Fix the Tix: From Pearl Jam to Taylor Swift

May 1, 2026

Ben Kessler  -  Ben Kessler, AFM Director of Government Affairs

On Wednesday, April 15, a federal jury found that Live Nation, the event ticketing, venue-owning multinational corporate behemoth, engaged in anticompetitive conduct. While the jury took only four days to return its verdict, this was a long time coming. I should know, I’m a Pearl Jam fan.

In June 1994, Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament, both members of Local 76-493 (Seattle, WA), testified before Congress regarding Ticketmaster’s “virtual monopoly.” The band wanted to keep tickets under $20. Service fees made that nearly impossible. The reaction from members of Congress ranged from bewildered to fawning. The proceeding didn’t move the needle; but it did plant a flag.

In July 1995, the Department of Justice (DOJ) dropped its inquiry into Ticketmaster’s business model. While Pearl Jam demonstrated it was nearly impossible for a band of its stature to chart a national tour while avoiding Ticketmaster venues, the overcharges and inconvenience to fans wasn’t sufficient for the Antitrust Division at the DOJ.

Things have only gotten worse since the Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger in January 2010. It took the ire of Local 257 (Nashville, TN) member Taylor Swift’s fans to bring the company’s anti-consumer practices back into the spotlight. This time, Congress couldn’t wait to stake a claim in addressing the ticketing problem. With that came misguided federal proposals that failed to address the rising costs on the secondary market and the monopolistic practices across Live Nation and Ticketmaster.

In May 2024, the DOJ sued Live Nation “for monopolization and other unlawful conduct that thwarts competition in markets across the live entertainment industry.” The suit included a request for structural relief to “restore competition in the live concert industry, provide better choices at lower prices for fans, and open venue doors for working musicians and other performance artists.” (Of note, this lawsuit is the result of a large group of bipartisan state attorneys general refusing to accept DOJ’s recent settlement with Live Nation.)

Lawmakers and the Executive Branch needed to hear from musicians, independent venues, and fans. A year before the DOJ lawsuit, a group of advocates who had been in the ticketing fight for decades formed the Fix the Tix Coalition. More recently, the AFM has worked with Fix the Tix and its many members to ensure our union is working on federal ticketing reform and making sure AFM locals are making their voices heard at the state level. We are working together to ensure musicians determine how fans (and others) buy and sell concert tickets. Any meaningful ticketing reform includes three essential components: fee transparency, a ban on speculative ticket sales, and a cap on resale cost for consumers. As some of you may already know, without the expertise of Future of Music Coalition (FMC) Director Kevin Erickson, none of that would be possible.

When I saw the jury’s verdict, my first text was to Erickson. My message was a series of questions and finally words of congratulations. On behalf of working musicians, Erickson spends his time educating lawmakers and relevant stakeholders on a range of topics. On ticketing, he’s my go-to resource; and I know I’m not alone in that regard.

Before any of us could react, however, Live Nation was out with a statement: “The jury’s verdict is not the last word on this matter. Pending motions will determine whether the liability and damages rulings stand.” And, admittedly, Live Nation is correct. There are many procedural steps to go. Whether we will see the meaningful structural remedies DOJ originally asked for is depends on the judge. No matter what comes next, 30 years after Pearl Jam on Capitol Hill, this win belongs to those who devote their careers advocating on behalf of working musicians. On that note, to quote Erickson and FMC on the day of the jury’s decision, “Today’s verdict is a massive victory for everyone who loves live music … For musicians who’ve been suffering under this monopoly for so long, this outcome is especially validating.”

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