Friday, July 24, 2009
Crazy Crap Who's the Boss? Judging by Ticket Prices, It Ain't the Guy Who Sings 'Jungleland'
Posted by Jim Ridley on Fri, Jul 24, 2009 at 12:55 PM
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Who holds more clout in the public arena, rock stars or political figures? If we want to keep score in the brutal terms of the marketplace--e.g., the ticket prices they command--here's how a king of rock stacks up against a former POTUS.
Tickets for former President Bill Clinton's Jackson Day appearance just went on sale at noon, while tickets for Bruce Springsteen's show at Sommet Center go on sale at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Here's how they match up:
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Sept. 10 at Sommet Center
Nose-bleed seats: $35
Down front: $98
Former President Bill Clinton, Aug. 29, location TBA
Keynote dinner: $150
Finance council reception: $1,000
$150? Who does this guy think he is, Van Morrison? But the implication should not be lost on the music industry: The "finance council reception" is a shakedown whose time has come. (I think I paid $25 once for a "finance council reception" with The Bangles.) But to see who comes out on top, let's weigh the value-added benefits and debits of the two events:
Springsteen: Will bring in thousands more people. Will further the cause of music by performing classics such as "Thunder Road" and "Born to Run." Will have insanely hot groupies well into their 50s.
Clinton: Will wring more thousands from fewer people. Will further the cause of music by not playing his saxophone. And though chicks dig Big Bad Bill, the hottest groupie you'll probably see is Mike McWherter.
Since you don't get dinner with Springsteen--though concession-stand nachos will be available, and possibly preferable--the comparison isn't entirely fair. Still, it'll be interesting to compare the sellout speed of the two events. The Boss has no opening act. Clinton, on the other hand, will be preceded by Gov. Phil Bredesen and Harold Ford Jr. Advantage: Springsteen.
UPDATE: Oops. How did I miss tickets for Clinton's "Governor's Roundtable," a steal at $5,000? Broooce, care to add a car wash or something?
Comments (4)
Showing 1-4 of 4
Um, Jim: You DO realize that Bill Clinton's appearance is a FUNDRAISER right?
Right???
{shakes head, walks away}
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Posted by
Southern Beale
on July 24, 2009 at 3:32 PM
Sure—a fundraiser where people agree to pay for the privilege of seeing a celebrity in the flesh. You pay X amount for limited access to Springsteen; you can pay XX and XXX to get even closer to Clinton.
Posted by
mr. pink
on July 24, 2009 at 4:40 PM
