Over the past few years, bands have been charging their biggest supporters, their own fans, outrageous amounts to see the performers live. This constant act of cheating their listeners has contributed steadily to making this gross injustice part of the industry standard. Though, to be completely fair, a majority of the time this swindling and slight of hand act isn’t even the band’s fault. Venues, especially the smaller ones found within the Deep Ellum area of Dallas, have the final say on how much the price of a ticket will be, and often chose to take their “just dues.”
It’s understandable that these clubs aren’t running any sort of charity and need to make money for what they’re providing the public, but more often than not the “service” they’re providing is just an easy way to lose twenty dollars. An even greater brunt of the blow for conning the public into spending excessive amounts just to attend concerts rests on the corporate evil known as “Clear Channel.” In order to further its goal of monopolizing the world’s media shares, Clear Channel continually strives to rid Dallas of all its independent and affordable venues. Having already bought out a majority of the clubs in the area, few places still remain that actually care about its patrons or music in general.
It used to be that a venue was opened up to allow artists a platform for getting their music heard, all done in the best interests of self expression through art.
However, with heartless corporations and dollar-eyed businessmen in control, much of the venues’ purpose gets lost within their greed’s depraved pursuits. This isn’t at all what music is or should ever be about. Music is expression in its most raw and true form; a conduit for the soul, not just another way to bring home a paycheck. Though with the present state of things, it’s difficult to think that anyone ever operated upon these ideals.
But, there still are those who believe that music’s intent shouldn’t circle one’s need for tremendous wealth or the ability to support expensive drug habits. Bands like Fugazi never once compromised their principles, refusing to play a show that cost anyone more than $5. Music shouldn’t only be available to the highest bidder but instead should be allowed status as an intrinsic right of everyone, allowing people to experience concerts at an affordable cost and fulfilling music’s purpose as a means of universal communication, between races, gender and even class.
What’s at stake here isn’t just a case of having empty pockets after walking out the next concert; it’s everyone’s equally natural right to experience music. The injustice put forth by faceless corporations and greedy venues does nothing more for culture than stifle creativity and kill innovation. Make no mistakes, this is a fight of idealism and not the almighty dollar, and we can only hope that for art’s sake, idealism prevails.
Cole Hill is a first-year CCPA major and can be reached at [email protected].
