Concert prices can be shockingly high, but a new Maryland law will create more transparency around ticket sales for live entertainment, and in some cases, help drive down costs.

Why it matters: Popular shows have become luxury experiences for the uber-wealthy — and wallet-breaking for average consumers — but tighter regulation of the ticketing process can help level the playing field for artists and fans.

⚡️ Driving the news: Gov. Wes Moore signed off Thursday on an anti-scalping law that makes it illegal for resale sites like StubHub or VividSeats to charge sneaky junk fees, and bans the sale of "speculative tickets."

• The law, championed by major venues and artist coalitions, goes into effect July 1.

How it works: There's no cap on fees, but the law clarifies that resellers must be transparent throughout the process, similar to D.C. restaurants — no surprises come payment.

• It also makes certain requirements for refunds, like in the case of show cancellations.

Zoom in: Speculative tickets, often offered by scalpers before sales are live, can create a false sense of scarcity ("Only 2 left!") and drive up market prices when legit tickets come online. Plus, some are actually fake.

🌠 The big picture: Maryland's bill is part of a national reckoning around flaws in the ticketing system — thanks in large part to the Taylor Swift Eras Tour ticketing fiasco, which exposed problematic practices in the resale industry like scalper bots and junk fees.

Stunning stat: While it's possible to find good deals, resale tickets in the U.S. can also be listed for 500 times the original cost.

• VIP tickets for the sold-out All Things Go music festival at Merriweather were listed anywhere from $1,210 to over $12,000 on StubHub.

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Sorry, D.C. music fans — if you want to see some of the summer's hottest shows, they're in Baltimore.

Why it matters: Billie Eilish, Pearl Jam, P!nk, The Black Keys — they're all skipping D.C. for Charm City.

The intrigue: Musicians are flocking to Baltimore's CFG Bank Arena. The 14,000-plus-seat venue reopened downtown last year after a $250 million renovation and was christened by The Boss (who also skipped D.C. due to health reasons).

• The arena has big-name backing from L.A.-based operator Oak View Group — which runs major venues nationally — plus Kevin Durant's investment company, Live Nation, and artist Pharrell Williams.

Zoom in: Mayor Brandon Scott promised CFG's revamp would make Baltimore "a mecca for music and entertainment," which is proving true with 120+ shows annually.

Between the lines: D.C. fans are feeling the burn and wondering why more artists aren't coming to the bigger Capital One Arena. One reason: scheduling.

• Jordan Silberman, president of venues for Monumental Sports & Entertainment, tells Axios: "Due to high artist demand and complex scheduling around the Washington Capitals and Wizards home games, we are not always able to accommodate certain tour dates."

Yes, but: Silberman says Cap One has put on more concerts in the past two years than ever in arena history (coming up: J.Lo, Olivia Rodrigo, Blink-182, and more).

• Plus many of the same big acts are coming to CFG and Cap One, including Usher, Justin Timberlake, and Janet Jackson.

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A new documentary from D.C.-based filmmakers examines the Jan. 6 insurrection from the perspective of six people who lived through it.

Why it matters: "The Sixth" is an up-close look at how Washingtonians who simply showed up to work that day watched an event unfold with far-reaching consequences.

Zoom in: The film includes never-before-seen footage and personal accounts from Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), former D.C. Police Chief Robert J. Contee, two of his officers, a photographer, and a then-Hill staffer.

• It was produced by production company A24 and the studio Change Content, which is spearheaded by the D.C.-based, Oscar and Emmy-winning filmmaking duo Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine.

What they're saying: "The Sixth" aims to bring about a sense of catharsis, especially for locals.

• "D.C. is our hometown so January 6th feels intensely personal to us and our entire production team, who like the characters in our film, live and work in the Nation's capital," reads the director's note.

The film is available to buy or rent via on-demand streaming platforms.

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📃 The Bowser administration reached settlements with two women who the city found were victims of sexual harassment by ex-deputy mayor John Falcicchio. Lawyers declined to disclose the terms. (NBC4)

🚰 DC Water has lifted the boil water advisory after tests confirmed that tap water is safe to use for "all purposes." The advisory affected 4,800 customers in some upper Northwest D.C. neighborhoods. (X)

📌 A 60-plane flyover will happen around noon tomorrow, down the Potomac River and over the National Mall. (National Park Service)

🤑 Dan Snyder's former home in Potomac is back on the market. The Snyders had donated the 30,000-square-foot house to the American Cancer Society after no one wanted to buy it. We'll see if the nonprofit has better luck: it's re-listed at the same price as before, $34.9 million. (UrbanTurf)

📆 Upcoming events around the city.

• 2024 Fiesta Asia Street Fair at 400 Pennsylvania Avenue NW on May 18: Fiesta Asia Street Fair features over 1000 performers, artisans, entrepreneurs, food vendors, and organizations on multiple stages representing more than 20 cultures for eight consecutive hours.
• Dance Like a Mother: A Benefit for First Shift Justice Project at Wunder Garten on Friday: Join First Shift Justice Project at "Dance Like a Mother," a fun house music party benefiting D.C.-area low-wage working parents & caregivers fighting workplace discrimination to prevent job loss.

Hosting an event? Use code DCEVENTS50 to get 50% off your first event.

Looking for other events? Check out our Event Board.

"Chinese tapas" and baiju cocktails are on tap at NiHao, a Peter Chang restaurant that just opened in National Landing for all-day dining.

Why it matters: Chang is justifiably famous for his classics but we're always eager to try new twists.

The big picture: The Chang family opened NiHao in Baltimore in 2020, winning a big Esquire "Best New Restaurant" award.

Dig in: The modern Szechuan spot feels breezy with greenery, a patio, a bright bar, and a shareable menu.

• A big menu is filled with tapas and snacks, generally $4 to $15, plus two large-format branzino dishes.
• Cocktails like a sparkling lychee-vodka-grapefruit concoction are named after Chinese movies.

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