"(Joel) has some tickets available at $225, and a few tickets available at $375," says Dennis Arfa, a promoter with QBQ Entertainment. Joel's priciest seat went for $999, but Arfa justifies that stiff price tag this way: "There's the extra cost for staffing the ushers, the security people, the stagehands. All of these are astronomical costs that are passed on as a show expense. We're charging more than what Billy normally, obviously, charges on a concert."

Joel's not alone. A thousand bucks can still get you into the Eagles-Linda Ronstadt-Jackson Browne spectacle in Los Angeles. And Jimmy Buffett's got room to spare at the Universal Amphitheater for anyone with $500 to $1,500 to spend.

"In general, I think there was a misread on what the public is willing to spend on this particular night, in general," Arfa says.

He's likely right. In a CNN/TIME poll, some three-quarters of those asked said they expect to be at home -- not at a chi-chi dinner, dance or concert -- when the clock strikes 12 at the end of 1999.

And 75 percent of respondents said they plan to spend the same amount of money or less this New Year's Eve than in the past, predicting they'll spend an average of $176 on the last night of the year.

Barbra Streisand's New Year's Eve show sold out in five hours

Not all is gloom and doom for concert promoters and performers as the year draws to a close. No one is doing better than Barbra Streisand, who hasn't played live in four or five years.

Her Las Vegas show for New Year's Eve sold out in five hours when the tickets went on sale in May -- even though the tickets cost $2,500 each. Tickets are still available for the January 1 show she later added.

A Metallica-Kid Rock-Ted Nugent triple bill at Michigan's gigantic Pontiac Silverdome is a near-sellout. With tickets averaging about $70 each, it may be selling better because more people can afford it.

This trio of bands is probably also playing the right tune.

"It's a heavy metal show," says Grossweiner. "Kids that are that age, probably would rather be in an arena like at Woodstock than be at home with the relatives and friends at a party. So the younger, the heavy-metal type of act would probably do better."

At least one performer is taking advantage of that 75 percent staying at home. The artist once known as Prince has a date on pay per view. The cost: $19.99.