In the early '90s, Pearl Jam toured far and wide. To get access to the biggest and best venues, it had to work with Ticketmaster, which controlled the ticketing for 70 percent of the country's arenas and halls.
Pearl Jam wanted as many of their acolytes to see them live as possible, and according to Rolling Stone, it capped ticket prices in 1994 at $18, plus a service fee of no more than $1.80. That went against Ticketmaster's policy of tacking on fees of double or triple that amount, and it ultimately wouldn't acquiesce to Pearl Jam's low-cost demands. The band canceled its upcoming tour, and with an urging from the U.S. Department of Justice, filed an antitrust complaint, triggering a federal investigation into if Ticketmaster held an illegal monopoly. Pearl Jam alleged that the ticketing company bought out competitors and then signed exclusivity deals with major concert venues, leaving both bands and fans with no choice but to use Ticketmaster and pay whatever price the company demanded.
After a year-long investigation, the Department of Justice didn't take any action, simply closing the case. Ticketmaster took that as a victory, with a spokesman telling Rolling Stone, "Luckily the facts were on our side, and we prevailed." Thus, Pearl Jam didn't really win its case, and its 1995 tour consisted of just a few shows held in the few venues not controlled by Ticketmaster.
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