Confession: I broke down and bought rock festival concert tickets.

[MoneyCat]

One of my major weaknesses over the years has been going to rock shows.  I just love it and I've spent thousands of dollars over the years on it.  I've kept it under control for the past year, but (Father, forgive my sins) I just broke down and bought tickets to a rock festival show.  At first, I was just going to go see the free tribute bands at the show, but then I saw that they added six or seven rock bands I really love to the festival line-up and I caved.  I feel so ashamed.

On the Mustachian side of things, the tickets were only $60 for two days of shows with a total of 14 hours of performances.  Plus, the festival is being performed less than two miles from my house.  I checked with the promoters and there are plentiful bicycle racks at the festival site, so we're going to ride our bicycles there.

Am I a terrible Mustachian now?  Someone rub my back and give me a hot beverage and tell me everything is going to be okay.

[The Pigeon]

As a musician, I applaud your purchase. :-)

[choppingwood]

Lol.

I used to read the job ads, thinking that someday I would see the perfect job with my name on it. Then one day, I did see a job ad that had someone's name in it. John Henry, it said, we have the perfect job for you. We don't know how to reach you, so please call.

Clearly, this a rock festival being held specifically for MoneyCat. They just thought it would be nervy to actually hold it in your backyard. Or maybe that it takes some of the adventure out of it if you don't get to travel there. And it wouldn't really be a rock festival if only you and yours showed up.

ITS SUMMERTIME!!! YEAH!!!

[Retired To Win]

...  the festival is being performed less than two miles from my house.  I checked with the promoters and there are plentiful bicycle racks at the festival site, so we're going to ride our bicycles there...

I don't see how you could have possibly resisted.  I mean, the show is happening practically next door to you.  Go forth and enjoy!

[Norrie]

Rock festivals pay our mortgage and (not very) lavish lifestyle, so you get two thumbs up from me. Please consider also buying several shirts from the merch booth while you're there.  :)

Have a really good time! I hope that it's a great experience.

[warehouse]

Sounds like it's going to be worth it. My biggest weaknesses is following one band around the country every summer. I actually fly places. I started MMM life last September… but I'm still going to 7 concerts this summer. What can I say, it's my happy place!

p.s. I overbought on some good tickets to resell. I've made $425 in profit selling 3 tickets to a couple of the shows I'm going to with 1 more to sell. That helps!

[Zee Mustard]

Perhaps the mustachian thing to do now is to get the best possible value out of what you have (the tix!).  Relish every moment leading up to the show - enjoy every minute - and cherish every memory.  It is your solemn responsibility.  Have a great time! 

[firewalker]

And the bands you will hear are... ?

[DTaggart]

If its something you will truly enjoy, $60 sounds pretty reasonable to me! Several years ago I spent $300 each to buy hubby and myself 2nd row center tickets to see Rush, our favorite band. It was an amazing show and the seats KICKED ASS! Not something I would do on a regular basis but it was completely worth it for a one time occasion. Bonus - I caught one of the exclusive t-shirts they throw to the crowd at the end of the show, and turned around and sold it on e-bay for $50, so I made a little bit back :)

Mustachianism isn't about never spending money, its about identifying the things you really care about and then not spending on the things you don't. Sounds like this expense is in line with your values, so enjoy it!

[Bob W]

I'd say attendance is mandatory.  Rock on

[Lordy]

In my book frugality does not mean saying NO to everything but to rather choose consciously where to (not) spend money.

I myself have spend $200 this week to see 3 shows in Vegas. I do not feel bad about that.
I chose each show for specific reasons and enjoyed every minute of it.

Rock on!

[obstinate]

Bruh, I bought $300 worth of tickets to see my favorite band from way back when they come to town this summer, and that's just one show. I would say $60 is reasonably frugal by comparison. Yes, it is a luxury, and that's important to acknowledge, but MMM himself spends on luxuries. What's important is to realize it's a luxury and not to make a habit of it to the extent that it undermines your other goals.

[Eric]

That's $4 an hour.  Where else can you get that sort of deal?  I spent $250 on my concert festival next month.  It's over 4 days and includes camping and I thought that was a bargain.  At $60, you can still afford a number of $10 beers and come out ahead.

[Eric]

Sounds like it's going to be worth it. My biggest weaknesses is following one band around the country every summer. I actually fly places. I started MMM life last September… but I'm still going to 7 concerts this summer. What can I say, it's my happy place!

I'm getting a little old, but when I could handle back to back to back to back days, I used to love going on tour.  Pile 4 guys into a hotel room, eat bad pizza, and drink way too much booze.  Rinse and repeat.  Ahhh, the good ol' days.

[Otsog]

It's unmustachian to fret over a perfectly reasonable expenditure.

[enb123]

You bought in bulk - it's like $4.30 per hour of pure ROCK!  Sounds pretty frugal to me.  Have fun!

[Healthandwealth]

I hope you'll enjoy the concert!!!! That's the main thing.

[Jouer]

For those of us who love live music, festivals are the most Mustachian way to go (aside from free shows). I'm with Eric, I feel good about the $250 4-day festivals that includes camping.

[MoneyCat]

And the bands you will hear are... ?

They haven't announced all the bands yet, but headliners include Slash featuring Miles Kennedy and the Conspirators, Stone Temple Pilots, Godsmack, and Skillet at this point.  They will also have Otherwise (awesome rock band from Las Vegas), Puddle of Mudd, Skid Row, Lita Ford, Slaughter, Kix, and Faster Pussycat.  So there's a range of bands from different eras in there, but it's all hard rock.

[fwttg]

Sounds like it's going to be worth it. My biggest weaknesses is following one band around the country every summer. I actually fly places. I started MMM life last September… but I'm still going to 7 concerts this summer. What can I say, it's my happy place!

Any chance we'll be seeing at the Gorge on Labor Day?

[Eric]

Sounds like it's going to be worth it. My biggest weaknesses is following one band around the country every summer. I actually fly places. I started MMM life last September… but I'm still going to 7 concerts this summer. What can I say, it's my happy place!

Any chance we'll be seeing at the Gorge on Labor Day?

That's a good username based guess

[warehouse]

Sounds like it's going to be worth it. My biggest weaknesses is following one band around the country every summer. I actually fly places. I started MMM life last September… but I'm still going to 7 concerts this summer. What can I say, it's my happy place!

Any chance we'll be seeing at the Gorge on Labor Day?

That's a good username based guess

I will be there, 7th year in a row :) We are getting an RV and hitting Olympic National Park for 5 days before the shows, 6 of us going. Can't wait!

[ShaneD]

Heh. As soon as I saw this description and your location, MoneyCat, I knew exactly which festival you were talking about:

On the Mustachian side of things, the tickets were only $60 for two days of shows with a total of 14 hours of performances.  Plus, the festival is being performed less than two miles from my house.  I checked with the promoters and there are plentiful bicycle racks at the festival site, so we're going to ride our bicycles there.

I may be there as well. I grew up near there and the thought of seeing Slash, STP, and Skid Row in my old 'hood may be too hard to resist.

Enjoy the hell out of it. Saving for the future doesn't have to mean strict asceticism. It just means being selective, choosing to spend on the priorities that matter to you and skipping or minimizing those that don't. Bonus: Like others have said, you're getting incredible value for the money here. So you're spending and saving simultaneously!

\m/

[The Beacon]

A lot of people have a hobby or 2 that might cost some money.  There is a thread about a horse girl. To that girl, her horse is her life.  To someone like me, it is crazy to have such an expensive and huge pet.

I am not sure how important ER is to you or how much you dislike your job.  You run the numbers.  If it does not conflict your ER date, enjoy it.

Personally, I am all focused on getting to my number for my ER in 2 years tops (class 2017).  So I am willing to sacrifice all instant gratifications to make it happen in 2017. ER/FI has become my only hobby now.

[firewalker]

Your band list makes me feel old. The last rock show I went to was Rick Derringer, J Giles Band, Foghat, and headlined by Peter Frampton. And no, this wasnt a nostalgia show at the fairgrounds last summer. Were talking over 30 something years ago at Angels Stadium.

[Dollar Slice]

Your band list makes me feel old.

Funny, I was thinking the opposite. A bunch of those bands were big when I was in high school and college... :-)

And since you mention it, the last rock show I went to WAS a tribute/reunion type nostalgia gig. But I only went because a good friend of mine was invited to sit in on a couple of songs and he needed moral support!

[MoneyCat]

Your band list makes me feel old. The last rock show I went to was Rick Derringer, J Giles Band, Foghat, and headlined by Peter Frampton. And no, this wasnt a nostalgia show at the fairgrounds last summer. Were talking over 30 something years ago at Angels Stadium.

Not much can be done about that.  Kids today don't really listen to rock music anymore.  They listen to weird electronic video game music made with computers instead.

That being said, there are several relatively new bands on the list.  Skillet sold a million copies of the album they released in 2012.  Otherwise's first major album was released in 2012, as well, and they are currently touring in support of their second album.

I think this line-up was put together with the understanding that rock fans are generally older fans these days and I expect the audience at the show to be people in their 30s and older.

I'm just ecstatic that a rock festival with bands I really like is being held so close to where I live.  Typically, one has to travel about an hour from here by car to get to a festival like that and I haven't been driving much since I went Mustachian.


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[Katsplaying]

Saw loads of shows as a kid in Seattle in the 70s but only in the past few years have I seen some of my all-time faves like Judas Priest, Motley Crue, Disturbed, Alice Cooper, Godsmack, etc.,some for their "farewell" shows. Ok, I saw KISS, too, but that was purely for the live experience (not on my top 100 playlist), which was pretty damn amazing even if Crue did blow them off the stage.

Worse than your expenditure for tickets I bought the insanely priced tour shirts. Stay away from the costly swag and have fun!

[Tabaxus]

Excellent purchase.

[aschmidt2930]

One of my major weaknesses over the years has been going to rock shows.  I just love it and I've spent thousands of dollars over the years on it.  I've kept it under control for the past year, but (Father, forgive my sins) I just broke down and bought tickets to a rock festival show.  At first, I was just going to go see the free tribute bands at the show, but then I saw that they added six or seven rock bands I really love to the festival line-up and I caved.  I feel so ashamed.

On the Mustachian side of things, the tickets were only $60 for two days of shows with a total of 14 hours of performances.  Plus, the festival is being performed less than two miles from my house.  I checked with the promoters and there are plentiful bicycle racks at the festival site, so we're going to ride our bicycles there.

Am I a terrible Mustachian now?  Someone rub my back and give me a hot beverage and tell me everything is going to be okay.

Not at all, sounds like a great time and a good usage of money to me.  Of course, these types of spend are all about balance.  Start doing something like this every weekend, then yeah, you may need to step back and evaluate your priorities.  Here and there?  No problem.

[Ricky]

Spending money on things you enjoy != not Mustachian.

Plus, that's super cheap...just because you post on this forum doesn't mean you're limited to walks in the park, libraries, biking, or any other celebrated free activity by this site. They're merely suggestions for saving money. Sometimes saving money isn't the goal.

[Stachetastic]

My husband and I splurged this past weekend and went to a concert 2 hours away and stayed in a hotel. Tickets were about $60 each and the hotel was $120. It was a huge splurge for us, but I try to see this artist anytime he goes on tour, which is every couple of years. Worth every penny. Enjoy the show!

[crujonez]

I bought tix for my wife and myself to a 4 day camping music fest as well. Don't feel bad in the least. Any other Mustachians Phish fans?

[Eric]

I bought tix for my wife and myself to a 4 day camping music fest as well. Don't feel bad in the least. Any other Mustachians Phish fans?

Yeah buddy!

[iamlittlehedgehog]

$60 for a rock festival that is practically next door? Ain't no shame in that game!

[Iron Mike Sharpe]

Music is one of my hobbies.  But I do it smartly now.  I think I budget $15/month for recorded music and $20/month for concerts and I let that money build up if there isn't anything I'm interested in.

When buying music, I have a list of bands I will buy their albums unheard.  For all others, if I can't get a feel for the album off of music on YouTube, I borrow it from the library.  Except for the smallest of small bands, I can get anything from the local library systems.  This allows me to decide if I really like a band or album.  If I love the album, I eventually buy it.  If not, if I ever get in the mood again for it, I will just get it from the library again.

Most concerts I see are in smaller venues, for $15 - $30 a ticket.  Really reasonable prices. 

I'm seeing Dawes (with Langhorne Slim this weekend).  I've also seen Drive-By Truckers this year doing an acoustic show.  And Jason Isbell (theater show, 3rd row).

Been to Beale Street Music Festival this spring and will go to LouFest and also the Roots n Blues n BBQ Festival in September.