How much do you spend on concert admission per year?

I would venture to say I spend $600-700 a year on shows, including a festival or two (Bonnaroo this year). I'll be going to 3 shows within a week toward the end of Sept. - Soulive and Kings of Leon at 930, and Electric Magnolia Co at Black Cat. Should be a good fall

Originally posted by ixkpd-bk:
Oh, and I'm totally not rich by any means, like, don't get me wrong, there are some days I don't have money for the fucking Metro because I have REALLY bad money management skills. I just invest in my happiness, as the Director wonderfully put it.

I hope I'm not sidetracking this thread, Rhett. I am so curious though - without getting too personal (and not to repeat similar discussions) – do you all have great jobs that you can afford these amounts which include travel, food, drinks? (and not be in debt) and, what about time off work? (leaving early, coming in to work late?)
And for some it's a hobby, lifestyle, whatever, but is there some competition in this area to be at the "happening" show?

I'm curious too. Either fools have a TON of vacation days each year, or some of you aren't gainfully employed. Which of course begs the question "How the fuck do you pay for it all?"

As for "competition in this area to be at the "happening" show", I wonder that too. Either we've found a board of people that mostly have an IDENTICAL taste in music (what are the odds of that?) or there is a bit of scenester-ism going on.

Originally posted by Greer Zoller:
I hope I'm not sidetracking this thread, Rhett. I am so curious though - without getting too personal (and not to repeat similar discussions) – do you all have great jobs that you can afford these amounts which include travel, food, drinks? (and not be in debt) and, what about time off work? (leaving early, coming in to work late?)
And for some it's a hobby, lifestyle, whatever, but is there some competition in this area to be at the "happening" show?

Originally posted by Greer Zoller:

Originally posted by ixkpd-bk:
Oh, and I'm totally not rich by any means

I hope I'm not sidetracking this thread, Rhett. I am so curious though - without getting too personal (and not to repeat similar discussions) – do you all have great jobs that you can afford these amounts which include travel, food, drinks? (and not be in debt) and, what about time off work? (leaving early, coming in to work late?)
And for some it's a hobby, lifestyle, whatever, but is there some competition in this area to be at the "happening" show?

I think I'm a little older than some of the other hardcores, I'm in the middle income bracket I suppose, but without any "obligations" ie. spouse, kids, crack habit, etc.

No student loans, car payments, etc. just a couple of mortgages and insurance, so my disposable income ratio is pretty high and I view this as a lifestyle.

I enjoy my work, but I work to enjoy my life, I have a lot of interests sports, cinema, theater, politics, travel, but music is the center of it all I suppose, I plan my life around concerts and travel, and I love my life….

Time wise, I'm relegated to using the weekends, holidays, and work associated travel time. And being accustommed to not getting a lot of sleep, but again no one at home nagging me about it, so it's cool.

Originally posted by nkotb:
I'm curious too. Either fools have a TON of vacation days each year, or some of you aren't gainfully employed. Which of course begs the question "How the fuck do you pay for it all?"

[/QB]

i've been trying to piece that shit together for months.

there's the one dude that hops on a plane to france to go see the smashing pumpkins… (cause hey, why not). then the other dude that lived w/ daft punk for like 2 weeks… and apparently is subletting a cot in tori amos's tourbus for the fall.

not that there's anything wrong with it… i wish i had the means to do that. i'm just kinda baffled at how they pull it off.

i think someone works for Apple.. but that's all i got.

Originally posted by nkotb:
As for "competition in this area to be at the "happening" show", I wonder that too. Either we've found a board of people that mostly have an IDENTICAL taste in music (what are the odds of that?) or there is a bit of scenester-ism going on.

People with different tastes largely get chased off the board or don't post because there aren't many people with their tastes here.

As for scenesterism, it definitely happens, but I think it's often misinterpreted. I don't think a lot of people say "OMG! I have to go to that show because it's the place to be!" I think many go because they are curious to see what the hype is all about.

i have a job. i work 9:30 - 5:30. not speaking for others - but as most the shows i see are in NYC - theres virtually no travel costs (public transportation or walking) - its pre-tax dollars from my paycheck for subway. dont drink at shows all the time (often time friends buy me drinks). and i just put a good chunk of my money towards rent & concerts. no more vacation time than anyone else (prob less), but unfortunately it also means i cant travel to shows.

doubt that any of us are trust fund babies, we just have different priorities. like some of the guys stated, im single, own property and am not worrying about being home at xyz time or family comittments. (family is in cali). i also go to a ton of free shows when i can, and have been meeting people who can get me into shows for free. but i dont mind paying $10/$15 for a show. my friends like to do the same things, so these days its as cheap as seeing a movie.

will i be doing this in a few years?? who knows.

Originally posted by SalParadise:

Originally posted by nkotb:
I'm curious too. Either fools have a TON of vacation days each year, or some of you aren't gainfully employed. Which of course begs the question "How the fuck do you pay for it all?"

i've been trying to piece that shit together for months.

there's the one dude that hops on a plane to france to go see the smashing pumpkins… (cause hey, why not). then the other dude that lived w/ daft punk for like 2 weeks… and apparently is subletting a cot in tori amos's tourbus for the fall.

not that there's anything wrong with it… i wish i had the means to do that. i'm just kinda baffled at how they pull it off.

i think someone works for Apple.. but that's all i got.

Dude, you bastardized a ton of posts, but….First off I don't work for Apple, I have stock in Apple.

2nd, I didn't jump on a plane to France, I took the Eurostar from London because I was ALREADY in the UK for ATP Fest the weekend prior and added a couple of days onto the previously scheduled trip once the show was announced. This was just good ole vacation time.

The week after when I went to PinkPop in the Netherlands was sorta a free weekend because I had meetings in Brussels, just cost me hotel and festival pass as the airfare was covered via work. Used travel and comp time to make up the difference.

I'm a strategic traveler, I foot the bill for most myself, but often working internationally is bonus for a concert nut job like me.

Originally posted by xneverwherex:
i have a job. i work 9:30 - 5:30. not speaking for others - but as most the shows i see are in NYC - theres virtually no travel costs (public transportation or walking) - its pre-tax dollars from my paycheck for subway. dont drink at shows all the time (often time friends buy me drinks). and i just put a good chunk of my money towards rent & concerts. no more vacation time than anyone else (prob less), but unfortunately it also means i cant travel to shows.

doubt that any of us are trust fund babies, we just have different priorities. like some of the guys stated, im single, own property and am not worrying about being home at xyz time or family comittments. (family is in cali). i also go to a ton of free shows when i can, and have been meeting people who can get me into shows for free. but i dont mind paying $10/$15 for a show. my friends like to do the same things, so these days its as cheap as seeing a movie.

will i be doing this in a few years?? who knows.

speaking of, grab me (and fede, i think) inside heartland brewery when everyone has assembled for tonight.

Originally posted by nkotb:
I'm curious too. Either fools have a TON of vacation days each year, or some of you aren't gainfully employed. Which of course begs the question "How the fuck do you pay for it all?"

As for "competition in this area to be at the "happening" show", I wonder that too. Either we've found a board of people that mostly have an IDENTICAL taste in music (what are the odds of that?) or there is a bit of scenester-ism going on.

Originally posted by Greer Zoller:
I hope I'm not sidetracking this thread, Rhett. I am so curious though - without getting too personal (and not to repeat similar discussions) – do you all have great jobs that you can afford these amounts which include travel, food, drinks? (and not be in debt) and, what about time off work? (leaving early, coming in to work late?)
And for some it's a hobby, lifestyle, whatever, but is there some competition in this area to be at the "happening" show?

I'm guessing a lot of these people telecommute and just take their laptops with them. If I travel to a show I generally do it cheaply by using air or hotel points, staying with friends, taking the smellyass Chinatown bus etc.

Originally posted by le sonick:
no lamb of god show for you last night? fun times…

as much as i would've loved to come see somebody else deal with lamb of god and hatebreed while having no responsibilities whatsoever, i was working the less than jake show at the club.

you didn't get any trouble from a cute pink haired LOG stalker, did you?

Originally posted by SalParadise:

Originally posted by xneverwherex:
i have a job. i work 9:30 - 5:30. not speaking for others - but as most the shows i see are in NYC - theres virtually no travel costs (public transportation or walking) - its pre-tax dollars from my paycheck for subway. dont drink at shows all the time (often time friends buy me drinks). and i just put a good chunk of my money towards rent & concerts. no more vacation time than anyone else (prob less), but unfortunately it also means i cant travel to shows.

doubt that any of us are trust fund babies, we just have different priorities. like some of the guys stated, im single, own property and am not worrying about being home at xyz time or family comittments. (family is in cali). i also go to a ton of free shows when i can, and have been meeting people who can get me into shows for free. but i dont mind paying $10/$15 for a show. my friends like to do the same things, so these days its as cheap as seeing a movie.

will i be doing this in a few years?? who knows.

speaking of, grab me (and fede, i think) inside heartland brewery when everyone has assembled for tonight.

ok - per oliver's request - we're going to meet in front of heartland brewery. i think we might stop in there after. julie mentioned something about some beer on tap tonight? dunno. anyway ill either call or find you guys in there. so fede's showing up tonight? havent seen him in forever. although i know he said he saw me at tokyo police club.

oh btw - is heartland brewery next door to bodies or is it that small pub at the corner?

i feel like we have some really cliquish nyc group thing going on here. LOL. btw - did you get justice tix? im still undecided as far as !!!. just cant bring myself to spend the money for that show. then again, a lot of more expensive shows im having trouble buyign lately. cant click the buy here button.

Originally posted by xneverwherex:

Originally posted by SalParadise:

Originally posted by xneverwherex:
i have a job. i work 9:30 - 5:30. not speaking for others - but as most the shows i see are in NYC - theres virtually no travel costs (public transportation or walking) - its pre-tax dollars from my paycheck for subway. dont drink at shows all the time (often time friends buy me drinks). and i just put a good chunk of my money towards rent & concerts. no more vacation time than anyone else (prob less), but unfortunately it also means i cant travel to shows.

doubt that any of us are trust fund babies, we just have different priorities. like some of the guys stated, im single, own property and am not worrying about being home at xyz time or family comittments. (family is in cali). i also go to a ton of free shows when i can, and have been meeting people who can get me into shows for free. but i dont mind paying $10/$15 for a show. my friends like to do the same things, so these days its as cheap as seeing a movie.

will i be doing this in a few years?? who knows.

speaking of, grab me (and fede, i think) inside heartland brewery when everyone has assembled for tonight.

ok - per oliver's request - we're going to meet in front of heartland brewery. i think we might stop in there after. julie mentioned something about some beer on tap tonight? dunno. anyway ill either call or find you guys in there. so fede's showing up tonight? havent seen him in forever. although i know he said he saw me at tokyo police club.

oh btw - is heartland brewery next door to bodies or is it that small pub at the corner?

i feel like we have some really cliquish nyc group thing going on here. LOL. btw - did you get justice tix? im still undecided as far as !!!. just cant bring myself to spend the money for that show. then again, a lot of more expensive shows im having trouble buyign lately. cant click the buy here button.

Maybe I can help….

<img src="http://www.telephoneart.com/clipart/telephone264.gif" alt=" - " />

or maybe since you guys are relatively close

<img src="http://www.dsokids.com/art/tin%20can%20telephone.jpg" alt=" - " />

way to go, rachel

Originally posted by SalParadise:

Originally posted by nkotb:
I'm curious too. Either fools have a TON of vacation days each year, or some of you aren't gainfully employed. Which of course begs the question "How the fuck do you pay for it all?"

then the other dude that lived w/ daft punk for like 2 weeks… and apparently is subletting a cot in tori amos's tourbus for the fall.
[/QB]

Okay this should help: I have four weeks of paid time off at my job, I try and telework as MUCH as possible, and my rent is cheap.

But essentially, I am just really bad with money, and I act very compulsively. If I see tickets are on sale for a show that I want to see for a band that I like, more than likely, I'll be on that shit. I'm a fan of Southwest Airlines because you can fly a bunch of places for hella cheap if you book early enough. I've been doing what I do (seeing multiple shows and what not), since about 99, and I still managed to get away with graduating college and maintaining a somewhat normal life. I'm no superhuman super-scenester with a trust fund, I'm just a regular 23-year old with a job and really bad money management skills… (and maybe OCD?)

Getting back on topic…

I average about 40 concerts per year. I guesstimate that my average cost per concert is about $25 for admission. That comes to roughly $1000 per year, not including ancillary costs like transportation, drinks, etc. I almost never buy concert T-shirts anymore, and I only have an occasional beer. As for transportation, I usually take the Metro unless it's a large venue in MD or VA.

I do get a lot of vacation time, but I don't take it to attend shows. I'm single and gainfully employed and have a flexible work schedule. (Did I answer all the questions?)

Wait a minute. What kind of work do you do that gives you four weeks of paid vacation, and enough money so that you have 5K per year for concert tickets, and another 10K per year for concert related travel, and still be able to pay all your bills….when you're a 23 year old recently out of college?

Originally posted by ixkpd-bk:

Originally posted by SalParadise:

Originally posted by nkotb:
I'm curious too. Either fools have a TON of vacation days each year, or some of you aren't gainfully employed. Which of course begs the question "How the fuck do you pay for it all?"

then the other dude that lived w/ daft punk for like 2 weeks… and apparently is subletting a cot in tori amos's tourbus for the fall.

Okay this should help: I have four weeks of paid time off at my job, I try and telework as MUCH as possible, and my rent is cheap.

But essentially, I am just really bad with money, and I act very compulsively. If I see tickets are on sale for a show that I want to see for a band that I like, more than likely, I'll be on that shit. I'm a fan of Southwest Airlines because you can fly a bunch of places for hella cheap if you book early enough. I've been doing what I do (seeing multiple shows and what not), since about 99, and I still managed to get away with graduating college and maintaining a somewhat normal life. I'm no superhuman super-scenester with a trust fund, I'm just a regular 23-year old with a job and really bad money management skills… (and maybe OCD?) [/QB]

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes,Japanese Golfer:
Wait a minute. What kind of work do you do that gives you four weeks of paid vacation, and enough money so that you have 5K per year for concert tickets, and another 10K per year for concert related travel, and still be able to pay all your bills….when you're a 23 year old recently out of college?

I'm a public policy consultant for a company here in DC. I get most of August off, due to Congress being out on recess, and I'm damn good at what I do. Went to school on scholarship. Not really high in debt. Every 23-year old doesn't necessarily "struggle" with finances.

I spend between $500-$1,000. Depends on who I'm seeing.


A few big shows @ MCI Center, other venues( Madonna, Destiny's Child, Beyonce/Missy Elliot/Alicia Keys) and a few at 930, other venues(Massive Attack, Garbage, Lily Allen 2X, Peaches,Nelly Furtado)

Sort of a concert newbie, really didn't start going until this year, but spent about $350 so far and tickets in hand for 2007. Note: Includes 2 comedy shows (~$100).

But that's not including mom's b-day gift tickets to Tim McGraw. I had no interest, but had to buy 2 so she wasn't alone.