Quite possibly inspired by drummer Josh Freese's now-legendary tiered album price packages, which ranged from a thank-you phone call ($50) to the opportunity to "take shrooms and cruise Hollywood in Danny from TOOL's Lamborgini" ($75,000), other bands are figuring out new and exciting ways to give fans ye olde added value.
As part of the group's Boner Donor program, if you pay $30 for Bonerama's new Hard Drive EP, the band will also send you a hard drive that can be refilled with fresh new music at any of their October shows. And for a mere $100,000 you can travel with the band anywhere they go in 2010. "Travel may include double occupancy 2 star hotels and motels, regular visits to Waffle House and Subway, and frequent stops at rest area bathrooms all across the country. Cause you’re with the band, dude! Some restrictions may apply."
Taking a particularly adventurous tack, Umphrey's McGee will give fans the opportunity to literally play the band. During a special pre-show Stew Art Series (S2), anyone with delusions of jamband grandeur (and some spare change) can conduct the group through unique instrumental improvisations via "several communication mediums - which could range from text messaging to prewritten cue cards to chalk boards." Not only will you hear the show of your most psychedelically addled dreams, but you'll walk away with some excellent mementos to boot:
As part of your ticket (which will actually be a custom laminate that will be different for each (S2) event), every attendee will receive an autographed CD of the Stew Art Series they attend minutes after the event has concluded. The Q&A will also be included on the disc as we will be recording your questions for posterity (we are not sure if that's for your posterity or for ours). You will get to see some classic venues as you have never seen them, empty and in the day time. And on top of that you will get treated an entirely improvised light show by lighting designer Jefferson Waful. We will make sure you stay hydrated and even have some munchies to replace the calories you'll burn while pushing the band to explore new ground.