I have agree. This my main gripe with kickstarter for this type of event. Even if it costs me more, I would rather have the option of buying a ticket.
So, as far as I'm concerned, this is another mark against Kickstarted.
You do realize that it's because of the Kickstarter that we're even having this event, right? Otherwise they wouldn't have been able to fund it to even start prepping for the event. Imagine, for them, the alternative: they manage to find some benefactor to front the $20,000 for the event with the idea that they'll "make it up in ticket sales". But because nobody has joined the Kickstarter, there's no financial incentive for them to go (in other words, because I helped on the Kickstarter I'm more inclined to go now, but either way they've got my money to help put on the event). One thing leads to another, they don't sell even close to enough tickets to recoup their $20,000, and some poor sap is now broke and/or never going to fund another event again.
IMHO Kickstarter is the only way to go for things like this.
I'll put it another way: have you ever been in a band that had to sell tickets yourself in order to get paid for playing a show? Say you're driving everywhere, promoting the heck out of your event, but only manage to sell seven tickets. Everyone else says "Oh, I'll be there, I'll buy one at the door". But then the day of the show comes and they're too busy shampooing their cat, or they oversleep, or they're watching something on TV, and can't be bothered to show up to their friend's gig. Ipso facto, band doesn't get paid, no beer money, and they're not likely to have any more gigs any time soon.
Money up front or no gig. That's the way the world works, kapeesh?
