Buy the ticket, take the ride?

Right now, I have a ticket to the upcoming Celine Dion concert on reserve at Ticketmaster... but only for the next two minutes and 15 seconds.

Don't worry -- I'm not going to buy the thing. It's all yours, dude.

I just wanted to see what it would cost me to watch the Vegas diva howl her way through a bunch of songs inspired by sunken ships, because I personally turn to Gordon Lightfoot, 3 Inches of Blood or The Tragically Hip when I'm feeling a little nautical.

Shipwrecks aside, it turns out I can see Dion for no less than $195, plus $14 convenience fee (which is a misnomer if I've ever seen one).

I'm sure the Baby Boomers will be out in full force on Oct. 27 and 28, and I'm sure they're only too willing to swipe their Visa Platinum cards in hopes of seeing the diva's lower lip quiver like that of a sleeping horse as she really nails the high notes.

For my part, I draw the line at $100 -- and there are a paltry few bands for whom I would drop that much coin.

I love live music as much as the next person, but a bill is just a foolish amount of money to pay for a concert unless Jesus Christ himself is playing lead guitar for Slayer. I'd drop a hun to see that go down.

But really, look at all the other great acts you can see in the coming year for less money: Iron Maiden, Foo Fighters, Def Leppard, Lenny Kravitz, Rush.... OK, I don't really consider the last two to be great, but some people do.

And when it really comes down to it, the best shows I've seen in recent years have been at smaller venues such as the Pyramid and the Royal Albert Arms, where bands sweat blood and can't hide behind pyro or light shows. I usually paid less than $20 to get into those shows, and I felt I got more than my money's worth when I was walking out -- which must mean the show was a success.

Furthermore, I had $80 left over to spend on beer. 

If you do want to spend $209 to feel like The King of the World, I won't judge you. In fact, head to Ticketmaster.ca. There's a great seat in the 100 section that just opened up.