High ticket prices for Happy concert

[gatech!chinet.chi.il.us!katefans@harvard.harvard.edu (Chris n Vickie)]

Bill Peregoy writes re Happy concert:

>> It will be Saturday March 21st 1992 (this is Happy, not Kate ;^),
>> 7:30pm at the University Museum Auditorium, 33rd and Spruce (and step on
>> it!), Philadelphia.
>> Prices are $15.75 in advance, $17.75 at the door.

> Why so expensive? 

I don't know, but Happy has nothing to do with the price. 

> Nothing turns me off more than a new artist (or any artist actually)
> charging so much for a show in a small venue. 

Happy's hardly a new artist, but I understand what you mean. 
Are you from Philly? If you're familiar with this venue, how many
people does it hold? I'm just curious, because I thought I heard 
Kevin say it was a 2000 seat theater. 

> I regularly pay $5-7 to see much more established acts (for example $5 
> for Nirvana a few months ago, $5 for Mudhoney and Superchunk, etc.) and
> would never pay this to see Happy.  That's too bad because I like what 
> I read here about her and would gladly pay a reasonable amount to see 
> her live if she played in this area.

I've seen tons of great bands at bars for $5 or $6, but for a theater
concert, I don't think I've ever paid less than $15, so the venue
certainly does have a lot to do with it. I doubt if she'll be playing
in any bars on this tour, which (IMHO) is a good thing. So many great
concert experiences were ruined for me because the band played at a bar.

My own attitude is that, though I don't like paying high concert ticket
prices, there are some people I'd rather pay extra to see in a civilized
theater setting than at bars, where people talk throughout the concert,
wander around, and make it very hard to hear and concentrate on the
artist/group. I've had bad experiences at The Innocence Mission, Syd 
Straw and Throwing Muses, to name a few that, during the concert, I was
wishing like crazy they were NOT playing a bar. Plus, many/most bars
don't allow underagers in. I remember how many great concerts I missed
when I was 16-17 because the band played at a bar. Using Ecto as a general
barometer, Happy's fans range in age from 17 to 58. I'd hate to be 17 years
old and miss seeing Happy just because of the venue involved. Also, bars
don't usually have seating, except for maybe stools around the bar and
booths sometimes. Happy's music isn't made for "mingling" situations, it's
to be listened to closely, paid attention to, concentrated on. A theater
setting is perfect for her in that regard too. Happy's been playing in bars
for years, so I'm pleased that she's finally getting to a point in her 
career where she can get out of them.  

> In addition to pissing off fans, you completely eliminate the possibility 
> of picking up any new fans who stop in because they're curious.

I don't think her fans will mind paying this price for Happy. There are
lots of Ectophiles who'll be traveling far distances to see her in Philly.
I know there are Boston & Washington, DC fans are going, and Jorn and I are
toying with the idea of going ourselves (from Chicago) so Philly fans can
count themselves lucky if they are only driving across town. And she does
have a lot of fans in Philly, many more than in any other city in the USA,
even Albany, where she's from. The NPR station there, WXPN, has been
responsible for that. Her song "Feed the Fire" was rated #1 most requested
song for the *year* on that station. She won't have this built-in audience 
in other cities on the tour (dates have not been set anywhere else, btw) so
she will by necessity have to play smaller venues elsewhere. Philly really 
is an unusual situation, so the "new fans who stop by" situation won't even
be needed there the way it will elsewhere.

I doubt that tickets will cost this much in other cities.

Vickie
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