The big Jeff Lynne announcement yesterday at 10AM was about embarking on the final ELO tour, which is being called "Over & Out." Personally, I was hoping for a new album, which is cheaper and lasts longer. I love all things Jeff, but let's face it, the 90 minute set list isn't going to include deep tracks from "On The Third Day." And, it won't include more than one track off of his last two excellent albums. It's going to be the exact same set list as the last two comeback tours.
Aside from one single 41 years ago, Daryl Hall and Elvis Costello have nothing in common these days, except maybe being unable to sing as well as they used to. I would have preferred new music from these guys, not a $500 night where there just might be a duet on "Alison" and "She's Gone." Forgive my cynicism, but the fact is, both have become very hard to listen to live and the most baffling and frustrating part of it all is that no one will admit it. I have eight shows from the historic ten night Gramercy Theatre run last year and it hurts to both hear Elvis singing flat for most of it, and to read rave reviews without one mention of it. Hey, he's a rock and roll hero of mine, and I thought his last record was one of his best. But isn't anyone listening? If I had the $1400 to spend on one of those Gramercy shows and heard Elvis caterwauling through "Jack Of All Parades" and "Toledo," there would have been a lawsuit.
Todd Rundgren continues his never-ending tour, this time it is called The "ME/WE" Tour. That could be interesting if "ME/WE" means a solo set and a Utopia set. I'll be there, but again, I would have preferred a new album. Rundgren has said numerous times that it is pointless these days, to make a record. There is no money and no airplay, so from a financial point of view, I can see why he needs to tour.
For a minute (by minute...heh) I was considering buying tickets to The Doobie Brothers with opener Steve Winwood. I have never seen the Doobies and they've got four original members. Plus, Stevie can still sing and play. Two mediocre tickets- $600. That's not including a $17 Madison Square Garden Coors Light. (Though, I did check today, and the ticket prices for the Doobies have come down $100.)
Maybe all of these warhorses need to play live to feel revelant, or worse, to stay alive. Paul McCartney at 81 doesn't need the money and certainly didn't need to play a dozen 3 hour shows in Brazil, or wherever he was last year. He's been threatening a new album with hot shot Andrew Watt for some time now. I'll take it.
But what about the other warhorses? The fans my age and older, who either can't afford $500 for a concert, or just don't have the desire to make a three hour, roundtrip trek to the nearest venue so we can hear "Pump It Up" and ""Maneater" yet again.
Now before you offer up alternatives, hear me out.
Going to see and hear young bands, or tribute shows, or friends bands play live is fine, and fun occasionally. But I just don't need to hear live music the way I once did. I don't want the night out just for the night out. It's not the same. 40 years ago, after I finished work, I'd continue and go right to a bar, tank up, and head over to CBGBs or The Continental and just walk in. Usually it was free, or maybe it was $3 if Johnny Thunders or The Devil Dogs were playing. It was a no brainer. But have you seen the City Winery schedule these days? It makes Branson look like the Isle Of Wight festival! And it's still $65 just for a barstool.
It might be time to realize, this is how it's going to be. I am going to have to settle on the same four indie bands at the same four venues, if I want an affordable night out. Actually, I'd forego any live show for a few drinks and a burger with my friends. That's a lot more fun than standing in a club for four hours. Plus, don't knock staying home with a few cocktails, a homecooked meal, the Knicks on the tube, and 3000 records to play. No Uber needed.
My friend asked me, "If you only had $20 to spend, would it be on a live show or a record?" I didn't think twice. I said a record because it lasts longer and is more satisfying. I also added, even those lightning in a bottle moments we've all experienced at concerts over the years---surprise special guests, the first time hearing "Marquee Moon" live in 1977, Jeff Beck playing "Pork Pie Hat" in a small club, Allen Toussaint covering "El Paso"---all fade. And if you asked me now if I'd rather hear that live performance of "Marquee Moon" from 1977 or the entire album, I'd choose the latter.
38 comments:
I hear ya. Once again I blew off most of SXSW (I live in Austin) and paid not a cent. Instead, I went by a museum at Big State U. to see the traveling shows for free, wandered over to the convention center for Flatstock (free, open to the public, excellent) for a couple hours, then strolled down to Auditorium Shores for Steamboat/Spurs night at the free stage. Several hours of ’90s 6th St. bands and two free Spurs t-shirts later, I was happily taking the bus back to the park & ride. Thanks to personal circumstances, that was free parking, free transit... free everything. The only thing I paid for was lunch at Texas Chili Parlor, which is always a treat, and walking between stops is good for my health and brought me by where they were giving away free energy drinks as part of SXSW. Screw the money grab! You do you!
I will shell out for the high priced tickets, but I'm selective. I usually do a deep dive on recent concert reviews and live recordings to see if the artist(s) can still perform well. One of my buddies has been trying to convince me to go with him to see a John Mellencamp performance in Savannah. But it took about five minutes searching the internet to figure out the man's voice is shot out. I avoided the last Paul Simon show in Atlanta for the same reason.
I am intrigued by the Steve Winwood/Doobie Brothers tour. And I love ELO but I watched the Wembley ELO show from 2017 and it was just dull.
I prefer to enjoy live music in venues smaller than a stadium or basketball arena. Lucky for me the Atlanta area has a number of smaller venues.
I saw 3 shows recently in a 2 week span: Tedeschi Trucks, Jason Isbell/Aimee Mann and a Blue Note 85th anniversary show (feat. Joel Ross,Gerald Clayton, Immanuel Wilkins)9 blocks away at Symphony Space. Also TT was 14 blocks away at the Beacon. All were fairly priced; I think the BN show was about $50 in a tiny venue. And it was amazing!But I just bought a ticket for Neil Y at Forest Hills and I'm regretting it. I don't have the energy to travel there. I may try to sell it. The Doobies/Winwood intrigues me as I also never seen the Doobies. May wait to see if I can grab a cheap resale seat the day of the show; there are plenty of seats available. I saw Elvis last year (good show) and ELO on their last tour. I'll pass on them. Next show is Al diMeola, electric, at Sony Theater
The priciness/quality/hardship axis is definitely looming large, and larger post-pandemic. I would like to see Neil and Crazy Horse but the dates dont work and it's fine. I thought seeing Elton's farewell on TV was a much better and cheaper experience than schlepping to being there in person. (And will it really be a farewell? Stay tuned.) I enjoyed seeing the Who with you and my daughter at MSG only 35 years after being told I was seeing their farewell tour at Shea during college, but I don't need to see it again. I'm glad I got to see Macca but will not go again. I am done with Bruce shows, he's just his own tribute band (a very good one). I appreciated the Broadway show as a kind of farewell to the kind of anecdotes that used to be part of the stage show. Yes, Elvis is cringey on slow numbers. I dont understand why Paul Simon un-retired. It's true that it's all they know - I remember Bruce talking about being addicted to performance. So it's not about money, even if the royalties have dried up. Why is Dylan such a road warrior? No home life? The reason I appreciate Wilco's Solid Sound fest is that it's a manageable size, it's not the usual festival cynical package of bands nobody would pay to see individually but can accept as part of a bigger event....it's people they admire and up and comers, I have been exposed to things I wouldn't have seen otherwise. Same with Wesley Stace's Cabinet of Wonders shows -- its a sampler of quality people. I don't think I'm gonna schlep to see a Larkin Poe or Boy Genius show. I'd like to see Waxahatchee, but not if I have to stand the whole time. I'm old!
I am totally with you on everything you said.
Last year I saw Elvis caterwaul through a 2 hour set, on which I bailed on after 1 1/2 hours. I saw Todd's wonderful set undermined by the awful sound at one of the worst venues I've ever been to. I was crippled for 2 days after standing for a few hours at a small club watching the wonderful James Hunter.
At this point in life, I don't need to waste my time on any of that shit when, from the comfort of my home, I can sit back enjoy my favorite music without all the attendant hassle and cost of going to a live show.
"It makes Branson look like the Isle Of Wight festival" - hilarious! I live 30 minutes from that rat trap.
My evening out is an after dinner dessert gummie, headphones and Live at Leeds.
Randy
We are getting fuckin' old and we've earned it!
I still go out to a lot of shows up here in Albany and the ticket prices are always reasonable. If it wasn't that easy up here I'd skip most of the shows. The vast majority of the acts I love play smaller theaters and clubs so there's rarely a problem with the size and sound in the venues and the cost is much more reasonable. When i stilled lived in Rockland County driving or taking the train into the city had made it all but impossible to attend shows in NYC. Time, traffic and cost were impossible and prohibitive.
And yes I'd frequently rather get the CD or vinyl than see a show where I'll be uncomfortable but going to shows can still be great experience! Music is in my DNA so I have to live this life as a music lover. Heck' YOUTUBE' has become a musical lifesaver along with the many great blogs on the internet.
Finally, Bruce is playing up here in Albany in less than a month at the MVP Arena (our MSG equivalent) and I'll be damned if I'll pay $300 for terrible seats with terrible sound at the far end of the arena just to see him on last time. I have the albums & videos to enjoy instead.
Aging but still rocking Captain Al
Recorded music and live music are different things to me. I love to experience music both ways. Each can be transcendent, disappointing, or a bit of both.
I mostly go to gigs at small to mid-size venues. If the price is reasonable, and the sound and performance likely to be good, I'll go to an arena show (i.e., Leonard Cohen on his final tours, Peter Gabriel last year). I never consider VIP or other package nonsense which are just ways for the promoter to gouge fans. Having been backstage a few times (at no extra cost to me), it's not something I want/need to do again.
I avoid festivals since there are too many bands I don't care about, poor sound and too many people, though I broke this rule to see Iggy Pop last year, and that was a great decision because it was one of the best rock and roll shows I've seen.
- Paul in DK
I have a friend, she's my age, give or take a year. She's at everything. She traveled to the UK for the opening night of the Bruce tour. She goes to every benefit. She's does multiple nights of residencies. She will see the Stones two times, minimum. How? She's got a lot of money! That's it. If I had no worries in the world, I'd pay whatever it costs to see The Stones in Philly first class. If $5000 was nothing, I'd pay for two premium seats, a limo and a hotel. But that's not the reality for me.
And the alternative, three punk bands for $10 that start at 9PM in some trendy lower east club, is NOT really an alternative.
I don't love hearing/buying music any less than I ever did, but I'm just as tired of going to live shows as I am hauling my gear to play them.
I'm going to disagree with you re City Winery NYC. It answers most everything that you complain about and that makes going to shows a pain for adults—including comfortable seating, great sound, and shows that start on time. And since they're presumably raking it in with the overpriced wine, tickets aren't that expensive for a club that size.
Saw a wonderful Rosanne Cash show at CW a few weeks back. And recall great shows by Alejandro Escovedo and Allison Moore/Shelby Lynne not that long ago.
The fact that they book a lot of shows I'm not interested in doesn't bother me in the least...
I don't think sitting four to a tight table or high top is very comfortable for the price. Sorry, I disagree with you there. And yes, great sound and starting on time are plusses. But..."The fact that they book a lot of shows I'm not interested in doesn't bother me in the least..."
But Ken, isn't that exactly the problem. For me, seeing a band I love in a seated venue that is a subway or cab ride away, for less than $400 is a rarity these days, and Jeffrey Gaines, who I like for $30 at City Winery isn't a satisfying alternative just so I could see live music on the cheap.
75% of the shows CW books are tribute bands, comedy shows, or people we are "not interested in." When they were on Varick Street, the schedule was more diverse and less expensive. $105 to see Colin Hay? $90 for Lalah Hathaway? I had to scroll down to mid-April to find Matthew Sweet, for a somewhat reasonable by comparison $65.
I still enjoy going to live shows but refuse to pay big bucks. Last year I saw Bruce twice, TTB, Lyle Lovett, Bonnie Raitt, John Mellencamp, Ruthie Foster (2x), Jimmy Vaughn, several zydeco and/or brass band shows at our local roadhouse venue, and of course, multiple Michael McDermott shows. The most I paid for any ticket was $125 for Bruce at Wrigley Field. I didn’t always have the greatest of seats, but none of them flat-out sucked. My wife and I were in the 6th row for Lyle and had front table seats for Ruthie and Michael.
I definitely pace myself more now and am more selective about the shows I go to. I refuse to break the bank, so will be skipping Billy Joel/Stevie Nicks, Rolling Stones, etc. (Prices for those are absolutely ridiculous and the seats are the length of a football field away from the stage.) But this year, we already have plans to see Marc Broussard (this weekend!), The Revivalists, Chicago & EW&F, The Jayhawks, Heart & Cheap Trick, Buddy Guy, Poi Dog Pondering, and of course, multiple Michael McDermott shows. The most I’ve spent so far this year is $80 for Heart & Cheap Trick.
I do really want to go to the Doobie Brothers w/ Steve Winwood show in Chicago but will only pop for lawn seats (not pavilion) at the local outdoor LiveNation shed. I figure I can have a nice night out with my wife, sit out under the stars, consume one overpriced drink and an overpriced bottle of water, and experience a good double bill featuring two artists I like quite a bit. And we can do that for less than $50 per ticket. We don’t need to be right upfront or have VIP-style treatment, pricey skyboxes, etc and we will still have a good time.
I guess it’s just a different mindset than we used to have for live shows, but it is still fun, and we do it at a price point we can stomach. We’re also ready to say ‘no’ to anything silly ($$$).
Seeing Southern Culture On The Skids at Fitzgerald's in Berwyn (just outside Chicago) in May for $25. Sometimes outdoor venues during the summer are fun and cheap as well (Chicago and suburbs have a lot of neighborhood festivals, not talking about the monsters).
https://www.fitzgeraldsnightclub.com/
I know that's not really what you're getting at, but that's how we stay involved. Interesting discussion.
Stu
I think a lot of my problems stem from living in NYC.
Recent examples- both Jon Cleary (who isn't here very often) and The Iguanas (who rarely play in NYC) had NYC dates. Small names to some, but two faves of mine from New Orleans. In New Orleans, The Iguanas charge $10 and play two hour long sets, sometimes three. In NYC, they played one set at the stiff Iridium with a $50 cover and a $25 table minimum.
In New Orleans, Cleary charges $20 and plays two 75 to 90 minute sets. Here, here played the new revamped Bitter End which now sells reserved tables, also $50, plus table minimun for one set.
Actual math:
The Black Crowes at Radio City Music Hall
Cheapest available at the moment is in the shitty second mezz- $211 per!
Black Crowes at The Fox in Atlanta, Row A, Dress Circle which is like the Loge- $120.
Doobie Brothers in NYC First level, side stage: $210
Doobie Brothers, equivalent sat in Tulsa: $88.
Glass of wine in NYC- $16
Glass of wine in New Orleans- $9
Two fingers of top Shelf bourbon in NY- $19 MINIMUM
Two fingers of tip shelf bourbon in New Orleans, $9-$12, depending on where y'at.
A pair of Black Crowes tickets in NYC costs the same as my roundtrip flight to New Orleans. Dinner and drinks before hand in NYC, same cost as three nights at my villa in New Orleans.
Right now, the hottest place in New Orleans to see jazz, I mean, real shit, swinging, hard bop, improvising, mind-blowing jazz with New Orleans legends is The Bayou Bar. Admission: FREE. 8-11. Three sets. FREE! NO minimum.
I am only using New Orleans as an example because that's what I know.
I am sure there are equivalents from Savannah to Chicago, St Louis to Denton.
$105 for one Colin Hay ticket 43 years after "Who Can It Be Now" is ludicrous.
"I think a lot of my problems stem from living in NYC."
That opener could be followed by so many different things... but still, here we are. Still.
I'm also wondering if the $ factor isn't working for some artists as well. Two acts I'd always try to see — Richard Thompson and Robbie Fulks — are touring extensively throughout the Northeast and skipped NYC entirely. They're playing all over NJ, Westchester, Connecticut, Boston, etc.
Luckily we have friends in Conn. and we were able to visit with them and we all went to see Richard Thompson last Friday. Stunning, as always. Was worth the $75 tickets...
Remember Rodeo Bar? I saw so many great shows there. And always free. Hard to believe it's been about 10 years since it closed...
"Richard Thompson and Robbie Fulks — are touring extensively throughout the Northeast and skipped NYC entirely."
This started before the pandemic. All the shows I wanted to see, which were usually at The Beacon Theatre, moved to Port Chester at The Capitol. All the City Winery shows I would go to, now seem to either be in Tarrytown or the Ridgefield Playhouse, or Red Bank.
And yes! The Rodeo Bar! Continental. Bottom Line. Lakeside Lounge. Manitobas. All gone.
Bottom Line... great venue, but it was never free. At least peons like me had to pay.
I paid 90% of the time. I just listed it because it was great and it's gone.
I'm okay lately with hearing my favorites played by a good local cover band, since I can't afford outrageous ticket prices, can't stand in one spot for hours, can't deal with tall people in front of me, can't see at night when I have to drive, can't deal with people who drink too much beer and have to bother me to get up and pee every 10 minutes, can't cope with NOT hearing my favorite songs played by the real band, and the list goes on and on.
If I were a rich woman then none of the above would matter, I suppose. So it IS all about money.
Richard Thompson is doing 2 nights at My Fathers Place in the Roslyn Hotel. Nice little room with no minimum. 90bucks all in I believe. LI has been getting some very good shows at decent prices of late.
I agree with you Sal, it's really hard to get off the couch and leave the house these days and exorbitant ticket prices in the NYC area make it even harder. I feel the same way about NFL games; best seat is at home in front of the TV. For me, I need to try a little harder to make it out to the reasonably priced shows that are still around. Caught Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets in Jersey City a few months ago. $60 to stand plus the beers, but still had a good time and ended up buying some of their music, so worthwhile.
My Todd tickets were semi reasonable, front row balcony. $150 or so. Crazy Horse tickets are insane, disappointing, I saw them second row around ‘88 for 100 bucks (w/ Sonic Youth!), this time that’s the going rate for nosebleeds. Pit tix are $1200-$1700. Guess where I’ll be.. After that, It was relatively easy to cough up $45 for a Crack the Sky theater show on Saturday. (their new album From The Woods is pretty great…great band that deserves more love.) I would’ve enjoyed one of those Eagles shows, but not enough to cough up that kind of bread.
I was pissed I couldn’t get to ELO last time they came around… are the shows really that rote? I did see it on TV and it seemed like Lynne was having vocal problems.and what guitar playing he did was atrocious.
Macca’s last tour was exceptional, I thought.. Though I’m still wondering how much recorded backing he’s using these days. Sound was impeccable at Camden Yards.
I’m old and tiredl but the main reason I don’t go out to bar shows these days is it makes me sad, because I can’t gig any more. Really miss that shit. Getting old pisses me off.
Lightning in a bottle moment at that '88 Neil show in Philly...one of the last songs is "Fuckin' Up."
Epic, of course. As the song ends in an extended feedback drenching this guy jumps up on stage, headed toward Neil, who is in his familiar crouch coaching whines and growls from Old Black. Just before he gets there, he freezes. Looks at Neil, then out at the crowd, as 2 goons come flying at him from either side. The dude turns and bolts for the front of the stage, as he does he kicks a row of footlights off their stand and they crash to the floor in a fit of sparks. Our hero leaps off the stage, 8 or so feet down in the dark. As the songs comes to an exhausted close, I see him being walked out by 2 security guys, his arms over their shoulders, he can't walk and i suspect he broke an ankle or 2. And no doubt asking himself the musical question...
Sal, Richard Thompson (and band!)are playing Town hall 10/18. Prices are reasonable
A few random thoughts.
*Sal, I agree 100% that costs (tickets, drinks, etc) for shows in NYC are much more expensive than just about anyplace else. For example, I bought a pair of orchestra tickets for the Crowes at Radio City for $250. Meanwhile, my best friend is going to see them outside of Bethlehem PA for half that. BTW, that $250 included $50 in fees...
*Which brings me to that effing topic. I think my blood pressure started rising at the same time these fees began increasing starting around 15 years ago. Can anyone explain to me where this money is going?
*Not sure if it's been brought up yet but I do think that the re-sale market has certainly impacted ticket prices. If people are willing to pay 2-5x the face value of a ticket on Stubhub, then as an artist/manager, I'd be inclined to try and get a piece of that.
*As for legacy artists touring and just playing the hits. Unfortunately that is what the people are expecting. I didn't see Peter Gabriel last year but the feedback I heard from people who did attend was disappointment that he played too much new music. The Who released an excellent album a few years ago that landed with a thud commercially. When I saw them last summer, not one song out more than 2 dozen was from the last album. And I'll be curious to see how many new songs the Stones will include on their upcoming tour. After all, the reason they made HD was because Mick wanted to sing new songs in concert. But with a setlist now down to 19-20 songs, which songs from HD are added and which warhorses are deleted?
*I used to love City Winery. Think the first show we saw there was about 20 years ago with Marshall Crenshaw. Bar seats were $20 and while the show was sold out, place felt like you had room to breathe. I believe the last show we saw at CW was World Party and they stuffed us in their like sardines. The woman sitting next to me at our table yelled at me a few times because my feet kept bumping into hers.
*Finally, I'm 60. Standing for hours in a club doesn't do it for me much these days. I need a place to sit even for just a few minutes. Or sleep....I need more of that these days and getting home from the Cap Theater or Met Life at 1a in the morning cuz I had to rely on mass transit doesn't cut if for me these days.
Hey you kids...get offa my lawn!
Just kidding, I agree with you up and down on your assessment of music these days. I feel for young kids (and even us codgers) who have to shell out ridiculous money to see live music. I tell myself it's a byproduct of Spotify paying pennies per listen, lack of record stores and a host of other factors that make concerts the main revenue stream for artists. So turns the world.
OK, after years of being a Burnin'-Wood'er, I think this may be the ultimate discussion.
I can see all the points of your post and of the comments.
But I'm still a "Both/All" type of guy in this regard.
First, I still buy way too much music - and DL too many bootleg concert recordings.
I also go to shows. This past weekend, I took a day off work to go solo to Athens Georgia (2 hours from Atlanta where I live) to see Dylan.
It was $155 each night for amazing seats (6th and 11th row respectively), worth every penny. Not because the concerts overall are quite what Dylan was in '66, '75, '03, etc, but because they each had enough moments to bring me joy. Even with almost identical setlists of songs 100% obscure to any non-fanatic.
I am going to see Pat Metheny later this week, then Echo & The Bunnymen, then Neil Young, then Dylan again believe it or not!
I hear you that albums are probably best. BUT! Saw Richard Lloyd in a tiny ATL club for $25 recently, standing 5 feet from him in general admission then meeting him afterwards to buy a shirt (he did his own merch table), and it was just fantastic. The whole set was so sharp, his playing so on, it was worth all effort of being out on a weeknight.
Would I rather do that than be at home listening to that perfect LP he & the boys made in '77?
Well, actually ... yes.
Squeeze and Psychedelic Furs toured last year, and I went to buy 1 ticket for the Atlanta show. $62 for an okay seat, went to check out and saw the total was now $130. Thought I mistakenly selected 2 seats, but nope, 100%+ increase when the fees were added in. That's a big Nope! Happy to remember the past great shows from both bands.
Was going to be the same for the EC and the Imposters show earlier this year, so I waited til the night of, got a ticket at the box office and saved on all that bullshit. It helped that he was in the suburbs, near me, and that good single seats (not standing!) were available. I got about 10th row for $65, only paying the $4 tax on top of the actual sear price. (He sounded fine vocally, btw, a little better than I feared actually)
I'm skipping about 99% of the shows I would have gone to a few years ago. Just missed Belew/Bowie project, Sleater-Kinney, not going to the Zombies, Foo Fighters, Pixies, Hoodoo Gurus, on and on and on.
Going to see the Stones this summer because a) Lucky Dip (less than $100 for a pair and b) my buddy has never seen them. Crowded House will get me if they come close to Georgia, and I want to see McCartney one more time if he tours the US again.
The pandemic, age (for me and the bands), divorce, and the 100% fee markup has made me virtually stop going to shows. Where it used to be 20-30 per year, now it's 1 or 2. Never thought that would happen while bands I love are still active, but there it is.
I'm in my 70s and still attend concerts and love the live experience. Have upcoming tickets to see Kraftwerk. But what I hate most of all and turns me away from going to more shows are the "service charges". It's a big turnoff and really pisses me off.
ELO UPDATE:
Just checked for tickets, for the hell of it.
Last row of Section 105 at MSG which might as well be second level up, four o'clock to the stage, $328 per ticket!
Nope.
I've seen literally every show that Springsteen has done in NY and NJ (at least the ones open to the public) since 1999 at LEAST. I skipped the current tour with one exception in Baltimore. And only because someone else bought the tickets
that should say where i am these days.
I still see live music all the time. I just see smaller shows.
(Troy here) Sal, everyone has their preferences, but if you really wanted to see ELO one more time, would you think about going to another city (like Boston, Philly, Cleveland or similar)? You could probably make a decent weekend of it for the same cost as just the ticket in NY. Just a thought. When I feel squeezed in Chicago, I do look at Milwaukee and Indianapolis (it helps that my daughters live in those cities) for tickets. Just a thought.
Troy,
I've traveled for a number of shows. My buddy and I always look for a road trip. We;ve seen King Crimson and Kraftwerk in Philly over NYC and Cheap Trick in Red Bank because there was no NYC show. In September, we are going to Union Station in Philly to see Peter Hook do the New Order/Joy Division "Substance" records because the venue here stinks. But why should we have to do this?
(Troy) yeah, I get that. You shouldn't *have* to, but it's a workaround and you can have some extra fun with it if you approach it with the right mindset. Of course, not every show is worth the extra effort, though.
Somehow over the years I've never seen Heart in concert. Don't know how that got by me, but I whiffed. I like them. The Chicago date didn't work for me, so I convinced my best friend from junior high and beyond to road trip with me to Milwaukee. Cheap Trick is an added bonus. Got decent seats for a decent price and I'm pretty sure we're gonna have a great time. I'm just saying there are shows and situations where you figure out a Plan B and do it. I hope you find those too.
Troy - agreed. I just spent two nights road-tripping over to Athens GA to see Bob Dylan, and it was a total blast. (I live in the ATL)
Regarding Heart, you are going to have a great time. I finally got to see them with Cheap Trick - and Joan Jett too - a few years ago and I reflect back on that show often. Total blast.
Sal ---- you may have posted about this before. But is living in NYC a "definite life choice, no two ways about it" thing ... or would you consider moving to N'Awlins, where it seems your heart lies? And sure, I know such questions are loaded - moving is crazy hard and expensive, esp once we're in our 50s, I get all of that - but thought I'd ask. And I ask not just because N.O. would maybe have cheaper concerts.
Noel,
The truth is, I don't need to see live music they way I once did. And yes, while my dream is for us to retire in New Orleans, it's not because concerts are cheaper. Music is everywhere, and unlike NYC, people welcome you into their world in New Orleans. But picking up and moving isn't that easy.
Sal - amen!
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