I wonder how much money can be made by not being a mainstream musician, but having a fairly dedicated core audience like satch, vai, yngwie, etc..

I know their stuff sell better in other countries (ie Japan). But is that where the lion's share of their money comes from? Or is from touring all the time. I'd like to make it the way the Grateful Dead or Phish did, just by having an awesome live act, touring all the time, and having a loyal audience following.