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The price of concert tickets today.... What's your take?

Its not the age it is whether or not they artist still has it. Tony Bennett is 92, still has it and is still relevant after all these years.

Jeff Lynne is 71 and seems to still have it. Even though I typically avoid shows with one remaining member his recent concerts videos look to me top shelf shows. Now if could get a ticket without taking out a second mortgage I would be in!
 
hjames said:
Yeah, I wanted to see Mark Knopfler a couple years ago - but when I heard he was touring on a double bill with Dylan, I passed on that tour.
I kinda liked Dylan with the Band, and for quite a few years after that, (Heard he was great with Tom Petty way back then)
but its been over 10 years since I'd consider actually paying money to see Dylan.

Yeah, I know some folks LOVE that Dylan Christmas album a few years back, Dylan does the American Songbook, or Dylan does Sinatra -
What a load of shite! Of course, I wouldn't pay money to see Rod Stewart butchering the great American Songbook either
(and yes, I did enjoy Stewart with Jeff Beck, and during Rod's rock years - he's just not a sinatra kinda voice)
- I got friends that love that garbage - ... Let them!


to sa
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Heather, you brought me to remembering the one time when I saw Bob Dylan. 1973 and it was the most expensive concert that there had ever been in Seattle up to that time, $16. A rock scandal. And one couldn't just go and buy tickets, we had to reply to an add in the newspaper and apply for tickets, it was supposed to be a way of getting around scalpers. I've never heard of that being done before or since.

Anyway, I did get tickets, and a 16 yo Bratwurst did get to see BD and the Band. You can listen to "Before The Flood" and somewhere lost in the background of some of those songs is a cheering young Bratwurt7s. That was a different time and a hell of a good show. Thanks for reminding me.

Cheers,
James
 
Drumaniac said:
I can watch them from home with my bifoculs and a DVD lol. No washroom lineup, cold beer and snacks in the fridge etc.
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True .. and you won't have to pay $10 per a tall can of cheap beer .. like the Paul Simon concert I attended last year in Nashville Tn at the Bridgestone Arena. I took a pass but there were folks walking (or staggering) back to their nose bleed seats spilling $40 worth of beer o_O along the way.

Only problem w/ the DVD/Blu Ray route is that many artist/bands have a rather spartan selection of quality recorded video concerts.
Many are "out of print" .. while others (who are really good at live performances) never had that many done in the first place. Natalie Merchant being a perfect example.
 
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I'll be honest, I didn't read the thread (yet). But my take is essentially:

1) I don't mind paying the artists to see them play. Depending on the seats and the artist, $100 or even a bit more is fine. With that said, I usually go to shows in the $25 range. Once or twice per year, a larger, more expensive show...Elton John, John Prine, etc.

2) I REALLY HATE SCALPERS WITH ALL OF MY BEING. Tickets would not be so much without them in the "middle." We already have ticket bastard in the middle, we don't need another middle man! I hate that even the legitimate re-seller sites have scams where they buy up blocks of tickets for the re-seller market. They endorse this behavior! Unbelievable.

3) I wish the artists were not forced to tour so much. It's good for us, not so good for them. I mean if they want to, that's one thing. But to HAVE to tour 9 months out of the year to make a "living," I think is ridiculous. Some smaller bands I like have to tour that much to make it. I wish they didn't have to. Not sure what the answer is, other than maybe Spotify or the labels paying them more. People don't buy albums like they used to, that's for sure!

That's essentially it for me. I really like seeing live shows and will pay what I need to pay to see the shows that I want, avoiding scalpers if at all possible. But even then I will cave and buy from a scalper if I "really" want to see the show.
 
Quadman2 said:
So the "Rolling Stones" are or not going to do the N. Amer circuit this Spring?

Just took in a Resale Ticker site for the above event that displays third person people trying to hawk their up front tickets for the "Bull Creek, ON" performance from the low of $248 up to $4,834 a ticket! Now not that's not to say they'll get their prices, maybe with a lot of haggling, if that's done?


But was wondering what others have considered the way that concert goers who think little of plunking down $600+ (2 tickets), and this may be for general area, which in turn may mean just standing and watching a massive screen.

And, I know it is a supply/demand thingy going here, with capitalism driving the whole affair. But is it outta hand or what?

Maybe some goers just flash the card, and go without a thought?

Anyways, there's no right/wrong as it comes down to individual's choice.

So, what do you think? Is it worth it? Out of line? Just the way it is?

Q
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Yeah, It's ridiculous to insane, imo.
 
The wife and I spent 200.00 on tickets to see Beth Hart and KWS a couple weeks ago at the Brady theater in Tulsa ok. Beth was great! She has a great voice for the blues but when Kenny Wayne hit the stage it was so loud that we broke camp after 4 songs. He is incredible on the guitar but I'm telling you it was eardrum blowing loud. I love to jam but it had to be 110db and we just couldn't take it. Lol
 
Speaking of scalpers .. I recall back when I lived in the UK in the mid 1980's and use to take frequent trips to London on the weekends I had off. They even had scalpers for movie theatre tickets. o_O Popular sold out plays I could understand but movies?
 
Have ticket prices risen that much?
Think about this...
In April of 1977 a Pink Floyd ticket cost me $8.50 tax included.
Using the US Dept of Labors CPI inflation calculator
https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm

$8.50 In April of 1977 is $36.01 todays dollars!

Now this is Pink Floyd in 1977 at the time they toured with a quadrophonic sound system and the most elaborate stage and light show ever any band had ever used at that time.

If Waters ,Gilmore & Mason decided to put aside their differences and tour do you think tickets would be $36?
My guess is when pigs fly...
PQ
IMG_7085.jpg
 
Boz Scaggs, at 75, still tours about every 18 months or so, and he'll usually stop in Minneapolis to play the State Theater, a 1200 seat gorgeously restored venue. We always see his show since he plays about 2 hours for around $60 - $80, he has a band of excellent musicians, and he does a mixed bag of true blues, new stuff from his more recent releases, and his hits from what he calls his "Hollywood" days, like Lido, Georgia, etc. And he doesn't jump around like an idiot. It's always a no-nonsense, excellent show, and always satisfying. IMO, there's more value there than watching Jagger singing off key and behaving like a fool for $300.
 
The highest I ever paid for a ticket, (from a scalper) was $75.00. That was to see the Who, (Kenny Jones on drums), but we had excellent seats. Currently, I'd fell like I was being held up without a gun. If you think concert tickets are high, check out baseball.
 
alteclipsch said:
Boz Scaggs, at 75, still tours about every 18 months or so, and he'll usually stop in Minneapolis to play the State Theater, a 1200 seat gorgeously restored venue. We always see his show since he plays about 2 hours for around $60 - $80, he has a band of excellent musicians, and he does a mixed bag of true blues, new stuff from his more recent releases, and his hits from what he calls his "Hollywood" days, like Lido, Georgia, etc. And he doesn't jump around like an idiot. It's always a no-nonsense, excellent show, and always satisfying. IMO, there's more value there than watching Jagger singing off key and behaving like a fool for $300.
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Boz Scaggs well worth $80
 
jcamero said:
The highest I ever paid for a ticket, (from a scalper) was $75.00. That was to see the Who, (Kenny Jones on drums), but we had excellent seats. Currently, I'd fell like I was being held up without a gun. If you think concert tickets are high, check out baseball.
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Beer at the ball game here is $12 - $14 per tall boy can. Really!!! why is that? They are $2 - $3 at the beer store.
 
hjames said:
Sadly, Huey Lewis isn't touring any more because he got struck down with some kind of deafness ...
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life...ws-says-cant-hear-well-enough-sing/515672002/

Neil Diamond has Parkinsons and has stopped touring
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/...ng-after-parkinsons-disease-diagnosis-118902/

Good ol Neil Young had a brain anueysm (but he's in recovery)
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/neil-young-brain-aneurysm/

Jimmy Buffett will probably never retire!,
But the yuppie mobs have gotten too big and stupid for my wife,
who used to see him YEARS ago in the $3.50, 4.50 ticket days
(She has the poster when played at the student Union at James Madison U in '87)
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Holy sickness, Batman!

I knew about Diamond/Lewis, but not Young!:(

Who's gonna be left?

Q
 
re: buying tix at the venue box office --- a capital idea but even here in SF there are some venues who don't offer that possibility. Others offer that possibility but only one day a week for 2-4 hours total.

Lots of responses -- it's clear that value is in the eyes of the behearer ...
 
I stopped wanting to go to big name concerts decades ago. Big acoustically crappy arenas, big crowds, long bathroom lines, traffic in and out of big venues, and often talent that rides their name but has lost their edge. -No thanks.- And ticket prices have become outrageous. (there's my answer to the OP's question ) Looked at an old concert stub. Grateful Dead, Columbus Ohio, year 1976, price $6.50. Correct for inflation and that's ~$30. in 2019 money. That's what the prices should be but aren't.

I would much rather listen to an artist/group in a smaller more intimate setting. If I can enjoy a decent meal and a few drinks there all the better. They do not have to be the best of the best...... actually prefer someone up and coming and/or new to me.
 
We have some great smallish indoor and not so big outdoor venues here in Vermont, where tickets typically vary from $30-100. Not so bad cost-wise and food/drink is also pretty reasonable. Big names come to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center about 1.5 hrs away, where lawn tickets can be pretty reasonable (but it often seems to rain on me there). I must admit we just paid a new record for me to go see KISS there in in August as a birthday present to me, and we paid extra to get inside for a real seat.

In thinking back on some of the best shows I have seen, I can't remember how much I paid to get in, but I sure remember the experience. Maybe it is selective memory: I remember the good parts and not the bad.
 
Its not only concert tickets that are becoming out of reach for the average family in the good Old US of A. Tried to buy a Dallas Foot Ball ticket? Or stay at a Disney Hotel while visiting the Theme parks? Look what. Gasoline has done in the last 90 days. Bend over and smile>.
 
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