Should I stay or should I go? (ya...I'm staying, lol)

brianlux said:

static111 said:

Bri I went through this during my last renewal for digital and decided just to stick around because I like to hang out here. I know this is gonna be an unpopular opinion and maybe get me flamed but here goes.  With the massive price increase for little if any additional value I am thinking my 27 yr fan club run may be over.  With the bands best live shows behind them, and the skyrocketing costs of their tickets as well as the added costs of traveling and lodging, I think my fan club days will be at an end this coming August.  I might change my tune if they have a late career renaissance like Bob Dylan or Neil Young, but I'm not that into giving the band that much more of my money at this point.  $35 bucks to have the same conversations over and over seems a bit much, plus I could use the money to get 4 months of having a blue check on twitter. In all seriousness I haven't been that thrilled with the band since 2014 and have just been holding out hope that they will catch another big wave. If I want to pay insane money to see a nostalgia act I will go see the Stones.

You would be sorely missed, my friend.  If you do go, I hope we keep in touch anyway!

As for your possibly not so popular opinion, I have some similar feeling and hopes.   I've been particularly hopeful that PJ might have that "late career renaissance" you mentioned.  I've thought that and AM pretty sure I've mentioned it around here a number of times.  But I've been thinking and saying that for quite awhile and am beginning to wonder if that's going to happen.  To be sure, it's not a common thing.  Countless band have rested on their laurels and keep going out doing the hits over and over. But like you said, Dylan and Young managed to have great resurgences.  And other bands with less mass appeal but no less quality have also done so- Dinosaur Jr, The Dream Syndicate, Mission of Burma, The Circle Jerks offshoot, OFF!, The Feelies, and a few like Juliana Hatfield who, after making records for 35 years has never even slumped once. 
So I keep waiting, and waiting.  And I dare say, maybe being a little more "hungry" (like those other bands I mentioned) is what Pearl Jam really needs the most now.   Maybe the best them for them would be if we left in droves. 

Not meaning to piss off anyone here.  I wouldn't say any of this if I didn't care.

F Me In The Brain said:

static111 said:

F Me In The Brain said:

BTW, I'm not flaming your choice to leave...only that the price increase is massive.  This, to me, is a head scratcher.  How much a month did they increase the price?

$20 to $35 is a massive increase.  For what appears to be less/the same non benefits as previous years.  With the slow down in touring and the focus on selling merchandise to ten club members it just isn't worth it.  Yeah $15 isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things and I can afford it, but this is one of those things where it doesn't add up for my cost benefit ratio.  I saw maybe 15 is shows from '98-2014 with the best shows being in the '98-'03 time frame. Not to mention the last show I saw in 2014 was just pretty good and overall lacked the feeling that I had grown used to when seeing PJ.

 At this point being charged $35 to maybe get a $100+ dollar ticket and have access to spend even more money on 'exclusive fan club' merchandise is ridiculous to me.  I can't stop buying gas or groceries when the prices get jacked, but I can refuse to take part in a cash grab from one of my favorite millionaire bands.  If I really want to see a PJ show that likely won't measure up to my past shows, I will just wait until the dynamic pricing goes down low enough to snag a nose bleed. Anyway I have a low number and have consistently scored seats between row 2-14, so this will be good for people at the back of the line.  Maybe I will be amazed by something before the renewal deadline and my mind will be changed.  I hope so, I have been waiting this long after all.

That is your option to choose and all of the reasons you lay out make good sense, to you, I'm sure.
I don't share the perspective.   I don't do a cost benefit analysis on $15.  Don't do it on $35.  Don't think it is a worth anything to do that when I spent $150+ on an average-to-below-average delivery of dinner last night.  By now that is in the toilet.  

Good luck with your decision.  

F Me In The Brain said:

static111 said:

F Me In The Brain said:

BTW, I'm not flaming your choice to leave...only that the price increase is massive.  This, to me, is a head scratcher.  How much a month did they increase the price?

$20 to $35 is a massive increase.  For what appears to be less/the same non benefits as previous years.  With the slow down in touring and the focus on selling merchandise to ten club members it just isn't worth it.  Yeah $15 isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things and I can afford it, but this is one of those things where it doesn't add up for my cost benefit ratio.  I saw maybe 15 is shows from '98-2014 with the best shows being in the '98-'03 time frame. Not to mention the last show I saw in 2014 was just pretty good and overall lacked the feeling that I had grown used to when seeing PJ.

 At this point being charged $35 to maybe get a $100+ dollar ticket and have access to spend even more money on 'exclusive fan club' merchandise is ridiculous to me.  I can't stop buying gas or groceries when the prices get jacked, but I can refuse to take part in a cash grab from one of my favorite millionaire bands.  If I really want to see a PJ show that likely won't measure up to my past shows, I will just wait until the dynamic pricing goes down low enough to snag a nose bleed. Anyway I have a low number and have consistently scored seats between row 2-14, so this will be good for people at the back of the line.  Maybe I will be amazed by something before the renewal deadline and my mind will be changed.  I hope so, I have been waiting this long after all.

That is your option to choose and all of the reasons you lay out make good sense, to you, I'm sure.
I don't share the perspective.   I don't do a cost benefit analysis on $15.  Don't do it on $35.  Don't think it is a worth anything to do that when I spent $150+ on an average-to-below-average delivery of dinner last night.  By now that is in the toilet.  

Good luck with your decision.  

brianlux said:

Gern Blansten said:

A $15 increase is $1.25/month. 

But yeah...if it isn't worth it don't pay it. Simple as that.

I'm hoping there is more member only merch offerings but if not that's ok. 

Yet again, missing the point.  A number of other people have already mentioned the "it's only $1.25 a month" excuse here and in the thread in the porch, all together missing the point others of us have made which is that charging more for less really seems like a cash grab.  They could have at least had different levels including a low price for members who simple like to be involved with the PJ community on the forums and are not into buy buy buy more stuff.  Odd that so many here defend that action or don't seem to get that.