Vie’s Verses – Have Aerosmith Fans Drawn The Line?
Aerosmith tickets went on sale last weekend. It is the first time that the band will be doing a full-fledged tour of North America in years. Rumors of a new album to be released before the start of the “Global Warming” tour have only added to the rallying cry from the band’s camp that the bad boys from Boston are back in a big, big way. Perhaps in Boston they are back, but apparently, in the rest of America, not so much.
Doing research to see if Aerosmith tickets were sold out across North America yielded some interesting results. The band’s lone stop in Boston is sold out. That is to be expected, as it is Aerosmith’s hometown. However, checking stops across the rest of the tour, most notably California, and New Jersey (which serves as the only New York City area appearance) not only found the show far from sold out, but some insane great seats were still available. The reason these seats were still available can only be speculated as due to price. The lower seats for every show on this tour netted out to approximately $167 per ticket. That’s a lot of cash to see an aging band that hasn’t toured in years.
Aerosmith is also offering special packages where you can meet the band, certain members, or do a live Q&A with them. The price for this “gift” to the fans ranges between $250 and $1800. I remember when bands would meet their fans for free. Now, I have to pay (what could be for some) a month’s salary to have the opportunity to meet and hang out? What the hell is that? Pop Evil comes out after some shows and has a beer with me for free. Hell, sometimes they even buy the beer!
All of this begs the question of whether Aerosmith has lost touch with their fan base, and more importantly, have the fans lost touch with Aerosmith? Yes, once they were the darlings of the rock world, but after the recent turmoil amongst band members, the whole “Brand Tyler” saga, and the lack of a new studio album in ten years, perhaps the band isn’t the shining star they once were. Is it possible that the fans have grown weary of all the bullshit that Aerosmith has shoveled over the last decade and have now decided to revolt by not purchasing their overpriced tickets?
I’ll be the first to admit that I thought the announcement of an Aerosmith North American tour, especially with Cheap Trick opening up for them, would bring on sellouts within hours. And yet, after several announcements, e-mails, publicity, and early on-sale/pre-sale opportunities, the great seats are still available at almost all of the major venues. This is another case of an aging band being out of touch with their fans, the current state of the economy, knowing what the fans can pay, and more importantly, knowing what the fans will pay. Not every act from the 60s or 70s are going to be able to command Rolling Stone prices, because not every act has a Keith Richards or Mick Jagger. Yes, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry were amazing back in the day, and they may even still be highly talented now, but their lack of attention to the fans for the last ten years appears to have finally caught up with them. And while it’s sad to think that the golden age of Aerosmith is long gone, thus revealing my own mortality with it, it’s refreshing to know that fans aren’t going to put up with crap anymore. If you want to sell tickets, lower your prices!
Even the money loving KISS lowered their ticket prices for their current tour with Motley Crue and they offered an amazing one-day special of $14 lawn seats. Now that’s a bargain! The only bargain I see coming from Aerosmith is the fact that you can watch Steven Tyler for free on American Idol. What about you? Are you going to pony up the bucks to see Aerosmith this summer? Or, are you tired of overpriced tickets and holding onto your money for something more affordable?
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I grew up on on Aerosmith & hoped that at my age would make it to a concert… I quess I will “Dream On”! Steven I am appalled at these outrageous price’s. All these year’s I have believed in you, your music, it has gotten me through some really tough times. My daughter and grand daughter even jam to your music. Now it has all come down to the all mighty dollar with you? It is truly sad. My grand daughter is very sick. She is 11. Unfornately, some of things you sing about on the Big One’s Album, she endured at the age of 3, I adopted her, gave her mother 2 choices get straight or get out, she walked away. She walked away. Katie started rockin w/you….And today she still Rockin! Can’t Believe how her eye’s light up when she see’s you on American Idol. Don’t get me wrong, you don’t come before God with her, but you are 2nd in line. Now how I am supposed to tell her that her Earthly Hero, is all about money and doesn’t care about the little people? She is due to have surgery on June 11, 2012. We don’t know how she is going to do. Please answer me yourself, and tell me what to tell this little angel. I wish you and your Aerosmith well in future Endeavors, you just don’t stop caring because someone disappoint’s you. But since this is your last concert’s I guess, you really don’t care about the fans, do you? Especially the little Angels. Sincerely, Tammy Perry