Big Money: a tale of altruism and greed

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it ironic that the announcement of Garth Brooks' upcoming arena shows in Nashville to benefit The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee was soon followed by the announcement that ticket prices for his next round of performances at the Encore Theater in Las Vegas would increase by $100?
The people of Tn. are going to be the beneficiaries of the altruism of the biggest selling solo artist in the USA and everyone that he convinced to donate their services so that the people who needed to benefit the most, would see every cent of the $25 ticket price. And that's big money, considering that nine shows sold out in a matter of hours. I'm convinced if they kept adding shows, they would still be adding them... the supply simply couldn't fill the demand.. he's only one person, after all...
And then there's Vegas. When the press conference for that deal went down, Steve Wynn was seen as the hero who brought Garth out of retirement with an offer he couldn't refuse.. a year later, I think we all see the irony in that. In my opinion, Mr. Wynn is carrying on the tradition of the great "businessmen" who built Las Vegas from a sleepy way-station in the desert into the entertainment mecca it is today. Give the people what they want... the best and the finest.. reel them in and garner their loyalty... and then, when you have them where you want them, tell them how it's gonna be from now on... You played, now you pay... the party's over. For a year, tickets were $143. Not cheap by Garth standards, but certainly by Vegas standards. Garth was never really happy with the price to begin with, as I recall. He acknowledged that the ticket price might be out of range for some of his fans. And he told them that if the ticket price was beyond their reach to be patient. When the last of his girls went off to college he'd be back on the road and he'd come to them. The Vegas show was a critical and commercial success, to say the least. The fans DID come, in droves. Garth's people, his friends in low places, who saved up their (not so big) money to see a Garth performance that was unlike any other... No band, no elaborate stage, no black cowboy hat, no rope swinging. Just Garth and his guitar and his engaging personality and that voice... Not one person that I know of ever said it wasn't worth the price of admission. Flash forward one year. What does Mr. Wynn do? He issues a statement that in effect says.. it was a no brainer to raise ticket prices, people.. it's simply a matter of supply and demand. I got what you want and I have it exclusively for the next 4 years. You want to see Garth? Pay up... And then he tries to justify this price gouging by saying that his mission is to give people value for their money! Well, excuse me, but on what planet is paying $100 more for a ticket a BETTER value? Let me see if I follow your train of thought here, Mr. Wynn.. because Garth is "the greatest live performer of our time" I should be expected to pay more than I paid when his engagement first began? Did you JUST realize the goldmine you were sitting on? Or are you pulling off the oldest con in the book, the old bait and switch? Don't bother answering, it's a rhetorical question.
So, "the greatest living performer of our time" donates HIS time and talents and the people of Tennessee reap the benefits.. as well as legions of fans who can pay $25 to see this awesome entertainer do what he does best. While out in "sin city" a corporate mogul sits in his ivory tower and figures out how to line his own silk pockets even more off the backs of the people whose devotion to Garth kept those theater seats filled...Altruism vs. Greed: there's Big Money at stake on both sides of this coin. In Tn. the people win no matter which side the coin lands on. In Nevada it's heads Mr. Wynn wins.. tails, we lose. I'm going with the sure bet.