I have to take my iPhone in to the Genius Bar today – it’s not charging on docks – and in my panicked search for my receipt, I unearthed almost 20 years worth of concert ticket stubs. It’s not as impressive as it sounds for two reasons: I don’t really go to that many shows, and I tend to stalk the bands I like over and over again. Also, I just realized that I didn’t find them ALL – I have many Captain Tractor and Great Big Sea stubs that aren’t in this pile. Still, it was a shock to look at the tickets and realize just how expensive shows today are:

• Red Hot Chili Peppers (PNE Forum, 01/04/92): $29
• Metallica (Pacific Coliseum, 05/23/92): $30.50
• Lollapalooza ’92 (UBC, 05/30/92): $30.25
• 54/40 and the Watchmen (10/12/92): $25
• Lollapalooza ’93 (UBC, 06/18/93 – my 19th birthday; I was finally legal!): $37.75
• Lollapalooza ’94 (Cloverdale, 08/30/94): $35

Current day Lollapalooza tickets are $215, but it’s a 3-day festival – no more trying to cram a year’s worth of rock into one long day. Single day tickets are $90, though, which is three times the cost of the entire festival way back in the stone ages. Contrary to all this, the very most favourite and awesomest show I’ve been to was Me First and the Gimme Gimmes in Seattle 5 years ago – my ticket was $15.75. Amanda Palmer at Richards on Richards? $12. The Dresden Dolls at the Showbox? $18. It’s probably a good thing the bands I like don’t tend to tour the west very often – I’d be poor and deaf, but oh what fun there would be!

Speaking of The Dresden Dolls, they’re playing San Francisco on New Year’s Eve. I’m trying to convince Ed it would be an excellent idea for us to go. I have no Major Events lined up at all; this would be a good placeholder until I conquer the globe.