WHEN OUR CHILDREN were little, we had season tickets to the Children’s Theatre in Minneapolis. We started taking our older child, and then brought his brother along when he was old enough to enjoy the show. We had tickets in the front row of the balcony.
Before my youngest son’s first show, he looked over the balcony railing at all of the people below. He asked why we were clear up here, when there were all of those people below us. My oldest son told him in a conspiratorial whisper that it was “because Mom and Dad are cheap.”
I reminded them that, while we may be cheap, they were here at the show. In my defense, I believe that, in many venues, the first row of the balcony is one of the better seats in the house.
For several years, we held season tickets to the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Our seats were in the second balcony. But as I’ve gotten older and our finances have become more secure, I find that my ticket purchasing has become a bit less thrifty.
For instance, a friend is coming to town and we’re going to a Twins game. We’re sitting in the seventh row behind home plate. Similarly, when Manhattan Transfer was doing one of its last concerts, the venue was the Dakota, an intimate jazz club. My wife and I secured a booth right in front of the stage. Meanwhile, we took my mother to the touring production of Hello Dolly. We were in the first row of the main floor. My mother’s smile while watching the show made the price of the tickets immaterial.
I still can’t bring myself to pay for tickets on the 50-yard line when Purdue, my alma mater, comes to town. But I’m closer to the 40-yard line than the end zone, which is where I watched the games when I was younger.
I justify all of this by citing the research that says we’re happier when we spend money on experiences rather than things. Still, I’m not 100% sure that you get more happiness by sitting in the front row rather than the cheap seats.
For many years, my father-in-law had season tickets to the University of Minnesota’s Gophers basketball games. He would take me to the game when the Gophers played Purdue. His tickets were literally the very last row of the highest section, behind the basket. I have wonderful memories of those games.
I’m not sure we could have enjoyed the games any more than we did—which means that perhaps I’m wasting money buying more expensive seats. What I do know for sure: It would be a shame to miss building those memories with the people you love and care about—and you should go even if you can’t afford the best seats.
We took our kids to see The Harlem Globetrotters and my co workers teased me for being cheap as I didn’t buy souvenirs. But like you mentioned in your article, I was happy and grateful we were able to be there live and enjoy the great show.
As my daughter begins her sophmore year of high school I’m saying yes to more and more tickets to events and just enjoying the time together with my kids.
We were also at the Dakota to see the Manhattan Transfer, a performance that I still remember. A much better experience than a large concert hall.
My daughter is a huge Taylor Swift fan—I mean from the early days before Taylor was even a big deal. Last November, we bought tickets for the two of us to go to last week’s show at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. We bought them on the secondary market a couple of weeks after they went on sale. They were not cheap, but they were great seats. I’ve spent months listening to the playlist like I was studying for a test.
Now the sad part of this story: Six days before the concert, which we’d been planning for eight months, my daughter was in a serious car accident and hospitalized with a badly broken ankle that required surgery and new permanent hardware. There was no way she could manage the concert. We very sadly listed the tickets for resale and sold them at a profit, which was good because she will not be able to work for months (she’s a server/bartender) and needs some cash to stay afloat until she gets a settlement (she was a passenger and the driver was at fault).
As it happens, my husband and I are booked to go on a European river cruise next summer that ends in Amsterdam. It occurred to him to check when Taylor would be in Amsterdam, and amazingly, it’s the same week we were already scheduled to be there. It turns out that it’s MUCH cheaper to buy Taylor Swift tickets in Europe, so we got tickets for the three of us and are cashing in airline miles to fly her to Amsterdam for the show and a few days of sightseeing after we get off the cruise. It’s some consolation and something to look forward to, though it was still heartbreaking to lose out on last week’s show when we were so close.
Big picture, I’m grateful that my daughter’s injuries weren’t worse, and of course, there are bigger tragedies than missing a Taylor Swift show.
Glad to hear your Swiftie is doing better now. While I wouldn’t consider myself a fan, I do appreciate the range of styles Taylor Swift has used over the years.
My wife and I bought a subscription to Philadelphia’s broadway series at the Kimmel Center. Her brother and wife have had them for several years before, and we were able to get tickets in a box with them. This gives us the opportunity to meet them for dinner in Philadelphia and enjoy an evening, 6 or 7 times a year. It is not inexpensive, but we enjoy it.
An extra special bonus – we were able to meet Jonathan and Elaine for dinner in Philadelphia one evening!
Kenyon, I enjoyed this.
When I was a teenager and it was the early days of the ABA, a friend and I would go see the Dallas Chaparrals play. We’d buy tickets for seats on the floor behind the basket for $1—yep, one dollar. The downside was that when play was at the other end of the court, you missed a lot. But when when it was on our end, we were so close to the players that we could hear every grunt and see the sweat fly off their brows. Fun and exciting and great memories!
As a teen, I saw every band that played the Jacksonville Coliseum or the smaller venue next door at six bucks a ticket, a price that was dear to me then. Attendance at live events grew rare afterward. Today, it’s confined mostly to satisfying my daughter’s interests at the Shakespeare Tavern in Atlanta, or the occasional symphony performance. When my brother-in-law moved here from CA, I promised to take him to see his favorite performer Paul Thorn the next time he played nearby, but he never got strong enough to make a show. I lean Dick’s way on big crowd shows, but l do like the experience of live music in an intimate setting. I just don’t make the time for it.
Have been to the Tavern and symphony many times. Very enjoyable.
It is the experience, but it also depends on how you’re wired, what you enjoy, and your energy level. I get to see high-quality AAA baseball only 20 miles away. There are numerous college football and basketball opportunities (I live in Raleigh, NC and close to Durham & Chapel Hill), but I very rarely go. Here’s my thing: I’m 70 and still go to rock shows at bars or small venues. I often stand the whole night. Sometimes I go with friends, sometimes I go solo. It’s a great experience for me.
I guess I’m just a stick in the mud, but it is beyond my comprehension what some people spend to attend sporting events, concerts, etc. I just don’t get it.
Yes, spending on experiences rather than stuff is probably the way to go, I’m just not a crowds person, especially in a confined area.
Just for fun I looked up the price of some Taylor Swift tickets, the cheapest I found was $400 and the highest $7,100. Holy cow!
I was fortunate to attend the Masters Tournament a few times and that was enjoyable and free to me – in wide open space and quiet, but we saw less than watching TV – except you did get to see a player display their frustration you don’t see on television.
We’ve been to several sporting events that cost substantial money and ended poorly for our team. You’re already disappointed that your team lost and having spent a bunch of money to be there is insult to injury.
We’ve realized that if you spend money on, say, a Broadway show or a Taylor Swift concert(!), at least you know what you’re getting, quality-wise. With live sporting events, there are no guarantees as to the outcome or even that it will be a good game.
So live music or theater—yes. High-end sporting events?—Well, we have a very nice TV, I’m in complete charge of the food and beverages, and there’s never a line for the restroom.
My daughter and granddaughter attended the Taylor Swift show this past June in Chicago. My daughter was able to get face value nosebleed tickets that did offer a good view of the performance; state of the art technology now allows concert goers to actually hear the music. Of course, the cost of the attending far exceeded the ticket cost –my granddaughter had to fly from NC to Chicago, stadium parking was very pricey, there was the “necessary” new outfit to attend the event, etc, etc. All told, I’d estimate cost as above $1000. Worth it?? Absolutely!! The “value” was “being there.” And not just for the people who were in the stadium. A huge number of Swift’s fans gathered in Grant Park outside the stadium where they could hear the music, see the fireworks, and exchange the friendship bracelets. Live events are important because they allow people to interact — and Swift’s audiences, which tend to be disproportionately female, are very well behaved!
I’ve also gifted my husband great Yankees-Red Sox tickets. Won’t happen this year, but when the Yankees are playing well, worth every penny of the exorbitant price I paid on the re-seller site!
As for attending a golf tournament, I’d rather put a stick in my eye!!
“it is beyond my comprehension what some people spend to attend sporting events”
I agree. I know a few who are die-hard alumni fans and will spend money for airline tickets, hotel and food to attend a college football game.
I said I never go and see the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four in a football stadium. In 2017 I had tickets to the NCAA Men’s Final Four fall into my hands and my team was playing. My wife and I and my two brothers have been to four Final Fours’ in the last 6 years. Don’t always get great seats, yet it’s a great four days.