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I'm getting too old for rock concerts

#161
IMG_0953.jpg

here's my little stash from mid 90's to a few years ago before everything went ticketless.

going to shows as a teen/early 20's, one wasn't worried about the annoyances of shows (bathroom breaks, other annoying concert-goers, etc.). my how things change when staring down the big 5-0.

last stadium show i went to was a year ago. worried about public transportation getting to and from the ballpark (at&t park in san francisco). worried about how far my seat was from the stage. worried about getting sunburned. worried about my bladder's fickleness during a 6-7 hour concert. basically took the 3rd/ middle act off (sorry steve miller) and headed up and hung around the concessions and men's room to take care of all things nature during his 45 minute set.

there's not that many artists touring nowadays that i'd spend hundreds of dollars on. most likely, i have a blu-ray or two of them in my collection anyway. for me personally, if there's three artists on a festival bill that i need to see or am psyched to see, then i'll put in the funds and effort to check out the show. seeing macca by himself, billy joel solo, etc. just doesn't move me anymore to go thru the same experience i've had since i was a kid. but if you do one of those 'oldchella' festival shows like they did last year with macca, billy joel, and, heck, the eagles, i'd be there with bells on. ;)
 
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#163
filmtex said:
I didn't read the entire thread, and plenty of folks have already shared what would be my "me too" comment. Just want to add this. I went and saw the fantastic Phil Alvin with his band The Blasters. The last time I saw them was at Madam Wongs in LA's Chinatown. I think X was the headliner. Anyways, $20 and two opening acts later, the Blasters came out right on time and RIPPED for 90 minutes. Nonstop. And I had pretty good seats too. Here's the view I had:
View attachment 2745388
Can't beat that for $20. Oh, and I parked for free right out front and there was no security check, just a nice doorman, a pleasant lady bartender, cold beer and nice folks of all ages enjoying the show. Yep, I'm too old for (big) rock concerts too. Gimme a small show any day.
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One of my favorite local places to play is the Coach House. It's a music dinner theater, seats something around 500 and has plenty of tables for seated dinner before the show. Great place to bring a date. Here's a quick pic from our last gig there:
21125439_317907782006092_6500559872008830885_o.jpg
 
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#166
Son of Wobble said:
I do agree that ticket prices can be risible, particularly to someone as spoiled as myself (e.g., I saw John Lee Hooker from a front-of-stage table for $5, no drink minimum; the Rush 'Permanent Waves' tour from loge for $20; Richie Blackmore's Rainbow at The L.A. Forum on a front-row freebie, and so on).

But there are still good value shows to be had. I saw Silversun Pickups and Garbage a couple years ago from the front of stage on a $25 ticket; likewise bands such as Primal Scream and Liam Gallagher's Beady Eye, all from the foot of the stage for less than $35.
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There are always concerts to see on the cheap, but they're not necessarily the ones you want to see. I can go to a local club to see good music for $10, but if I want to see McCartney it's going to cost some money.

I am seeing Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow and some others for free on Friday, thanks to the class action suit that Live Nation lost. I saw Yes, Todd Rundgren & Carl Palmer for free last month and Steely Dan for free last year.

[Side note: I saw McCartney last year for $25, but I was in the upper deck of MetLife Stadium about five stories up and 130 yards from the stage. I was watching the same video screens as the people who paid $300. All seats at stadium shows suck. Parking was $40 - $15 more than my ticket.]
 
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#167
EmptyCup said:
Totally agree with the highlighted part of this quote. Ready to pull the plug on my TV. Too many ads telling me what pharmaceuticals I must have to live "happy" as I age :rollno: Also the barrage of ads on network TV, meh.

It's great to live out on a quiet farm but at our age maybe not running around naked, things might get ugly :D But hey... maybe they have a "pill" for that!
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I'm shocked, when I am exposed to television, just how many ads there are for drugs. My wife and I take no pills other than a couple of supplements.
 
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#168
Bullitt5135 said:
A photo from the U2 show...
• Ticket: $300
• Traffic jam: 1 hour
• Parking: $20
• Walk to stadium: 1/2 mile
• Wait in security line (everyone smoking): 20 minutes
• Concert T-Shirt: $40
• Two beers: $18
• Watching the show on a 4" x 2.5" screen: PRICELESS

View attachment 2745795
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As I posted yesterday, I'll see my 400th concert later this year. I get the joke you posted here, but I also see the pessimism. Much of this can be avoided.

- $300 ticket? I'm sure there were cheaper seats. You only pay $300 if you want to pay $300. It's a choice.

- Traffic jam? Some places it's unavoidable, but at many venues this isn't an issue. I go to shows at Madison Square Garden, which means I take the train in and walk upstairs.

- Parking $20? I wish it were only $20 near me. Usually $40. It was $70 for a concert at Yankee Stadium - and you do NOT park on the street there if you want to keep your car. But some venues like PNC Bank Arts Center and theaters have free parking at the venue or nearby.

- Half mile walk to stadium? I choose this in places like the sports complex in Philly to make getting out easier. (I'm on the highway doing 60 in less than two minutes after getting in my car). Plus I need the exercise, so walking doesn't bother me.

- 20 minute security line? I've only experienced this once (at the Mann in Philly), and I go to shows in NYC, including immediately after 9/11.

- $40 T-shirt? I haven't bought a concert shirt in 20 years. Don't need them. My ticket stub is my souvenir.

- $18 for two beers? I would never pay that, so I do without. (It ain't expensive if you don't buy it). Plus I don't want to pee during the show nor be drunk at a concert. (I never understood getting wasted at a show. Why not get drunk at home and listen to the record?).

- Watching the show on a phone? Yeah, stupid. I don't take video at shows. Knowing others do, I can always watch their video on YouTube the next day if I want.
 
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#169
Skokiaan said:
- Watching the show on a phone? Yeah, stupid. I don't take video at shows. Knowing others do, I can always watch their video on YouTube the next day if I want.
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An old Mad Magazine cartoon from the mid-60's:

A man sees another man at the airport and says, "Hey, aren't you the guy who 'saw europe through the lens of a camera'?" "Yeah.", says the other guy.

"So, how was the trip?". asks the first guy.

"I dunno. I haven't gotten the film back yet."
 
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#170
About all we get for arena shows around here any more are the latest interchangeable pop country voices under cowboy hats or done up in Daisy Dukes and cowgirl boots with the occasional big name "band" from the late triassic period with no original members save Bob the faithful roadie.

What we do have to make up for the lack of good arena/outdoor shows are a couple of largish indoor venues capable of seating 1500 or so people, with state of the art sound systems. The university of Alabama at Birmingham also has a really nice theatre and brings in several top shelf shows a year. Last but certainly not least, we have the fully restored Alabama and Lyric theaters, a couple of places that go back to pre Vaudeville days and have amazing acoustics. All these places book enough really good shows you often find yourself having to flip a coin between acts like Steely Dan and Zappa Plays Zappa. They also provide a place for current and up and coming mainstream hot bands and solo acts.

If that was not enough, we've also got an old converted 7-11 that is one of the premier undergroung clubs in the country. I can't tell you how many acts i've seen there who were on the cusp of national recognition, RHCP, Black Keys, etc etc.
 
#171
Robroy said:
An old Mad Magazine cartoon from the mid-60's:

A man sees another man at the airport and says, "Hey, aren't you the guy who 'saw europe through the lens of a camera'?" "Yeah.", says the other guy.

"So, how was the trip?". asks the first guy.

"I dunno. I haven't gotten the film back yet."
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Good one. Hey do some of your horse and bridle material next!
 
#176
GregC said:
I'm 54 and have been to a lot of shows in the past 40 years. I have two reactions to this thread.

1. Huge shows have always had a lousy track record, IME. Sound is usually bad, prices are almost always higher (counterintuitive, kind of), and both the sheer number and the percentage of wasted d-bags is usually far higher than at small shows. I typically avoid these like the plague. I'm happy to say, though, that my two recent stadium/arena shows have been good to really good: Adele last year at the United Center was excellent, partly because I got lucky and scored fantastic seats when tickets went on sale. But Adele also put on a very strong show with a solid band. The only negative was a group of young ladies next to us who got yappy during the acoustic mini-set. And less than two weeks ago, we saw Green Day at Wrigley Field. Didn't have great seats for that, but they weren't bad and the sound was pretty decent. The band itself was quite good, other than excessive ploys to generate cheers. Both experiences were far better than seeing the Who in a football stadium in 1982--the musicians were barely visible, the sound sucked, and the B-52s opened and got a shoe thrown at them.o_O

2. Some of y'all might need to open your ears a little and get into non-zillion-selling acts who can play smaller venues and charge lower prices. So far this year, other than Green Day, we've seen the Drive By Truckers (at the Vic, holds about 1000), Wilco (at the Chicago Theater, holds 3600), Vulfpeck (at the Metro, 1000), Adrian Belew Power Trio (Old Town School of Folk Music, 450), Meat Puppets and Mike Watt (at Lincoln Hall, maybe 400), the Hold Steady (at the Empty Bottle, probably 300), Elvis Costello and the Imposters (at Northerly Island, which is big but doesn't come close to selling out, so it's a pretty relaxed atmosphere), Postmodern Jukebox (Northerly Island), the Roots (Northerly Island), and the Woody Goss Trio (at the Tonic Room, about 200).

Coming up in the next 2 months: Jason Isbell at Red Rocks, Craig Finn at the High Dive in Gainesville FL, Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets at Lincoln Hall, and Our Lady Peace at the House of Blues.

That'll be 15 shows for the year. Only three of them cost $50 or more per ticket, and none went over $85 per.
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To your first point, I'd say where you sit can weigh heavily on concert enjoyment. In a big show, it's a very different experience down front versus in the back. Not that front row is always best. I had front row center for Esperanza Spalding once. I got to my seat to discover that there was a FOH floor speaker right in front of me, blocking my view. When Spalding came out, all I could see was her hair (not kidding). I moved back ten rows.

While I hate all stadium shows (I only go when it's McCartney and no other venue option exists), comparing a stadium or arena show to one decades ago (like the Who in 1982) is almost apples to oranges. Nobody used video screens back then, so being beyond x-distance from the stage was terrible. At least today you can see what's going on and don't have to feel you're watching ants on stage.

To your second point, my favorite venue is the Count Basie Theater, which holds about 1,500. There are six or seven of these revived vaudeville/movie house theaters within an hour of me. This year I have seen Chick Corea, Bela Fleck, Olivia Newton-John (for my wife) at these theaters and have tickets to Yes (ARW) and Ringo coming up. But this year I also saw Tom Petty and Eric Clapton and have McCartney coming up. These artists don't pay theaters. (I did get to see the Rolling Stones at the Tower Theater for $50, but that was a fluke).

I'll have 13 shows this year (assuming nothing new comes up):

Eric Clapton - arena- $195
Olivia Newton-John - theater - $89.50
The Weeklings - lounge - $20
Garry Tallent - club - $20
Mr. Big - club - (comp)
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - arena- $99.50
Jimmy Parker -house concert - $25 suggested donation
Chick Corea/Bela Fleck & The Flecktones - theater - $99
Yes/Todd Rundgren/Carl Palmer - amphitheater - (comp)
Willie Nelson Outlaw Music Festival - amphitheater - (comp)
Paul McCartney - arena - $255
Yes (ARW) - theater - $119
Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band - theater - $135

That's an average ticket price of $82 (thanks to the comps). That's on par with the last few years, but up about $25-30 from five years ago.
 
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#177
Skokiaan said:
To your first point, I'd say where you sit can weigh heavily on concert enjoyment. In a big show, it's a very different experience down front versus in the back. Not that front row is always best. I had front row center for Esperanza Spalding once. I got to my seat to discover that there was a FOH floor speaker right in front of me, blocking my view. When Spalding came out, all I could see was her hair (not kidding). I moved back ten rows.

While I hate all stadium shows (I only go when it's McCartney and no other venue option exist), comparing a stadium or arena show to one decades ago (like the Who in 1982) is almost apples to oranges. Nobody used video screens back then, so being beyond x-distance from the stage was terrible. At least today you can see what's going on and don't have to feel you're watching ants on stage.

To your second point, my favorite venue is the Count Basie Theater, which holds about 1,500. There are six or seven of these revived vaudeville/movie house theaters within an hour of me. This year I have seen Chick Corea, Bela Fleck, Olivia Newton-John (for my wife) at these theaters and have tickets to Yes (ARW) and Ringo coming up. But this year I also saw Tom Petty and Eric Clapton and have McCartney coming up. These artists don't pay theaters. (I did get to see the Rolling Stones at the Tower Theater for $50, but that was a fluke).

I'll have 13 shows this year (assuming nothing new comes up):

Eric Clapton - arena- $195
Olivia Newton-John - theater - $89.50
The Weeklings - lounge - $20
Garry Tallent - club - $20
Mr. Big - club - (comp)
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - arena- $99.50
Jimmy Parker -house concert - $25 suggested donation
Chick Corea/Bela Fleck & The Flecktones - theater - $99
Yes/Todd Rundgren/Carl Palmer - amphitheater - (comp)
Willie Nelson Outlaw Music Festival - amphitheater - (comp)
Paul McCartney - arena - $255
Yes (ARW) - theater - $119
Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band - theater - $135

That's an average ticket price of $82 (thanks to the comps). That's on par with the last few years, but up about $25-30 from five years ago.
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Clearly a lot of us enjoy shows a lot more than others. I remember my worship leader at my church in the Seattle area said I was "odd" in that I am a musician and yet don't go to live shows. I told him the reasons were several:

1. I'm cheap.
2. I loathe waiting in any kind of line for ANYTHING.
3. As my playing quality improved, I no longer really respect a lot of the "famous" pop/rock players as anything I'd spend good money to see.
4. I get a better seat, view and sound via a DVD/Blueray played at home.
5. The traffic, parking, driving home tired, etc. are a bigger deal than the show itself. And a very bad thing.

That being said, my wife and I did enjoy our season tickets to the Fifth Avenue Theater in Seattle where we watched some excellent live plays. Grease was absolutely fantastic.

When I was in high school (around 1970) I loved seeing the Who and Chicago. I enjoyed Genesis and Heart as well a decade later. Grand funk sucked. I wish I could have seen Pink Floyd back then.

But I guess I quickly found myself migrating way too quickly into a "been there, done that" mentality.

What sealed the deal was when we moved to KY six years ago we saw, at the arena in downtown Nashville, a double bill of my wife's favorites - Reba and George. They were clearly great and their backup musicians were top notch, but the sound absolutely sucked and the crowd was beyond annoying and loud.

We vowed then and there to never, EVER go to another arena show. We've thought about hitting shows at the Ryman Auditorium, but whenever someone is there we may want to see, we always find something else we'd rather do. I think we're just tuning out of the whole live music thing, beyond the small - and free - stuff.
 
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#178
And a lot of this may explain the trend over the past 20 years or so to big groups performing in small venues at Casinos. A small crowd of 1000 paying $100 to see the Who for example. You do the math. Quick trip to/from bathrooms, restaurants right around the corner, A/C, probably free parking. Or places like the Ryman in Nashville, seating less than 1000. Scored a third row seat two years ago for what you guys/gals are paying for parking. Restrooms about a 2 minute walk. GREAT acoustics and sound mix. Probably 50+ places identical to the Ryman all over the country. There are other options.
 
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#179
I saw Huey Lewis & The News at the 1369 seat Palace Theater in July in Greensburg, PA. The ticket prices were higher than in an arena or outdoor amphitheater; but, there are no bad seats in the house. They have free parking too. Lots of big names play at this theater. Smaller audiences but they still make the money with the higher ticket prices.
 
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