How far would you go to see a concert?

[yoda313]

So how far would you go to see a concert?

To keep it simple and to avoid the km vs miles thing I'll go more generic.

Reason I bring this up is U2 is going to be playing in Chicago in the not too distant future. Now Chicago is about a 6 hour drive from metro Detroit give or take. Aside from that I have no interest in taking time off work, getting a hotel, and going through all the hassle just for a concert. I don't even know anyone in Chicago (my sister used to live there but that was more than five years ago so I dont' know anyone there now).

But if there was a band or soloist performing but not locally how far out of your way would you go?

An hour to POSSIBLY two hour drive would be pushing it for my push to see a performer. Eh the hour is about right for most venues at the max distance from me, usually no more except for traffic or construction.

Now if ROXETTE was playing in the US and they happened to be in Toledo? Hell yeah! I might even be crazy enough to try to go to Chicago to see them (if they are even touring anymore, I'm sure they haven't played in the US in years).

So how about you?

[Soopafresh]

I've seen U2 several times in concert. An ex GF was quite the fan. Never found the shows to be all that good. Unless you're in the first 30-40 rows, I'd pass on it.

I'd drive just about anywhere for a Beatles reunion, but well..you know.

[yoda313]

I'd drive just about anywhere for a Beatles reunion, but well..you know.

Well just a few more days for 9-9-09 and you'll have ROCKBAND BEATLES AND LIVE THE DREAM!

Plus I think they are having a bunch of other release/re-release stuff for the Beatles next week as well....

[MOVIEGEEK]

When I was younger I would drive a few hours to see a concert but now I enjoy a CD/DVD instead.

[freebird73717]

I don't go to concerts anymore. Used to when I was younger. Before the kids came along. Last concert I went to was about 10 years ago. I flew from Farmington, New Mexico to Dallas, TX to see Roger Waters formerly of Pink Floyd. Front row center stage. Freaking awesome concert.

...and I have become Comfortably Numb!

[Kayembee]

So how far would you go to see a concert?

My longest concert trip was my most recent. Two years ago I, my wife, and another
couple drove from Albuquerque, NM to Phoenix, AZ - ~500 miles each way - to see
Loreena McKennitt in concert (for those unfamiliar with her, check out
<http://www.quinlanroad.com> for info). Very worthwhile, and I also got to
see a house in Phoenix I'd lived in over 50 years ago - still there, still occupied.

As for the concert, I'd drive that far again to see her live.

Kayembee

[craigarta]

I live 20 minutes from a Amphitheater and that's a madhouse to get out of the place when a show is over. Real smart build it in the middle a farming area.

[AlanL]

When The Comsat Angels (contemporaries of U2 in the early 80's) played a reunion concert in Sheffield, UK in April, there were fans present who had travelled from Melbourne, Australia and New York. I myself travelled 200 miles each way to see it, and would certainly have crossed the Atlantic to see it if I had to.

The band are playing three more UK concerts in October, and there will be fans present from Canada and New York. I will be travelling about 900 miles to see all three shows.

[Sartori]

I`d travel 6hrs without breaking sweat on it , I work on the basis that I`d regret it if I didn`t as life is to short and its to easy to take a "Im a middle aged old man wearing slippers filling my life with nothing but complaining" route .

[lordsmurf]

Too loud.

[SatStorm]

I go to rave parties and techno festivals, which are not concerts but close.

Biggest trip so far, last February. I took the train for 8 hours, then the airplane for 3 hours, again train for 3 hours, and the local bus for 1 hour. And vice versa.

Usually I just have to fly from Athens Greece to Poland (katwiich) / Germany (Berlin, Dortmund) or Nederlands (Amsterdam), which takes me about 3 - 4 hours.
The problem is not the time you spent on going somewhere, but the money you have to spend for airplanes / hotels and local transporting. Usually a trip costs me an average of 1000 euros. To give you a clue, our local salaries here are around 700 euro per month.

I plan my trips months ahead, so to pay less for hotels / airplanes. And technology helps a lot those days: GPS and internet, can make you walk on foreigner places like being there before. All the info is there to make your travel easy.

[cd090580]

I'd like to go to see a lot of concerts but everytime I need an Hotel even for the concerts at only 50 km from my home.
I don't have a car and the trains are not running after 10 pm (at least to my city)

[dadrab]

Don't forget about all the folks in rural areas who enjoy concerts too. Some of those people have to travel for hours just to get anywhere with a venue big enough for a good show. That's how it was when I was a kid. Living in a rural SC town, it was two hours one-way to see anyone. I made the trip many times and saw some great, great shows.

Someone had mentioned that they no longer go to concerts since they had kids. Take 'em with you...

If you have little kids, I understand. But, I took my then 11-year-old to see Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush a couple of years ago. As we left, with autographs in hand at about 1 a.m., I asked him how he liked it. "It was awesome," came the sleepy reply. He still compares every guitarist he sees with Frank Marino (not much of a fair fight in most cases).

This past Sunday night, I took my 16-year-old to Atlanta (two hour trip each way) to see Chickenfoot. I would have liked to lapse into "oldmanitis" and not driven to the show and then home in the middle of the night, but the tickets were paid for and the expectation was there from son #1. I'm very glad we went. He's been to a few shows - Umphreys McGee, Dave Matthews and such as that, but he'd never seen a stage full of musical wizards with real showmanship until Sunday night. That boy kept a grin on his face from the time Satriani struck the first chord until Chad Smith kicked over his drum kit at the end. Well worth the trip.

Too loud.

Earplugs are your friends, man.

[freebird73717]

Someone had mentioned that they no longer go to concerts since they had kids. Take 'em with you...

If you have little kids, I understand....

Yep they're little. 8 year old and 3 year old.

Wouldn't be bad taking my 8 year old but try enjoying a concert with a very active 3 year old in tow. Of course it's also a money issue for me. Before kids it was easy to go and spend money to see a concert with just me and my wife. Now with the kids we just don't have a lot of money to spare.

We don't go out much at all anymore.

[hech54]

I took my then 11-year-old to see Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush a couple of years ago. As we left, with autographs in hand at about 1 a.m., I asked him how he liked it. "It was awesome," came the sleepy reply. He still compares every guitarist he sees with Frank Marino (not much of a fair fight in most cases).

I've seen Frank twice. Once MANY years ago....mid to late 70's at the Leona Theater
in Homestead, Pennsylvania. The place was condemned shortly after...NO kidding.

Second time was when he opened for Kansas....very early 80's....(Kansas)Monolith Tour.

[dadrab]

Yep they're little. 8 year old and 3 year old.

Yeah. Probably a bit young, yet. But don't rule it out for later. One parent goes; one stays at home. Keeps your ticket costs down. That's what we've always done.

We don't go out much at all anymore.

Been there too... The older the kids get, the better that situation becomes as well. Take heart.

[pinetop]

Now Chicago is about a 6 hour drive from metro Detroit give or take. I might even be crazy enough to try to go to Chicago to see them (if they are even touring anymore, I'm sure they haven't played in the US in years).

I've made that same drive several times, it is not a 6 hr drive. Its a easy route. Heck, I've even taken the train from the D to Chicago.

http://www.mapquest.com/maps?1c=Chicago&1s=IL&2c=Detroit&2s=MI

[dadrab]

I've seen Frank twice. Once MANY years ago....mid to late 70's at the Leona Theater
in Homestead, Pennsylvania. The place was condemned shortly after...NO kidding.

Second time was when he opened for Kansas....very early 80's....(Kansas)Monolith Tour.

Probably the most underrated guitar wizard on earth.

You've seen a real master. Well done.

I've seen him three times. Twice in the 70's and the time mentioned above. Each and every time, he blew the place away - not just with his skill with the fretboard, but with his general musicianship overall. I saw him once as he opened for Nazareth. I actually felt sorry for the headline act. If I'd been a member of Nazareth, I'd have quietly packed my shit and gone back to the hotel.

Not sure how he compared to the Kansas of that time. If I have my chronology correct, that was before Steve Morse was their guitarist. The original Kansas guitarist was pretty good, but not "Frank Marino good." Morse might have given him a run for his money, though. 8)

On the occasion when I took my younger son, he was the youngest person in the house. Total strangers - several of them - kept coming up to us, patting him on the head or shaking his hand and telling him stuff like, "Son, you're about to see the best guitarist you'll ever see."

After the show, we stood in the autograph line. Marino would sit to sign the photos, discs, whatever. But, when anyone stuck out their hand to shake his, he stood up, looked the fan in the eye, and stuck out his hand with a glow of true gratitude on his face. He looked right over my son's head at first... Then, he looked down and ask him how he liked the show. After getting the answer, he dug around in his pocket, pulled out a pick and handed it to him.

My older son, who took up playing guitar a couple of years ago, was on-line one day and asked, "How come Frank Marino's not listed in the Rolling Stone top 100 guitarist of all time?" I started to reply with the truth (as I see it) about how he was never really much of a puppet for the record companies, but figured he was too young to understand all that. So, I just replied, "I'm not sure." A few minutes later, he said, "Now this is wierd. I've been reading the interviews from the guys that are on the list. Just about all of them mention Frank Marino as a major influence. How can that be?"

"I'm not sure," again was my reply.

[lordsmurf]

Ear plugs? Nope, still too loud. Hearing pays the bills.

[dadrab]

Ear plugs? Nope, still too loud. Hearing pays the bills.

I understand.

I always use the dense foam ones and they work pretty well for me. I have to use my ears a good bit too and need them to be as good as they can.

One interesting thing I've noticed in recent years... Concerts aren't as bloody loud as they used to be. Better electronics, better mixes, less noise, less feedback, etc. All combine to make concerts (with earplugs) much more enjoyable and less taxing on the auditory nerves.

[lordsmurf]

I won't even mow the lawn without a headset that blocks about 50db. Those little foam earwigs do about 20db at best -- still too loud when operating something (or being at a place) that is 90-100 db for an hour or two.

[TheFamilyMan]

My hearing doesn't allow me to see a band live nowadays though there are some I'd really like to see. I now suffer from severe, i.e. LOUD, tinnitus in one ear and it REALLY SUCKS! In my youth in the late 70s/early 80s I went to a few concerts too many (though there were all excellent) and now I live with the consequences. At that time I did drive a few hours to see a band. My kids are constantly reminded of my plight; it really is your own private hell.

[dadrab]

My hearing doesn't allow me to see a band live nowadays though there are some I'd really like to see. I now suffer from severe, i.e. LOUD, tinnitus in one ear and it REALLY SUCKS! In my youth in the late 70s/early 80s I went to a few concerts too many (though there were all excellent) and now I live with the consequences. At that time I did drive a few hours to see a band. My kids are constantly reminded of my plight; it really is your own private hell.

Really sorry to hear about that.

I guess I got pretty lucky in that I sang for a band while in high school and college (and after too). I found early on that, after a gig, I couldn't go to sleep until the wee hours. It finally dawned on me it was because my ears were ringing. I started wearing earplugs back then. Not only could I stay on pitch better (I could hear myself more clearly), I didn't have to lay awake until four o'clock in the damn morning waiting to fall asleep.

Funny though, it never occurred to me the damage I perhaps saved myself until I was in my 40's. I just wore them so I could get some rest.

[hech54]

Probably the most underrated guitar wizard on earth.

I loved all of the early stuff but for some reason HATED What's Next....then Juggernaut
came out and I got back into him one more time. Haven't heard much of his work after to be honest.
He is still definitely in my Top 10 all-time greatest guitarists. He'd be in the Top 5 if it wasn't for
Randy Rhoads....
My list changes daily....who am I trying to kid.


Yep....Frank sure did a number on the old Leona Theater that's for sure. They stopped
his show half way through to pull people from the balcony in case it fell down. We felt so
much better knowing and empty balcony would fall on us vs. a full one.

[MOVIEGEEK]

Second time was when he opened for Kansas....very early 80's....(Kansas)Monolith Tour.

I went to that concert when they were in Los Angeles, Frank only played for 30 minutes.
As for concerts being loud I too have tinnitus in one ear from loud music(too many heavy metal concerts).

[dadrab]

I loved all of the early stuff but for some reason HATED What's Next.

That's a hoot. What's Next is one of my favorites. I've always loved the back of that album, but couldn't figure out what the problem with it was for years. As you know, there are the four guys in the band pictured. Each are holding a wrench in each hand. I'd look at that photo and ask myself, "What the hell's wrong with this picture?" Finally, I realized there are four guys but nine arms with wrenches.

Go back and listen to Strange Universe again. Frank will move back into your top five. 8)

And, just for good measure, I read an interview with Randy Rhodes years ago where he said that he picked up a lot of his licks (or the basis for them) from our dear old friend Frank.

We felt so much better knowing and empty balcony would fall on us vs. a full one.

Yeah...I'll wager you did.

[dadrab]

I went to that concert when they were in Los Angeles, Frank only played for 30 minutes.

That's a shame. I wonder what happened...

Every time I saw him, he played a full concert. But, the last time, he played a three-hour marathon show.

[hech54]

Second time was when he opened for Kansas....very early 80's....(Kansas)Monolith Tour.

I went to that concert when they were in Los Angeles, Frank only played for 30 minutes.

That was the show(Kansas) that had a green laser shoot out to the ceiling from each drum....during the solo.
I remember that vividly....VERY vividly......but we won't go into that.

[dadrab]

That was the show(Kansas) that had a green laser shoot out to the ceiling from each drum....during the solo.
I remember that vividly....VERY vividly......but we won't go into that.

I went to a Blue Oyster Cult show in the 70's, before the federal government issued a moratorium against their laser show. They did a trick where they had a bunch of lasers dancing all over the ceiling. The object was for the lasers to dance and give the illusion the ceiling was slowly being lowered. Well, due to all the smoke (? 8) ) in the venue, the trick went off without a hitch, BUT it worked too well. Every acid head in the place freaked and really thought the ceiling was coming down.

Once we figured out what was going on, we got a big kick out of it. Every now and again, some fool would haul ass past us heading for the exit.

[Des]

I used to travel up to 3 hours to see Blue Oyster Cult, but in recent years you can tell that they are just 'Going Through the Motions' and now I only see them if it is ultra-convenient and not too expensive.

I have a friend who works in radio and back in the 80s and 90s used to get concert tickets comped as well as back stage passes, all the time. I have easily been to over 200 concerts of major and minor acts. Sadly, those days are over due to the Elliot Spitzer antitrust laws, but it was a good ride while it lasted.

Last concert I went to was Monster Magnet in a small club in NYC; that was in May. Before that it might have been Pat Benatar with my wife last year.

I always wear ear plugs ever since my first concert (Styx - Paradise Theater Tour) and my ears rang for two days.
I even wore them to see Bette Midler

--dES