Dave Matthews

By: KJ Mushung,
Newspaper Training Director

Summer can mean so many things to college students. Beach Week. Freedom. Barbeques. Lifeguard jobs at the local pool. And concerts. Oh, yes. Lots of wonderful concerts.

The summer concert season is in full swing with lower ticket prices than previous years to accommodate the state of the economy and the prevailing hesitation many people have about spending money on non-essentials. Several venues in Virginia are only charging $15 to see bands such as Blues Traveler with Carbon Leaf, Travis Tritt and the Motor City Madman himself, Ted Nugent. The June 18 concert of country star Phil Vassar at Celebrate Virginia Live in Fredericksburg costs only $12.50 in advance through TicketsToBuy.com.

The shows with the best prices tend to be the ones at outdoor pavilions that are usually open only during the spring and summer.

Here are some inexpensive but popular concerts coming to the area.

Blues Traveler will play four shows within driving distance this summer:

• June 27 at the Belmont Country Club in Ashburn
• July 27 at Rams Head in Annapolis
• July 28 at Innsbrook Pavilion in Richmond
• July 30 at Celebrate Virginia Live in Fredericksburg

Country star Travis Tritt will perform July 11 at the Belmont Country Club in Ashburn.

A flash from the past, Counting Crows, is set to perform two nearby shows. First, the alternative band that first hit it big in the 1990s will be at Innsbrook Pavilion in the Richmond area July 11. Tickets for that show cost $26.50 in advance, $30 for general admission at the door and $50 for Gold Circle tickets. Don’t be fooled by secondary ticket sellers that are offering tickets to this show for $75 to $248. Order directly from the original ticket seller –in this case TicketsToBuy.com – to avoid inflated prices.

The next night, Counting Crows will rock the Pier Six Pavilion in Baltimore for a pricier show, with tickets costing $35 to $80.

The Dave Matthews Band will perform at Nationals Park in Washington on July 23. Ticket prices start at $49 and go up to $75, but it will cost patrons additional money to park – as much as $40.

Longtime, well-named pop band Barenaked Ladies recently played at Innsbrook and is returning to the region for a July 31 show in Raleigh at the Raleigh Amphitheatre in support of its new release, “All in Good Time.” Ticket prices start at $28.

Montgomery Gentry, an energetic country-rock band, will end the summer with a headlining gig at the WFLS Fest on Aug. 27 at Celebrate Virginia Live in Fredericksburg.

Remember, some shows cost more if you pay at the door instead of in advance. Some will sell out in advance. And ticket outlets usually charge service fees on top of ticket prices.

By: KJ Mushung

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