Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
What happens when one of the biggest bands in the world takes on its industry’s Death Star? In 1994, Pearl Jam was willing to find out.
On this week’s Tape Spaghetti, Scott & Blake revisit the grunge-era showdown that pitted a group of scrappy rock idealists against Ticketmaster, the ultimate corporate monolith. Having locked down every major venue in America, Ticketmaster strangled fans with specious “service charges” and squeezed bands with exclusivity contracts. At the height of their popularity, Pearl Jam demanded fairer prices and more transparency. They even attempted to bypass Ticketmaster altogether by playing public spaces – but ultimately they had to put up with shady politics, convoluted permitting, and the reality that they were losing millions in revenue. How did Ticketmaster go from a scrappy Arizona startup to a money-printing monopoly? In a world where we *still* pay $45 in convenience fees, this one hits home.
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Stringjoy is a boutique guitar string manufacturer located in Music City—Nashville, TN. Through innovative designs, first-rate materials, and labor-intensive winding techniques, we make it our mission to craft the finest strings in the world, bar none.
FIND US AT...
Our Homebase: stringjoy.com
Instagram: instagram.com/stringjoy
TikTok: tiktok.com/@stringjoy
Facebook: facebook.com/stringjoy
Twitter: twitter.com/stringjoystaff
What happens when one of the biggest bands in the world takes on its industry’s Death Star? In 1994, Pearl Jam was willing to find out.
On this week’s Tape Spaghetti, Scott & Blake revisit the grunge-era showdown that pitted a group of scrappy rock idealists against Ticketmaster, the ultimate corporate monolith. Having locked down every major venue in America, Ticketmaster strangled fans with specious “service charges” and squeezed bands with exclusivity contracts. At the height of their popularity, Pearl Jam demanded fairer prices and more transparency. They even attempted to bypass Ticketmaster altogether by playing public spaces – but ultimately they had to put up with shady politics, convoluted permitting, and the reality that they were losing millions in revenue. How did Ticketmaster go from a scrappy Arizona startup to a money-printing monopoly? In a world where we *still* pay $45 in convenience fees, this one hits home.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL: youtube.com/stringjoy?sub_confirmation=1
SIGN UP FOR OUR EMAIL LIST: manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=UemY8r&g=VmVi9a
WHAT'S OUR DEAL?
Stringjoy is a boutique guitar string manufacturer located in Music City—Nashville, TN. Through innovative designs, first-rate materials, and labor-intensive winding techniques, we make it our mission to craft the finest strings in the world, bar none.
FIND US AT...
Our Homebase: stringjoy.com
Instagram: instagram.com/stringjoy
TikTok: tiktok.com/@stringjoy
Facebook: facebook.com/stringjoy
Twitter: twitter.com/stringjoystaff
