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Concert Earnings Defy Recession

Big-name acts, up-and-comers see modest rise in attendance

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 26, 2009 3:51 PM CDT
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(Newser) – Concert tours remained surprisingly strong this year despite the weak economy, with slightly more people heading out to see their favorite acts than in 2008. Gross revenue held steady at $1 billion for the period from May 1 to Sept. 1, matching earnings a year earlier. Big-name acts like Kenny Chesney, the Dave Matthews Band, Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, and Coldplay all enjoyed strong tours.

Taylor Swift, the Jonas Brothers, and Kings of Leon all played to their biggest crowds yet this year, USA Today reports. Attendance overall for the season was up 3% from last year, with 19.2 million people seeing 4,200 shows. "We didn't have a great year, but we also didn't have the disaster that the economy might have foreshadowed," says the editor of Pollstar. "People are willing to open their wallets for artists on their must-see lists."

Nathan Followill, rear, and Caleb Followill, right, of the band Kings of Leon perform during rehearsals for the 2009 MTV Movie Awards in Universal City, Calif. on Saturday May 30, 2009.
Nathan Followill, rear, and Caleb Followill, right, of the band Kings of Leon perform during rehearsals for the 2009 MTV Movie Awards in Universal City, Calif. on Saturday May 30, 2009.   (AP Photo/Chris Polk)
Coldplay's Chris Martin performs during a Viva La Vida tour in Barcelona, Spain, Friday Sept. 4, 2009.
Coldplay's Chris Martin performs during a "Viva La Vida" tour in Barcelona, Spain, Friday Sept. 4, 2009.   (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
The Dave Matthews Band performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, Texas on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009.
The Dave Matthews Band performs at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, Texas on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009.   (AP Photo/Jack Plunkett)
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COMMENTS
Showing 2 of 2 comments
Yourself
Oct 26, 2009 10:34 AM CDT
Concerts are far more recession proof then people believe, and far more so then movies ever have been. Movies these days don't have the impact they once had. Music however will always have an impact on people, though short lived compared to back in the day. And, can't forget that bands now don't just tour 1 or 2 countries, they're truly having more and more global tours, to countries that aren't having the same recession as the US.
Wisconsin
Oct 26, 2009 9:35 AM CDT
And U2? Am I that old?!

 
entertainment • music • concert • tour • Bruce Springsteen • Beyonce • Kenny Chesney • Coldplay • Jonas Brothers • concert tour • Dave Matthews Band • Jay-ZTV • Taylor Swift • Kings of Leon

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