I'm not going to beat around the bush here, ticket scalpers, especially "professional" scalpers, are scum. Now I won't quite put them on the level of kid touchers, but I'd at least say I detest them on the level of Karl Rove, root canals, and Nickelback.

Since both the Star Tribune and Kare 11's "coverage" of the repeal of the ticket scalping law (which takes effect today) was so bad, I felt compelled to voice my thoughts on the matter. Both of their articles claimed that now that scalping is legal after 94 years, that the stigma of scalping tickets will go away. I'm here to tell you that's just not true.

Now I have no problem with a free market society, none whatsoever. My biggest issue with ticket scalping stems from the fact that I hate to see bands and artists exploited for financial gain by someone who has absolutely nothing to do with their music. Not to mention that about 99% of the time scalpers could not name a single band member or song they sing. I play music myself, so I can certainly understand where the artists are coming from regarding their stances on scalping as well. I have no problem with my favorite bands getting paid, I'd just prefer that every dollar I spend goes to either the band, it's crew, or the venue staff, and not some aging white dude with a beer belly. Ticket prices are already through the roof as is so to add in a middle man to squeeze even more money out of the fans' pockets only adds to the problem at hand.

As someone who attended anywhere between 80 to 120 concerts a year over the last 8 years and still sees well over 60 shows a year, I've never once paid over face value for a ticket, and I never will. People often assume that someone who is willing to pay more than their favorite band is asking must be a bigger fan than someone who would rather sit at home ticketless than pay extra cash to a scalper. That could not be further from the truth, and usually just means one of a few things. Maybe you have more money than you know what to do with so paying double the face value of a ticket doesn't really phase you or effect your bottom line. Many times these types of people are simply watercooler fans who just want to be able to say they were there. Another possibility is that you are able to place some sort of arbitrary value on live entertainment that exceeds what the person is asking. And sometimes, it's just a matter of priorities. For example, if all you really spend money on besides the monthly essentials is live music, you're likely willing to spend more than the average person to see a show.

Maybe I was influenced a bit too much early on by bands such as Fugazi, who for the longest time used to charge $5 for their shows (but has since had to increase that to $6 because of "inflation"). Now not every band can afford to charge $6 and still tour, but Fugazi's ethics and hardcore stance is definitely something everyone should be able to admire and even look up to. Another big influence in my views is Pearl Jam, who were the only band with big enough balls to stand up to Ticketmaster in the mid '90s. Sure their efforts proved unsuccessful, but you can't fault the band for trying. Had there been a few more big name acts (especially some that maybe members of Congress actually knew of and had heard) to come forward in their support, I guarantee that they would have taken notice and Ticketmaster would not be nearly what it is today. I believe it's only a matter of time before something is going to have to be done again, but who will be the band(s) that stands up this time?

The other big issue that I have with scalping is that buying tickets takes absolutely no talent and virtually zero effort; any idiot can do it. But just like investing, it takes money to make money. So while many friends of mine often can't afford the price of a ticket when they initially go onsale, you've got the scalper scum who buy up a ton of tickets only for the sake of making money off them. Scalpers often obtain their tickets through their dirty bag of tricks too, so it's not always a level playing field like supporters of the repeal claim. Many of them often obtain their stack of tickets before the public onsale through various means (paying off venue staff, Ticketmaster workers, etc.). And some even pay homeless people cash to stand in line and buy tickets for them, especially in instances where the number of tickets one person can purchase is limtied (in an effort to try and curb scalping, ironically enough). Those types of scalpers are the worst. Not only are they making money off of hard working bands' music, they're now also making money off of the penniless and often powerless. Sure you can argue that "well, at least they are helping out these people who are in need," but even that is still a bit shady in my book. There's plenty of other ways scalpers could help those people out instead of using them for their own financial gain.

But let's not dwell strictly on the negative here. I'm here to tell you that there are ALWAYS other avenues to get tickets without paying over face value, no matter what the event is. One suggestion: check Craigslist, there are often legit people just trying to get rid of an extra ticket for the asking price and often times even less. Sure there are also scalpers on Craigslist, but much like eBay as it gets closer towards the date of the event people will drop their prices dramatically. Scalpers would rather sell a ticket for 1/2 of what they paid than have it not sell at all. Remember that they have likely already made their money back and a bit of a profit. Also, just because a show is "Sold Out" doesn't really mean the show is SOLD OUT. I can't even begin to tell you the number of high demand shows I have seen by getting to the venue early and either buying a ticket that the venue or band held back as extras or by buying a ticket from some kind soul just trying to get rid of an extra.

Supporters of the repeal of this almost century-old law claim that enforcing scalper laws wasted police resources, which is funny considering that less than a dozen people were charged for scalping last year in the Twin Cities. Not to mention that most police officers at shows I attend don't even blink an eye when scalpers sell tickets within 10 yards of their face. I'd like to respond to the wasting of police resources comments with the fact that going after pot smokers wastes way more police resources and jail cells, so let's work to decriminalize that, too.

What it all boils down to is this: I just hate to see music and art treated as a commodity where scalpers treat popular bands like stock symbols. Soon concerts will become so overpriced that the only people who can afford to attend are the very same types of privileged people that musicians have spent almost a century writing about and rallying against.

You can contact Phyllis Kahn (DFL), who was the mastermind of the scalping repeal here to tell her what you think:

651-296-4257 or email her at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it