Got your tickets for tonight's Rolling Stones show yet? Yeah, me neither. Nothing against their enduring music or their showmanship, which is impressive for a bunch of blokes in their 60s. But I have a problem with the band's stratospheric ticket prices, which, despite corporate sponsorship, climb with every tour.

 When the Stones played Rice Stadium in 1994, their first Utah gig in almost three decades, the best seats cost $59. When the band returned for a Delta Center show in 1999, top tickets were priced at $125. 

Now premium seats for tonight's concert are $350, plus Ticketmaster's wallet-gouging $29 "convenience" charge. By that math, taking a date to the show will cost you $758, not counting parking, food or beer. Forget Christmas presents this year, honey, let's go see the Stones!! 

To be fair, the Rolling Stones do offer cheaper ticket options: You can sit in the upper bowl tonight for $95 or even $60, if you want to bring binoculars and supplemental oxygen. But $350 puts the best seats out of reach of all but the wealthiest fans. I realize the Rolling Stones have become a hugely profitable corporation in which everyone demands his slice of the pie, but how many more millions do Mick & Co. need? 

There are signs these escalating prices are turning off Utah concertgoers. When the Stones came through 11 years ago, Rice Stadium's 31,500 seats sold out in 72 minutes. Although the Delta Center holds roughly 15,000 for concerts, as of Friday several thousand tickets were still available, including plenty of $350 ones. Even Utah's scalpers won't touch them.
 
"These prices are too high, even for us," said ticket broker Jack Johnson of Nice Guy Tickets. "I've had very few calls for the Stones." More>>>

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posted by ADMIN @ Tuesday, November 22, 2005