>> decades ago, concert tickets didn't cost this much I'm willing to bet it's because in the old days artists could release a record and make a living from tha

>> decades ago, concert tickets didn't cost this much I'm willing to bet it's because in the old days artists could release a record and make a living from that without even touring. Now the record, for most artists, is a promotional tool, maybe even a loss leader, for concerts. As for 'why don't they just play more shows' I'd say the reason is quite similar. In the past artists didn't have to tour enough. Now they tour for incredibly long periods of time so they can extend that further (unhealthy and maybe even impossible) or play more shows in fewer places.