Music: cds and live performances
I love music. I have a very diverse taste when it comes to music…everything from classical to rap to rock to world folk music. With the advent of the internet, I can no listen to radio stations from around the world. Many stations now broadcast online and generally there is no charge to listen. There is a really cool free web-site Pandora that helps you discover what music you like. With the advent of mp3s, I think it is pretty cool that I can now purchase 1 song at a time. You no longer have to shell out $16.95 for an entire album only to discover that you only like 1 song.
This is not to say that I do not buy cds, but I am more selective these days. Over the years I have assessed large record, cassette and cd collections. These collections take a lot of space and are very heavy to move… another reason to love mp3s. With each move, I have gotten rid of my collections large collections. In fact I no longer own records or tapes nor the equipment to play them. I still have quite a few cd’s but my digital music collection is growing. I tend to purchase new cds directly from smaller lesser know artists. The prices are really reasonable usually about $10. Sometimes I’ll purchase pre-owned cds…these can be a bargain even when you add in shipping. I’ve picked up cds on places like eBay, half.com etc. One of my most recent online purchases was a brand new still in the shrink wrap cd for 1 cent plus $2.99 for shipping.
Sometimes, listening to a cd, etc doesn’t quite give you the same experience as experiencing it live. Unfortunately, concerts have gotten very expensive and it is very hard to get tickets as ticket resellers grab them.
I don’t know about you but, I find it hard to justify paying $120 per person plus another $20 for parking to see a concert in a large venue like a coliseum where you end up watching the band on a giant monitor along with thousands of other fans. I’d much rather pay $10 or $20 to see a local band in more intimate venue. If you think about it, most of the “big stars” got their start in small clubs, coffee houses and even as street performers.