Garth Brooks Says Affordability Is About More Than the Ticket Price

"The cost of going to a concert is skyrocketing out of control," Garth Brooks says.

The challenge isn't getting any easier.

As Brooks prepares to launch his Blame It All On My Roots Tour in August, he says he keeps the total cost of a night out in mind every time he plans a tour.

"Let's talk for a moment about the cost to go to a concert," Brooks says. "There's the ticket price. Currently, the average country concert ticket price is $175. That's the average. Dang! You never go alone, so double it, at least. Parking? Want a T-shirt or two? Maybe dinner? You are looking at one expensive evening.”

Brooks says retaining control over ticket and merchandise pricing allows an artist to lower the overall cost of a night out.

"Affordability is always the question," he says. "And that's more challenging today than it has ever been in my career.

"Did I think in the '90s that $20, $50 was a lot of money? You bet," he continues. "Do I think $20 or $50 is still a lot of money? Yes, I do. With that said, touring costs are not the same as they were in the '90s. Hell, on the Comeback Tour, I saw in some cities that parking cost more than tickets.”

Brooks knows there will always be fans who can't easily make the numbers work. He believes it's his responsibility as an artist to be mindful that paychecks only go so far.

"There are always going to be people who tell you, 'I'd love to come see you, I just can't afford it,'" he says. "Those people have all of my respect. I believe it is my job to try to make the number of people who say that as small as possible.”

Tickets for the first two shows of Brooks' Blame It All On My Roots Tour — Aug. 21-22 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis — go on sale at 10 a.m. ET Friday, July 17, at Ticketmaster.com/garthbrooks or through the Ticketmaster app.