Naomi Girson | Staff Writer
Concerts are too expensive and too much hassle.
Is it really worth seeing your favorite artist live in concert, or your favorite comedian on a stage?
With the high prices for tickets just to enter the venue, let alone the even crazier prices for being closer to the artist with VIP or pit access, it all just seems too outlandish. On top of it all, you have to clear your schedule, buy the tickets as far as a year ahead of time and worry about parking, dinner and what to wear.
What’s worse, with the tickets you have to buy online, there are always hidden fees attached that seem impossible to get rid of. This means that, even if you set your budget for a concert, you might surpass it with just the purchase of tickets.
With all this hassle, it is miraculous that so many people have room in their budgets to attend … especially when daily essentials are becoming more expensive. According to a Newsweek article, products and services across all industries are so expensive because of the fallout from the pandemic.
“Supply chain bottlenecks and soaring demand for goods and services following the re-opening of the economy after the pandemic-related lock downs sent prices for goods and services skyrocketing to four-decade highs last summer,” the article said.
Concerts have become even more of a luxury, with people having less disposable income and ticket prices getting higher. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Income, the lessening of income comes from the fact that wages are not increasing, as prices of everything else is.
In 1985, a good seat at an Iron Maiden concert would cost you $17.75. This was when the band was at their peak. That’s $48.28 adjusted for inflation.
Today, a ticket to see them, with a decent seat costs $129.50 (plus fees), and frankly, Iron Maiden is past their prime. With those hidden fees at the end, the ticket costs $163.80 on Ticketmaster.
Concerts are supposed to be a fun night out, but they are too expensive to enjoy all the time. Why go at all?
Yes, you get to see your favorite artist live, but what does that really mean?
According to Berkeley B-side, concerts are known to be bonding experiences, and can even relieve stress.
People find a lot of joy seeing a musician or band that they have been listening to for years. It is an important experience for them. Unfortunately, lots of the people with this opinion are young and have less money to spend.
So what little money they have, they are spending on a one-night event hosted by their favorite celebrity that is essentially taking their money. The concert is surely enjoyable, but then after, you are just left with an empty bank account and a lingering feeling of sadness.
In fact, some people even experience a wave of depression after a concert.
“PCD (post-concert depression) isn’t in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, so it isn’t a formal medical diagnosis. However, this doesn’t make it — and the feelings and emotions you might have after a concert — any less real,” according to Healthline.
And aren’t there other better, cheaper forms of recreation?
Taking a walk is a free activity that relieves stress through endorphins and has other benefits too. The coolest part, you can listen to music while you do it.
There are lots of small venues in Pittsburgh alone that can give the same experience for much cheaper.
Seeing smaller local bands supports smaller venues without breaking the bank the same way a Taylor Swift concert would. Plus, there is a better chance you get to interact more with the artists. And, if you go to multiple shows, you could even become friendly with them, something that would never happen if you sat a mile away from your favorite celebrity.
Concerts are a hassle, the stress that you are relieved of during the show is most likely the stress leading up to going to the show.
Finding parking in a crowded area is known to cause stress, and there is even such a thing as parking anxiety. According to JustPark, 1 in 10 people have experienced this, in which they do not want to go somewhere due to fear of not being able to find a parking spot.
And this is just one of the problems with concerts. The biggest are those hidden fees that you only find out about after you have decided to go, waited in an online queue for hours and are at the very last step of purchasing the tickets when your $130 ticket gets a $30 transaction fee. These additional costs are excessive, and it is on top of the already overpriced concert tickets.
In the meantime, everyone who wants to see a show will still have to pay those fees, if they decide that the sacrifice is worth it for them, to see their favorite artist. My suggestion? Save your money, go see a smaller artist or find a chance to bond over music somewhere else.