Why we don't go to concerts as often as we used to.
 

Billy Joel is coming to town in January. If you've never seen him live you should. Amazing showman. He can make the person in the last row of the top most level feel like they are a part of an intimate personal experience.

We were not going to pass up the opportunity and yesterday I got 4 tickets for myself, my wife and our two kids.

Ordered online.

$27.50 in service charges per ticket and they were downloadable print them yourself tickets.

Seriously WTF?

The tickets were only $89 per. That's like a 30% charge per ticket.

Exactly what "service" is being provided?

I hate Ticketbastard.

Just saw Rod Stewart in Vegas a couple weeks ago, great show and he did a "tribute to patriots" as well. Cost was just about the same as what you paid and I printed my own tickets as well. Crazy! :) I did enjoy the show though.

It is what it is. $20 to see Deep Purple or Led Zeppelin in 1970 is about the same as $120 today. I suspect face value of the ticket goes to the show while the service fee is the retail transaction markup we pay just like retail markup on a car or case of 20/50 oil. I see more concerts now than back then because I have the means and opportunity. YMMV

Used to go to a lot, no more. They've become a ripoff like most things and most are just too damn loud and too overdone anyway. I prefer a good night out at a bar with a live band - more intimate and often better music anyway. I can't understand why people would spend a couple hundred bucks to go out and sit a million miles away from the performance so they're just watching a screen (I can do that anytime for free!) and getting a ripping headache from people blazing up joints nearby.

Maybe I'm just getting old too... ;)

This^^^ I have forgotten more concerts than I remember... I also would rather see a band in a local bar, support local business and musicians. Or I have a home theater system and most of my favorite bands on DVD so the band will take a break if I need to get up to pee :D. Maybe I'm a child of the 70's but it is difficult for me to get into "LETS PLAY SOME CRAZY ROCK AND ROLL!!!!" While we all sit orderly in our assigned seats in a smoke free environment.
Have to admit to paying crazy money to see Journey in Vegas but it was a room/concert package and we had a great time.
(***Old guy alert***) Laughlin is actually attracting some decent acts... we may have to check that out.

Boy you sound like fun. Not.

Concerts are actually a good deal quieter these days. Live sound has come a long way.

Keep in mind that most major artists only make money off live shows. There is no money in albums anymore.

There's only a handful of bands I'd pay good money to see. Tool, for example. I have no problem supporting the art I enjoy.

I still see a lot of shows, but 99% of the time in small intimate venues. I usually pay cash in advance or at the door to avoid service charges. I will pay the service charge if necessary though.
Like stated above, the talent available can be as good as it gets.

Just Thursday night I saw an incredible band in a favorite local roadhouse. I think I paid $15.
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I never go to the big shows anymore. My last was Steely Dan and that was over 10 years ago.

For me, the local 300 seat theatre is the place to be.

David Lindley, January 4, 25 bucks.
Jayhawks, January 7, 35 bucks.

Lots of upside, very little downside....

It's the cost.
We all can afford it but I got spoiled back in the day.

If I have to pay a small fortune to see Fleetwood Mac, they can play live
in my living room.

I am just too tight I guess.

I saw Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Led Zep and many many other great performing artists while I was working at Mac Donalds.

+ 1 more for the small intimate venues. The main is reason because these days if it's if someone I really, really want to see I can afford front row seats. If I choose the big crowded venue it's a whole different experience, less enjoyable for me dealing with some of these individuals. From the parking to getting around in the venue. Guess I am getting old, that use to be part of the fun yrs. ago.

I'll pay to see a big name show in a large venue if there's any inkling of the band never coming round anymore. That's why I drove to Charlotte to see Iron Maiden a couple of years ago. I doubt I'll be given that opportunity again.

Other than that, I've seen enough good shows in sheds, and arenas over the years that I don't have the jones to keep up with who is coming round anymore. Plus the expense, and the parking, AND the crowds, AND the traffic... yeah, forget that noise! :cool:

Last concert I enjoyed: Pink Floyd - Division Bell
Since then, I have only gone to two.
Tool. Holy f8ck that was loud. I don't care what the cheesy guy says, that was waaay louder than any concert I had been to in the past.
Eagles. I left about half-way through because the old lady behind me kept "shushing" my wife and me. Maybe they needed to play louder. lol

I doubt I'll ever go to another concert, but I do like going to bars and hearing the local acts.

Honestly, there are few groups I want to see live. Only concert I've been to recently was The Indigo Girls. That was great in a small venue.

A lot of the aging rockers seem to struggle vocally. Happy to have seen Rush, YES, The Police, Peter Gabriel, Beach Boys, long ago.

I would have gotten Taylor Swift tickets for my wife and daughter, but I refuse to buy ticket for Cowboys stadium. Accoustics there suck as.... Too bad she has to go for max profit instead of performing in a smaller venue...

Back to the OP, Billy Joel would be one kick a$$ concert I would like to see.
However even though I am/was a big fan of EVH, the Police, etc. no way I would pay big bucks to see them in a stadium show and fight the traffic, parking, crowds, to see some teensy tiny figures on stage.

Really? I saw them in January and it was a perfect balance of clarity and volume. Then again, I've been playing through Marshalls for years. I think it was around $80 for center floor seats. Walked down the street to the MAX, Max straight to the Rose Garden.

The loudest for me was Van Halen at the Forum. Ears ringing afterwards. The Forum was horrid for concerts. However, i saw Prince there a few years back and the sound was actually pretty good. Certainly more clear.

My loudest concert, Pat Travers and Blue Oyster Cult at UCLA... shocking I know :D

Boom Boom

I saw Pat at the Thirsty Whale, along time ago, it was loud! Lonnie Mack was pretty loud too.

Loudest, was Molly Hatchet in a small venue/bar. They were using a sound system for stadium. It was crazy.

Loudest?

It's a toss up between Stevie Ray Vaughan

And (wait for it) Charlie Freaking Daniels, (back in the '70's)

I just don't like the general public anymore.

Bad enough I have to subject myself during the course of required activities but to purposely go somewhere where other numbskulls are.....sorry I'll pass.

Apologies to those who are somewhat normal people - as small of a percentage as they are.

The last BIG concert I went to was Tom Petty at the Forum. I probably wouldn't have ponied up the money for the tickets, but Steve Winwood was the opening act and I'd never had the chance to see him live. Great concert, just wish Steve and Tom would have done a few songs together.

I know I've posted about it here before, but one of our fellow Porsche enthusiasts plays in a great band that was playing at House Of Blues and they price their tix at a whopping $25. Unfortunately, Ticketscheister charges a "convenience fee" of $17, bringinging the total for 2 tix to more than the face value of 3 tix. Complete bullscheisse.

Now TM has taken over from Nederlander, my favorite local venue The Greek Theater. So now I can expect to be anally raped with "convenience fees" to see some great bands.

Charge me $20 bucks to park, charge me $7.50 for a beer, just don't pick my pocket with convenience fees. I'd rather pay $40-60 bucks for a concert T-shirt and have the money go to the band than these TM corporate pigs.

Okay, rant over.

More Cowbell!

Loudest for me was Joan Jett at the Arlington in Santa Barbara. Ears rang for 3 days. I was seriously worried of hearing damage.

OP, I stopped caring about live concerts years ago. We still enjoy the occasional small bar and mediocre cover band.

We would go see Nostatic play but we both HATE jazz music.

Just buy tix in the parking lot or on the street a few min before showtime. I've done it countless times, have never paid over face value and usually get in first 10 rows on the floor. Just have to be willing to wait it out.

I am taking my kids to see Raffi in April. Do you think anyone will be sparking up? Should I bring ear plugs?

Tickets were $60 each and we had to buy a ticket for my daughter who won't quite be 2. Nobody gets in free.

Raffi Down By The Bay YouTube - YouTube

And 911dean, that's the kind of stuff I like to go see these days. "Girl On The Billboard" by Del Reeves was always one of my fovorite country songs!

I'm with you. I've been a blues junkie my entire life and over the last handful of years Rockabilly and Country has really caught my attention.

Why would artists and venues just give away a majority of their sales?
It's a monopoly.

The Central Bank gives money at the discount rate, banks lend to each other at the federal funds rate, and the consumer borrows 'federal' money after paying off all the middlemen and their NY highrise/other/overhead.
Even at it's very worst, the prime rate was less than 20%: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_rate

The scalping business is big. 2007: Ticket Brokers Busted
Then Ticketmaster was involved. 2009: Illinois Attorney General - TICKETMASTER AGREES TO SHUT DOWN DECEPTIVE TICKET BROKER WEB SITES

I've been going to more shows lately than ever before, but I strongly prefer smaller venues i.e. local clubs and historic theaters, say <3,000 capacity, like the Wiltern, Roxy, Orpheum etc. here in LA. There is a great club a mile from me called The Canyon that gets 70's-90's acts all the time and if you get there a few minutes early, you can walk right up to the first few rows of the floor. Afterwards I'm out and back home in 5 minutes. I can't stand packed crowds and long lines at the arena/stadium shows. That said, we are going to Fleetwood Mac this week as it's probably a once-in-a-lifetime chance for us.

I saw Billy Joel in 1974 during his Piano Man tour. I can't remember the service charge though . . . :D

Ian

How about Fleetwood Mac tickets? $200. Tickebastard has begun catering to scalpers. You can buy tickets, then put them in a resale pool. So a lot of tickets for the show were $1000+ due to resale. I was looking at a pair of $200 tickets... thought about it, and went back. 20 minutes later, the tickets had been bought, and put in the resale pool at $250 each.
And guess what? They were collecting a service charge on the resale.
They already collected the service charge once.... :confused:

I dunno. I'm still a very active concert goer. I am 45. I probably see four or five concerts per month. In fact, I now enjoy bringing my kids with me. However, most of the shows that we see are smaller, "club" style venues. We listen to a lot of indie/alternative music. So for us, $15-$20 per ticket with only nominal service charges for "print at home" and we are there (general admission, of course)! Last show, I brought my 12 year old daughter to see Sharon Van Etten. It was beautiful and amazing! And I think my daughter was floored at how up close and personal the show was.

I still venture out for larger acts, and yeah the service fees are absolute BS!!!! We traveled from NC to Chicago to see Pearl Jam at Wrigley Field, and I think I'll have to work a few more years before I can retire after paying for that one (and these were the guys that fought the machine)!!!!!

I'm not a fan of the big shows anymore, but still go to two or so each year. Saw Springsteen in a 2,300 seat venue. That was fun. Also enjoy seeing the up-and-coming bands at smaller venues.

One of the most fun shows I saw recently was Steel Panther. They are not for everybody, actually very limited market. Very graphic lyrics. Some work colleagues came into town and were looking for something to do after dinner, found it with about two days notice. Just enough to know what to expect, kind of.

Wow, I live a sheltered life, only went to one concert, 'The Eagles' 1980 Long Beach,Ca. I don't remember what it cost, but I still remember the show. It sounded like you were listening to the album at home.

Less than $20! I kept a bunch of my ticket stubs from back in the late 60s and 70s......Led Zep at the Forum for $4.00!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1416796202.jpg

Growing up in Jacksonville I have stubs from the Beatles (1964) & the Stones (1975) at the Gator Bowl for $5.00

I never go to concerts in big venues any more. I don't like the atmosphere, the volume is too much, and the prices are insane!
I've had more fun and enjoyed better music bar-hopping in Nashville on a Saturday afternoon.

We have a pretty loose interpretation of the "j" word ;)

https://soundcloud.com/nostatic-live/01-eleanor-rigby

I was worried you were going to take that the wrong way Todd. The wife and I will make a visit North to see you soon - a much needed Adults night out. ;)