CONCERT TICKETS

So a few weeks ago when me and my wife went to see Joan Jett and the Blackhearts for 2 tickets it was $90.00... For us to go see whitesnake in august will be about the same. Rush is coming to town next month and those tickets sell for $200 to $400 at the box office ...
Wow..when did tickets go up... I remember paying as little as $4 up to about $15 for tickets back in the 70s, 80s and 90s to see a show (AC/DC, Scorpions, Van Halen, etc.)
Do you think the price of tickets these days has gotten out of hand? How do people afford to take their wife and go to all these shows? I guess they must put them on a credit card or something...

The last two shows we have gone to (Huey Lewis & The News and also Hall & Oates) was about $160 for 2 tickets. Boston is coming in May and those are 125 each. NO WAY I'm paying that unless Brad Delp is with them (which of course he isn't!). 

But I have been told since Panama City is a "small market" bands normally only come here when they have an off day from Tallahassee or Jacksonville and for "X" amount of dollars they will come to our 1500 seat venue... And since it is only 1500-2000 seats it costs more to fill it up to break even or make a profit for the promoter. $200 for Rush??? I hate it. I'm glad they aren't coming this way so I won't be disappointed because I love them but 200 bucks? I'll wait for the DVD.

Tickets are absolutely ridiculous!  While the sheeple of earth can pay that much, I just won't.  Keep chasing those celebrities, folks, while throwing away your money.  I understand that it costs a lot to tour.  I also understand that there isn't a human alive that I would pay that kind of money to see.

To be honest, I just don't understand why anyone is "worth" that kind of money.

alldatndensum wrote:

Tickets are absolutely ridiculous!  While the sheeple of earth can pay that much, I just won't.  Keep chasing those celebrities, folks, while throwing away your money.  I understand that it costs a lot to tour.  I also understand that there isn't a human alive that I would pay that kind of money to see.

To be honest, I just don't understand why anyone is "worth" that kind of money.

Yeah, and you actually get a better seat if you just wait for the DVD! And I stand corrected, I just checked Boston and the tickets are $35, $55, and $95. Last year they were $125. I might pay $35 each to see this version.... But I won't...

The last show I went to was last year at a club (Doro with Sister Sin and a local act Witchburn).  I don't know what the ticket price was because I knew a friend of a friend who is one of the club owners and I didn't pay to get in.  But about a year and a half ago I took my wife to see Billy Idol at a large club and I think the tickets were around $60 each (not a good deal IMO).

I've been wanting to see TSO for many years but not at their prices. Since I only go to Christian shows really, they're normally pretty affordable ($10-25) but I don't go see Chris Tomlin either. I'm very thankful for Winter Jam and Roadshow being only $10 - nice to take the boys!

Since I live in a small town 200 miles in either direction of a city where anyone might bother to come to, I usually don't even try to go to concerts. Because the traveling adds a great deal to the expense, if I do go somewhere I am generally contented with the cheapest seats I can find. For example, I am going to see Styx, Def Leppard, and Tesla in August, so I bought the nose-bleeder seats at $39.50. Hey, three bands for $40 bucks ... that ain't too shabby. But now let's add up the total cost: event fees and such made the ticket about $55, the overnight lodging in a cabin at a campground (I never do hotels, they aren't worth the $$), another $55, gas and food another ??$$ ... I suppose I'll probably have paid between $150 and $200 when all is said and done, and this is just for one ticket.

Yep, concerts are a splurge. Even the "free" festivals cost several hundred dollars because they are in the major cities, those ones that are 200 miles away, and last several days. There may not be an entrance fee, but gas and food aren't free!

For a long time the classic old 70s/80s bands were cheap.. during the 90s and 2000-2010 we were able to snag tickets for big names at prices that were similar to what they were in the 70s and 80s.

We still get good deals. Ie we belong to the Players Club for Primm Nevada casino and they have HUGE names there FOR FREE !  We seen Weird Al, the Band Perry, John Fogerty and a few more all for free. Next Saturday we'll be seeing Foreigner for free.
But then my wife wants to see REO Speedwagon next month at a local casino and the tickets I bought were 60 bucks each... still not too bad, but considering we don't hafta drive 3 hours to Primm, it evens out.

The day after REO, me and a buddy will be going to Pomona for a Tooth and Nail concert with 6 bands including War of Ages - 10 bucks !!!!! That's what I'm talking about !

The last concert I went to was John Mark McMillan in 2012.... it was free because no one knew who he was and because he wanted it to be.

Some friends want to see the Stones when they're in Nashville but the tickets are almost $1000 a piece.

I just learned this morning that Motley Crue and Alice Cooper will be in Sioux Falls (200 miles east) in December.  If it was just Alice I'd go for sure, but while I like some Crue songs I really don't care enough about them for the expense of a 200 mile overnight trip.

Off topic, sort-of. They recently completed a new "event center" in Sioux Falls, and they are working overtime on bringing in some big names:  the above mentioned concert, the Styx/Def Leppard/Tesla concert in August, Rod Stewart, The Eagles, Luke Bryan, Ed Sheeran, Kenny Chesney, and even Chris Tomlin. Maybe if I cross my fingers hard enough Stryper will come?

Back on topic, Rod Steward and The Eagles are by themselves (no opener or co-headliner), and their nose bleed seats are $49 and $45, respectively. More that the nose bleed seats for the three band concert I am going to.  The Crue and Alice want $55 for the cheap seats; as a double act that's better, but with only one I am interested in, and one I have never had any desire to see, that's still too much with the expense of travel tossed in.

Edit:

I have to admit, however, that I am tempted to get a cheap seat ticket for the Crue show, then leave when Alice is done. He comes to the Sturgis Rally (200 miles west) just about every summer, as do Molly Hatchet and a couple of others "biker favorites," but those concerts are always at a campground that requires a minimum one night's stay, even if you don't stay the night ... usually $75 or more. Besides, I'm never sure I want to go to a hard rock concert with a bunch of drunken bikers! LOL!

BearDad wrote:

Back on topic, Rod Steward and The Eagles are by themselves (no opener or co-headliner), and their nose bleed seats are $49 and $45, respectively. More that the nose bleed seats for the three band concert I am going to.  The Crue and Alice want $55 for the cheap seats; as a double act that's better, but with only one I am interested in, and one I have never had any desire to see, that's still too much with the expense of travel tossed in.

I saw Rod Stewart in concert (he was the sole performer).  And while I did get a free ticket I will confess it was a fantastic show.  I have never been a huge Rod fan, but he is quite the entertainer.  He had a trio of back-up singers (three black fellows), and about half way through his 90 minute set he took a break and went back stage (to change outfits) and the three back-up singers took over for 3 songs...and they were pretty darn spectacular by themselves.

Staybrite wrote:

BearDad wrote:

Back on topic, Rod Steward and The Eagles are by themselves (no opener or co-headliner), and their nose bleed seats are $49 and $45, respectively. More that the nose bleed seats for the three band concert I am going to.  The Crue and Alice want $55 for the cheap seats; as a double act that's better, but with only one I am interested in, and one I have never had any desire to see, that's still too much with the expense of travel tossed in.

I saw Rod Stewart in concert (he was the sole performer).  And while I did get a free ticket I will confess it was a fantastic show.  I have never been a huge Rod fan, but he is quite the entertainer.  He had a trio of back-up singers (three black fellows), and about half way through his 90 minute set he took a break and went back stage (to change outfits) and the three back-up singers took over for 3 songs...and they were pretty darn spectacular by themselves.

If I lived in Sioux Falls I would probably go to his show. I haven't been a "front and center" guy since I was in college, so the cheap seats are fine by me, and $49 isn't really that bad, even thought it's really about $65 after all the ridiculous fees are added.  I've never been a "fan" either, but I do like him.

Of course, if Journey comes to Sioux Falls then just about everything I've said here is a lie! I haven't seen them since 1983 and I would love to go, even without the "real" Steve Perry! LOL!

BearDad wrote:

Of course, if Journey comes to Sioux Falls then just about everything I've said here is a lie! I haven't seen them since 1983 and I would love to go, even without the "real" Steve Perry! LOL!

I think Arnold does a pretty decent job of filling the near impossible role that Steve Perry vacated.  I would certainly see them myself if the opportunity presented itself.  I just need to find a reliable way to figure out who is playing in my area.  There are so many venues in my area I usually don't hear about a band I want to see until the day of (or the day after) their performance.

The real price of concert tickets for our favorites bands from the 80s ...

Steve Augeri did a good job too. I have the Live 2001 DVD and it is fantastic. Here is a sample of "the other Steve":

MikeInFla wrote:

Steve Augeri did a good job too. I have the Live 2001 DVD and it is fantastic. Here is a sample of "the other Steve":

Augeri is my preferred post-Perry Journey frontman. Arnell is OK, but I think he tries to hard to sound just like Perry. After all, he was in a Journey tribute band when Neal found him! Augeri was different enough to be himself, yet sounded enough like Perry to do the old songs without it sounding too much like someone else doing them. I understand he left because of throat issues or something like that, it's just too bad he never came back (or was invited back).

$ 15, that's what I 've payed for the ticket for the Empire 21 show.