Hot Licks on the Cheap

Last week, reader Gordon left a comment on my post Lazy Girl, Interrupting, where I talked about my (then) upcoming trip to The Police concert. Gordon asked: “Did you get a frugal deal on the tickets? Any tips for music fans to see cheap shows?” Since today is the official start of summer, I thought that it would be a great opportunity to answer that question (as frugally as possible, of course!).

(Here is a picture I took at The Police concert. They sure are sparkly!)

As a matter of fact, Gordon, I got the best deal possible on those tickets - they were FREE! And what’s more we had passes for free parking, too. (Sometimes I forget about the parking costs at events like this; I don’t know why because it usually costs a pretty penny - be prepared to pay $20.00 to park to see you’re favorite bands!). And if that isn’t enough to blow your mind, we also had passes to a VIP party beforehand - free food, drinks, and sparkling conversation with other Police and Elvis Costello fans. Yep, I REALLY hit the cheapskate entertainment jackpot that night.

How, you may ask, did I swing this? It’s not because I’m a VIP (Very Important Person) but am a VIT (Very Insistent Tightwad), who also happens to have a husband who works for the company who happens to own the Superpages.com Center, host of The Police, Elvis Costello, and other top acts. I’ve also had the opportunity to see Barry Manilow (Yep, I’m a Fanilow) for free and oh, don’t look now, but Cruefest is just around the corner.

However, Gordon, if you don’t have an opportunity to marry into free concert-ticket Nirvana, there are other options. While free is always best in the Cheapskate Universe it’s not always possible, so we aim for the next best option (really cheap tickets). Finding these opportunities is as easy as looking up your nearest big-city newspaper on-line. For me, that newspaper is The Dallas Morning News. A quick look at their Summer Concert Guide tells me there are plenty of great options for a Cheap Music Fan like me. A small sample of some interesting possibilities: Charlie Sexton ($20.00 = whoo! I had the biggest crush on him when I was a kid); Tanya Tucker ($12.00); Steve Miller Band & Joe Cocker ($25.00); Lyle Lovett ($1,000 - ha, ha, I love ya’ Lyle, but I don’t think so!); Chicago & The Dooby Brothers ($10.00); Billy Bob Thornton(?!?) ($17.50) (All that, and he sings, too!); Foreigner & Bryan Adams ($10.00). Of course, these are the low end of the price range for many of these acts. But to true Music Fans, just being in the presence of Greatness is enough, even if you have to sit on the grass.

Another option to consider are the summer entertainment offerings of local Parks and Recreation Departments. Every year, my hometown works very hard to put on some great events. One of the most fun is a week-long “Battle of the Bands” featuring local up-and-coming talent. This is completely free, and is a showcase for some truly talented folks. Many of the surrounding cities offer similar events for free or for a small entrance fee, so it’s possible for Cheapskate music lovers to have a great Frugal time throughout the whole Summer.

Well, Gordon, I hope this post puts to rest your fears that Music Lovin’ and Tightwad Livin’ are mutually exclusive. They aren’t. The truth is, whatever your interest or passion in life, it is almost always possible to pursue it down the Frugal path. Just don’t forget about the parking!

Happy Memorial Day, Dear Readers.