As an enjoyer of live music and a fan of the band Caamp, I was thrilled to hear they would be playing at the Ting Pavilion in Charlottesville. However, a quick survey of my bank account discouraged me from attending the event. The night of the concert left me disappointed to miss the chance to see them. I had heard rumors that there was a spot near the venue where you could sit outside, and hear the concert, so I grabbed a friend and we found this spot. Atop cement blocks and rebar, we enjoyed a full Caamp concert, with a great view. The best part of this view was that I paid nothing for it.
Sitting on my cement block and listening to the chorus of “By and By” I began thinking about the economics behind this situation. It became clear to me that this music was a positive externality in production, and I was free-riding by enjoying it without buying a ticket. Since Ting Pavilion is an outdoor venue, it is much more difficult for them to exclude than say JPJ. The non-excludability of this event allowed me to free-ride and enjoy a concert that others paid hundreds of dollars for. This relates to the externalities and the free-rider problem that Gruberch discusses in Chapter 5. Caamp produced the music for the patrons in the venue who paid for it but could not prevent me and others from enjoying the public good that they were providing.
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