Shocking Employee Messages are Reason Live Nation Trial Must Proceed
In a Federal courtroom in Manhattan, perhaps the most consequential action affecting live music in the last 15 years is taking place.
It’s the trial of Live Nation, who was sued by the United States Justice Department and some 40 state attorney generals for being a monopoly. Not only is Live Nation the biggest concert promoter in the world, but the company also owns the biggest ticketing system in Ticketmaster, as well as scores of venues big and small, multiple festivals, while also managing artists and other musical assets.
On February 28th, a jury trial commenced in Manhattan to decide the fate of Live Nation and Ticketmaster. But amid the trial, a backroom settlement deal was struck with the Justice Department that potentially could allow Live Nation to walk away with a veritable slap on the wrist of only having to give into some minor concessions, and pay a fine of $280 million—the revenue the company makes in roughly five days of operation.
Luckily, at least 26 separate state attorney generals have rejected the deal after most weren’t even notified about it, and even judge Arun Subramanian said that it was “entirely unacceptable” he wasn’t informed about the deal as it was being negotiated. Due to these circumstances, the judge has decided to allow the trial to move forward, even if its prospects might be more difficult now with the Justice Department plea deal to navigate around.
But beyond allowing a jury of our peers to decide the fate of Live Nation as opposed to a backroom deal, the other reason this trial needs to move forward is to finally expose the kind of behavior and corruption at the heart of the Live Nation business, and why it’s been so subversive for live music in the United States.
On Wednesday (3-11), Slack messages between two Live Nation employees illustrate the kind of callous and egregious perspective the company seems to have for everyday consumers, especially when it comes to the company’s fees.
The 2022 Slack messages between Live Nation employees Ben Baker and and Jeff Weinhold find the two bragging about taking advantage of customers with exorbitant fees. Some of the messages read:
“These people are so stupid. I almost feel bad for taking advantage of them.”
“Robbing them blind, baby. That’s how we do it.”
“Charging ‘$50 to park in the grass’ and ‘$60 for closer grass.”
“I have VIP parking up to $250 lol.”
Ben Baker currently oversees ticketing for the venue nation unit of Live Nation.
In a statement, Live Nation said that “…the Slack exchange from one junior staffer to a friend absolutely doesn’t reflect our values or how we operate … Because this was a private Slack message, leadership learned of this when the public did, and will be looking into the matter promptly.”
Maybe Live Nation is truly a monopoly, and maybe it isn’t. Maybe the company’s deal with the Justice Department is fair, or maybe it doesn’t even scratch the surface of penalizing them for past behavior, and ensuring that behavior doesn’t happen again moving forward.
But a trial is really the only way to determine the just and fair penalties and restrictions that should be imposed on Live Nation, while allowing the facts of how their business operates to to be brought out into the public. It’s the very nature of the backroom, behind-the-scenes deal with the Justice Department that smacks of monopolistic power that can shirk responsibility and use shadowy tactics to grift the everyday consumer.
The trial of Live Nation is the exact type of transparency live music in America deserves.
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March 15, 2026 @ 7:18 pm
Burn the whole thing down.
March 15, 2026 @ 8:34 pm
Current administration just settled several anti-monopoly type awsuits at the same time. They settled a huge one against Adobe (about deceptive subscription practices that led to many people spending like 40 bucks a month and being unable to cancel)- for a dollar amount that is the equivalent of about 3 days profit for Adobe.
March 16, 2026 @ 5:38 am
Turns out that whole “Republicanism with Populism” pitched by Trump and Vance to the voters was all another marketing myth from a guy who will put his name on literally anything if a dollar is to be made. “Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss”.
But hey, the AI/Big Tech companies get to encourage teenagers to kill themselves and jack up energy prices with no consequences, the Military-Industrial complex gets some billions more to be fed into the War Machine, Elon, Peter Thiel, and Alex Carp got ahold of all our private information (SSN’s, Tax Info, etc.) to do God knows what with it and fans get to pay out the nose to go see their favorite live bands.
Truly, we have reached greatness again…
March 16, 2026 @ 8:45 am
Hate to break this to you Mike W, but your private information has been on the Dark Web for years.
March 16, 2026 @ 9:59 am
“Forget it. He’s on a roll.”
March 16, 2026 @ 10:00 am
Well, Trump was the natural outcome when the previous president left 20 million illegals through the border, wrecked the economy, and threatened experimental vaccines on everyone.
March 16, 2026 @ 10:07 am
Didn’t just threaten. Mandated.
March 16, 2026 @ 10:30 am
This article is not about the COVID vaccine or other divisive political topics. Let’s please try to keep comments about Live Nation and the trial.
March 16, 2026 @ 10:10 am
how’s that economy doing bud? groceries cheaper yet? what about gas? still don’t know anyone harmed by the vaccine? excited for the war(s)? did mexico pay for the wall yet? how’s that new health plan? any pedophiles locked up from the files he said he would release, but fought tooth and nail to hide? have parental visiting rights yet? is hilary is jail yet? measles rates declining?
perhaps the natural outcome of electing a drifter is here.
March 16, 2026 @ 10:33 am
Willie Brown’s call girl isn’t in the White House.
That was the win.
March 16, 2026 @ 10:49 am
Any more comments involving politics and not relevant to this specific Live Nation issue will be deleted.
March 16, 2026 @ 2:16 pm
I don’t disagree but it’s foolish to think the other side was doing anything about this either.
March 16, 2026 @ 5:46 pm
All the antitrust lawsuits happened exactly under Biden btw
That’s what we’re talking about in this article.
March 16, 2026 @ 3:54 am
A circus.
We all know that LN will continue as before, no matter the verdict in a lower court.
When the company belongs at the top, the company creates it’s own rules.
And as long as the audience are willing to pay whatever TM demands, nothing will change.
March 16, 2026 @ 5:32 am
This whole thing is so crazy. I think ultimately it’s up to consumers to put their foot down and just not buy tickets for outrageous prices. Businesses will push the consumer as far as they can and our government will allow them to do so.
March 16, 2026 @ 10:00 am
Americans don’t have the stamina for that sacrifice.
We aren’t walking away from football or music.
March 16, 2026 @ 1:23 pm
I would question in the year 2026 why the onus has to be *completely* on the consumer to just not consume as a way to counteract that?
Look – I agree that consumers should do what they can to boycott Ticketmaster/Live Nation. But if I want to go see my MLB team why should my options to do so be
1. Get nailed with excess fees and surcharges by a greedy corporation.
2. Go to a 3rd-party scalper or ticket re-seller site that might not be legit.
3. Just not go to an MLB game at all.
In a functioning society with a government that at least gives lip service to the idea of watching out for its taxpayers, the choices wouldn’t just be “don’t consume at all”.
I don’t even think this is a “left or right” issue – this is just a basic consumer protection issue that pretty much 80% of people on both sides would agree should be handled in some way that makes it at least a slightly less crappy outcome for consumers.
March 18, 2026 @ 5:54 am
At least they’ve gotten rid of dozens or minor league teams!
Anyway, the entire gameplan by the Epstein class is to get folks really worked up about vaccines, or about 1% of the population, to prevent action on basic consumer protection issues on which 80% of the populace agrees.
March 16, 2026 @ 5:58 am
I remember when I was a teen (before the internet) having to walk to the nearest ticket desk, usually in a Tower Records or the like, and wait in line and an actual person would look up the tickets for me and help me choose a seat or GA and then print the ticket out for me. And the service/handling charge was around $3. Then the internet happened. Now I sit in my own house, using my own internet subscription, on my own computer, do all the research/looking up myself, click all the buttons myself, print out the ticket on my own printer using my own overpriced ink, and the service handling charge sometimes is close to the price of the ticket itself! It’s been ridiculous for far too long!
March 16, 2026 @ 6:22 am
sorry, the tump justice department is too busy redacting mentions of trump in the epstein files to deal with anything to help the american people. he may have started a war (with no plan) to try to distract us, but it’s not going to work.
March 16, 2026 @ 6:32 am
Live Nation will make a donation to the Trump library and bam they’ll get a slap on the wrist
March 17, 2026 @ 7:44 am
SixtyThreeGuild? You are correct, sir!
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/17/opinion/trump-administration-music-fans-kid-rock.html?unlocked_article_code=1.T1A.O3uz.WCxvYePqSCy7&smid=url-share
btw I have a mid-60’s Guild nylon string
March 16, 2026 @ 7:09 am
Oy Vey!!!
March 16, 2026 @ 7:56 am
whether the government has a ‘winning case’ is a totally different criteria than whether TM/LN sucks blood. It is not illegal to beat the crap out of your competitors and charge the max you can get for your services. Proving a market combine case is always difficult – truth is there are other competitors in the market. I am no fan of Ticketmaster/Live Nation and how it buys out concerts I want to see and adds jack all to the price. But just because I feel this way does not mean the DOJ or others can prove an ILLEGAL market combine to win an anti-trust case in court.
March 16, 2026 @ 8:42 am
100% agree with this. That’s why I think it’s important that we let the legal process play out. Let a jury of our peers decide if they’re a monopoly or not, and if so, what should be done about it. And let the facts come out in public so that we can be informed. A late night backroom deal doesn’t resolve this issue. It only exacerbates the anger in the public, and risks prolonging their monopolistic practices, if they’re deemed as such.
March 16, 2026 @ 2:57 pm
But when the backers of the monopoly (or duopoly when you ass in AEG) BUY OFF the DOJ… then, we the people, never see the “jury of our peers”. Or even have a chance to be on that jury & see/hear evidence.
The big $$$$$ seems to cloak all the details behind the curtain… and keep rolling sky high with their Platinum scalping. (or “Premium” scalping that AEG does, in addition to forcing to buy in 2 quantity when you only need 1 seat.)
The problem with current laws proposed by Congress if that is only considers scalpers to be 3rd party. But scalping is all (1st, 2nd, 3rd)! Esp as the 1st party has hard core financial relationship ties to the resale market AND takes commission from the resale by consumers. Triple dipping possible on every seat. Not to mention predatory emails all the time…. “aw, can’t make the show you bought?” WE will “HELP” you resell so we get commission off you. Ick.
March 17, 2026 @ 10:21 am
Sunlight is the best disinfectant. But this too, if you strike out at the king, you must sever his head. Roll the litigation dice and lose – TM/LN have been given the cloak of legality to march on with no brakes. Sometimes, especially in litigation, half a loaf is better than no loaf at all.
March 16, 2026 @ 8:15 am
A bunch of attorney generals will hold preening press conferences to announce taking Live Nation to task. Whatever fine they eventually get will be reduced by 95% by some judge. It happens all the time. Jeff Weinhold? Shocking.
March 16, 2026 @ 10:02 am
We aren’t voting our way out of this massive government corruption.
March 16, 2026 @ 10:06 am
I remember paying $20 in 1982 for a Loretta Lynn concert at an outdoor park in Ohio – and she did TWO shows that day for that price. I remember being outraged when I saw Whitney Houston (not a fan, just noticed in ads) charging $75 a ticket in 1988. And the prices roll on, and here we are seeing ticket prices in the thousands now. People are paying 2 and 3 grand for a Beyonce ticket in nose bleed? WTF. And there is NO shame by these artists and these companies.
My concert days ended many years ago, sadly, due to prices and fees and even parking. There is no way I can justify or afford these prices. The last concert I saw was Chris Isaak a few years ago and he was a wonderful ticket price of $75.
March 16, 2026 @ 10:35 am
People continue to pay the prices.
No one forces anyone to buy Swift tickets.
March 16, 2026 @ 10:50 am
But Live Nation also forces independent festivals to fold, bankrupts locally-owned venues, and charges exorbitant fees where concerts aren’t for everyone, but only for the elite. This issue goes way beyond Taylor Swift shows.
March 16, 2026 @ 10:28 am
Lord knows I don’t know the solution, but something needs to be done for both artist and consumer. It used to be that you could skip the big arena and amphitheater shows and still see live music at a reasonable price, but now that they have the theaters and medium size venues the fees add 40% of the ticket price to the overall cost. I bought tickets to a “fancy” venue that Cody Jinks played, face value was $25/ea and my total for two tickets was $95!
March 16, 2026 @ 10:33 am
Who else is rooting for corporate death penalty? There’s no saving Live Nation/Ticketmaster and it has shown itself to be incapable of being a member of society. Nobody will miss it. Let the minnows take over, and actually have the FTC keep them from creating new monopolies.
March 16, 2026 @ 12:56 pm
The road goes on forever, and the party never ends
March 16, 2026 @ 2:10 pm
I’m not a legal scholar so I can’t answer to the lawsuit.
The same people who complain it is so hard to get ahead in this country, are the same people who buy concert tickets for $1000 a piece. Live nation keeps making money because we are dumb enough to keep buying tickets from them. You almost have to chuckle at those text messages, because they are right. People are insane to spend a weeks paycheck on a concert ticket, knowing the venue, and the artist are only getting a tiny %. They deserve to be laughed at and ridiculed.
March 16, 2026 @ 3:59 pm
Very cynical, I like it.
Problem is that they have put us in a Prisoners Dilemma.
If no one buys the $1000 ticket, then we are saved.
If the other person buys it… then we miss the $1000 show and the next one will be $1500.
Simple solutions don’t work on large scales and monopolies, hence the need for government/judicial intervention.
The artists are in the same dilemma about taking the dirty money and supporting Live nation. If they don’t, then someone else will.
And then Live Nation puts in exclusive clauses so we CAN’T support non-Live Nation shows…
March 17, 2026 @ 10:27 am
I’m just not sure about the “monopoly” definition. There are thousands of local and regional independent artists who would love for you to spend $20 on a ticket to come watch them at your local Elks Club, American Legion, County Fair and Festival, or even your favorite local watering hole. You’ll have just as much fun, watch as good of a show, and your wallet will be thankful!
March 17, 2026 @ 6:18 am
I know I’m late to the party on this but as a former live nation employee, I can tell you that we are basically brainwashed with the motto grow the gross. These guys are doing what live nation wants them to do. the venues don’t make the money from ticket sales, that goes to the artist. So we had to grow the gross with the ancillaries. when I was working with them, I had premium parking, VIP parking, lawn chair rental, premium lawn, venue merch, fast lane, upfront parking, upgrades, etc. What those guys said in that exchange, a lot of us had the same mindset. We were robbing people blind. People forgot that parking is included in the ticket price for amphitheaters. LN did this to get people in the lots quicker. Rapino should be ashamed for allowing a press release stating this goes against LN policy. It’s their #1 policy.
March 17, 2026 @ 6:26 am
I paid $20.00 a little over a year ago to see Wayne Hancock & IV and the Strange Band at a bar in Millersville,Pa. Got to hang out with them. Both have more talent than Taylor Swift.
March 19, 2026 @ 3:47 am
I am writing to address a practice that artists, managers, booking agents, and promoters should collectively reconsider: the sale of overpriced “Platinum” tickets. This practice is essentially a form of internal scalping.
Artists such as The Avett Brothers, Neil Young, and The Cure have already taken a stand by prohibiting this, and I believe more artists should follow their lead. The common justification—that this approach keeps the secondary market in check—is no longer sufficient. While high price points might be expected for legendary acts like the Rolling Stones or Paul McCartney, it is concerning to see many of the artists covered on this website charging similar or higher rates for Platinum seating.
It is time to prioritize the fans and move away from these inflated pricing models.