Sharing live music is a benefit to any band that treats live performance as the highest and best expression of their craft.
I don't see how it could be otherwise.
I agree.
However, the article is about what's wrong with rock and roll. The answer, IMHO, is that cd's are too expensive, plain and simple. There's no reason for cd's to be as expensive as they are, and the public knows this. If there were reasonably priced alternatives out there, people would buy more of them. As it is, supply and demand dictates that when people can get it free vs. having to pay out the nose, they will. The RIAA knows damn well what the problem is, and until they admit it, all the lawsuits in the world won't matter.