Tickets for the upcoming Madonna tour are running about $250. That's before parking, refreshments, t-shirts, etc. A discussion on slashdot blames the high ticket prices on file-sharing networks. With less income from music sales, artists are forced to raise concert prices to maintain their decadent lifestyles. 

But what are you buying for $250? A chance to see a middle-aged rockstar pretend she's young and sexy again. An hour or maybe two at best of choreographed dance music dripping with sexual references. Why would anybody spend this amount for such a cheap marketing gimmick?

In most cities you can actually get laid for $250.