Conrad, you seem to be having trouble understanding some basic concepts.

A musician doesn't travel long distances to a gig because he is rich. He travels because he needs to do as many gigs as possible to earn a living. He needs to cover his travel costs out of the fee before he can begin to pay for food, rent, utilities, taxes and all the other costs of living. Once those costs are covered it would be nice to have a bit over as well. So he is entitled to charge a fee which makes the gig worth his while - if the practice is to put out a tip jar then that's part of it. The venue will only agree that fee if they believe the performer will attract a big enough audience at the right price. The audience will pay that price only if they believe the performer is worth it. You have to decide for yourself whether to pay that price (which may mean sacrificing something else). It all depends on how much you value that individual musician's music.

It's quite clear that you don't make a living as a cartist (if that's the right word). It's a hobby, so you can't compare it with people doing a professional job to earn a living.

You clearly manage to find money to spend on your artcar. So it's your own choice that you can't afford to go to gigs. It's up to you to decide your priorities, not up to musicians to sacrifice their standard of living so you can do both.