Cowboy hat-wearing Kid Rock warns ‘greedy snakes and scoundrels’ are screwing fans with ticket scams
Kid Rock decried the ticket industry’s failures to contain scammers. Fox News
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Much of the ticketing crisis could already be solved — or still could be — through technology, particularly tools that verify real human buyers. According to critics, the issue persists not because of technical limitations, but because the secondary ticket market remains highly profitable. Ticketing companies, they argue, did not fail to stop the problem; they chose not to.
On Wednesday, lawmakers on a Senate Commerce Committee subpanel held a hearing to scrutinize the practices of major ticket sellers such as Ticketmaster and venue operators like Live Nation. The hearing focused on how these companies are addressing ticket-buying bots, resale scams, and other practices that inflate prices for consumers. The Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy is chaired by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), who is running for governor of Tennessee and has sponsored legislation like the BOTS Act to strengthen consumer protections and safeguard artists from ticket fraud.
Musician Kid Rock testified at the hearing and called for three major legislative changes: greater control for artists over who can sell tickets to their shows, a cap on resale prices, and tougher penalties for those who use bots to exploit fans.
“The problem has been addressed with much success overseas, especially in parts of Europe,” he said. “Resale ticket prices are capped, and it seems to be working.” Kid Rock added that he supports a 10 percent cap on ticket resales in the United States. “I’m a capitalist. I’m a deregulation guy. But something needs to be done here,” he said.
Supporters of resale price caps argue that such limits reduce incentives for scalpers and bots to bulk-purchase tickets and resell them at inflated prices.
Kid Rock, a vocal supporter of President Trump who performed at the 2024 Republican National Convention, said the current ticketing system has left many of his working-class fans angry and frustrated. “I’m in a unique position to testify because, unlike most of my peers, I’m beholden to no one — no record companies, no managers, no corporate endorsements or deals,” he said. “I’m here for hard-working Americans who love live music and deserve better.”
The musician, whose real name is Robert Ritchie, appeared to find common ground with lawmakers from both parties during the hearing. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) joked, “Mr. Ritchie, let me say, as a Texan, I’m particularly happy to see you bringing cowboy hats back to the United States Senate.”
The hearing comes as lawmakers continue to advance several proposals aimed at reforming the ticketing industry, including Sen. Eric Schmitt’s (R-Mo.) TICKET Act, which focuses on improving transparency in ticket pricing and sales practices.
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