In January 2022, as fans lined up their plans and budgets for a concert night, kid rock became a reference point inside newly unsealed internal chat records that show Live Nation ticketing employees joking about high “ancillary fees” such as parking and VIP access. The messages, now part of an antitrust case record, capture language about “robbing” fans and “taking advantage of them. ”
What did the unsealed messages say about Kid Rock and ticket fees?
The unsealed chats involve Ben Baker and Jeff Weinhold, who at the time were regional directors of ticketing for Live Nation amphitheaters. The exchanges center primarily on “ancillary fees” tied to add-ons like parking and VIP access, not service fees tied directly to tickets. In one January 2022 exchange, Baker shared a screen grab of data related to a kid rock show in Tampa, Florida, then wrote, “These people are so stupid, ” adding, “I have VIP parking up to $250 lol. ” He followed with, “I almost feel bad taking advantage of them, ” and then an all-caps “BAHAHAHAHAHA. ”
In the same set of messages, the two discussed raising parking prices for another Kid Rock gig in Virginia, with Weinhold appearing to show a screenshot of parking prices also up to $250. “For one parking spot lol, ” Weinhold wrote.
The tone in other parts of the chat was similarly blunt. In another January 2022 conversation about parking, Weinhold described pushing the price of reserved parking to “$30 above” the minimum, adding, “I’m done asking people for permission … I just do it now. ” Baker then wrote: “I charge $50 to park in the grass lmao. I charge $60 for closer grass. ”
Who are Ben Baker and Jeff Weinhold, and why do these chats matter now?
The messages were tied to Live Nation’s antitrust lawsuit and were newly unsealed after the company previously sought to keep them out of public view. Live Nation had asked Judge Arun Subramanian to seal the messages as evidence, arguing they would prejudice the jury. The U. S. Department of Justice opposed that request, arguing the messages showed how “Live Nation is able to impose excessive prices that degrade the fan experience without fear of artists switching to another amphitheater because, in most cases, no alternative exists. ”
At the time the messages were sent, both Baker and Weinhold were working for Live Nation. In the years since, Baker moved on to become head of ticketing for Venue Nation, the division overseeing Live Nation’s venues, including amphitheaters. Weinhold serves as the senior ticketing director for the Washington, D. C., area.
The record also notes that a representative for Kid Rock did not immediately return a request for comment, and that the musician was potentially going to testify at the Live Nation trial before the company announced a tentative settlement with the government earlier this week.
How did Live Nation respond to the “robbing them blind” fee jokes?
Live Nation said the exchange “absolutely doesn’t reflect our values or how we operate. ” The company added that because it was a private Slack message, leadership learned about it when the public did and would be looking into it promptly.
In the same statement, Live Nation emphasized that “our business only works when fans have great experiences, ” adding that it has capped amphitheater venue fees at 15 percent and has invested $1 billion in the last 18 months into U. S. venues and fan amenities.
The statement also characterized Baker and Weinhold as “one junior staffer” and a “friend, ” though it is unclear which person was described by which term.
What do the chats reveal about the mechanics of “ancillary fees”?
The messages show an internal focus on extracting more revenue through add-ons that can be adjusted around the main ticket price. In one point in the chat record, Baker wrote, “I gouge them on ancil prices” to make up for changes in base prices for seats. Elsewhere, he shared a screenshot of a spreadsheet describing “premier-parking gross revenue” rising from about $470, 000 in 2018 to about $666, 000 in 2021, then wrote: “Robbing them blind baby That’s how we do. ” Weinhold replied, “lol. ”
In court terms, the messages have been framed as more than crass banter: the Justice Department’s filing argued they help illustrate a market reality in which excessive pricing can be imposed without meaningful fear of losing shows to competing amphitheaters.
Back at the venue: what fans are left to carry
The chat record is corporate and casual on its surface—screenshots, price points, jokes—but it is anchored to real purchase decisions made by concertgoers. The messages describe parking prices “up to $250, ” reserved parking pushed “$30 above” a minimum, and even grass parking tiered at $50 and $60. They also reflect a mindset of acting unilaterally: “I’m done asking people for permission … I just do it now, ” Weinhold wrote.
Live Nation’s response points to internal review and broader policy claims about caps and investment. The case record, meanwhile, places the messages inside a wider legal dispute over market power and fan experience—one where a screenshot around a Kid Rock show is now part of what the public can see.
For fans arriving at an amphitheater, parking is often the last logistical hurdle before the music starts. The unsealed chats tied to the antitrust case reframe that moment as a pricing lever—one discussed in private with laughter—and they leave an open question about how pricing decisions are monitored and justified when the next kid rock crowd pulls in and scans the fee breakdown.
