6 Ways To Blow Your Tax Refund on Music

Ah, the based tax refund. What to do, what to do? What should we BUY? Clearly, we’re not going to save it. That’s just silly. Here are a few ideas we came up with for all you music lovers, from all us music lovers. Godspeed, and happy spending.

 

1. When you want to treat yourself at home: Vinyl.

Believe it or not, vinyl is staging a comeback. According to 2012 sales figures, vinyl record album sales in the United States jumped 17.7 percent to almost 4.55 million units. At the same time, CD sales continued to decline, dropping 13.5 percent from 2011 to 193.4 million units. Treat yourself to a genuine collector’s item that you can also actually USE. Not to mention, you will feel oh so very hip.

2. And when you get tired of home: Road trip to music festival.

Well, vinyl records aren’t the only tangible medium making a strong impact in music these days. Music festivals are more popular than they’ve ever been before, with new ones popping up left and right as they grow more diverse and expansive than ever before. Consider it the vinylification of live music consumption – the convenience of seeing several shows throughout the year in your hometown is trumped by the all-out awesomeness of traveling to one mega-festival (or more!). Go all out and take a trip somewhere new while experiencing some awesome performances at a unique location like Electric Forest, Hangout Fest, or one of the other awesome locations on our list of  best summer fests.

3. And when you pass out from the heatstroke: VIP tickets.

VIP tickets are so overrated though, right? Wait…there’s A/C? Ok, nevermind. Just read a short excerpt from the description of VIP perks at Coachella, and get back to us. “Exclusive secluded area includes offsite private check-in, fully furnished Shakir style tents w/air conditioning, restrooms & showers, free adjacent private parking lot, gear drop off area, breakfast/late night snacks, onsite concierge, dedicated security/secure fence lines, outdoor chairs, shade tents, outdoor lighting, games and more. Choose 1 or 2 Queen Beds or as a Lounge with ample seating. Enjoy a four course meal served family style and cooked by celebrated Chefs in the beautiful Coachella Rose Garden. A welcoming cocktail, beer and wine are included.”
You were saying?

4. And when the VIP tent gets cold: Merch (like a Snuggie)

 You’re probably thinking, “Another t-shirt? That’s no treat, sir.” And to that, we’d say, “Feist music box, Kiss Kasket, Weezer Snuggie.”  Not all merch is created equal.

5. And when you finish up with that Snuggie: Music camp

Ever dreamt of rock stardom? Camps like ROCK STAR FOR A DAY offer jam sessions with professional recording musicians from some of most iconic bands on the planet, such as Guns N Roses, Aerosmith, Slayer, Pantera, Meatloaf, KISS, Cinderella, and White Snake. Look at that! Your dreams are coming TRUE!

 

6. And when you get tired of land: Music cruise

Never heard of this? Well get ready for a rocked world. There are all sorts of cruise packages out there that include stay aboard five-star ships on which concerts are performed just for you. GRAMMY Festival at Sea, for example, takes you to the high seas aboard Norwegian Pearl from Miami to Grand Bahama Island and Nassau, Bahamas. Composed of some of the most talented women in music, the lineup includes Heart, Emmylou Harris, Indigo Girls, Shawn Colvin, Estelle, Skylar Grey and more. Guests can look forward to performances by legendary female artists, Q&As, panels, and other fun activities hosted by the bands. There also will be one-of-a-kind opportunities to interact with the artists on board. So basically, you can corner your favorite artists to ask them all your silliest questions and they CAN’T EVEN GO ANYWHERE TO HIDE. Sounds like everybody wins, right? Right.

And when you get sick of the sea: GO BACK HOME.

Ah, the circle of life.

Rock on.