(no subject)

Bob Seger's playing Halifax tonight but they want a stupid amount of money for a ticket. It's not like he's U2 or Queen or anything. Our Queen tickets were actually a little less, $145 plus taxes though I think my friend and i got them a bit cheaper through her Adam Lambert fan club advance code so the total ended up being about 150 rather than another 20 or 30 on top of that. Seger, for any decent seat starts at $152 plus taxes plus fees so you're looking at 180+ I loved him back in the day and I"m sure it would be a really good concert but it just rubs me the wrong way when it feels like bands are way over pricing themselves. Tom Petty came here last year and charged something similarly shocking, maybe higher. I don't pay prices like that unless it's a "bucket list" band and even the Rolling Stones when they were here were charging, I think, about 125. That was an outdoor concert with four acts including Alice Cooper and Kanye West and another local band who've done well nationally. (edited to add... I was wrong, the price for Seger is 152 total not 152+ taxes though we did get our Queen tickets a little less but even so, we weren't willing to pay that same price for Bob Seger.  My concert buddy and I might go for Bryan Adams, waiting for her to get back to me)

For comparison, a similarly popular act, Bryan Adams, playing here in February,  is charging 100 with taxes for the top price good seats (floor and lower stadium "bowl") which, for what prices seems to be these days, is in the average range. You don't really see most good acts for less than that at the Metro Centre (rebranded as Scotiabank centre and can I just say how much i hate that "rebranding" word. You sold out to corporate sponsorship. That's it. but I digress...) The Casino prices for bands are generally lower, maybe 50 - 70 depending on who it is and they do get some good acts in addition to the ones you perceive as "washed up and trying desperately to get on the comeback wagon to cash in on the baby boomers" acts. Like the Pointer Sisters, for example. I'm sure they're still good and they'll have their fans but *shrug*. Also the Casino is a smaller venue so it feels more up close and personal even if it isn't a club or small theatre. I've seen Blondie and also Cheap Trick there and liked it.

(no subject)

Probably won't go to Brian Adams after all. No biggie.

Can I just complain about Canada Post for a minute?
Boxed up G's Christmas pressies. Box bought at Canada Post but apparently, in order to qualify as "small packet" it has to be under 2 KG or it has to be shipped "surface" mail, i.e. The Slow Boat to China/wherever. I'm sure i've sent heavier boxes before and larger ones than I had to send and could still send them air mail so CP must have changed their restrictions somewhere along the way. Didn't realize or i would have boxed them into two packages but as it was already done, for the box to get to G. for Christmas, I had to pay for priority post which still takes 5 business days. over $100!!!!! It's really frigging annoying. It would have cost about 60 dollars which is generally what I expected but they wouldn't send it normal air mail. Bastards.

I suppose I could have carried it back home, found another box somewhere, repackaged it all but it was far too much trouble and I wanted to get it on the way. I'll know for next time, though. Chances are there will only be one more Christmas to mail packages to him and with big, big luck, maybe he'd even be moved here by next Christmas but I think that's a bit soon considering how long it generally takes for the immigration process. Even once he has his permanent residency, he still has to work his notice and organize himself to get things shipped, packed, sold, whatever. They give people a year to actually move and be registered as a landed immigrant.

Anyway, the package is sent and it will get there by next Monday at the latest according to their "guarantees". We'll see. I'm actually sending it to his friend who is retired and as per his request, to see if it can be delivered in the afternoon, I wrote a note on the box. Who knows if they will comply with the request but we'll find out soon enough.