Yeah, those were the good old days, weren’t they. Days of Yes, BTO and The Allman Brothers Band. Now you have kids of your own, and if they’re anything like you, they love live music, too. Of course, some of the band names are different. Bands like KORN, Leftover Salmon and Monster Magnet. Funny names? Maybe, but then, your parents probably confused that guy on Gunsmoke with Bob Dylan. We know ours did.

This summer is going to be filled with concerts by your kids’ favorite artists and bands. Big-name performers like Britney Spears and bands like Queens Of The Stone Age and American Head Charge. And if we know kids, we’ll bet they’re thinking of ways right now to hit you up for the money to buy tickets. Plus enough to cover the service and convenience charges, of course.

The way we see it, you have two simple choices this summer. You can tell your kids that if they want tickets for Doves or Pietasters, that they’ll have to work for it. That you’re not made of money, and that money doesn’t grow on trees and that nothing’s free in this world and all that other b.s. that your parents used to give you whenever you wanted tickets for Deep Purple or Lynyrd Skynyrd. Sure, they’ll hate you the rest of your life, but hey, they’re kids. They’ll get over it.

Or you can do whatever it takes to ensure that your kids will be able to see every great show that comes to town this summer, including Vans Warped Tour, Adema and P.O.D. Of course, you’ll probably have to do the old cash advance on the credit cards routine, maybe take out a second mortgage, or switch to Keystone beer, but your kids will love you forever. Or at least until September. And that’s all that matters, right?

The bottom line is this: You can either stiff your kids and ensure that they’ll hate you for all eternity, or you can buy them tickets for all their favorite bands, including Puddle Of Mudd and Adharma. Not only will your kids love you, but you’ll feel good about yourself. Trust us.

And if you find that you don’t have enough money to buy tickets for all the concerts your kids want to see, why not borrow some cash from your parents? After all, you’re probably pretty good at that by now.