Classic Rant #832 (October 26, 2012): All It Takes Is $20

I heard yesterday that the Rolling Stones, probably the biggest rock concert draw of all time, will be holding a series of concerts where the price of admission will be ...

Get this ...

Only $20.

That's right, just $20.

The kicker to this is that they will be performing in smaller clubs to hone their act for their upcoming, very short tour celebrating their 50th anniversary.

I know that this will set off a flurry of speculation about where they will be and how to get tickets, because as you know, seeing the Rolling Stones live can often cost you a bundle for just a single ticket.

And you can bet that if any of these one-off concerts is held in the U.S., lucky people will get their tickets and many will go right to the secondary market, and once again, you will have to sacrifice an arm and a leg to see them live.

Those $20 tickets will probably go for hundreds of dollars on that market, if not more.

Right now, I believe the only place they've announced these concerts is in Europe, but if they come to North America, watch out!

The Stones have done this before.

In the 1970s, they played numerous smaller concerts in preparation for larger ones, and although many were bootlegged, one actually came out legitimately, the "Live at the El Mocambo" LP.

And you can bet the current crop of concerts will be heavily bootlegged, and it probably won't be as difficult as it once was to do, what with cell phones being ubiquitous right now.

But whatever the case, some people will have the opportunity to see the Stones for $20, or in Europe, whatever the monetary equivalent of $20 is.

And that is a steal, a real steal.

I have never seen them live, but it must be quite an experience, one that might be drawing to a close.

These guys are in their 70s or at least pushing that number.

How long can they go on?

Would you pay to see 80 year old Stones?

Would they even want to see themselves performing at that stage of their lives?

You never know, because 80 is the new 40, isn't it?

I sure hope so, because that makes my 55 years the new 30.

I wish I knew then what I know now, that's all I can say.