Steve Liesman on Ticketmaster: The Monopoly Gives Them that Power to Set the Price

MELBER The Grateful Dead ░░░░░░░░ now tour in a ░░░░░░░░ constellation as The Dead ░░░░░░░░ one point made their ░░░░░░░░ ticketing service for fans ░░░░░░░░ a way to route ░░░░░░░░ this showing the bands ░░░░░░░░ skills The jamming extended ░░░░░░░░ into entrepreneurship You are ░░░░░░░░ it or not one ░░░░░░░░ the prominent fans of ░░░░░░░░ great institution You mentioned ░░░░░░░░ elliptically on the show ░░░░░░░░ LIESMAN Yes MELBER And ░░░░░░░░ I want to ask ░░░░░░░░ from your overlap business ░░░░░░░░ and concert fan is ░░░░░░░░ going to be business ░░░░░░░░ of Ticketmaster in these ░░░░░░░░ Is it on the ░░░░░░░░ Because lord knows you ░░░░░░░░ a constituency from Swifties ░░░░░░░░ Deadheads who say it ░░░░░░░░ got to work there ░░░░░░░░ got to be a ░░░░░░░░ to make it work ░░░░░░░░ than this LIESMAN I ░░░░░░░░ there has to be ░░░░░░░░ s a very tricky ░░░░░░░░ right now Who is ░░░░░░░░ to step up with ░░░░░░░░ technology It s what ░░░░░░░░ in our time Ari ░░░░░░░░ person who comes forward ░░░░░░░░ the technology owns the ░░░░░░░░ and the monopoly gives ░░░░░░░░ that power to set ░░░░░░░░ price They re trying ░░░░░░░░ do things like make ░░░░░░░░ all inclusive in the ░░░░░░░░ piece People are starting ░░░░░░░░ rebel And the problem ░░░░░░░░ a musician myself having ░░░░░░░░ band that I play ░░░░░░░░ is the underneath part ░░░░░░░░ been completely gutted That ░░░░░░░░ a big problem You ░░░░░░░░ these winner take all ░░░░░░░░ s a winner take ░░░░░░░░ thing in the rest ░░░░░░░░ business it s winner ░░░░░░░░ all in music business ░░░░░░░░ But is it a ░░░░░░░░ business problem or is ░░░░░░░░ more finding the right ░░░░░░░░ that they could be ░░░░░░░░ there LIESMAN Well there ░░░░░░░░ companies out there that ░░░░░░░░ provide on a small ░░░░░░░░ what Ticketmaster does But ░░░░░░░░ idea of the technology ░░░░░░░░ Ticketmaster being able to ░░░░░░░░ 24 7 ticketing all ░░░░░░░░ the country at one ░░░░░░░░ in that kind of ░░░░░░░░ I m not an ░░░░░░░░ in this I just ░░░░░░░░ of came to it ░░░░░░░░ followed it and it ░░░░░░░░ going to be very ░░░░░░░░ to have the kind ░░░░░░░░ competition that we you ░░░░░░░░ theory is that a ░░░░░░░░ creates enough competition Coke ░░░░░░░░ Pepsi is fine There ░░░░░░░░ nothing that rivals Ticketmaster ░░░░░░░░ That rivals Ticketmaster exactly ░░░░░░░░ right So we re ░░░░░░░░ out of time here ░░░░░░░░ you ve seen The ░░░░░░░░ at The Sphere you ░░░░░░░░ going back LIESMAN Yeah ░░░░░░░░ my boys MELBER Yeah ░░░░░░░░ do you put The ░░░░░░░░ in the pantheon of ░░░░░░░░ possible Dead experiences If ░░░░░░░░ include Red Rocks if ░░░░░░░░ include Fillmore 70s shows ░░░░░░░░ Or Lewiston 1981 MELBER ░░░░░░░░ Nassau Coliseum LIESMAN It ░░░░░░░░ a whole new thing ░░░░░░░░ have really merged the ░░░░░░░░ and the music in ░░░░░░░░ way that nobody ever ░░░░░░░░ I think no band ░░░░░░░░ more capable or has ░░░░░░░░ track record because they ░░░░░░░░ all this iconic art ░░░░░░░░ works so well with ░░░░░░░░ Sphere and it s ░░░░░░░░ really terrific experience It ░░░░░░░░ ridiculously expensive Laughs MELBER ░░░░░░░░ is overpriced by any ░░░░░░░░ But you re making ░░░░░░░░ artistic point which is ░░░░░░░░ audiovisual experience for music ░░░░░░░░ better with artists that ░░░░░░░░ already engage in that ░░░░░░░░ It s your point ░░░░░░░░ I agree I agree ░░░░░░░░ I will say Phil ░░░░░░░░ once said when he ░░░░░░░░ angered about people with ░░░░░░░░ tie dye background he ░░░░░░░░ Nobody ever went home ░░░░░░░░ the lights That s ░░░░░░░░ a Phil Lesh quote ░░░░░░░░ I didn t know ░░░░░░░░ Phil Lesh quote but ░░░░░░░░ s almost counterintuitive because ░░░░░░░░ did they cared more ░░░░░░░░ lights as Phish did ░░░░░░░░ Drums in Space and ░░░░░░░░ this experience LIESMAN They ░░░░░░░░ t brought it up ░░░░░░░░ the level of Phish ░░░░░░░░ is like what they ░░░░░░░░ the lighting guy is ░░░░░░░░ fifth member is MELBER ░░░░░░░░ yeah it s not ░░░░░░░░ level I mean when ░░░░░░░░ watch Phish and the ░░░░░░░░ when now we re ░░░░░░░░ running over but when ░░░░░░░░ solo LIESMAN Laughs This ░░░░░░░░ never gonna happen again ░░░░░░░░ realize MELBER Well it ░░░░░░░░ live television Wen the ░░░░░░░░ jam really is taking ░░░░░░░░ energy and the lights ░░░░░░░░ building with it and ░░░░░░░░ brings the whole communal ░░░░░░░░ into seeing that person ░░░░░░░░ Look we love having ░░░░░░░░ own LIESMAN Thanks MELBER ░░░░░░░░ get into a lot ░░░░░░░░ stuff. Steve, thank you.”