The first ticket information released by The Dead has gone to the mail order department at GDTS TOO (site plays a really sweet Eyes if you let it load a few minutes). Mail order begins the same day as internet presale which is this Tuesday, January 13th. Tickets to the general public go on sale Friday, January 23rd. See our previous post for ticket information.
The interesting part about the announcement is the tickets prices. All but the first show has two price tiers averaging $100 on the high end and $70 on the low end. They aren’t doing many shows at this point so tickets will be in demand but these are big numbers for the Dead. This is what Jimmy Buffett, Rolling Stones or The Police charge and the Dead haven’t been on that level in 14 years.
And these numbers are not lost on the fans. I’ve talked to many people already about this and feelings are mixed between disbelief and apathy – some people will pay whatever it costs to go to a Dead show. I think the rest of us fall in to both groups but some are not staying quiet. Dead.net has a very lengthy thread (37 pages right now) regarding the tour where you can sound off. Ratdog.org also has several threads on the subject.
What do you think, is the band worth it? If so, will you see fewer shows this time because of the price?
$100 a pop is bogus – what can you expect though from the Guys who pulled the SBD’s off the archive. I’d rather see moe. for $30.
Yeah – I went online for the pre-order queue and was shocked at what a seat on the floor was going to cost me. I decided pretty quickly that I’d save my money. I’ve loved the Dead in all their incarnations for many, many years and I’ve seen many, many shows…but I’m a parent now with a family and there’s no way I’m shelling that kind of money out. I know the shows will sell out, so there’s an argument to be made that they’re just working with the marketplace – but do the boys really need to be trying to rake that kind of cash? Unacceptable for me.
Yes, it’s a bit steep, but not out of line for a concert these days. I don’t know about Jimmy Buffett or The Police, but the Stones charged WAY more. I’ve had a blast at recent Phil & Friends shows, they’ve been playing on a pretty satisfying musical level consistently. I haven’t heard The Dead play, so I don’t really know what to expect. I see this tour as kind of a ‘class reunion’, hope to meet some other old heads, have a great time, and hopefully the music lives up to their past performance. Now that Jerry’s clean and and all… (just kidding)
I’ll try to bring a miracle ticket or two if I can swing it for those who couldn’t.
Hard for me to believe people are upset at a bunch of old rock stars charging money for concert tickets. Seems like it’s a pretty normal thing. It sucks if you can’t afford it and want to go, but the party has always been in the parking lot and all over town, whatever town the band is playing in, so why not join the party instead of griping.
i got 2 behind the stage inchicago for 120 total. i got one for dave matthews in nyc for 86. the lineup is gifted. warren is great. jeff is great. they sounded good at the inauguration. whats not to love?
Why shouldn’t I be upset? Those kind of prices are totally bogus.