Finding a golden ticket

My wife was driving to work the other day and nearly drove off the road. She called me from a parking lot full of excitement. She heard on the radio that musician Bruno Mars will be coming to Philadelphia for two nights in early September.

My wife and son have talked often about how they both like his music. Mars has a diverse catalog of songs blending R&B, funk, pop, and soul that spans generations. His ability to cross over is driven by both his hits and diverse collaborations. Of course, that night, the two joked about going to see the concert together. They thought it would be a cool Mom and Son moment.

Off the cuff

Being a good father and husband, I decided to check out tickets to Mars’ 2026 Romantic Tour to see how much it would put me back to surprise the two of them. Concert tickets have risen in price in recent years, but I thought it might be worth it to still check. I covered my eyes as I searched for tickets on TicketMaster, Stubhub, and elsewhere online.

It’s safe to say that I wasn’t laughing when I found that both shows were starting around $220 to $230 per ticket for “don’t look down or you might fall” upper level tickets. Mid-level seats were costing anywhere from $350 to $800. And yes, floor seats were costing “an arm and a leg and maybe a kidney too.” Yikes.

Now I’m out of touch when it comes to concerts, but that sounds like a lot to me.

The best artists and bands to see in concert

On a whim, I checked out the cost of the original Woodstock tickets in 1969. The music festival in the Catskill Mountains in New York in August 1969 cost $18 in advance for all three days (about $120–$160 in 2026 dollars). The show ironically became a free concert after larger-than-expected crowds started showing up and organizers failed to build fences and ticket booths in time. A little closer to current day, ticket prices for Bruce Springsteen’s 2000 reunion tour with the E Street Band ranged from roughly $30 to around $85 for premium seats.

It got me thinking though. Music fans have their favorites. Fans talk often about who they would love to see in concert. In many ways it’s a great conversation starter. Who would you want to see in concert today? And how much would you be willing to pay? Which artist — living or dead — would you be willing to pay exorbitant prices?

Many people say names like the Beatles, when they were still all alive, and Queen with Freddie Mercury. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd’s original lineup, and Oasis, which had its first live appearances last year since they split in 2009. If not a particular group, many folks talk about concert events like Woodstock or Live Aid, the historic charity concert at Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, which raised funds 1985 for famine.

Lights, sound, magic

Thanks to my hearing loss, I’ve never been a big concert goer. It’s hard enough for me to hear normally. Forget about putting me in a cramped space for two hours with speakers that can’t always keep up. Despite that, I still love live music and have my favorites. My list is short, but a mighty one. It starts with some classics:

–Bruce Springsteen and Eagles sit at the top of my list. Bruce because whether you like him or not, he would be sure to give you your money’s worth. He is legendary for his marathon concerts, frequently performing 3-to-4-hour sets, often without a break. His longest-ever show lasted 4 hours and 6 minutes in Helsinki in 2012. (I’m obviously not paying much attention to President Trump’s call to boycott Springsteen. If anything, it puts him higher on my list.)

And Eagles, because, well, they’re the Eagles. Glenn Frey passed away ten years ago, but I would still pay a small fortune to see the band. They have two more shows tonight and tomorrow in Las Vegas. They’re scheduled for two more shows at the Sphere later in April. Then, they have final shows set in May in Atlanta, Nashville, and Arlington, Texas. The dates are likely the band’s final performances, wrapping up their historic career.

–Today’s version of the must-have ticket. Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour sold a record-breaking 10,168,008 tickets. Am I a Swiftie? No, but I can’t deny her creative genius. Plus, she grew up on Christmas Tree Farm not too far from where I live. Of course, I have to root for her. If I don’t, Pennsylvania will take away certain privileges. I’ll be doomed to live the rest of my days without a good cheesesteak, yummy pretzel, fresh Amish Apple or Cherry Pie, or Hershey’s chocolate. Plus, I love how she goes out of her way for her fans.

–With or without you. I’m a product of the eighties. Of course, I love U2. The Joshua Tree, Unforgettable Fire, Boy rank as some of my all-time favorite albums. And of course, I would love to see Bono and the rest of the boys play all the songs that I grew up with and still love today.

Bruno Mars was a nice thought. However, my wife and son both agreed, they didn’t want to pay the crazy prices. Oh well, maybe next time. Who would you like to see in concert? How much have you paid for a concert? How high would you be willing to go? Oh the tough challenges.