Can my concert ticket buying habits be somehow subsidized?

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Think of those people who buy weird little action figures that they’re way too old to buy but they buy them anyway (you know who you are). Whatever floats your boat!? To be honest, I understand these little plastic men buyers. . . . I can relate to wanting something you know you can’t afford/you know that you don’t "need" but you justify it in any way possible.

Enter concert tickets...

I tried to show some restraint and I didn’t buy Elton John tix. Something died inside of me that day. No worries I of course caved and was jolted back to life when I agreed to let a friend purchase EJ tix off of kijiji for way too much! My persuasive friend and I sent a cheque to a complete stranger in hopes of actually getting the tix in return, in hopes that the tix were actually legit and in hopes that the tix would scan through on the night of the concert. (Does anyone else out there do stupid things like this?). After making plan B (I called it operation distraction) we made our way to the concert. If the tickets didn’t scan I was going to cause a scene by either crying hysterically or by kicking a security guard in the shin while "twist my arm friend" ran through security getting lost in the crowd. Good thing the tickets scanned in just fine because I don’t think our plan B was very well thought out. . . . Anyway, between Elton John, Sheryl Crow, and Neil Young (to name a few) my pocket book is taking a bit of a beating . . . a thrashing even.

All this got me to thinking about the "little guy" for lack of a better term. I thought about all of the smaller local shows that I’ve seen in the past month. . .These are the shows that I whole heartedly do not mind dishing out for. . . It baffles me to think that some of our local talent is as of yet still not a big huge F’n rock star, rollin’ in dough, playing at sold out MTS center gigs and bumpin’ elbows with the rest of the cream of the crop. Keeping in mind that this is not everyone’s desire yet, who wouldn’t like a little financial security (that’s the kind of security you never want to kick in the shin). So why!? With the wonderful Winnipeg continual and constant blow me away every time kind of talent, I’m frustrated to know that some of our city artists are struggling to make ends meat!

I went out for lunch last week and noticed one of our city’s finest musicians at a serving job (not mentioning any names) . Working the tables as hard as they would the stage I couldn’t help but wonder . . . is this second job held by choice and contentment or necessity? I am sad to think that the former is not usually the case for most city talents that have to take on working BS day jobs in order to pay rent (and yes to also purchase Neil Young tix). These artists should in my opinion be constantly concentrating on their craft not worrying where their next meal is gonna come from. (Although I’m sure BS days jobs can sometimes lead to great musical inspiration . . . can anyone say angry ballads much?).

I think Winnipeggers and Canadians as a whole are very passionate about their art communities and feel a collective hurt when there is a lack of funding for the brilliance within. I guess there’s only so much $ to go around? However, I’m embarrassed to know that some of our own have to give up a dream in order to buy some friggin’ groceries. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I feel our city already does a great job in supporting it’s locals and we have wonderful organizations with big hearts who work their butts off to get things done in the music world. Still I would rather go hungry then hear Randy Bachman telling me the daily specials although he’d probably do that with a smile. A wise person once said "a country without its culture is no country at all!" I think tomorrow I’ll tackle world peace. . . .

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Random thought # 5001: Imagine if you had back up singers with you everywhere you went and they narrated everything you did...like they’d break out into song and dance when "she’s getting the milk at Sobeys yeah . . . and girl don’t you forget the pancake mix ooh".

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