jjgittes

I wonder how much the record industry changes have impacted concert prices. It used to be making money on tour was a close second to the spike in album sales the shows generated. Now that revenue can no longer be expected. Every time we all lament about ticket prices, it reminds of what a dj said about Bruce Springsteen being a "hyprocrite." Springsteen wails about the rich abusing power and keeping people poor but now the only people who can afford to see him are the very people he whines about. Well, maybe there is a message in there somewhere, I don't know.

Agree that VIP sales are a total waste and rip off. But posts that are okay with it justify it like talking about "this is capitalism" or "it is easy to get tickets." First, ticket selling has become a monopoly that creates an illusion of a free market when it really isn't. Call it capitalism but a monopoly is supposed to be controlled and have restrictions. Our political leaders get to many free tickets to bother. The fact is these VIP packages are simply a "legal" bait and switch like cars. Dealers can be shut down for advertising one thing and selling another. But ticket companies are allowed to do the same thing without consequence. It is a travesty but the key issue here is the current structure of the "system" allows for it and we have to just deal with it.

Agree fully with the ticket conspiracy. I can bore you with several stories but it has worked that way ever since my daughter had the first wrist band number they called for The Spice Girls back when you actually had to go to the retailer to wait in line and all they had were nosebleed. As much as artists rail against ticket sales practices, they have done very little to stop the thievery going on. As one dj cracked on the radio when ticketmaster sent fans directly to their scalping ticket exchange site instead of selling Bruce Sprinsgteen tickets directly a few years ago, politicians could take a step towards stopping the monopoly but they'd have to give up all the free tickets Live Nation gives them.

I wouldn't mind seeing "Fly By Night" or "Bastille Day" as the first encore or maybe use one of those two to kick off the second half. But with this being exactly 100 years before "2112," anyone else feeling a complete side 1 is in the works?

Snaked and Yorkie, I agree fully with the ticket "nonsense." It is a self-fulfilling prophecy that all the "movements" started by guys like Pearl Jam that would keep tickets away from scalpers have made it easier for scalpers to get tickets. And I haven't heard diddly squat about the so-called investigation into Ticketmaster when a few years ago they were caught sending people to their scalping-priced site instead of their regular ticket site minutes after Bruce Springsteen tickets went on sale. I think we have to deal with the fact that ticketing is a monopoly and the scalpers will continue to take tickets from fans. And, sadly, the artists, who are getting more and more removed from their fans due to creating layers of people around them, per an article in a business magazine some year back, and no longer being able to count on album sales to generate the kinds of revenue it once did, will probably not care to do much of anything about it. Atrocious yes. But seeing RUSH, or any concert by a group you love, is sort of like a prostrate exam these days-you may not like the pain of the process but you gotta do it and feel better for having done it.

Hmm, too bad they opted for the Gibson here in Los Angeles. Horrible sound. Anyone know why they've endeared themselves to that place? I prefer an outdoor venue but guess this being a winter tour that was out(although the Stones played Dodger Stadium in November their last time out). I imagine the "gap" between 11/19 and 11/23 probably means they are expecting to add a second night on the 21st. I hope so, the Wednesday before a four day weekend .

May be a stretch here but earlier this year, Mark Twain's novel "Huckleberry Finn" was being re-released with the word "slave" in place of the "N" word Twain originally used. I was driving and listening to a talk show discussion about the whole thing and during a commercial I flipped to the classic rock station. You probably guessed it-They were just starting a "block" of Rush with Tom Sawyer as the first track. I giggled at the whole thing but maybe some of you are right-RUSH works in mysterious ways.

I too am in that 75-80% crowd. And agree with Pariah on Presto and the fact S&A is overall the most "likable" album from a number-of-songs standpoint in a long time. What worries me is how the so-called "classic" rock station in Los Angeles(KLOS) might soon have me DIS-liking songs. I swear that station believes the only two songs RUSH ever recorded were "Tom Sawyer" and "Spirit of Radio." But there is hope. The new "classic" station(100.3) played "Fly By Night," the other day and it felt refreshing. Thank goodness at least one radio program director might realize there are great songs that need a break once in awhile.

When both were on "Sat.Night Live,"someone summed up Pohler and Fey best when he said, if he was in a bar with his friend and they spotted both of them, Fey would be everyone's first choice. Pohler would be the "plain" friend the second place finisher would have to settle for.

QUOTE What time is the show tonight likely to get out? I'm trying to arrange a ride home. Will it be around 11? 11 sounds right. If I recall, last year, the guys were into their encore at about 10:35-10:40PM. I have been told the venue has an 11PM "curfew" anyway.

QUOTE Get a couple of baby-boomers together with a pint of whiskey and a couple of sticks o' weed and all hell breaks loose! It's a little embarrassing sometimes. No way, if I did that, I'd be asleep by "Subdivisions." Of course, the snoring could be embarrassing.

QUOTE First off, my apologies to anyone of any age that may have been offended by my remarks. Thanks. No worries, I got it, just busting your chops. See you at the next Rolling Stones show.

QUOTE Older crowd than usual, as I'm in my late 30's and wife and I felt we were definitely on the young side. The last few times I've seen them in Irvine and Las Vegas and it's a younger crowd there Gee, sorry they didn't enforce the "No one born before their first album came out can attend" rule for you, leavemythingalone. May I suggest Justin Bieber next time instead? You'll feel better about yourself. By the way, I'll be there Wednesday as well. But you'd better avoid me being old and all. I'll be easy to spot-I'll be wearing the "RUSH-The B.C. to A.D. Tour" shirt.

Agree, RUSHEAD666, I just thought it was my hearing or seat location being off to the side at the Gibson last year that "messed up" the sound. Seeing them outdoors the last three times out spoiled me. I too am on the fence for the second leg at the Gibson, partly due to the venue. There are still some single seats left and I am sure I would have pulled the trigger by now had it been the Hollywood Bowl.

..the "bonding" of the fans. I've seen RUSH several times through the years (hey, I was around for their "B.C. to A.D" tour) but for the first time ever, I went solo. I kind of figured it would be a lonely experience. But man, it was anything but. Went to the Universal City show Wed. night and just "hung out" with some great people and a couple of other married guys "bacheloring-it" for a night. Normally, when I do something on my own and my wife asks me how it was my stock answer is "oh, not as good as it would have been if you were there"(my hunch is she has never believed that b.s. anyway). But I have to say,a RUSH show is different in that regard. So just felt like throwing out kudos to all the fans that became better than family for me over three hours plus. Enjoy the rest of the tour, everyone.

Great show Wed. night. As usual, the band delivered. IN regards to tickets, they were selling the cheap seats at the door upon entry, not scalpers, but Universal. Have never seen that at a RUSH show before. By the way, not sure if anyone else agrees, but Universal seems to be going downhill. It was hot inside, there wasn't an usher in sight(I was in the loge) which allowed people to stand in the aisles and obstruct my view. But the biggest gripe I have is I paid $150 bucks and the view was obstructed by the speakers. No biggie in that I could see the band, just not the videos behind them, but it I am pretty p-o'd that I paid top $$ and couldn't see 100%. Still, the band was great, just not the venue.

I'll be at Gibson also Wed. night. See you there. Hope they are selling the polo shirts at the show. For whatever reason, that strikes me as the most interesting in what looks to be a "bland" selection this time out. Also, sad to hear some comments about the quality of their shirts dropping. I mean my 30th anniversary shirt still looks perfect. Hope they didn't get slipshod like my last t-shirts at Paul McCartney and Cheap Trick this year. Complete and utter garbage. I thought the bands would at least approve the merchandise quality but obviously, those two acts no longer care. RUSH has had the most durable of just about anyone else, hope they haven't screwed over the fans like the others.