Monday, June 19, 2006

Before some of you may graduate and transfer on, please allow me to impart some of my wisdom. It might come in useful this summer.

Don’t be that friend we all have who purchases a $60 ticket to attend a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert that requires a tourist-spotting telescope in order to barely see which costume Flea is wearing.

Instead of the wasting money on overpriced admission, warm beverages, cheaply made t-shirts and gaudy memorabilia, invest in a moderately priced home-theatre system.

If, like most people today, you have a TV bigger than 27″, a quality home-theater system will cost you less than half a grand.

Let’s do a cost-benefit analysis shall we?

When an artist/band goes on jam-packed tour, the best you can expect is a satisfactory show. The concerts that our friends will be attending this summer will not be breathtaking, even from the best seats. However, Red hot Chili Peppers released a DVD in 2003 of their performance at Slane Castle in Ireland. The stunning picture and sound quality bring you entirely into this once-in-a-lifetime show.

For $60 dollars, my friend will only view the concert once, barely see or hear the band, and incur expenses that would be only marginally offset by trading in his arm and a leg.

For the $399 dollars I spend on a quality home-theatre system plus a Netflix subscription for $19.99/month, I have the luxury of watching the concert on my TV, listening to quality Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, enjoying whatever is in my fridge, and parking my car in my apartment’s parking spot without any danger of hobo urination.

But the most important thing is that I will actually see and hear the band. And for our readers who attend rap concerts, you will save money that you might have otherwise invested in a bulletproof vest. Like the famous proverb, “there’s no place like home.”

Yes, there are some concerts that must be experienced in person rather than watched on DVD. I would love to have been a part of Woodstock, the Majikat tour, or the recent Live 8 worldwide concert. And any concert that Pink Floyd, Led Zepplin or U2 throws must be seen live.

But even though I am a devoted R.E.M. fan, I enjoyed watching the Perfect Square DVD more than actually seeing either concert at the Greek Theatre or the Verizon Amphitheatre in Irvine, respectively.

There are other benefits as well; replay-ability allowing you to learn the songs played by viewing the performers up close, rewinding a song you really enjoyed, and the luxury of inviting your friends over to watch for free.

So next time you get an email from Live Nation (or any other company that turns a heavy profit by selling you tickets), about an upcoming concert, think wisely about where you want spend your money. How you want to see a show is now your call.

TOP 10 CONCERT DVDS

1) Red Hot Chili Peppers — Live atSlane Castle2) Pearl Jam — Live at the Garden3) Eric Clapton and Friends –1986 version4) Cat Stevens — Majikat (EarthTour 1976)5) R.E.M. — Perfect Square6) Stevie Ray Vaughan andDouble Trouble: Live at Montreux1982 & 19857) U2: Go Home: Live From SlaneCastle, Ireland8) Rage Against the Machine: Liveat the Grand Olympic Auditorium9) Paul Simon: Graceland: TheAfrican Concert10) Metallica: With the San FranciscoSymphony: S&M