Jack Antonoff has publicly criticised Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino’s recent assertion that concert tickets remain “underpriced” with significant room for price increases, describing the executive’s perspective as heartbreaking and problematic.
The musician and producer took to X on September 25th to share his dismay over Rapino’s comments from the CNBC and Boardroom Game Plan conference. During the event, the Live Nation chief executive pushed back against criticism of rising ticket costs.
Rapino defended the company’s pricing strategy by highlighting that “the average concert price is still $72” and challenging critics to “try going to a Laker game for that.” He maintained that concerts have been underpriced “for a long time” and suggested substantial potential for further price increases.
Antonoff strongly disagreed with this assessment, particularly given the impact of secondary market speculation on final ticket costs. The artist proposed a straightforward solution to the ongoing ticketing crisis: “Selling a ticket for more than its face value should be illegal. Then there is no chaos and you give us back the control instead of creating a bizarre free market of confusion amongst the audience who we love and care for.”
The producer, known for his work with artists including Taylor Swift and Lorde, revealed he regularly discusses these issues with his team while searching for innovative solutions to improve fan access to affordable tickets. He expressed frustration with industry leaders who view audiences as revenue streams rather than communities deserving respect and fair treatment.
Rapino’s comments arrived just one day before the Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster, alleging illegal practices that harm both artists and consumers. The FTC complaint accuses Ticketmaster of hiding fees until checkout and enabling ticket brokers to exceed artist-imposed purchase limits.
The regulatory body also claims that Live Nation and Ticketmaster facilitate scalping operations, allowing resellers to acquire millions of tickets for resale through Ticketmaster’s own secondary platform at inflated prices. This practice directly contradicts artists’ efforts to maintain affordable pricing for their fanbase.
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Live Nation continues to face a separate antitrust lawsuit from the Department of Justice, which alleges the company operates as a monopoly. The entertainment giant has denied these charges, though the case remains active in the courts.
