$4,500 For Springsteen Tickets? How About Free in Ypsilanti in 2008.

Bruce Springsteen and Ticketmaster are getting some major push back on the cost of premium seats for his upcoming tour next year. Words like "dynamic ticket pricing" and $4,500 per ticket are popping up, and it's got fans of Bruuuuuuce a bit upset. Springsteen, after all, has always portrayed himself as the working class hero.

Ticketmaster is defending itself by saying it's just 11% of the house, and most tickets are under $200. And here, Springsteen's hometown Asbury Park Press says Ticketmaster says the 88% tickets" sold for face value; some as low at $60 before the dreaded service charge. The cynic in me says the nosebleed section? And also makes wonder how much is too much?

But in 2008, you could have seen The Boss for free. A radio friend reminded me of Springsteen campaigning for then presidential candidate Barack Obama in early October 2008, in Ypsilanti, and doing a short acoustic set with the future President for free. That's right. Free.

(bossfan01 via YouTube)

No, it wasn't the E Street Band. It was more like the Tom Joad tour that stopped at Van Andel Arena some years back. This wasn't classic Springsteen pouring all his energy into a show for four solid hours like he'd do back in the 1970s and 80s. I guess that's the difference between free and $4,500.

(h/t to Fred Jacobs)