Going for concerts

Cosmo

I'm fortunate in that I live in Los Angeles. There are many venues that are relatively cheap... 8, 12, 20 bucks a pop. And I get to sample a wide arrray of musical types and artists. I love live music. For 10 bucks, I have seen Tom Morello share the stage with Ben Harper and Perry Farrel or Alanis Morrisette and Flea or Jerry Cantrel, Wayne Kramer and Slash. 16 bucks got me in to see Liam Finn. 8 bucks gets Taylor Hawkins playing the drums n a pizza joint or Mexican Food restaurant from a distance of about 3 feet, doing covers of Sabbath, The Who, Queen and Deep Purple (guests have been Stewart Copeland, Nate Mendel, Chris Cheney, Brad Wilk and Chad Smith).
To me... it beats the price I'd pay to see a movie that will be on TBS in a few months.

PJ Pook

Glad to see I'm not the only one that hears it from family and friends about going to concerts. I have a few friends that just don't understand but yet they go out to the bar and spend all their money getting drunk. Then again I have another great group of friends that go to all the shows with me.

dcfaithful

KevDylan wrote:

What do you say to those people who think going to concerts are just a waste of money? They obviously aren't music fans! Sometimes, I take it very personal.

I usually say it's a shame that they can't appreciate live music...some amazing things happen at concerts...

dcfaithful

-Buru- wrote:

Well... my friends don't understand why i would watch a band so many times, and travel so far and such
but they don't give me much crap about it, and know it is part of who i am
so all works out.

People always ask me why I travel to see Pearl Jam when it costs so much money. My response is usually:

"You cannot put a price on the uniqueness of each show, the energy you'll feel and the experience you'll gain from being a part of a Pearl Jam audience is in a league of it's own"

samjam

To put it simply:
There is nothing better than seeing a live show.

-Buru-

dcfaithful wrote:

-Buru- wrote:

Well... my friends don't understand why i would watch a band so many times, and travel so far and such
but they don't give me much crap about it, and know it is part of who i am
so all works out.

People always ask me why I travel to see Pearl Jam when it costs so much money. My response is usually:

"You cannot put a price on the uniqueness of each show, the energy you'll feel and the experience you'll gain from being a part of a Pearl Jam audience is in a league of it's own"

Good answer. :P

red mos

Going to concerts is simply my addiction, and I am not ashamed of it. Many posters have made excellent points in this thread. Shows can be expensive- but it really just depends on the circumstances. It can be done cheaply. Here is what I do:
I go to concerts alone (as I am a single guy) and don't have to buy an extra ticket for a girl friend (yet). I don't buy beers at shows cause 8 or 9 bucks for ONE beer is simply a rip off. I can get a 12 pack of Keystone for the same price and drink at home.

I don't buy posters, shirts. I think 30- 45 bucks for a shirt is way too much. I already have enough posters in my house that have my walls covered. I'd rather spend the 10 bucks for a digital download of the show in mp3 or flac if available.

There are bands that still charge in the 35-40 range. I went and saw Candlebox with earshot for $33.
Butthole surfers were $35
collective soul and Blackstone cherry were $40.

So yeah, there are still some cheap shows but everyone's situation is different so I can also see where 40 bucks can be expensive especially for having to buy more than 1 ticket.
People ask how I afford these shows and I just explain to them what I said above.

I did have to pass on Kings of leon though and will prolly have to pass on KISS (cause it's high dollar but would like to see them to say I saw them. Oh well.

JaneNY

soulsinging wrote:

he.who.forgets wrote:

Couldnt agree more with all the posts on this thread. My wife and I have began to make a habit of hitting up festivals as our annual vacation. Well we've only done Bonnaroo 08 and Outside Lands 09 (they were obviously centered around PJ), however we've had so much fun and discovered so much new music that I dont see us stopping there. Would love to check out ACL (have always wanted to visit Austin) and perhaps Sasquatch and 10,000 lakes sometime soon. Cheers:)

*cough*lollapalooza*cough*

Yes! We've gone twice. Its Chicago, they have nice hotels with showers and you don't have to sleep in a damn tent. Lolla has been a blast.

I don't tell everyone how many shows I go to. I just disappear when necessary.

iamsam_pj

my friends have learned to accept my addiction...and i've even convinced them to travel across the country with me a couple of times live shows are amazing...and i'm off right now to see built to spill...love that they are playing on my bday!!

musicismylife78

i am a concert addict. Music is literally my religion, and the live shows are church for me.

I have an apartment, literally feet away from my favorite local venue, and I volunteer there, so I get into shows for free, and get to do things like be security for the band. ID check. Box office. Door duty etc...

I am in a crazy stretch right now. Tomorrow will make it 9 straight night, 9 consecutive nights of concerts for me. 10 will be the end of the road though.

So I got an apartment by this venue, because its by the venue. And one of the main reasons I quit my job, was because they refused to give me schedules where I would be done by concert time. Now I know, that first thing in the interview for any job, I say, "Music is the most important thing in my life. I will be glad to work for your company and do my best at the job, but I need to be done working by 7 or 8 at the latest". If they cant provide me with that guarantee, its clear what job I wont be taking.

There is no better feeling in the world than the buzz in the air as the band takes the stage. And no better feeling than when the band and the audience connects.

So yeah I am intimately aware of the fact that some people dont understand concerts. Very few people would be willing to go to 10 consecutive nights of shows (although that guy in NY did 100 straight a couple months back). I think many would deem it crazy to run your life according to a concert schedule. To quit your job because of it. To live in a location, precisely so you could be literally next door to it.

rhcpjam1029

pandora wrote:

DeLukin wrote:

PJPixie wrote:

Music is the one thing in my life that makes me REALLY HAPPY. It's my comfort, it heals me. Others have different avenues, I don't judge them.

Exactly. It's a way to let go of your problems, dip your toe into the fountain of youth, and be moved in ways that have to be felt to be understood - all in one shot. I can't think of anything better than that. Let the judgers cling to whatever they want, we've found what we love and shouldn't apologize for drinking it in.

thats was perfectly beautiful

agreed.

peacegirl

musicismylife78 wrote:

i am a concert addict. Music is literally my religion, and the live shows are church for me.

I have an apartment, literally feet away from my favorite local venue, and I volunteer there, so I get into shows for free, and get to do things like be security for the band. ID check. Box office. Door duty etc...

I am in a crazy stretch right now. Tomorrow will make it 9 straight night, 9 consecutive nights of concerts for me. 10 will be the end of the road though.

So I got an apartment by this venue, because its by the venue. And one of the main reasons I quit my job, was because they refused to give me schedules where I would be done by concert time. Now I know, that first thing in the interview for any job, I say, "Music is the most important thing in my life. I will be glad to work for your company and do my best at the job, but I need to be done working by 7 or 8 at the latest". If they cant provide me with that guarantee, its clear what job I wont be taking.

There is no better feeling in the world than the buzz in the air as the band takes the stage. And no better feeling than when the band and the audience connects.

So yeah I am intimately aware of the fact that some people dont understand concerts. Very few people would be willing to go to 10 consecutive nights of shows (although that guy in NY did 100 straight a couple months back). I think many would deem it crazy to run your life according to a concert schedule. To quit your job because of it. To live in a location, precisely so you could be literally next door to it.

wow, music really is your life...but there's nothing wrong with it..it makes you happy..I understand

One of my co-workers was talking about how her daughter is really into music now..always listening to her IPod..her daughter is 16 and I was saying how music is usually important around that age and I think some people grow out of it but for some of us it alway is important, like me (and most of us)...everyone I work with knows how much I love music (especially since my vacation time is spent on going to shows!) even if they don't really "get it"