The Dave Matthews Band recently performed their first of four festivals to celebrate their 20th anniversary. This first festival took place at Bader Field in Atlantic City, New Jersey. I was unable to attend the concert due to prior commitments (a wedding for my wife's side of the family) which actually disappointed me...a lot. My wife, in an attempt to make me feel better about the situation, appealed to my frugal side.
"Think of the money you saved by not attending," she stated.
That, of course, got me thinking. How much money did I save and was that savings worth not seeing the first ever Dave Matthews Band Caravan music festival.
First, let me breakdown the anticipated cost of attending the concert.
General Admission Tickets - $250
Hotel for two nights near Bader Field - $200/night (with tax and fees) - $400
Gas to and from Atlantic City - $100 (I figure a tank full each way)
Food, Beer, Etc. - $75/day - 3 day total - $225 - that's a high estimate, but you never know what beer or food will cost, how much I will eat/drink and if I will go out for dinner after the show...
Total cost = $975, which I can safely call $1,000.
Next is the bigger question. Is the $1000 saved worth missing out on one of the greatest events in DMB history? As a huge fan of the band, I'd have to say no, but I don't say that lightly. $1,000 is a LOT of money, especially for someone like me that is still paying off the debt of my 20s. BUT, the experience that money would bring is second to none. Three nights of the Dave Matthews Band. Other bands I love like OAR, Guster, From Good Homes, Ray Lamontagne, and The Flaming Lips (just to name a few). It's a rough call, but I would have to say it would be money well spent. You only live once, right?
Next year, if the band continues on in their typical touring fashion, I think that I am going to either take a trip to Washington to see their annual Gorge 3-night Labor Day weekend event, or I am going to try and attend as many nearby area shows as I can. If I start saving the money now, I should be able to have it saved by next summer. Then it's just a question of making sure that I can get the time off from my day job...
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