Concert Ticket Rant

Just found out the Doobies and Chicago are playing here in Raleigh on June 25, and tickets went on sale this morning. Damned if they don't want $200 per ticket for second tier tickets. Nothing close to the stage, these are behind the first tier, and behind the VIP tables. I'm thinking they're using a re-seller type deal, but are you kidding me? $400 for two tickets that aren't even close to the stage? (The orchestra section tickets were $698 each.) This is just total bullshit. Pretty soon only the Mitt Romneys of the world can afford to go see a live show. And hell, this ain't some currently-popular group, it's the Doobs and Chicago, for Christ's sake. Ok, rant over. Guess I'll have to sit this one out. Not paying $400 for two so-so tickets, plus $10 to park, and $12 each for a tall can of beer that gets hot before you can finish it. Damn. FML

 

Its all a game now. Brokers get everything so you have to wait damn near up until the day of the event to get anything affordable.

 

There's a thought that goes through my mind when I go to a race, concert, or sporting event and I see the scalpers with full fists of tickets...."add salt and pepper to those tickets when you have to eat them"

You might try the local paper or Craigslist to find a pair of tickets.

 

It's the only way they can make real money these days.

 

What drives me crazy is the damn fees, tickets are $35 each the processing charges are $13 each ticket. That's bull shit.

 

i disagree with both those things. those old people bands charge a lot because their demographic has a bunch of expendable income and generally they know they'll pay for it. you can see PLENTY of indie band shows and rap shows for $15-25 a ticket if you wanna go stand at some small venue. that's generally the only kind of shows i like going to because arena shows have terrible sound and are expensive. mega-bands that sell out stadiums or arenas are making a TON. yes, the venue/promotion also makes a bunch, but this is talent capitalizing on its laurels. same reason Sia tickets will cost you $100+ now and i saw her 12 years ago for $15 before anyone who likes pop radio knew who the hell she even was. hell man, 2 years ago i got handed a free 2nd row seat to Jay Z/Justin Timberlake that sold out the Ravens stadium. those tickets were $350 a piece. a football stadium's worth of people every other night for a year paid to hear them perform. they made a killing, trust me.

same reason your Billy Joels, Rolling Stones, Michael Jacksons, Beyonces, etc... tickets cost a shit ton. because they're popular enough that they can and old people with fuck around money will pay.

and on the album shit... people who used to go double platinum and the like all the time, made a killing as long as their contracts were even halfway decent. lots of musicians used to make a bunch of money strictly from music sales before the internet. now you're right... unless you're constantly on the radio, your money mostly only comes from touring.

 

This shit is even trickling into the crappy, small time bands I see if you choose the wrong venue. Yeah, not $200 a ticket but who would go see The Descendents or Alkaline Trio for $120 each plus and sit in the vip area with tables and wait service? Wait, hmm . . .

 

After about $30 or $40 per ticket, it's gotta be a pretty f'cking amazing show for me to go to.
The only times I've paid more then that was Metallica/Tool/Meshuggah level stuff.
More than $80 and I'm staying home no matter who it is.
I go to a lot of shows but most are in the $15-20 range and I enjoy myself just as much, if not more, than more expensive ones.

 

Just depends on the band. Sometimes I'll complain that a local show is $40 and that seems way to high. But last year I spent $1,000 to fly to Minneapolis to see Metallica.

 

You poor soul.

 

I think I paid ~$80 for Lollapalooza in the early 90s. That was for a General Admit where you were in a huge crowd on a field. 12hrs in a humid FL field... never again!

My Dad bought tickets to the Country 500 in Daytona. Not really my thing but the ability to go back & forth to the camper or bum beers from total strangers was worth what ever he paid...lol.

 

Uggg....we went to the Bon Jovi show at the Meadowlands a few years ago and the tickets were like $350 a piece. What really pissed me off is that my mother-in-law is Richie Sambora's god mother and that's the price we paid for "family & friends". Ok, they were front row seats but paying that price killed me.....plus Sambora got kicked out of the band right before that show and we didn't get to go to the meet & greet.

 

I MIGHT go if they payed me $1000

 

We are going to see ZZ Top at a ~3000 seat venue in March, tickets were 75 a piece.

 

Yall are high. You pay over 100 for a 6 lap sprint race that lasts 20 mins but not for a concert that lasts hours.

 

I threw rocks at him once and that cost me nothing.

 

IDK if I'm going to go to that one, got a free ticket up front. I like Chic alot, but I'd have to go with the woman, so I'm on the fence. Stan, you can go with her if I don't.