One look at this image from Gaslight Anthem’s ‘59 Sound Sessions Photobook and you can smell the beer. Sweat in the air. Cramped dance floor. The low suspended ceiling adds to the romance. The thrill of seeing a band about to step up fuelled by …
The Joe Strummer Foundation has recently launched a new store to help raise money for its various causes. The JSF, ex-Strummervile, was created after the death of The Clash frontman in December 2002. Strummer, along with being one of the coolest punks to ever dawn …
Springsteen on Broadway is both incredibly brilliant and incredibly overpriced.
To see the Boss pour his heart and soul out in the intimate 975 seat Walter Kerr Theatre, it’ll cost you betweeen $850 to $75 a pop. Whenever there is a range like this the bulk is usually at the higher end. This show is no exception with the $75 seats consisting of two rows in the balcony. Springsteen does have a lottery every show. Winners are offered $75 tickets sprinkled throughout the theatre.
Overall you can peg the average price at $500. This is coming from a guy who has built a career singing about the working man. He did install #VerifiedFan ticket purchases, which made sure that those willing to dig deep into their pockets were at least #realfans. Or motivated #realscalpers.
The minimun wage in New Jersey is $8.60. $850 is roughly two and a half weeks wages. Pay me my money down indeed.
Kind of gross, but here’s an argument. When the Stones set $600 ticket prices on many of their 50th Anniversary Tour seats, the rational was that they were charging what scalpers charged anyways. Until now, Bruce has refused to join the price-the-scalpers-out-of-the-market thinking. Noble, but also niave. One could argue that until now, he has done little to keep reasonably priced tickets out of the hands of secondary markets.
PersonalIy, I paid way more for the 2016 River Tour than for Springsteen on Broadway. Full disclosure, I was one of the lucky verified fans to score $75 tickets. I sat in the nose bleeds, which in the Walter Kerr Theatre is like having high side-stage reds at any arena show.
The tickets are overpriced, but they are also sold out. Apparently, fans of Working on the Highway have lots of money. The show has been extended twice and still scalpers/doucebags have tickets listed at north of $1,000.
Sometimes it sucks to be a music fan with a mortgage.
But still, sitting in the theatre last night with my $32 double gin and tonic… hey the bar closed as soon as the lights went down and a guy has to cover his bases. As I sat there with the most expensive drink I’ve ever ordered, I couldn’t help but think that it was all worth it.
Springsteen on Broadway is nothing short of amazing. It’s about the passion of rock ‘n’ roll. How once heard, it changes lives. It is a testament to Springsteen’s gift as a storyteller. He bears his soul and raise spirits. It’s the Boss and an expression of rock ‘n’ roll like you’ve never seen it before. And he is doing it 5 nights a week.
Anything more and I’d spoil it for you.
Look, hopefully one day artists will be able to keep their tickets out of scalper’s hands. We all know they can try harder. Until then punch a scalper in the face for me. And don’t give them your money. Supply and demand peeps. How StubHub is even allowed to operate is an injustice.
I wish you luck in scoring the cheap seats and would like to save a little face by mentioning that my $32 gin and tonic came in a commemorative cup. And I have no intention of listing it on eBay for $500000000000000.00 even through the Boss did look up to the balcony while I was taking a sip from said cup.
You can enter the lottery to win $75 tickets to Springsteen On Broadway here.