I was checking tickets to see Steve Martin in D.C. on Oct. 12 and the lowest ticket price is $70. Wow. Not so sure about it now.

Posted - 08/13/2009 :  11:29:28          

Sadly live performances by name performers are getting to be too expensive for me nowdays. Hard to know where to lay the blame.

Gary Blanchard
"an outlier among outliers"
http://www.gbandf.com

Posted - 08/13/2009 :  11:39:20    

I know what you mean, by going to the performances, we support those prices. I dont mind paying a fair price, and I dont feel they should play for peanuts, but I feel that is a little steep.

Posted - 08/13/2009 :  11:44:30      

back in the days when I had hair, I remember going to see the Eagles / Jimmy Buffet performing on July 4, 1976. Tickets only cost $12 - $15

Russ

Posted - 08/13/2009 :  11:57:00    

Festivals continue to be the best value going.

Posted - 08/13/2009 :  12:54:24        

The cheapest ticket for his October show at the Ryman is $45 - ouch! I hope the Steep Canyon Rangers are getting a good piece of the action.

Sam Farris
www.tranjo.com -- Tranjo travel Banjo
www.electricbanjo.com - TranjoCaster electric banjo
www.silentbanjo.com - Silent Practice system for any banjo

Posted - 08/13/2009 :  19:03:55    

I'm guessing most of the blame can be laid at the feet of "Ticketmaster" who pretty much has a monopoly on live event ticketing.

-----------------------------------------------
"A life lived in fear is a life half lived."
- Fran, "Strictly Ballroom" (1992)

Posted - 08/13/2009 :  20:00:26      

I was excited he was coming to Denver but......

Cheapest Tickets are $35 for nosebleed upper deck plus $12 "convenience fee"

Decent seats are $75 plus $14 "convenience fee"

I'm not paying those kind of prices. I'll be checking Craigslist for some last minute deals the day before the concert. Maybe I'll get lucky.

I just don't understand these Convenience Fee's. I guess it's like the airlines charging you to check you bags. Just more fee's.

Bob

Posted - 08/14/2009 :  07:51:28    

Gonna see him when he gets to Denver. Two tickets - $55 each. Not really happy with the price, but he's one of my favorite people, and a pretty darn good picker. I'm psyched to see him.

"It ain''t over yet - as long as you keep moving, they can''t throw dirt on ya"

Posted - 10/12/2009 :  09:53:16      

I saw Steve Martin's show last night at the Ryman. SO good! WELL worth the $65 I paid for the ticket.

If any of you are interested I wrote an account of the show. He DID make good use of the Steep Canyon Rangers, and, it being Nashville, he had Earl up on the encore. Always awesome to see Earl!

http://blog.murphymethod.com/2009/1...t-the-ryman/

Casey


http://www.caseyhenry.net
http://blog.murphymethod.com

Posted - 10/12/2009 :  10:04:27        

Here's my perspective. I'd rather spend $65 on Steve Martin in Nashville than to drive to the nearest casino (Evansville?) and lose that much in 15 minutes :).
steve

"There is no such thing as failure, only failure to try"

Posted - 10/12/2009 :  11:44:29  

W're going tonight. Kids bought us tickets for our wedding aniversity.

Eat, Sleep and Pick

Posted - 10/12/2009 :  16:51:13    

My wife insisted that we go see SCR and Steve Martin when they come to Denver, and she bought us the pricey tickets in the orchestra pit. She said it something like this, "If we're going, we might as well be able to see!"

(I sure love my wife. She was just as supportive when I bought my OME, too!)



Lachlan

Posted - 10/13/2009 :  04:48:49    

I was at the Atlanta show and it was great. The SCR did a great job and they were worth the price.

Posted - 10/13/2009 :  05:33:10          

Ditto Charlotte.
Balcony seats $54, took my daughter and we had a blast. Rangers were great, Steve was relaxed and did a little comedy/humor between songs and tuning his 3 banjos. 3 encores to a SOLD OUT show...the last song? KING TUT! My daughter (26) asked me "what the heck was that?" Back when the music she was into was on Sesame Street...

I highly recommend the show...

Michael

Have a Great "Banjo Day!"
BanjoDay@gmail.com
Michael York

Posted - 10/13/2009 :  06:17:00    

Okay folks, try a £55 ticket price for his London show [thats £££ not $$$], to be honest though its probably gonna be worth it as we see so few bluegrassers here in the UK.

Proud Union Man

Regards from London.

Posted - 10/13/2009 :  07:26:03      

Aw, I wish we'd gotten to hear King Tut. But then again, I'll take Earl over King Tut any day!

Casey

http://www.caseyhenry.net
http://blog.murphymethod.com

Posted - 10/13/2009 :  08:12:43  

I have tickets for the Denver show. The price made me hesitate for a moment, the I went ahead and bought them. My Sweetheart was the one that suggested we go, knowing how 'tight' I am with money. We too will be in the orchestra pit, row GG. Not to close, but not to far away either.

This is one of the few concerts I have gone to in years. However I attend Rockygrass every year!

Ed e

You're only young once, but you can be immature forever!

Posted - 10/13/2009 :  11:49:16      

I remember when a cup of coffe was 5 cents.... it's all realitive.... but we somehow remember the cheaper prices more on things we don't use everyday...

if he comes near my area, I'll go see him and have the memories for the rest of my life... 70 bucks? I can waste that at a restruant with my family

gdoc

Posted - 10/13/2009 :  13:38:56    

Two of the shows were cancelled in my area (PA/NJ) due to lack of ticket sales. Gotta be the prices that is the reason. Can't imagine lack of interest......sigh!

- Steve

"If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it wouldn't seem wonderful at all." - Michelangelo

Posted - 10/13/2009 :  13:49:58    

I think it's Barabara Streisands fault. They all figure if she can get 500 to 1500 dollars a ticket, well hey what's 70 or 80 a ticket.

Banjo players trail mix. 1 part M+M's, 1 part peanut M+M's and 1 part Kraft Caramels.

Posted - 10/13/2009 :  14:00:26  

Went to the DC show last night. The show was terrific, well worth the money. My summary: two shows in one - great comedy and great bluegrass, Steve was hilarius without really trying, excellent picker and C/H, and the SCR's were at the top of their game. Again, thanks to Steve for his being a special abassador for banjo & bluegrass music. Jim O

Posted - 10/13/2009 :  14:02:36  

Also, the show ended with a B/G King Tut - a real treat. Go see it if you can.

Posted - 10/13/2009 :  15:08:53  

Below is my aunt's report from DC. I am going to the Chicago show, but I'll probably have a slightly different view than she did, since I'll be in the very back row of the balcony.

I was happily seated in front row, absolutely center, with Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers within a few feet. Really enjoyed the concert--one hour and 45 minutes. First encore: Orange Blossom Special. Second encore: Bluegrass version of King Tut. Don't know if officially sold out but looked/felt sold out. Very responsive happy crowd.

The only guest was a female country singer from Nashville--don't remember her name. She and Woody Platt (SCR) sang Pretty Flowers. At the Nashville performance Dan Tyminski and Rhonda Vincent sang Pretty Flowers AND Earl Scruggs made an appearance! John McEuen opened the show in Nashville. I was hoping he would make an appearance in DC but....

It definitely was not a typical bluegrass crowd but the music was well received. I thought it was interesting that the song (other than encores) that by far received the greatest reaction was Steep Canyon Rangers a cappella version of "I can't Sit Down".

Here they are doing that song at Joe Val 2008.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Tex...ture=related

That's my report for now. Very good; just the right amount of Steve's humor/banter and great music.

Edited by - EggerRidgeBoy on 10/13/2009 15:09:28

Posted - 10/13/2009 :  18:09:14    

Ouch on the ticket prices... oh well. I guess I'll just have to go back to SCR by themselves when they play Cat's Cradle in Carrboro 11/21

Posted - 10/13/2009 :  18:11:13      

quote:

---

Originally posted by EggerRidgeBoy

Below is my aunt's report from DC. I am going to the Chicago show, but I'll probably have a slightly different view than she did, since I'll be in the very back row of the balcony.

I was happily seated in front row, absolutely center, with Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers within a few feet. Really enjoyed the concert--one hour and 45 minutes. First encore: Orange Blossom Special. Second encore: Bluegrass version of King Tut. Don't know if officially sold out but looked/felt sold out. Very responsive happy crowd.

The only guest was a female country singer from Nashville--don't remember her name. She and Woody Platt (SCR) sang Pretty Flowers. At the Nashville performance Dan Tyminski and Rhonda Vincent sang Pretty Flowers AND Earl Scruggs made an appearance! John McEuen opened the show in Nashville. I was hoping he would make an appearance in DC but....

It definitely was not a typical bluegrass crowd but the music was well received. I thought it was interesting that the song (other than encores) that by far received the greatest reaction was Steep Canyon Rangers a cappella version of "I can't Sit Down".

Here they are doing that song at Joe Val 2008.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Tex...ture=related

That's my report for now. Very good; just the right amount of Steve's humor/banter and great music.

---