Is It Just Me?

Or are you also disgusted with the price of live music these days?  I'm not going to kvetch about the little indie bands that you see in the clubs (even though they also seem to be costing $10 more than they did a few short years ago), but rather the "big" bands that play the arenas and stadiums.

I"m going to use Rush as a current example.  It's not to pick on them in particular, but they are one that is on my mind right now.  Rush was big when I was in high school and college, and I could have seen them back in the day for the equivalent of about $40 in today's money.  Good deal, but also typical for the era - I saw Led Zeppelin for $7.50 in 1977.  I wasn't that into Rush at the time, and didn't go.  Since then, I've grown to appreciate about 10 of their songs and thought maybe I'll go see them this summer while they are on tour.

Note that the band touring as Rush doesn't include Neil Peart who is deceased.  So it's 2 of the 3 original guys out there this summer.  And how much are tickets in Philly?  I just looked at Ticketmaster and they're basically all over $300 (and some over $400) per ticket.  Multiply that times 2, add in parking and concessions, and you're looking at a trip to Florida rather than a concert by a group whose heyday was decades ago.  Hmmmm.

Can I afford to go?  Yes, no problem.  Will I go?  Nope.  I see it as overpriced and I'm just going to skip it (and probably go to Florida instead, haha).  I've read all the arguments about artists getting the money rather than the ticket sellers and while that resonates somewhat with me, it doesn't change my internal calculus of "is it a decent enough deal for me to go."  Rush can find someone else to fill the seat that I would otherwise have filled, and life will go on.

But the question I have is this:  who is paying this much?  I keep reading about "affordability" and things being overpriced, and I understand that the inflation in the previous presidential administration debased the US currency by 20% in 4 years, but damn, does that mean that $300+ per ticket is now a good deal?  To whom?  And are there that many Rush diehards that are willing to pay this amount?  I guess so.  Like I said, I like about 10 of their songs, and that's enough to have a decent time at a concert.  But it's not like the Beatles, Stones, Petty or some of the other bands where I like dozens of their songs and would understand paying the freight required.

Anyway, I used to quote Rush at my old job because we sometimes had a hard time making a decision and would simply kick it down the road.  I used to say "if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice."  That's a Rush line, and a good one at that, but this time I have made my decision and it's not to kick it down the road.  

Glad I got that off of my chest, and I thank you for letting me whine.  And grind.
​