week:

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss – “When the Levee Breaks”
Bella White – “Concrete and Barbed Wire” (Lucinda Williams cover), from White’s new EP, Five for Silver, coming in August
Stephen Mougin and Jana Mougin – “Like I Used to Do”
Jumaane Smith – “I Know”
Sadler Vaden – “I’ll Always Come Back,” from his new album, Dad Rock, surprise-released today
Lakecia Benjamin’s Tiny Desk Concert
The Cactus Blossoms – “Every Time I Think About You,” the title track from their new album, coming in August
Brittany Haas and Lena Jonsson – “Shipping Tunes (Shipping Port/Shipping Polska),” from their new duo album, The Snake, coming June 28
The Del McCoury Band feat. Molly Tuttle – “She’s Heavenly,” from the band’s new album, Songs of Love and Life, coming June 28
Matt Pond PA – “Lost Languages”