I go to between 20 - 30 concerts a year, but rarely do I go to the big venues any more. Generally speaking, the artists playing in the big venues are artists I've already seen at least once and most of the time more than once. Since that is the case, I just can't rationalize paying the exorbitant prices being charged these days for the big venues. For the price of a good seat to see Roger Waters and his band performing The Wall at the basketball arena here (which is the same place where the Warriors play), I can see several other artists at smaller, more intimate venues, and throw in the bar tab to boot. Heck, the exorbitant *service fee* for a Paul McCartney ticket at Pac Bell Park (where the S.F. Giants play) is more than I paid to sit front row center, literally 6 feet from the stage, just this past summer for 3 excellent guitar god blues shows: Walter Trout, Tinsley Ellis and Coco Montoya.
At this point in my life, given that I've seen well over 400 concerts, I can probably count on the fingers of just one of my hands the artists I'd be willing to pay $250 + service fee to see. It would take a miracle for any of these things to happen, though. Thinking out loud, if John and George, Jimi, or Jim Morrison rose from the grave, or if we had a true Genesis reunion, I'd be there for sure.
