The convenience fee is the one that really annoys me. When there is no other way to get the tickets, providing me an online option isn't a convenience, it's a necessity.

Yeah, they've got quite a scam going on. Did you see Wilco at the Edgefield last year? Such a good show. "You guys are the highest audience we've ever seen..."

No, I didn't see them last time around which is one reason I don't want to miss Wilco this time. I haven't seen Jeff Tweedy live since 1989 in St. Louis. I've seen Son Volt twice and Jay Farrar solo once.

Back in the 90s, I once had the opportunity to sit in on a high-level meeting with Ticketmaster execs. It was eye-opening to say the least. I was floored by the number of different ways they had devised to make money on the simple act of selling tickets. I remember being particularly struck by the margins they made off of gift certificates -- I don't know if this is normal for other industries, but they reported that 70% of all the certificates they sold were never redeemed.

Cool! I've only ever seen Wilco but I've seen them four times I think. They're really good live!