From 'USA Today'

[diezynueve69]

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news ... ours_N.htm

Economy can't cool summer tours: Earnings rise 5%
By Steve Jones, USA TODAY

The summer concert business enjoyed a healthy year, despite dire predictions that economic struggles and rising gas prices would make live music a tough sell.

Though there weren't any new megatours like last year's reunion of The Police, overall concert grosses from May 1 to Labor Day were $1 billion, up 5% from $948.5 million in 2007. Attendance was 18.7 million, down 4% from 19.5 million a year ago. Data are from Boxscore reports published by Billboard and analyzed by USA TODAY...

"It's pretty encouraging that the business held up under duress," says Billboard touring editor Ray Waddell. "There was a lot of doom and gloom in the springtime, but everything did pretty well."

When times get tough, "people will cut back on exotic vacations but still go to concerts," says Pollstar editor Gary Bongiovanni. "If you passed on that trip to Disneyland, you took the kids to see New Kids on the Block."...

Country star Kenny Chesney — No. 2 a year ago — was the top grosser this summer, pulling in $62.7 million, followed by The Police, Tom Petty, Dave Matthews Band and Bruce Springsteen.

"The public will pay a premium to see artists they deem must-see attractions, and Chesney seems to fit that," Bongiovanni says. "He has a reputation for a great live show, which leads to repeat business. It's like Jimmy Buffett, where people see him for their annual Parrothead fix."

American Idols Live rebounded strongly, pulling in $24.6 million after taking in just $15.6 million in 2007. Two of the biggest surprises of the summer: the success of Journey ($21.4 million), fronted by YouTube discovery Arnel Pineda, and the Jonas Brothers ($25.1 million).

The Jonases were expected to do well, "but it was even bigger," Waddell says. The Journey ticket was perceived as a good value because the bill also included Heart and Cheap Trick.

The economy didn't keep people away this summer, but Bongiovanni sees trouble ahead. Gas costs raised artists' overhead, and that probably influenced ticket prices, venue size and number of dates. Many tickets were sold early in the year, before the worst news.

"The real impact of the latest downturn has yet to be felt," he says. "But it would defy logic to think that it won't have an impact."

Contributing: Anthony DeBarros

[StoneCold]

No surprise. Many shows were sellouts. I doubt Cheap Trick was the draw. Heart a lil bit.

I'd say Pineda and the publicity he spurred really helped.

[stevew2]

I heard the same shit on the Radio today.they stessed the most of the bands lead singers were dead and they found new ones on you tube.They mentoned Boston {alot] and Journey.I am glad Journey did good this year. Arnel carried there ass.Hats of to Arnel

[StoneCold]

I heard the same shit on the Radio today.they stessed the most of the bands lead singers were dead and they found new ones on you tube.They mentoned Boston {alot] and Journey.I am glad Journey did good this year. Arnel carried there ass.Hats of to Arnel

So they were sayin Steve's dead?

[Don]

I heard the same shit on the Radio today.they stessed the most of the bands lead singers were dead and they found new ones on you tube.They mentoned Boston {alot] and Journey.I am glad Journey did good this year. Arnel carried there ass.Hats of to Arnel

So they were sayin Steve's dead?

Well, wouldn't you consider him a ghost? He seems to hover on the outer edges of the the industry occasionally making a flutter when his name has completely died from everyone's lips. He is the spirit of Journey past.

[StoneCold]

I heard the same shit on the Radio today.they stessed the most of the bands lead singers were dead and they found new ones on you tube.They mentoned Boston {alot] and Journey.I am glad Journey did good this year. Arnel carried there ass.Hats of to Arnel

So they were sayin Steve's dead?

Well, wouldn't you consider him a ghost? He seems to hover on the outer edges of the the industry occasionally making a flutter when his name has completely died from everyone's lips.

He is the spirit of Journey past.

[stevew2]

I heard the same shit on the Radio today.they stessed the most of the bands lead singers were dead and they found new ones on you tube.They mentoned Boston {alot] and Journey.I am glad Journey did good this year. Arnel carried there ass.Hats of to Arnel

So they were sayin Steve's dead?

They were lumping the you tube finds in one catagory, fuckers