Comments on: Poll: Are concert ticket prices too high?

Going to concerts, in small clubs and large venues can be an expensive night out. Do you still see live music? Or is it priced out of range?

[Button Boy]

Steve- you asked the question. However, you already have your own idea of the answer too.

As for me:
Way too much hassle anymore. I used to go to a stadium or club in my metropolis (1 hour drive) and see the band of my choice for about $50 - $80 a head. Now I have to drive out to some Indian Casino or other venue way out in the middle of nowhere, park 1.0+ miles from the staduim in a gravel lot (while paying some green-toothed native my cash), then I get to stand in line for lousy food served by folks who don't have to have Health Certificates. Then I can find my seat and be assaulted by all the smokers (who are also "free" to smoke because we are on tribal lands). After te show, I have to endure an extra hour to get out of the parking lots because there is only one two-lane road off the rez...
For all this I now have to pay $120+ per head by the time I'm done. I see little value.

I think I will just stay home and watch the PPV when it comes around.

[research1st]

Yes, ticket prices for mainstream, well known acts, are probably too high.
My biggest complaint is how hard or next to impossible it is to get good seats for rows 1 thru 10.
Most of those go to the band, the promoter, and the venue. Most are not even offered for sale.

I refuse to sit in the nose bleed sections. I grew up going to General Admission shows in the 70's and early 80's and even into the 90's. Arrive 2 or 3 hours before showtime to make sure you could get "up front". Saw many, many shows while crushed up against the stage. Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, AC/DC, REO Speedwagon, ZZ Top, KISS, Aerosmith, ELO, ELP, Heart, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Joan Jett, Journey, Lynyrd Skynyrd....... I could go on.....

I miss those General Admission days for mainstream acts...

2nd biggest complaint. Ticketmaster!! Enough said!!

The most I've ever paid for tickets was around 3 years ago.
Carlos Santana, Front Row, Just left of center. Got them through a "ticket broker". We used to call them "scalpers". $300 per ticket - 2 tickets. And it was worth every penny!! Fantastic Show!!

I love frequenting small clubs with local, regional, and sometimes national acts.
Found these to be the best entertainment value for your dollar.

[AlSleet]

I'm one of those people who used to catch live music weekly. What stopped me? Little things like "service charges" that made it look like I purchased an extra ticket. Ticket prices that turned discretionary fun into EVENTS. Little things like audiences who didn't give a damn about the performers but wanted it known that they could afford the tickets. Little things like "bands" (and I'm not talking just about arena shows) that augmented their shows with recorded tracks. Call me old fashioned but if you're going to play a recording while you're on stage why do I need to spend a dime on you?

[MoonshineDelight]

For example tonight, Aerosmith & ZZtop are playing Nissan Pavilion tonight. Upper tier seats are $89.50 each.. so 2 tix after fees totals $240!!! LOL! Its not even a hard decision not to go anymore. I've seen Aerosmith 4+ times and used to attend a dozen big shows a year here around DC.. plus a menagerie of small shows peppered in between. People above have posted about the free market, and being a equities trader I agree. However, I have seen with my own eyes over the past 10 years concert attendance decline. The pavilions are 2/3 full, and the lawns 1/3 full. at many of the shows that used to be near sellouts. Also, as for the stagehand that posted about the huge production costs involving 30+ semi trucks.. well what do you honestly need to accomplish with all of the smoke and mirrors? Madonna, Britney, fine... but a rock band just needs to take the stage and rock. PERIOD. A black curtain and a spotlight is all any REAL band needs.