I''m finally getting a chance to weigh in here. My apologies, in advance, for such a lengthy post, but I am lagging behind here and had a lot of territory to cover. I found an old thread on this same topic that ran from 2008 – 2010 here:
https://www.eaglesonlinecentral.com/...ead.php?t=2229
If you read through the thread, you can see that there was a lot of criticism of the band about ticket prices. This is the one thread that I could locate quickly, but I know for sure there are numerous others where the topic has been discussed/debated over the years. While I never liked the amount the band’s exorbitant ticket prices, I still willingly supported them and attended several dozen shows between 2003 – 2015. So, as a hardcore fan who loved these guys and their music, and was willing to pay handsomely to see them, I was, obviously part of the demand. However, I totally respect and understand people who didn't feel the same way as I did. Below is one of my posts that I located in the thread that pretty much sums up how I feel about the topic …
So, the question has been raised in this thread is what has changed? Speaking for myself, I still stand by exactly what I wrote in that post. However, I am simply no longer willing to pay to go to a show, even though I understand and fully respect that others may. I am one that just does not believe the current line-up legitimately represents the Eagles when ½ of the original duo that wrote and sang the band’s most memorable and successful music is missing from the lineup.
Another thing I believe has changed over the last 20 years is the increasingly disproportionate distribution of wealth in the U.S. – reportedly, as of 2014, the richest 1 percent of our population has more income than the bottom 90 percent. So while demand for the shows may remain high, there is no doubt that there is a shrinking middle class and certainly not the same demographics that attended shows in the 70’s, 80’s, or even the 90’s. When much of the today’s middle class can barely afford necessities, much less the luxury of attending a concert, it’s little wonder to me that this raises increased questions of ethics and unfairness around the pricing issue.
Finally, the other difference that I noticed while browsing through that old thread is that even though there were lots of disagreements expressed between members, in spite of that, the discussion remained very civil and respectful. What I find very discouraging about our current environment here is the diminished tolerance and respect for differing opinions and viewpoints. Without getting political, perhaps this divisiveness here is just a reflection of our society today. So, I submit that we need to all keep in mind that just because some folks criticize the band, that doesn’t make them fan-haters. One doesn’t have to display blind adulation to be considered a fan – just a love and appreciation for the music these amazingly talented men created should be the only requirement.