Humphrey's 2006 concert schedule has been announced. I must say, the prices overall aren't as outrageous as I remember in the past. I generally find Humprhey's expensive, but it seems as though they partially subsidize the concert series with the highest profile acts, like Ringo Starr (at $115, the only act to break the $100 barrier), and most of the shows I'm interested in are affordable. But, while I love Lyle Lovett, I doubt I will shell out $95 to see him there again. But I'll definatley go to Robert Earl Keen, Pink Martini, and, of course, Randy Newman (incidentally, his Disney Hall gig has been rescheduled in November, as his wrist has not yet fully healed). Other shows are tempting, such as Roseanne Cash, but I'll probably stick to the three shows that first grabbed me. I'm not real wild about Humphrey's as a venue, as they seem to cram a few too many people in per row. A bit wider seats would make a world of difference. But I understand their dilemma, trying to accomodate as many people as possible with limited space.

The question is, should I go buy the tickets in person when they go on sale next week? In the past, I've bought tickets to shows well after they went on sale, for moderate draws like Paula Poundstone and Spinal Tap, and got decent seats. When I bought tickets for Lyle Lovett a few years ago, I decided to go down and buy them in person. I woke up at 6 AM, thinking I'd beat the rush. Turns out people camp out overnight, both scalpers and individuals, and I ended up waiting about six hours to save on the Ticketmaster fees. The final indignity is that, after waiting in line for hours, I bought my tickets, and was charged a "convenience fee" of a buck or two. I still saved substantially versus buying on-line, but being physically sore from sitting on the sidewalk all morning, things didn't feel very convenient. I was told they had to charge the fee since they use Ticketmaster's ticketing software, and the only way to avoid the fee was to purchase tickets in person the day of the concert. I'm going to enough shows that it'll probably be worth my time to wait in line, and at least I know now to bring a book and a chair.