The problem for bands though, is that most of their money is earned on the road through touring and merchandise they sell while on tour. One solution that seems to be already adopted is raising ticket prices to cover the difference. This is obviously a short-term band-aid. The second solution may not be so hard to swallow for the rock stars of the world. One word: downsize. Does Kanye West need to ride dirty in a massive tour bus with a king sized bed, video game lounge and all the amenities of a four star hotel? I think not. He might think he does, but in reality he could tour the country in a Prius and people wouldn't give as shit as long as he rocked the stage every night.

I also understand that smaller, more local and regional acts are taking hits by touring in vans, not knowing whether their venue will draw and being left in the hole a couple hundred bucks. Well, like I've suggested before, how about bands take this time to buckle down, write better fucking songs and hone their act in hometown clubs where they can actually grow their fan base. Bands tour to make money and expose their music to new audiences. With today's technology and the Internet, exposure is easier than ever. And well, if you're broke, too stupid to not have a day job and think that whole "starving artist" thing will get you chicks, then you don't get to tour. Sorry, dream is over. Suck it up. Certain things in life are earned and become a privilege, nothing necessarily a birthright.

As for the fans, it's quite disappointing as well. The other night at a show, Less than Jake thanked their fans for dropping twenty bucks to come see them even though economics are tight and people are being more frugal than ever. While this sounded like thanks and admiration to their fans, it really just angered me. The idea that people are just now starting to pay attention to their finances because gas has gone up a few bucks says volumes about our country and my generation. It's like, 'Shit man, can't go to that show or movie or party because gas is so expensive, but let's walk to the bar down the street and drop a bill on our credit card getting wasted.' Crazy idea, but maybe people should be more concerned with their financial status 365 days a year instead of just when the market crashes or the price of oil goes up or when bills are due. No one needs Rock Band for Wii. You do not need a new designer purse when the rip-off you currently carry is in perfectly good condition. The world does not need to hear people bitch about gas prices when people cannot separate needs from wants.

(Let's do a little math here: The price of gas has undergone, say, an eighty-cent increase in the past year. So say your drive a car with a ten gallon tank, that's an extra eight bucks a fill-up. If you can't afford an extra eight dollars a week then you need to pick up an extra shift at work, file for bankruptcy or use that last splash in your tank to drive off the nearest bridge.)

We are constantly being bombarded with stories of record high foreclosure rates, a credit crisis and banks giving out loans to people who should have never even qualified. Yea, the music industry suck right now; bands can't tour, nobody is buying albums and not even Coldplay can instill hope. But for all you "rock journalists" out there, this situation is just a microcosm of the massive amount of feces our country is in. Unfortunately, there have been no positive stories to accompany the negative. What about those people who save their money, live on a budget and (gasp!) continue living a normal life despite factors out of our control? For most, optimism is at an all-time low and all we seem to care about is that Saves the Day isn't touring because they can't afford to. Well, if that's your biggest concern in life right now, I'd say you're doing pretty good for yourself.