Summer tour woes

SUMMERTIME BLUES: It’s the worst of times for the summer touring business. Apart from standing rock fests like Bonnaroo, Sasquatch and Lollapalooza (see story), along with package tours like Warped and Taste of Chaos, all of which offer multiple acts for reasonable prices, the business is in terrible shape. Stadium dates and entire shed tours are being canceled, while promoters and agents pressure managers to take reduced fees, cancel dates and give back deposits. Ironically, the situation this year is uglier than it was last summer, when economic conditions were at their worst, and some are attributing the numerous disasters to overexposure, as certain acts attempt to move high-priced tickets in markets they’ve hit frequently in recent years, including radio shows. (6/10a)