But they should only share the blame. As U2's current tour has shown, with top-notch security procedures, an open floor with no seating can work wonderfully. Fans had to trek to Indianapolis, Lexington and Columbus. It's time to look at a way to have festival seating succeed again in Cincinnati. It would also be nice to have a more daring venue or two as well.
Artists embarking on shorter tours are another factor.
The Speedway was the site of last summer's biggest area draw, a Metallica-headlined concert. Looks like it's attractive for more adventurous tours not wanting to deal with the region's more staid outdoor venues. Smaller tours will keep hitting the mid-sized venues like Bogart's and the Southgate House and, don't forget, Cincinnati's strong local music scene is always a favored option. So don't let geography get in the way of seeing a great concert this summer. The views expressed in these pages do not necessarily represent those of the publishers.