Smartphone required to attend a concert

[zonk]

So I found out The Beths are touring this year and one of their stops is reasonably close to me, so I looked into getting tickets. The ticket prices were quite reasonable, but I stopped because I noticed a little message saying that in order to get in, I'd have to present a code (presumably QR code) from the ticket broker's proprietary smartphone app.

I am beyond disappointed, and I realize that I'm probably late to realizing this state of affairs because I haven't been to a concert in over a decade. This is an absurd requirement. There should be no reason I can't just print off the QR code and show up with it. I assume all this is done in the name of preventing ticket scalping, because the ticket broker can control transfers from within their proprietary ecosystem. I don't think that's a good enough reason, personally. If people are scalping your tickets, that means your prices are too low and you're creating that incentive for scalping. I would rather pay more money than capitulate to this bullshit.

Needless to say, I'm not going to the concert.

[Linkard]

Damn, that really sucks... Although I definitely wouldn't wish for higher concert ticket prices, there's scalpers that will nab those regardless, and concert prices have been insane in the past few years. Seems like a very complicated issue...