MikeH
Well-Known Member
My relationship to them isn't just the music, but I also don't feel the need to buy every vinyl variant of every record they have, especially a $500 one. Some people out there might want it and more power to them (though it seems based on their sales number so far that not many people want it). I tried to get tickets for my parents to Elton's tour too as a retirement gift to my dad and the ticket prices were equally crazy to what you said and I couldn't afford them, so I understand how frustrating that is. I just got Wilco tix and they were $70 bucks or so for orchestra seats at Radio City so that's more important to me than them making all their tour tickets $250 like Elton did.
Bruce Springsteen is a funny analogy because he actually did something worse IMO. He got a ton of flak because he did his broadway show in NY and the orchestra seats were $850 list price. And in resale, tickets sold for as much as $10,000. His show made over $100 million in 56 weeks on Broadway. None of his "blue collar" fan base could afford to go see the show.
Anyway, this isn't the first time Wilco has done an expensive item as others have mentioned.
They sold a $1,200 box set of 10 albums in a wood box.
Here's an almost $200 pennant.
They also sold a $500 branded axe.
People shouldn't be surprised. This doesn't make their interactions with fans any less genuine to me. It doesn't affect their music. It wouldn't make me not see them on tour. They can still make good music and sell ridiculous expensive merch from time to time. I personally don't think any less of them. It's all silly and overly expensive stuff to me, but I wouldn't judge anybody for buying any of it if they want.
edit: I'll also say, that while I think the $500 price tag is egregious, the guy who designed the entire book for them is a super talented graphic designer who likely charged a good amount of money to design the book and the price to print something like that was likely not cheap. I do not think this is an item that cost $20 to make that they are selling for $500.
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