Is The Circus In Town?

Has anyone attempted to purchase tickets to a children’s concert lately? While there are still some appropriately-priced events, there are also some mind-boggling prices too.

How about the bizarre Doodle Bops charging $70 for floor seats in some markets! Are you kidding me? I can see legends like Eric Clapton and Bruce Springsteen on the floor for $75. Three failed musicians/actors dressing up like puppets lip-synching. $70 for good seats, $20 to sit in the rafters. The whole idea behind children’s entertainment is be somewhat close to the action – not to sit in the stratosphere watching the gig on a jumbo-tron.

The notorious Wiggles are charging $40 (isn't that the price of a great Pearl Jam ticket?). These guys are a bunch of talentless hacks, with no songwriting ability, embarrassing lyrics (just because it is children's music doesn't mean there shouldn't be artistic standards), horrible vocals and ridiculous stage costumes. These buffoons are absolutely horrible. Add the Ticketmaster fees/charges plus parking and a ticket to The Wiggles becomes one expensive afternoon for the family. And as a bonus, one year olds have to pay to get in! Ticket brokers are charging over $150 for floor seats - who is buying these tickets? This is where parents have to draw the line.

Then you have a musical guy like Dan Zanes who once had a legitimate adult music career and decided to branch out and appeal to children. He keeps the musical value intact with some credibility, but he also keeps it fun. This is a guy you can take your kids to see for $20 in a small theater. That is more like it.

It is a bad sign when the insanity surrounding absurd concert ticket prices trickles down to children’s entertainment. Entertainment is supposed to be an escape. In the case of children’s entertainment, it is also supposed to be an opportunity for parents and loved ones to treat a child to a special event and to create a fun way of bonding. Shelling out hundreds of dollars for a pair of Wiggles tickets defeats the purpose. It isn’t a front row seat to the circus – although, The Wiggles are clowns and so are a lot of promoters and agents, so who knows…

*On a side note, one really good children's band is a group of four guys from New Orleans called The Imagination Movers. If you are looking to expose a child to good children's music that contains strong melodies, solid lyrics and good vocals - this band is worth checking out.