Bruce Springsteen’s 2006 Concert Tour
With lyrics such as “I work for the county out on 95 / All day I watch the traffic pass me by / In my head I keep a picture of a pretty little miss / Someday mister I’m gonna have a better life than this,” Bruce Springsteen has found his greatest fan base among blue-collar workers. Songs such as “Born in the U.S.A.” and “Born to Run” bring to mind images of America’s working class, nobly toiling away at their mundane jobs. It is these hard-working men and women who Springsteen glorifies, validating their labors as vital to the American way of life.
While having a crappy job and going home stinky don’t feel romantic or glorious, knowing that a high-profile rock star sings about your plight and appreciates your efforts is something that gets many people through the day. On the long commute home, many workers listen to singers like Bruce Springsteen as a way to feel like the day wasn’t a total loss.
Perhaps as a result of long-term fame, Bruce Springsteen may sing about the common man, but has no idea what a sacrifice paying $85 for one concert ticket can be for a family on a fixed budget. Just to give some perspective, the average union worker makes $18.88 an hour. The national minimum wage is still $5.15 an hour, although some states are raising it through legislation. For example, starting in October, Michigan’s state minimum wage will become $6.95. Most blue collar workers fall somewhere in the middle, especially since unions have slowly been losing their popularity.
Perhaps Bruce Springsteen is aware of these facts, but believes his show is still worth the high price attached. This may be a mild delusion on his part, because us poor folk are still acutely aware of how much things cost and how much we have to work to buy them. For example, at my last job, I made $8.50 an hour. Not too bad, but still well below the national living wage. Just to keep my three cats in food and kitty litter, I had to work 7 hours a month to buy them what they needed (figuring in for taxes).
Now I may not have children, but most people do. Imagine how many hours a month I would have to work to keep my children in food and clothes. Tack a mortgage or rent, utility bills, and credit card (or student loan) debt onto that, and many people are left wondering where the heck all their money went at the end of the month when nothing is left over for things like Bruce Springsteen concert tickets. At my last hourly rate of pay, I would have to work about 12.5 (after taxes) to accumulate the money to buy just one $85 ticket. Someone making minimum wage would have to work about 16 hours, and a union worker would have to clock in roughly 5.5 hours for a seat at the Boss’ show. Of course, there are always credit cards for things like that, but that involves assuming more debt and perpetuating the vicious cycle of not-quite keeping up.
While Bruce Springsteen ticket prices are fairly in line with many big name tickets at major venues, the Boss isn’t Cher. I imagine that Bruce Springsteen doesn’t offer the same pyrotechnics, acrobats, and costume changes that other big names include in their shows to give fans the feeling their money was well spent. And Springsteen’s fans don’t want those things in his shows, because the Boss is known for his honest music and not his flamboyant showmanship.
With lyrics that speak to working class America, and a record of standing up for the downtrodden (the Philadelphia soundtrack), Bruce Springsteen needs to rethink his touring priorities. If playing arena-style concerts means ticket prices will be too high for his fans to afford, more shows at smaller venues might be a better option. That way, all his fans will have ample opportunity to see the Boss live, but won’t break the bank to do it.
