“My Economy” tells the story of the new economic normal through the eyes of people trying to make it, because we know the only numbers that really matter are the ones in your economy.

This was the summer that live music came back in full force after pandemic shutdowns. Beyoncé’s and Taylor Swift’s record-breaking tours have boosted local economies as the singers come through, and Swift will rake in $5 million to $7 million per tour date on tickets alone by one estimate. 

But for the smaller corners of the live music industry, these blowout events have an undesirable trickle-down effect. 

“The average person only has so much expendable income, and if they’re spending $3,000 to see Taylor Swift, that’s less money they’re gonna spend buying tickets to come to my venue,” said Tobi Parks, the owner of xBk, an independent music venue in Des Moines, Iowa. 

The pandemic shut down xBk for nearly two years after it had been open for only six months. Business is better now, Parks said, but operating independently from large entertainment corporations always brings challenges. 

“We always jokingly say that there are for-profit venues and nonprofit venues, but on some level, it feels like all of us independents are nonprofits because it’s such a hard business,” Parks said. 

Click the audio player above to hear the rest of Parks’ story.