I remember in high school always looking forward to the free concerts after the Del Mar races in summer. Seeing as I had even less money in high school than I do now, it was a very exciting prospect for a Friday or Saturday night. It's how I was able to see Billy Idol (amazing with a costume change every song and then downright near nakedness), Cake, The B-52s, The English Beat, The Violent Femmes, Flaming Lips...I could go on and on. Even parking was free if you got there late enough. And usually by that time all of the guards had abandoned their posts, opened up the gates and allowed the masses to just pour in.
It was the most amazing concert series. I haven't been in a couple of years though and assumed that nothing had changed. I tried to go to see Cake (who I'm not even really that into, but hey, a free concert is a free concert) and was met with a big surprise. Not only was parking between $10 (for the dirt lot across the street) and $25 (for the cush, paved lot), but the new rule is if you arrive too late, tickets are $20 to get in. Usually it's the price of a ticket to the races, which is $10.
Or, as I said, for those of us in the know, just show up late and pay nothing.
I'm a little disgusted and saddened that they're trying to turn a profit on the concerts now. Half of the appeal is that you can get in for practically no money. When it came down to it, we flipped a bitch and left because I don't like Cake enough to shell out $40 plus to see them in concert. Again. In fact, $40 is asking a lot to see most bands where you're standing on a dirt infield next to all the sweaty drunks spilling out from the Beerfest next door.
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