Jayne: Jumpin’ jacked concert ticket prices not a gas, gas, gas

And yet, their next tour of 60,000-seat stadiums calls for an examination of music and art and the concert industry. The Stones, for better or worse, ushered in an era of nostalgia acts that charge $200 or $300 or $400 a ticket because they can, because now their fans can afford it. And in the process, they have diluted the meaning of rock ‘n’ roll. (If you think I act like a know-it-all when writing about politics, don’t ask me about music).

You see, for the price of one Rolling Stones ticket, you can stand in the front row for 10 or 20 or 30 shows at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland. Or the Roseland Theater or the Wonder Ballroom or the Doug Fir Lounge.

You can see young, energetic, creative artists trying to make a name for themselves with songs that haven’t been heard a zillion times on the radio. That is an experience that embodies the soul of rock ‘n’ roll and the very definition of art.

In recent years, I have seen Sleater-Kinney — the greatest American rock band — twice for a total of $55. I mention this only because I wanted to get Sleater-Kinney into a column.

Not that many people are going to go out of their way to see Sleater-Kinney. People like to hear songs they know well; it’s human nature. But there is something invigorating and cathartic about discovering a new artist and letting art flow over you rather than wallowing in familiarity. There always is plenty of great music that is new — or at least new to you; you just have to keep your ears open.

Losing our values?

Several years ago, when the Seattle Seahawks were in the Super Bowl for the first time, I went to Detroit to cover the game. The Stones were the halftime act, and their Thursday press conference was an event in itself at a packed hotel ballroom.

One reporter noted that 30 years earlier The Rolling Stones never would have been selected to play a Super Bowl and asked whether that reflects a change in the band or a change in American culture. Jagger gave a long, thoughtful, insightful answer about how the Stones and America have evolved. He concluded with, “But I hope neither of us have lost our values.”

It was a brilliant answer, the kind that convinced me that if Jagger were not a rock star, he would be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Heck, the Stones probably make enough money to be a Fortune 500 company.

And now they are returning to the Northwest, embodying the corporatization of the music industry and reminding us that you can’t always get what you want.