I continue to hear about how rough "this economy" is, but I can't find too many examples to support the argument.Last week, the Philadelphia Eagles raised ticket prices $5 to $10 per seat. The Phillies raised their prices by $2 per seat (but remember there are 81 home games). Eagles season ticket holders squalked like eagles, but sent in their renewal notices. Likewise, Phillies season ticket holders (me) complained but keep going. In fact, season tickets are up from 20,000 last year to 24,000 this year.
A spokesman for the Philadelphia Orchestra said that, in spite of the difficulties they are having in meeting their financial goals, they feel that they cannot further burden their subscribers by raising ticket prices. I'd like to go to a few orchestra concerts, but I can't add the $60 it costs to go to a concert to my already sapped entertainment budget. So, where does that put us in the sports versus culture argument? It merely proves that sports has us by the short hairs and such things as an orchestra playing classical music is hanging on by a thread. Forced to choose, I picked baseball.
Tickets for a few prominent concerts go on sale this weekend. Aging rockers Billy Joel and Elton John are teaming up for a tour. My guess is that Elton is the designated driver. Anyway, the top price is $177, and you can't get in the building for less than $75. Kings of Leon is on tour. Their tickets are $55, and Chris Cornell's show is $60 per. Try being a kid on a date, trying to impress someone with your hip taste in music. Before you leave the house, you're out $125. Who has that kind of money to shell out on a concert? Old people.
That's why you see people my age at shows now instead of kids who spend their days in paper hats and coffee aprons. Who else can afford to see these shows? When I started going to concerts in the mid-70s, tickets were $5.50. I was earning $2.10 an hour (minimum wage in those days), so I had to work roughly two hours to earn enough money for a ticket. Fair enough.
How many people earn $30 an hour? It's the same show - big stage, loud music, lots of popular songs - yet the shows are now well beyond what most people earn in two hours. I think they're testing us to see how much we'll take before we won't go anymore. So far, we're still going.
Am I missing something here? Below are a few samples of my collection of concert tickets from my youth. You'd pay a Hell of a lot more to see these bands now, playing the same music they played 25 years ago on the same stage.
Plus, it was better then.
10 comments:
I was and am one of those kids :-P
i remember saving my allowance for weeks and using birthday money to see Jennifer Knapp the first time, i would see her three more times after that, i only go to the ones i REALLY REALLY want to see as its a small fortune just to do so. And for the most part I'm lucky cuz who I'd want to see stay pretty low under the radar thus making tickets a little cheaper ;) But then again that was all when i was a kid.
Now a days (26 ::cough:: almost 27 is old ya know) I never go, unless a really really nice friend takes me that is :D
I love how you kept all your tickets its so cool, and i wont make the joke how they are older than me...no no...I'm a much better friend than that babe :-P
xoxoxox
I hate it when a good band becomes popular. They go from playing tiny places for ten bucks to giant arenas for $70.
And, the smaller rooms are always better shows.
As far as ticket prices, here at OSU tickets at the Shoe were raised because 1000 of seats went empty this year. Compensation I guess for a shitty season. I have no idea.
If you want to see how terrible the economy is, drive to Ohio. It sucks around here. Thankfully Jamie and I have jobs, but we are even feeling the pinch at times.
I no longer go to concerts. I went to see 3 Doors Down last year and that's because they are one of my favs., but as a rule, I could really care less. We spent 75 dollars on those tickets, but there were at least a dozen bands that weekend playing. Justified expense. Parking prices suck though if you ask me. That's doubled. If not tripled I think. And I don't get that-same space in a lot, who I dunno.
Devo? They're the Whip It group, right? Yeah. I don't know about them. You might have had to pay me to see them. I do like Styx though. Your other bands I never listened to them. The concerts I went to were more heavy metal big hair 80's bands. (and I can't believe some of them that I saw....) My concert days are over...I'm too old for all that. Unless it's a small venue and I really really like that person/band.
Oh concert tix...grrr....I'm with you all the way on this one. The scalpers have all gone online now and putting tix up on ebay and craig's list for crazy money.
So yeah we don't go anymore either unless it's a really good band. Even then I feel like for that price I should get dinner and a movie with the band!!
I completely agree too that smaller venues make for MUCH better shows.
Kimmyk: I think the only 80s band that might qualify under your criteria that I saw would be Journey. I saw them when Van Halen opened for them after Van Halen's first album came out. Awesome show.
HBW: Not only are concert tix on board with the scalpers - I got a StubHub ad in the envelope with my Phillies season tickets. The teams are on board with them, too.
Something needs to be done.
Kate: What a lucky friend you have who would take you to a show!
There's no singer/band I'm willing to go see anymore.
Your post title made me spew Pepsi all over my laptop......
I was online last nite looking for Crue tickets for next weekends show......nosebleeds were $25...Floor were 100 a pop. I didn't wanna Shout at the Devil that badly.
I was having breakfast with a group of friends yesterday. One of them wanted to us all to go to the Billy/Elton show. I opted out at the $75 minimum. Then she said she'd buy my ticket, at which point I pointed out that I haven't gone to see a show at more than $50 a ticket in ten years -- strictly on principle.
I mean, you could feed a third world adoptee for three months for $75.
I see Devo- that's cool, but I cannot make out the other bands, just where they played.
As for bands that to see- Simon and Garfunkel played in NYC Friday night.
I would cash in my 401 K in it's entirety plus my Roth to see a 2 hour concert with those two men.
Hey Anthony,
I hit the send button before I got to ask-
Did you ever see the Hooters back in the day?
They were really great until they got popular.
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