http://www.ny1.com/content/news/212279/j--cole-fans-brave-pouring-rain-for-chance-at--1-concert-tickets/

while i applaud the effort to try to make tickets "affordable", i can't see any mathematical way this isn't a straight up L for the venue/artist.

e.g. the nyc show was at highline ballroom in manhattan.

the capacity of the venue is only 700 people.

so, a $700 gate?
and maybe what? a 10-20k gross in drinks before factoring expenses?
(dare i even suggest them paying his travel fare? lol.)

and that's IF the show sold out. which it doesn't say if it did.

so...

what realistically can a performer charge per show with likely <$20,000 being the maximum return you can offer the promoter?

this is in NYC mind you.

wtf kind of a ROI is that for a supposed "king" of rap music?

i mean even if he only got paid $3000 for the show, it's not a bad gig considering he tours like 325 days out the year.

but dude has lines about charging $70k for shows and shit.
much like his unexplainable record sales (he somehow outsold rihanna twice) without the accompanying hit songs/fanfare...

it leaves you scratching your head.

It's no different then 'free' shows they throw with decent to large named acts, it was sponsored the fuck out. Guaranteed he got his regular rate and WORST case scenario the entire cost covered (because these venue aren't cheap)_

Scion, Red Bull, etc...some corporate entities have built their whole brand on free or dirt cheap millennium advertise....err live shows.

Considering this is the second time I have incidentally heard this mentioned and I make it a goal in life to ignore J.Cole, apparently it's a win win across the board.

like wtf would even waste their money on that?

there are thousands of unsigned acts who could outdraw that who have no sponsorship of their concerts.

>there are thousands of unsigned acts

and the fact they are playing small venues is for free press like this

http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/crossfade/2014/07/j-cole_miami_cancel_police_dollar-dream_2014.php

so whatever stupid shenanigans you can do to win tickets (Tweet you love orbit gum and win a chance to skip the line!) gets even more burn.

It's NEVER about the fans because the fans never really get into this unless it's truly first come, first serve. Its usually a bunch of media, people with connects, friends, the sponsors.etc...actual fans are last on the totem pole.

It's the rock that the current iteration of SXSW is built on, for better or for worse.

a huge outdoor festival i can understand.

is the label subsidizing in some way?
hard to imagine considering he's a 360 act.

i dunno, maybe double 0 can explain why an act of his supposed "caliber" would be relegated to something like this.

it seems fruitless + he is performing at venues he himself could outdraw as evidenced by them turning away 3x the max capacity of the venue in miami.

seems like they're only making a paltry amount of money doing this + leaving money on the table.

again, for an act that supposedly sells 500k records in 2014 - it leaves you scratching your head.