Dear Bruce Springsteen,
I've been following you since late 1973, My first show was in January 1974.
Since 1974, I've been to many, many shows and concerts... too many to count but over 300. I've seen you up and down the East Coast from Boston to Florida, across the Mid-West and on to California. I've seen you in Europe.
Now we're coming out of a Pandemic, maybe? Inflation is through the roof, people have been sick or died. The dollar doesn't go as far as it used to.
I cannot understand why after all these years you've raised the price of tickets to the scale that you have? My wife and I along with three other couples have followed you and the band around for years. I cannot justify paying these prices when I have a daughter and two grandchildren that I help out.
The sister of one in our group lives in Florida which had their ticket sale already. She paid 1500.00 for 2 GA's.
Bruce all of us are hoping you will step in and do something about these outrageous prices. You don't want this to be part of your great legacy.
Please, please lower your prices Bruce.
Thank you for all the great shows. I know this tour will be great also. I just won't be able to see as many, if any.
Oats
UPDATE:, Feb. 08, 2023
Now that the tour has started and we have seen first hand how 'Dynamic Pricing' operates. We also have had the pleasure of Mr. Springsteen's own remarks on how he feels about 'Dynamic Pricing'
"Why shouldn’t that money go to the guys that are going to be up there sweating three hours a night for it?"
This time I told them, ‘Hey, we’re 73 years old. The guys are there. I want to do what everybody else is doing, my peers.’ So that’s what happened. That’s what they did.
But ticket buying has gotten very confusing, not just for the fans, but for the artists also. And the bottom line is that most of our tickets are totally affordable. They’re in that affordable range. We have those tickets that are going to go for that [higher] price somewhere anyway. The ticket broker or someone is going to be taking that money. I’m going, ‘Hey, why shouldn’t that money go to the guys that are going to be up there sweating three hours a night for it?’
It created an opportunity for that to occur. And so at that point, we went for it. I know it was unpopular with some fans.
"But if there’s any complaints on the way out, you can have your money back.”
What a snide remark to end with. When Bruce started out he wrote about the union workers, plants closing. He thought about his Dad and his family and how hard they had to work for what they earned. He wrote about the common man. Now he hob nobs with Equestrians, Presidents, entertainers that make millions. He just sold his musical catalog for 500 Million. Does Bruce need the extra money from this tour. I think he has gotten greedy... make that ultra, dynamic Greedy. He's forgotten where he came from.
Now we all know Bruce traveled in these elitist circles but we liked to believe that he was one of us. One of us that made it!
Sadly... he is one of us that has forgotten us. One of our members posted an article by Jay Weinberg. It was all about hard work and determination. That could have been written by Bruce 40 years ago.
As a close friend of mine reminded me, Bruce hasn't been one of us in a long, long time. When Bruce stated this on Broadway... he wasn't kidding. I never worked a day in my life... it was all a sham, I was lying.
I feel very, very sad. Bruce has broken my heart. My entire adult life has been intertwined with Bruce's in so many ways. I listened to him in 1973. My college roommate played him incessantly. I saw him in January, 1974 at the Joint in the Woods in Parsippany, NJ. I met a group of fans trading cassettes and CD's that are still some of my best friends to this day. Bruce brought folks from all over the economic spectrum together, Doctor, Lawyer, Small Businessman, Cop, Teacher, Nurse, Retail Manager and hundreds of others.
We all tailgated together and made friends due to our shared interest in the man's music. I've met Bruce three or four times and he was always pleasant and polite to me. My daughter loved him. His music brought us together when everything else a teenager becomes was trying to tear us apart.
I met my beautiful wife through a Post by a Bruce friend on Backstreets. After our first meeting I knew she was the one. She loved his music too.
I'm a smart man and I know the realities of Bruce becoming rich and leaving us behind. But I always thought the guy that I never saw turn down an autograph seeker was better. He was one of my heroes. So what if we're almost the same age. I can have a contemporary to look up to.
I just never pictured my hero being a greedy man... never! When does one man have enough money? In Bruce's case I guess we'll never know. It's hard to process when you lose a hero but he's still right there in front of you.
Bruce once said he doesn't like John Wayne's politics but still watches his movies. I guess that's me now. I still love his music just not the man.
This topic is now closed. We'll concentrate on the tour and revisit this if warranted.