A New Grinch

Friends,
 
I thought you'd be interested in this mail from the 9:30 Club and Merriweather Post on the Live Nation/Ticketmaster merger.
 
I remember when Bill Kirchen said "It's hard to make music in the money business."
 
Harry Rado
Little Red & the Renegades
Wash., DC
 
And from DC ROCKS: Here is a portion of the email for brevity's sake:


There’s a train wreck about to happen and consumer groups say YOU will be the victim if the two most powerful corporate interests in the live concert business get their way. But you can help stop the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation. The government needs to hear from music fans now. Tell the Department of Justice that you’re against these monopolies amassing illegal power over consumers, before it’s too late. antitrust.complaints@usdoj.gov

As a concertgoer you have already felt the pain, and if Ticketmaster and Live Nation get their way, it’ll get worse. In the last 12 years, since Live Nation and its predecessor started its widespread takeover of the concert industry, concert ticket prices have shot up 82% while the consumer price index has gone up just 17%*. We are concerned that if the two concert industry behemoths, Live Nation and Ticketmaster, are permitted to merge, the variety and quality of artists coming to local venues will be affected, and your costs could rise further and faster.