Kid Rock is many things: a singer, a performer, a drug dealer to rock stars, insensitive, a supporter of President Donald Trump, and unable to take a joke at his own expense.
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But the "All Summer Long" singer has long advocated for fair ticket pricing. For example, in late 2024, he met with Attorney General Pam Bondi to discuss "the fiasco of buying concert tickets."
"Gonna open a can of whoop a** on the bots, scalpers, venues, ticketing companies, managers and artists alike who rip off and deceive the public with the horse s*** that has gone on for decades and only gotten worse," he wrote on X.
"Whoever in charge that wants to help fix this, get your a** to the table, otherwise, F*** Around and Find Out. Kid Rock #MAGA," he added.
Then, last year, he met with President Donald Trump to sign an executive order to battle exploitative ticket scalping. He also appeared at a Senate hearing, calling the merger between Live Nation and Ticketmaster a "failed experiment."
"But I am sure of this: No artist should be forced to sell their tickets without a say in who sells them and how they are sold," he said.
But when the Justice Department suddenly settled with Live Nation over its ownership of Ticketmaster, Kid Rock broke ranks with the Trump Administration.
Why Did the Justice Department Settle With Live Nation?
Live Nation and the Justice Department reached a settlement on March 9. As reported by NBC News, the terms of the agreement state that Ticketmaster will provide a standalone ticketing system. This will allow third parties like SeatGeek to offer primary tickets through the platform.
It will also strip Ticketmaster of up to 13 amphitheaters. Additionally, the company must reserve 50% of tickets for nonexclusive venues and cap ticketing service fees at 15%. A $280 million settlement fund will be created to address the states' damage claims. Additionally, Ticketmaster cannot retaliate against a venue that chooses another primary ticket distributor.
Despite several states joining the Justice Department in signing the settlement, other states can still pursue their own claims. A group of 26 states, including Washington, D.C., filed a motion for a mistrial on March 9.
"This settlement will resolve all remaining matters with the DOJ, without any admission of wrongdoing," Live Nation said in a statement.
What Did Kid Rock Say About the Settlement?
Kid Rock shared his feelings on the matter with The New York Times.
"I don't understand why [the DOJ] would negotiate a settlement," he said. "Why not just let it see its course? Let's see what 12 people decide."
While there are reasons to be optimistic that other states will press on with the case, the settlement is a tremendous blow to Kid Rock's fight against high ticket prices.
