Gas Prices

[skippy]

Without degenerating into a policital thread etc etc.

What are some of the effects you expect to see from high gas prices on the festival season? Lower attendence, more local festivals? High prices (for bands and admission) etc etc.

Just curious.

[Keith Erickson]

I don't even think about it.

The only reason why I would miss the Compton & Long show is if I was 6 feet under & pushing up daisies.

[Tim]

I was recently talking to my brother about this. #We both will be much more selective about which festivals we attend this year. #A festival that has six groups I want to hear spread over three or four days will not make cut to get my money.

[Ken Berner]

We just figured up our gasoline expenses going to MerleFest from the Gulf Coast; close to $125.00. Would I do it again? Surely, but our trips are usually a lot closer to home, like in FL, AL or GA.

[Windflite]

We just figured up our gasoline expenses going to MerleFest from the Gulf Coast; close to $125.00. Would I do it again? Surely, but our trips are usually a lot closer to home, like in FL, AL or GA.

We just figured our expenses to Merlefest as well. #Round Trip Central Illinois to North Carolina = 1,650 Miles / 14.5 MPG pulling camper = 113 Gallons of gas #X #$2.95/gallon = $333.35 #

Sitting in the first row for a Doc Watson set...priceless. #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Rick Schmidlin]

Gas price from the Pocono's in Pa. I drove about 1,200 miles,price PA. 2.89 W.Virgina. 2.80,Virgina 2.85,N.C 2.91

[Blueglass]

I have to skip. It's to much for me.

[Joe Mangio]

I'll be staying closer to home.

[skippy]

I hope that those who want to travel can. I plan in a band, and there is no increase in what we are getting paid based on rising gas prices. I wonder if this could foster more local music... although, to take a more pesimistic view, people may just not leave and thus not get the exposure to the music they need to foster their development.

[ronlane3]

#A festival that has six groups I want to hear spread over three or four days will not make cut to get my money.
This would seem to me to be a perfect festival to hit, since you could go and stay for the entire time, if you camp at the festival, you would get to see all of them for one round trip of gas.

[grant_eversoll]

I live in a tourist town (Nashville Indiana)just 5 miles from the Bill Monroe Festival at Bean Blossom and the store owners around here see it both ways.
#1 High gas prices keep people from Traveling
#2 People who might vacation Farther away will come here instead because the gas prices are high.

So I think, At least for Bean Blossom There will still be people there, just more local people or people from closer who may never have been there because..."Well that's too close to home to be any good, we have to travle to see...." You get the idea.

High Gas prices last year did not seem to hurt too much

[Ken Sager]

One word:

Car Pool.

I'll be snuggling up to friends who are going and offer to split the gas if I ride with them, or offer a seat in my car for a share of the gas. I've refined what I take and can pack everything I need in one duffle bag (plus mando, of course).

Yes, I believe the price of gas this summer will impact festival turnout, especially the smaller festivals.

Love to all,
Ken

[JD Cowles]

Not me. I'll be festivaling away in my trusty Subaru (got 38 MPG on a trip this past weekend!). Maybe this will finally force Americans to realize that cheap gas is not an entitlement and that you can buy more efficient vehicles (or car pool - good call Ken).

Must...stop...feel need to...rant...Cafe for fun...not politics...

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[Keith Miller]

$2.95 a gallon !! You guys are pretty lucky, I,m just back from the Isle of Harris and was paying £1.03 for a litre of the stuff !!

[martinedwards]

likewise!!! The station nearest to my work has deisel at £1.01.....

thats roughly $9 a gallon.........

so stop whinging!!!

[Spencer]

Gas prices here (Copenhagen, Denmark) around 6.50 per US gallon, pretty typical of all of Europe, where cars keep #getting bigger and people driving more.

I pay for my mandolin habit by teaching about engines and vehicles to college students, and wrote a blurb on BGRASS-L with some tips on saving fuel during a recent spike in fuel prices. #Most of it common sense, but maybe a couple new things you haven't seen yet. #You can find it at the BGRASS-L archive if you are interested. #The link is:


Fuel Consumption tips (http://lsv.uky.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0508C&L=BGRASS-L&P=R13145&I=-3&m=218924)

[grant_eversoll]

One difference in the higher price of gas in the US and other places...Public Transit.

The US dose not have public transit out in the rural areas or even busses from one small town to the next therefore we must drive....Somewhere to buy mandolins (threw that in for content.)

[Brady Smith]

No effect here.

[first string]

It's not going to stop me. Then again, I live in the city and don't own a car so the prices don't effect me day to day. I will be renting the smallest most feul efficient vehicle I can when I get out to Telluride next month. But I'd be doing that regardless of the price of fuel. Once again, I don't want to make this thread political either, but JD makes a good point.

[jim simpson]

I'll stop going to festivals when they pry the gas pump from my cold, dead hands!
I guess if you can figure out a way to cut back on other stuff to compensate for higher fuel costs. It's just like budgeting for a vacation and figuring out how much you need.

[GBG]

It's not the additional fuel cost of going to a few festivals that hammering us. It's the additional cost of driving back and forth to work 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year that sucks up some of that disposable income thats needed to be able to go to a festival.

[250sc]

Get used to it. Prices are only going to go up.

[Jim Hilburn]

I love the idea a very fuel efficient car, but I always have to consider what will hold an upright bass. (My wife Pat plays). I have a Trailblazer and an Astro. Both are fairly efficient for their size. Neither of us are driving to day jobs now and that makes a huge difference. The Trailblazer has just over 30k after 3 1/2 years.
We also have to consider what will fit everything we need
for Winfield. The Trailblazer is packed to the roof for the 2 of us. But we were able to take a friend and all his stuff and about 3 extra guitars in the Astro last year. It doubles as our band van and will hold our 4-piece with upright, PA, and all the instruments and everyone has a captains chair.
I have heard of a Boulder upright player that gets his bass in a Honda Insight, though.

[GTison]

I'm thinking of buying a travel trailer. I guess I'm not too worried.

[kvk]

I don't go to festivals. Wife and kid won't tolerate three days of solid BG (don't know why; sounds like fun to me). I drive to about two jams a month and they are about an hour a way. I think it's great that Spencer post a link to his tips.

One thing I'm doing is driving slower when I don't need to get somewhere quick. When going to a jam, I plan my time so I can drive 63mph on the interstate instead of 73mpg; that saves 3-4mpg. I get there five or ten minutes later so all I do is leave a few minutes earlier.

[Harrmob]

This is indirectly mandolin related- play mando at jam- travel to jam- cost of travel- price of gas. #Check this out:
enter your zip code (http://autos.msn.com/everyday/gasstations.aspx?zip=&src=Netx)

[Aran]

Well another European here who pays a lot more than folks in the US for petrol - But here's the funny thing I live on the island of Ireland and will have to take a bloody boat http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif at least once if not twice to get to festivals in Wales so that works out at about $400 before I have even put any petrol in the car.:(

Ah well such is life :cool:

[chuck.naill]

Just my two cents:

Having a car paid for is the most economical transportation transaction that you can make sure you have. It makes no sense to go in debt for a new vehicle to save 10 miles per gallon since it will take years for the car to pay for itself in fuel savings. You can buy many gallons of gas per month for the a $500 per month car payment and extra insurance liabilities.

We drive a 99 Tahoe with 120,000 miles and it is paid for. We bought it used for $18,000 three years ago.

Just a side note: Since some of these posts are discussing non essential musical instrument costing several thousand dollars, it seemd odd to be discussing and additional dollar per gallon of gas. #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif