Maggie Rogers goes “old school” and sells concert tickets personally

Ticketmaster faces constant scrutiny of its prices on several high-profile tours that let bots run wild and generally makes the online ticketing experience abysmal. But some touring artists are finding new (old) ways to bypass Ticketmaster.

On Thursday, musician Maggie Rogers told fans looking for tickets to her newly announced US summer tour that “we’re going the old school,” and only allowed fans to buy tickets in person on one day (April 7) at the Venue box office to buy the “intense ticket fees” and “bot activity” that keeps tickets away from fans.

@maggierogers

Fuck bots + fuck fees. Buy tickets in person. tomorrow. Link in bio.

♬ Symphony – Maggie Rogers

“Seems a little obvious,” laughs Rogers. “But it’s a way to get rid of some of the fees and get your hands on tickets right away.”

“LOVE THIS IDEA!” said one commenter. “I know it’s not ideal for everyone, but it’s a GREAT step in the right direction.”

Ticketmaster’s handling of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour was so disastrous that it prompted a spate of Federal Trade Commission (FTC) complaints from Swifties. Last month, fans who bought tickets to The Cure’s upcoming tour received one partial refund at the request of singer Robert Smith, who continues to keep fans via Twitter in the loop regarding prices for different venues. While the band has tried to keep ticket prices reasonable, in some cases the Ticketmaster fees were supposedly more than the actual tickets.

He continued to tweet March 31 that around 7,000 tickets for the tour were canceled because they were held by “fake accounts” or intended to be resold.

Rogers reported from the Williamsburg Music Hall box office this morning, and fans posted videos and photos from the line, where people generally seemed happy and able to talk to each other (and Rogers) face-to-face. Fans in other cities also posted their lines.