I thought you were joking, at first. Then I read through the comments and see that you are serious!

You obviously haven't got a clue.

I make a living at folk music - a rather poor one, but it is my entire income. I live in a pretty big US city, yet there are very opportunities for me to work locally, on a regular basis. There are only so many venues and each of them is frequented by a pretty regular audience. As much as they like me, they don't want to see me over and over and over again. I even work in different types of venues in my home town just so I can stay home more often ... but at that, I still work in Dallas no more then twice in a month, and often not even that much.

On the other hand, there tens of thousands of venues within a plane ride or day's drive. So I can keep working several shows each work, if I am willing and able to travel. I don't travel because it's fun and exciting. Traveling sucks! I'd much rather be home - but if I'm going to make a living and if I'm going to get my music around, I have to travel. And yes, of course I have to recoup as much of my travel costs as possible from CD sales and performance fees. So when I work at home I can afford to do so for a bit less.

As for performance fees; that is a negotiated issue with every booking. The venues know what they expect to bring in and they know what their costs are. It's a pretty exact science. There is some guessing - but often the fees are set to attendance, and certainly overall profitability is affected by CD sales.

I find it hard to believe you resent this. If you think folk musicians are screwing the paying audience; you have a screw loose! Most of us are slowly going broke, just to support a way of life we love and wish to make work. I don't know any who are rich. You don't go into folk music to make money - that's for damn sure!