I have absolutely NO PROBLEM paying $92.05 a ticket to see the greatest band in the world!!!
If you can't afford it...don't go to the concerts or attend one concert instead of buying tickets to to every show on the tour.
I swear if they gave you free tickets to their shows you would all be on here bitching about something.
It is 2010 not 1991...
ok gotcha. no one should bring it up. just immediately stop going to shows. thanks, got it.
So are you paying the same amount for a car as you did in 2003? What about your groceries...has the price gone up? Clothing? Of course the price has gone up...so why wouldn't the cost of concert tickets go up?
If you compare Pearl Jam's concert tickets to crappy acts like Lady Gaga for instance...their tickets are actually very reasonably priced. Lady Gaga just sold out 2 shows at the Boston Garden with tickets priced at $175 per seat...that price is BEFORE ticketmaster add their fees in. So yes, $92 a seat is very reasonable in my opinion!
Pearl Jam is a business. They have worked very hard for almost 20 years in the music business. They deserve to get paid for what they do. Why should they work for free? Do you work at your job for free?
I have absolutely NO PROBLEM paying $92.05 a ticket to see the greatest band in the world!!!
If you can't afford it...don't go to the concerts or attend one concert instead of buying tickets to to every show on the tour.
I swear if they gave you free tickets to their shows you would all be on here bitching about something.
It is 2010 not 1991...
ok gotcha. no one should bring it up. just immediately stop going to shows. thanks, got it.
So are you paying the same amount for a car as you did in 2003? What about your groceries...has the price gone up? Clothing? Of course the price has gone up...so why wouldn't the cost of concert tickets go up?
If you compare Pearl Jam's concert tickets to crappy acts like Lady Gaga for instance...their tickets are actually very reasonably priced. Lady Gaga just sold out 2 shows at the Boston Garden with tickets priced at $175 per seat...that price is BEFORE ticketmaster add their fees in. So yes, $92 a seat is very reasonable in my opinion!
Pearl Jam is a business. They have worked very hard for almost 20 years in the music business. They deserve to get paid for what they do. Why should they work for free? Do you work at your job for free?
Lady GaGa might be crappy but she's much more popular than Pearl Jam is at the moment. Not a very good comparison.
2003: San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Seattle; 2005: Monterrey; 2006: Chicago 1 & 2, Grand Rapids, Cleveland, Detroit; 2008: West Palm Beach, Tampa; 2009: Austin, LA 3 & 4, San Diego; 2010: Kansas City, St. Louis, Columbus, Indianapolis; 2011: PJ20 1 & 2; 2012: Missoula; 2013: Dallas, Oklahoma City, Seattle; 2014: Tulsa; 2016: Columbia, New York City 1 & 2; 2018: London, Seattle 1 & 2; 2021: Ohana; 2022: Oklahoma City
Well, since you are making ridiculous assumptions, or rather making up stories in your head about what other people think about their relationship with the band, it easily explains why you have delusional expectations of ticket costs of any band of this stature in 2010.
I have absolutely NO PROBLEM paying $92.05 a ticket to see the greatest band in the world!!!
If you can't afford it...don't go to the concerts or attend one concert instead of buying tickets to to every show on the tour.
I swear if they gave you free tickets to their shows you would all be on here bitching about something.
It is 2010 not 1991...
ok gotcha. no one should bring it up. just immediately stop going to shows. thanks, got it.
So are you paying the same amount for a car as you did in 2003? What about your groceries...has the price gone up? Clothing? Of course the price has gone up...so why wouldn't the cost of concert tickets go up?
If you compare Pearl Jam's concert tickets to crappy acts like Lady Gaga for instance...their tickets are actually very reasonably priced. Lady Gaga just sold out 2 shows at the Boston Garden with tickets priced at $175 per seat...that price is BEFORE ticketmaster add their fees in. So yes, $92 a seat is very reasonable in my opinion!
Pearl Jam is a business. They have worked very hard for almost 20 years in the music business. They deserve to get paid for what they do. Why should they work for free? Do you work at your job for free?
the price on everything has gone up, but not nearly that much. i dont care what they charge since their days of touring nonfestivals between the coasts is pretty much over, but just accept this has nothing to do with increased costs. its about increased profit and a change in their thinking. i dont care what Lady Gaga tix cost. she is in it to make as much money as she possibly can. thats fine. if i were in a band i'd probably try to make a lot, too, at least until i had a couple of million and then i wouldnt work for a dime (but thats just me).
at one time PJ was against the things they are for now. personally i dont care, but i cant stand these people trying to rationalize it with these ridiculous ideas about costs. they have millions, and want some more. could they charge less and still make a profit? absolutely. other bands with similar followings do it all the time. JUST ACCEPT IT!
and ok ok i get it everyone! I was always under the impression that PJ was a band, (or God forbid artists) but yes they are now a business. i wonder if they would like people describing them as a business, but whatever. i think they could run it a lot smarter if thats the case, though.
Well, since you are making ridiculous assumptions, or rather making up stories in your head about what other people think about their relationship with the band, it easily explains why you have delusional expectations of ticket costs of any band of this stature in 2010.
at one point those expectations werent so delusional. they were once the biggest band on the planet, yet their ticket prices didnt reflect it.
What's even funnier is the typical childish, negative responses that have no bearing on the issue at hand or add anything of substance.
Seriously. "Imaginary relationship with the band..." WOW. Talk about sitting high on that horse.
MrSmith is the biggest hypocrite in this whole thread....isn't he GOING to shows regardless of the price anyway? Yet still made this thread?
Am I the only one missing something here? By buying tickets regardless of the 92$ he is ADMITTING that the price is actually quite worth it.
yeah wasnt me. not going. for 92$ i might if the seats were close and they were playing nearby. definitely not for the nose bleeds. 50 bucks gets me a lot of bands at Jazzfest, and i can probably get pretty close if i want to.
and ok ok i get it everyone! I was always under the impression that PJ was a band, (or God forbid artists) but yes they are now a business. i wonder if they would like people describing them as a business, but whatever. i think they could run it a lot smarter if thats the case, though.
This is a quote from Stone's recent interview: “Pearl Jam is a band but we are also a business,”
2003: San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Seattle; 2005: Monterrey; 2006: Chicago 1 & 2, Grand Rapids, Cleveland, Detroit; 2008: West Palm Beach, Tampa; 2009: Austin, LA 3 & 4, San Diego; 2010: Kansas City, St. Louis, Columbus, Indianapolis; 2011: PJ20 1 & 2; 2012: Missoula; 2013: Dallas, Oklahoma City, Seattle; 2014: Tulsa; 2016: Columbia, New York City 1 & 2; 2018: London, Seattle 1 & 2; 2021: Ohana; 2022: Oklahoma City
What's even funnier is the typical childish, negative responses that have no bearing on the issue at hand or add anything of substance.
MrSmith is the biggest hypocrite in this whole thread....isn't he GOING to shows regardless of the price anyway? Yet still made this thread?
Am I the only one missing something here? By buying tickets regardless of the 92$ he is ADMITTING that the price is actually quite worth it.
I am fortunate enough to be able to afford to go to every show Pearl Jam plays for the rest of its career if I wanted to, but that doesn't mean that I'm a hypocrite if I express the opinion that ticket prices are getting out of hand-- because I'm not expressing the criticism on behalf of my own ability to pay; I'm concerned that the brand is pricing out a lot of people who truly cannot afford to pay. I don't see that as a good thing for the people priced out, for the band, for music generally, or for society.
So are you paying the same amount for a car as you did in 2003? What about your groceries...has the price gone up? Clothing? Of course the price has gone up...so why wouldn't the cost of concert tickets go up?
Pearl Jam is a business. They have worked very hard for almost 20 years in the music business. They deserve to get paid for what they do. Why should they work for free? Do you work at your job for free?
I dont think they should work for free - I don't think they should charge substantially less than everyone else. I think they started with low prices in the early years and since have gone up so fast it makes it look way worse than it is.
The car I bought in 2002 was like $16K... that same car today is like $18K. So like 12% hike -- probably in line with most things (groceries, etc). In all reality the prices of a lot of things in the last few years have gone down because of the recession... its just not a fair argument.
At the end of the day --- both sides are right. Pearl Jam charges a LOT more than they used to and compared to similar bands are in the middle (underpriced compared to some, overpriced compared to some). On the other hand, they aren't gouging anyone and no longer talk about being a band that is fighting to keep costs down.
I wish we could just agree that both sides are right to a certain extent and let it go... I think they're worth it without a doubt, but I also think they are getting to be a bit more on the business side of everything.
Well, since you are making ridiculous assumptions, or rather making up stories in your head about what other people think about their relationship with the band, it easily explains why you have delusional expectations of ticket costs of any band of this stature in 2010.
In 2003, the band had the same stature, perhaps greater stature, than it has now, and tickets were less than half of what they are now. These numbers have been posted in this thread. It's not accounted for by inflation. It's not accounted for by increased demand. It's a business decision that the band is free to make, but it opens them up to criticism. It's that simple.
can't we all just get along? who cares hopw much tickets cost....either spend the moeny to get see them or dont and get the bootlegs. why the hostility? who cares in the end? its just a band and its just music, it isnt life or death you know.
if 92 it too much than you can always scalp tickets at the show from a scalper right before the show starts at 50 bucks a pop. and the 92 bucks a ticket is the ticket master price....not the 10c price
There was a recent interview with Eddie where he said something along the lines of the band trying to make up for some of what it did in the 90s to balance itself out so fans will have to bear with them. Does anyone know what I'm talking about or have a copy?
2003: San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Seattle; 2005: Monterrey; 2006: Chicago 1 & 2, Grand Rapids, Cleveland, Detroit; 2008: West Palm Beach, Tampa; 2009: Austin, LA 3 & 4, San Diego; 2010: Kansas City, St. Louis, Columbus, Indianapolis; 2011: PJ20 1 & 2; 2012: Missoula; 2013: Dallas, Oklahoma City, Seattle; 2014: Tulsa; 2016: Columbia, New York City 1 & 2; 2018: London, Seattle 1 & 2; 2021: Ohana; 2022: Oklahoma City
So are you paying the same amount for a car as you did in 2003? What about your groceries...has the price gone up? Clothing? Of course the price has gone up...so why wouldn't the cost of concert tickets go up?
Pearl Jam is a business. They have worked very hard for almost 20 years in the music business. They deserve to get paid for what they do. Why should they work for free? Do you work at your job for free?
I dont think they should work for free - I don't think they should charge substantially less than everyone else. I think they started with low prices in the early years and since have gone up so fast it makes it look way worse than it is.
The car I bought in 2002 was like $16K... that same car today is like $18K. So like 12% hike -- probably in line with most things (groceries, etc). In all reality the prices of a lot of things in the last few years have gone down because of the recession... its just not a fair argument.
At the end of the day --- both sides are right. Pearl Jam charges a LOT more than they used to and compared to similar bands are in the middle (underpriced compared to some, overpriced compared to some). On the other hand, they aren't gouging anyone and no longer talk about being a band that is fighting to keep costs down.
I wish we could just agree that both sides are right to a certain extent and let it go... I think they're worth it without a doubt, but I also think they are getting to be a bit more on the business side of everything.
thats completely right. couldnt agree more.
i just get a little crazy everytime someone posts in this thread without reading the rest and thinking they have some brilliant insight like "if you dont like it, dont buy it!" or "its not the nineties anymore!"
this thread would have died off days ago without those comments anyway.
honestly i have less problem with the ticket prices than i do with some of the creepy overly defensive attitudes around here.
honestly i have less problem with the ticket prices than i do with some of the creepy overly defensive attitudes around here.
I don't know about this -- no matter what group you go to, you have the 3 groups:
A. Complain about everything they do even though they still are a fan of whatever it is
B. Have both complaints about things they don't like and have a lot of praise for what they do
C. Will defend everything to their death if need be
I don't think that's only for PJ fans... and I think that there are some very frivolous complaints on this board from time to time. I also can't stand it when people try to defend something with such horrible arguments that even they have to know how unreasonable it sounds.
I guess that's why with this thread I really do believe both sides are right.
If you can't afford $92.05 don't go to the show. -- That is true that if you can't afford $92 you probably should not be going to these shows, but at the same time some people can afford it and think its too much for this time and some people can't afford it and are mad the prices have gone up so much in 7 years that its not fair they can't go.
And so on... I think both sides have good points and I think both sides have horrible points. Of course its just my opinion as always, but this thread is a MASSIVE circle of the same arguments OVER and OVER and OVER.
Can we just sign some sort of resolution that agrees both sides are right on some points and move on?
So are you paying the same amount for a car as you did in 2003? What about your groceries...has the price gone up? Clothing? Of course the price has gone up...so why wouldn't the cost of concert tickets go up?
Prices for cars have not doubled since 2003, nor have prices for groceries. The fact of the matter is that a pair of Ten Clubs tickets cost $83.00 in 2003, and they cost over $170.00 in 2010 (for Boston and New York). $83.00 in 2003 dollars equals $97.00 in 2010 dollars, not $170.00. No one is saying that ticket prices wouldn't go up-- it's the rate at which they have gone up that is troubling.
Pearl Jam is a business. They have worked very hard for almost 20 years in the music business. They deserve to get paid for what they do. Why should they work for free? Do you work at your job for free?
This is another ridiculous straw man argument. No one is saying that Pearl shouldn't get paid for what it does or suggesting that the band should work for free. It's a question of degree.
As far as hard work is concerned, there are a lot of people out there breaking their backs at two and three jobs to make $40,000 a year to support their families. The members of Pearl Jam could quit the music business and they would never have to work again. As it is, they can (and do) take off for months at a time. More power to them, but no one should cry poverty on their behalf.
Well, since you are making ridiculous assumptions, or rather making up stories in your head about what other people think about their relationship with the band, it easily explains why you have delusional expectations of ticket costs of any band of this stature in 2010.
In 2003, the band had the same stature, perhaps greater stature, than it has now, and tickets were less than half of what they are now. These numbers have been posted in this thread. It's not accounted for by inflation. It's not accounted for by increased demand. It's a business decision that the band is free to make, but it opens them up to criticism. It's that simple.
I'd have to disagree about their stature or popularity. I think they are waaaay more commercial for Backspacer than they were for Riot Act/binaural. Half my friends didnt even know PJ put out an album from Yield to Avocado. But alot of my casual PJ fan friends who didnt know about binaural & riot act were all excited about S/t and Backspacer.
In the end, i think drsluggo is right, there are many sides to this story, and most of us will probably never agree on this because none of us know the real reasons or costs of anything associated with the bands touring practices. I wish tickets were $30, but i'm not going to complain that they're more than that because I dont know the facts.
can't we all just get along? who cares hopw much tickets cost....either spend the moeny to get see them or dont and get the bootlegs. why the hostility? who cares in the end? its just a band and its just music, it isnt life or death you know.
Who cares? Obviously, a lot of people care. Who is making this life or death? People are expressing their concerns about this issue in a completely appropriately way by speaking out on the band's fan club message board, where people associated with the band will hear the criticisms and deal with them (or not). The threads would have been a lot shorter if so many people didn't reflexively defend the band and come up with all of these logically and economically incoherent explanations for why things are the way they are.
if 92 it too much than you can always scalp tickets at the show from a scalper right before the show starts at 50 bucks a pop. and the 92 bucks a ticket is the ticket master price....not the 10c price
This is just a transparently ridiculous suggestion.
can't we all just get along? who cares hopw much tickets cost....either spend the moeny to get see them or dont and get the bootlegs. why the hostility? who cares in the end? its just a band and its just music, it isnt life or death you know.
Who cares? Obviously, a lot of people care. Who is making this life or death? People are expressing their concerns about this issue in a completely appropriately way by speaking out on the band's fan club message board, where people associated with the band will hear the criticisms and deal with them (or not). The threads would have been a lot shorter if so many people didn't reflexively defend the band and come up with all of these logically and economically incoherent explanations for why things are the way they are.
if 92 it too much than you can always scalp tickets at the show from a scalper right before the show starts at 50 bucks a pop. and the 92 bucks a ticket is the ticket master price....not the 10c price
This is just a transparently ridiculous suggestion.
Is it really that transparently ridiculous? Have you ever scalped PJ tickets or any tickets at a show for that matter? Casue I have...and right as the show starts there are scalper all over the place selling tickets dirt cheap because they want to get ride of them. So doesn't that make you the transparent idiot?!?!?!?
hmmmm guess it does
So like I said if 92 is too much and you're that desperate to go to a show, scalp your tix as the show starts instead of listening to the idiot i quoted
Is it really that transparently ridiculous? Have you ever scalped PJ tickets or any tickets at a show for that matter? Casue I have...and right as the show starts there are scalper all over the place selling tickets dirt cheap because they want to get ride of them. So doesn't that make you the transparent idiot?!?!?!?
hmmmm guess it does
So like I said if 92 is too much and you're that desperate to go to a show, scalp your tix as the show starts instead of listening to the idiot i quoted
It's transparently ridiculous to suggest that people should rely on doing something that is: 1) illegal in many jurisdictions and 2) an extremely inefficient means of getting a ticket even where it is legal. By that, I mean that most people do not want to (or have the time to) go to a venue with no tickets in hand and wait around to eventually buy-- with no guarantee-- a ticket from someone on the street (that may or may not be a valid ticket) after the band has already taken the stage.
It's transparently ridiculous to suggest that people should rely on doing something that is: 1) illegal in many jurisdictions and 2) an extremely inefficient means of getting a ticket even where it is legal. By that, I mean that most people do not want to (or have the time to) go to a venue with no tickets in hand and wait around to eventually buy-- with no guarantee-- a ticket from someone on the street (that may or may not be a valid ticket) after the band has already taken the stage.
Haha...
By Grandmas Jam's argument... if you want an iPad but dont want to pay retail, just wait until people are selling the ones they stole on the street for 50% off because they need to unload them.
Outrageous to say that? Yes of course... but come on... dont say that because scalpers sell cheaper as the show is starting it somehow makes the $92 a fair price.
COME ON PEOPLE - On either side... think before you throw out weird arguments.
Again, the OP is right and using Ed's words showed how hypocritical the band has become.
So I asked how can these lyrics still have meaning? This very well might be my last PJ tour I attend. Things just feel a bit hollow right now.
And like weeds,.. with big leaves
Stealing light from what's beneath
Where they have more,...
Still they take more
Counts his money every morning
The only thing that keeps him horny
Locked in a giant house, that's alarming
The townsfolk,... they all laugh
Who made, who made up, made up the myth
That we were born to be covered in bliss?
Who set the standard, born to be rich?
Look on the bright side...
Maybe this will put an end to that notion that the more shows you go to... the bigger a fan you are... or whatever it's supposed to do for you.
People can only afford to go to one show... and be grateful for it.
Allen Fieldhouse, home of the 2008 NCAA men's Basketball Champions! Go Jayhawks!
Hail, Hail!!!
Look on the bright side...
Maybe this will put an end to that notion that the more shows you go to... the bigger a fan you are... or whatever it's supposed to do for you.
People can only afford to go to one show... and be grateful for it.
You know another side to this that no one is really mentioning is this...I'm sure some people are plenty pissed because they DID take advantage of those early ticket prices for the first, oh 15 years or so, and could go to as many shows as they wanted. Hell, I did 4 my first tour in 03'. Last tour I did 2.
It sucks for new fans of the band I'm sure. But plenty of us def took advantage of those cheap ticket prices for years. It was bound to catch up to us sooner or later, nothing that good lasts forever!
Do I wish we could have a 30$ US tour? HELL YEAH. But, this is the PJ world we live in now. I"m fine with it, I know that the price is worth it.
Again, the OP is right and using Ed's words showed how hypocritical the band has become.
So I asked how can these lyrics still have meaning? This very well might be my last PJ tour I attend. Things just feel a bit hollow right now.
And like weeds,.. with big leaves
Stealing light from what's beneath
Where they have more,...
Still they take more
Counts his money every morning
The only thing that keeps him horny
Locked in a giant house, that's alarming
The townsfolk,... they all laugh
Who made, who made up, made up the myth
That we were born to be covered in bliss?
Who set the standard, born to be rich?
So, you feel the band is being hypocrites you feel "a bit hollow". But also, "this may very well be the last tour you attend"
I see a lot of people complaining, yet they are still going to shows. And I bet if they were to come around again in the fall, the same people will be going again.
Bringing me back to the OP, who felt the need to make an official thread that $92 is too much, yet he/she is still going to a show. Isn't that a little hypocritical?
Bringing me back to the OP, who felt the need to make an official thread that $92 is too much, yet he/she is still going to a show. Isn't that a little hypocritical?
No, it's completely the sellers market because we all need our PJ fix. It's like medication, it can be to freaking expansive but you still have to buy it!
"Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
Again, the OP is right and using Ed's words showed how hypocritical the band has become.
So I asked how can these lyrics still have meaning? This very well might be my last PJ tour I attend. Things just feel a bit hollow right now.
And like weeds,.. with big leaves
Stealing light from what's beneath
Where they have more,...
Still they take more
Counts his money every morning
The only thing that keeps him horny
Locked in a giant house, that's alarming
The townsfolk,... they all laugh
Who made, who made up, made up the myth
That we were born to be covered in bliss?
Who set the standard, born to be rich?
So, you feel the band is being hypocrites you feel "a bit hollow". But also, "this may very well be the last tour you attend"
I see a lot of people complaining, yet they are still going to shows. And I bet if they were to come around again in the fall, the same people will be going again.
Bringing me back to the OP, who felt the need to make an official thread that $92 is too much, yet he/she is still going to a show. Isn't that a little hypocritical?
I'm not the original poster but, no, it isn't. I'm not concerned about my ability to afford it. I can afford it. I am concerned about the average fan's ability to afford it. I think it's a bad thing for the band, for music and for society in general if too many people are priced out of being able to see a show.
did i mention that sorry its not 1991 any more?!!?!?!
im noticing a recurring theme!
I think it's funny that people will say this over and over but not even stop and consider that bands that are comparable to PJ (Radiohead, Green Day, Phish, etc) DO NOT CHARGE NEARLY AS MUCH. I guess it's such a simple fact to play ignorance too...
Comments
Seriously. "Imaginary relationship with the band..." WOW. Talk about sitting high on that horse.
MrSmith is the biggest hypocrite in this whole thread....isn't he GOING to shows regardless of the price anyway? Yet still made this thread?
Am I the only one missing something here? By buying tickets regardless of the 92$ he is ADMITTING that the price is actually quite worth it.
So are you paying the same amount for a car as you did in 2003? What about your groceries...has the price gone up? Clothing? Of course the price has gone up...so why wouldn't the cost of concert tickets go up?
If you compare Pearl Jam's concert tickets to crappy acts like Lady Gaga for instance...their tickets are actually very reasonably priced. Lady Gaga just sold out 2 shows at the Boston Garden with tickets priced at $175 per seat...that price is BEFORE ticketmaster add their fees in. So yes, $92 a seat is very reasonable in my opinion!
Pearl Jam is a business. They have worked very hard for almost 20 years in the music business. They deserve to get paid for what they do. Why should they work for free? Do you work at your job for free?
Lady GaGa might be crappy but she's much more popular than Pearl Jam is at the moment. Not a very good comparison.
Well, since you are making ridiculous assumptions, or rather making up stories in your head about what other people think about their relationship with the band, it easily explains why you have delusional expectations of ticket costs of any band of this stature in 2010.
No, it was Stranger34 that started the thread, but I believe they are going to a NY show, so your point still stands.
the price on everything has gone up, but not nearly that much. i dont care what they charge since their days of touring nonfestivals between the coasts is pretty much over, but just accept this has nothing to do with increased costs. its about increased profit and a change in their thinking. i dont care what Lady Gaga tix cost. she is in it to make as much money as she possibly can. thats fine. if i were in a band i'd probably try to make a lot, too, at least until i had a couple of million and then i wouldnt work for a dime (but thats just me).
at one time PJ was against the things they are for now. personally i dont care, but i cant stand these people trying to rationalize it with these ridiculous ideas about costs. they have millions, and want some more. could they charge less and still make a profit? absolutely. other bands with similar followings do it all the time. JUST ACCEPT IT!
and ok ok i get it everyone! I was always under the impression that PJ was a band, (or God forbid artists) but yes they are now a business. i wonder if they would like people describing them as a business, but whatever. i think they could run it a lot smarter if thats the case, though.
This is a quote from Stone's recent interview: “Pearl Jam is a band but we are also a business,”
I am fortunate enough to be able to afford to go to every show Pearl Jam plays for the rest of its career if I wanted to, but that doesn't mean that I'm a hypocrite if I express the opinion that ticket prices are getting out of hand-- because I'm not expressing the criticism on behalf of my own ability to pay; I'm concerned that the brand is pricing out a lot of people who truly cannot afford to pay. I don't see that as a good thing for the people priced out, for the band, for music generally, or for society.
The car I bought in 2002 was like $16K... that same car today is like $18K. So like 12% hike -- probably in line with most things (groceries, etc). In all reality the prices of a lot of things in the last few years have gone down because of the recession... its just not a fair argument.
At the end of the day --- both sides are right. Pearl Jam charges a LOT more than they used to and compared to similar bands are in the middle (underpriced compared to some, overpriced compared to some). On the other hand, they aren't gouging anyone and no longer talk about being a band that is fighting to keep costs down.
I wish we could just agree that both sides are right to a certain extent and let it go... I think they're worth it without a doubt, but I also think they are getting to be a bit more on the business side of everything.
In 2003, the band had the same stature, perhaps greater stature, than it has now, and tickets were less than half of what they are now. These numbers have been posted in this thread. It's not accounted for by inflation. It's not accounted for by increased demand. It's a business decision that the band is free to make, but it opens them up to criticism. It's that simple.
if 92 it too much than you can always scalp tickets at the show from a scalper right before the show starts at 50 bucks a pop. and the 92 bucks a ticket is the ticket master price....not the 10c price
thats completely right. couldnt agree more.
i just get a little crazy everytime someone posts in this thread without reading the rest and thinking they have some brilliant insight like "if you dont like it, dont buy it!" or "its not the nineties anymore!"
this thread would have died off days ago without those comments anyway.
honestly i have less problem with the ticket prices than i do with some of the creepy overly defensive attitudes around here.
A. Complain about everything they do even though they still are a fan of whatever it is
B. Have both complaints about things they don't like and have a lot of praise for what they do
C. Will defend everything to their death if need be
I don't think that's only for PJ fans... and I think that there are some very frivolous complaints on this board from time to time. I also can't stand it when people try to defend something with such horrible arguments that even they have to know how unreasonable it sounds.
I guess that's why with this thread I really do believe both sides are right.
If you can't afford $92.05 don't go to the show. -- That is true that if you can't afford $92 you probably should not be going to these shows, but at the same time some people can afford it and think its too much for this time and some people can't afford it and are mad the prices have gone up so much in 7 years that its not fair they can't go.
And so on... I think both sides have good points and I think both sides have horrible points. Of course its just my opinion as always, but this thread is a MASSIVE circle of the same arguments OVER and OVER and OVER.
Can we just sign some sort of resolution that agrees both sides are right on some points and move on?
Prices for cars have not doubled since 2003, nor have prices for groceries. The fact of the matter is that a pair of Ten Clubs tickets cost $83.00 in 2003, and they cost over $170.00 in 2010 (for Boston and New York). $83.00 in 2003 dollars equals $97.00 in 2010 dollars, not $170.00. No one is saying that ticket prices wouldn't go up-- it's the rate at which they have gone up that is troubling.
This is another ridiculous straw man argument. No one is saying that Pearl shouldn't get paid for what it does or suggesting that the band should work for free. It's a question of degree.
As far as hard work is concerned, there are a lot of people out there breaking their backs at two and three jobs to make $40,000 a year to support their families. The members of Pearl Jam could quit the music business and they would never have to work again. As it is, they can (and do) take off for months at a time. More power to them, but no one should cry poverty on their behalf.
I'd have to disagree about their stature or popularity. I think they are waaaay more commercial for Backspacer than they were for Riot Act/binaural. Half my friends didnt even know PJ put out an album from Yield to Avocado. But alot of my casual PJ fan friends who didnt know about binaural & riot act were all excited about S/t and Backspacer.
In the end, i think drsluggo is right, there are many sides to this story, and most of us will probably never agree on this because none of us know the real reasons or costs of anything associated with the bands touring practices. I wish tickets were $30, but i'm not going to complain that they're more than that because I dont know the facts.
Who cares? Obviously, a lot of people care. Who is making this life or death? People are expressing their concerns about this issue in a completely appropriately way by speaking out on the band's fan club message board, where people associated with the band will hear the criticisms and deal with them (or not). The threads would have been a lot shorter if so many people didn't reflexively defend the band and come up with all of these logically and economically incoherent explanations for why things are the way they are.
This is just a transparently ridiculous suggestion.
Is it really that transparently ridiculous? Have you ever scalped PJ tickets or any tickets at a show for that matter? Casue I have...and right as the show starts there are scalper all over the place selling tickets dirt cheap because they want to get ride of them. So doesn't that make you the transparent idiot?!?!?!?
hmmmm guess it does
So like I said if 92 is too much and you're that desperate to go to a show, scalp your tix as the show starts instead of listening to the idiot i quoted
It's transparently ridiculous to suggest that people should rely on doing something that is: 1) illegal in many jurisdictions and 2) an extremely inefficient means of getting a ticket even where it is legal. By that, I mean that most people do not want to (or have the time to) go to a venue with no tickets in hand and wait around to eventually buy-- with no guarantee-- a ticket from someone on the street (that may or may not be a valid ticket) after the band has already taken the stage.
By Grandmas Jam's argument... if you want an iPad but dont want to pay retail, just wait until people are selling the ones they stole on the street for 50% off because they need to unload them.
Outrageous to say that? Yes of course... but come on... dont say that because scalpers sell cheaper as the show is starting it somehow makes the $92 a fair price.
COME ON PEOPLE - On either side... think before you throw out weird arguments.
So I asked how can these lyrics still have meaning? This very well might be my last PJ tour I attend. Things just feel a bit hollow right now.
And like weeds,.. with big leaves
Stealing light from what's beneath
Where they have more,...
Still they take more
Counts his money every morning
The only thing that keeps him horny
Locked in a giant house, that's alarming
The townsfolk,... they all laugh
Who made, who made up, made up the myth
That we were born to be covered in bliss?
Who set the standard, born to be rich?
Maybe this will put an end to that notion that the more shows you go to... the bigger a fan you are... or whatever it's supposed to do for you.
People can only afford to go to one show... and be grateful for it.
Hail, Hail!!!
You know another side to this that no one is really mentioning is this...I'm sure some people are plenty pissed because they DID take advantage of those early ticket prices for the first, oh 15 years or so, and could go to as many shows as they wanted. Hell, I did 4 my first tour in 03'. Last tour I did 2.
It sucks for new fans of the band I'm sure. But plenty of us def took advantage of those cheap ticket prices for years. It was bound to catch up to us sooner or later, nothing that good lasts forever!
Do I wish we could have a 30$ US tour? HELL YEAH. But, this is the PJ world we live in now. I"m fine with it, I know that the price is worth it.
So, you feel the band is being hypocrites you feel "a bit hollow". But also, "this may very well be the last tour you attend"
I see a lot of people complaining, yet they are still going to shows. And I bet if they were to come around again in the fall, the same people will be going again.
Bringing me back to the OP, who felt the need to make an official thread that $92 is too much, yet he/she is still going to a show. Isn't that a little hypocritical?
No, it's completely the sellers market because we all need our PJ fix. It's like medication, it can be to freaking expansive but you still have to buy it!
I'm not the original poster but, no, it isn't. I'm not concerned about my ability to afford it. I can afford it. I am concerned about the average fan's ability to afford it. I think it's a bad thing for the band, for music and for society in general if too many people are priced out of being able to see a show.