Is anyone here still into live concerts these days?

@tippydi -Perhaps it is, depending on one’s age and finances. I know many 20-somethings, and parents with teen/pre-teen children who love seeing the big stars, and sharing the experience. I enjoy their stories.

At one point I went to many large-venue shows. Last stadium show I went to was Bruce Springsteen, in 2016. Between tickets, parking and concessions I forked over $700+. It was worth it.

And waaaaay back in the last quarter of the 20th century, I enjoyed the music, the scene and the, ahem-concessions (cough, cough). Now, not so much. It’s likely because I’m over 65, and the thought of being surrounded by 70,000 people gives me the willies.

Clubs and small venue shows are a different story. I’ve enjoyed a number of performances at local music venues and jazz clubs in NYC.

Do you go to bigger venue shows?

David

I don’t go to many, but our kids have gifted us a couple of concert tickets in recent times.

We went to hear ZZ Top and Jon Fogarty at CMAC a couple of summers ago. Billy Gibbons can still play, but the band sucked....Frank Beard looked dead at his drum set. Jon Fogarty, on the other hand, hasn’t lost a thing....he was fantastic! He and Billy Gibbons did one tune together that was really good. Fogarty’s son played too.

Last fall I went with my son to hear "My Morning Jacket" in Syracuse, NY, and was pleasantly surprised with an incredible show put on by an immensely talented performer who I wasn’t very familiar with. Great show. Crazy prices.

I prefer smaller shows at local venues on the occasions that you catch someone with talent.

Smaller venues where you can sit close to the band and really watch very talented players play has pretty much wrecked me for large venues where ticket prices are vastly higher for a less satisfying and involving experience.  But that’s me. 

I rarely attend a show where the capacity is over 5,000.  Prices for most large shows are ridiculous and I'm not satisfied sitting somewhere far away or off to the side, don't enjoy the parking hassles, and the sound usually sucks. 

I'd much rather go to Jazz Alley in Seattle, sit right in front of the stage, have a nice meal, park for free, and be on the freeway in 5-10 minutes after the show. 

I go to a lot of shows throughout the year, there's a lot of great talent playing smaller venues where you can get reasonably priced tickets and be in the first 10-15 rows and enjoy great sound.

Last year for the first time in years my wife and I went to see Styx and Foreigner at the Bangor Maine Amphitheater. I was actually surprised how good the sound quality was compared to many of the arena style shows we attended in the past. The negatives were pretty much what has also been said except for the majority of the crowd standing for the entire show. Why buy front row seats if you are going to stand? At 75 my feet and back aren’t up to it.

We do go out at least a half a dozen times a year to smaller venues where you have good sight lines, maybe a meal and not have to be concerned about the weather.