IMO, my wife and I have a pretty cool set up. She picks her shows for the year and I pick mine. Kinda like the NFL Draft. We make our choices together and always go together. This year, I picked Trey's Indy show in February and the 3-day Phish run in Chicago. So far, she has picked Sir Paul McCartney and the Black Keys. Wifey is a couple of shows behind, but she can't see Dave Matthews or Avett because of work schedules, kid's summer activities, and their eventual return to school...anyone with wife and kids here can certainly understand that...we'll have to be more creative for her to catch up...or just take the kids to a show.

Anyhow, she likes Phish, so I'm lucky. She mainly goes because I have a great time and we usually bring our phriends that are already phans or meet pholks as we walk around. With her shows, I usually learn something and have a great time too. She thinks, like many others, that Dave is talking directly to her during the DMB lovey-dovey/dirty songs...and I'm sure he sees my wife twenty-plus rows deep in the lawn, just to the left of center stage, three steps in from the concrete walkway...soooo fun to watch. Jimmy Buffett was fun too and Citizen Cope made me an instant fan of his and Alice Smith's years ago. There have been countless others.

I think our deal is we each get to pick who we want to see. We share the wealth on the shows too...in other words, when we budget stuff out, I don't demand 10 Phish shows and leave her with nothing and she doesn't demand 10 DMB shows and leave me dry. The other gets to go along for the ride or stay home. I always go. I like seeing other bands and their fans. Plus, the shows are usually designed for the kids to go stay with the grandparents. It's our time to relax and have fun. We figure if the wealth is shared, everyone goes home happy...and, you might learn something along the way.