By Michael Swanger michael@dmcityview.com

It's feast or famine when it comes to seeing big-name rock acts in Des Moines, and this week is no exception when Paul McCartney, Bon Jovi and The Moody Blues roll into town. But if you want to see all three, you better be willing to dig deep into your wallet.

If you thought paying face value a few months ago for tickets that ranged from $49 to $176 for McCartney's sold-out Thursday show at Wells Fargo Arena was ridiculous, consider yourself lucky. Fans left on the outside who desperately want to hear the veteran rocker sing songs from his Beatles and Wings catalogs (no one really cares about Sir Paul's new album, "US," do they?) are faced with the sobering reality of having to fork over big bucks to scalpers to see the show. Single tickets for nosebleed seats in the arena's upper level cost about $180, while those on the first section of the floor are fetching $1,300 or more.

Bon Jovi, which has sold more than 100 million albums, launches its "Have A Nice Day Tour" with a sold-out performance in Des Moines next Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Arena. Fans complained last month when arena officials muffed the start time for ticket sales, leaving those who camped out overnight in the cold frustrated. A handful of single upper-level tickets for $49.50 and $66 remained, at last check, but if you are in search of the $86 floor tickets, you'll need to pay a ticket broker through the nose. Scalpers are selling floor tickets from $145 to $590.

Though the show isn't sold out and you'll pay less by comparison to the aforementioned acts to see The Moody Blues on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines, you still have to fork over more than $150 if you don't already have tickets near the orchestra pit (and really, with their lush string arrangements, isn't that where you want to be?). At last check, fans could buy $60 tickets in row Z, and there were plenty of $48 tickets still available. But if you don't have $60 tickets within the first half of the venue already in your possession, you'll pay nearly three times the face value to get a close view of these knights in white satin. One online broker is selling single tickets within the first 10 rows for as much as $177.

Slaughterhouse 6 up to old tricks

Though local ska-rockers Slaughterhouse 6 have built a loyal grassroots following with their pulsating, good-time music, they're also known for their Skalloween extravaganzas. Each year the group books its annual October affair at a local music venue, hires a bunch of local and regional bands to take the stage with them and asks its audience to don costumes and share in the revelry of Halloween. It has become a rite of autumn's passage for indie rock fans, right up there with smashing pumpkins, making out at the Lost Planet and debating the mystery of the Great Pumpkin over a bottle of Mad Dog 20/20.

This year, organizers have moved the event to the Capital City Moose Lodge in Altoona (201 First Ave. S.) to accommodate its growing audience, where six bands will perform at 6 p.m. They include The Right Aways (Colorado), Hook, Line and Sinker (Illinois), Chicken Poodle Soup (Minnesota), The Skamikazes (Wisconsin) and When We Fall (Des Moines). In addition to the concert, a screening of "Evil Dead II" will be shown at 4:30 p.m. A raffle and costume contest will also be held. Admission is $5 for those wearing costumes or $8 without.

Mindrite to film HOB concert

Local rockers Mindrite will film their all-ages concert Saturday at 5 p.m. at the House of Bricks. The footage will be the main focus of their upcoming DVD to be released early next year. The show also doubles as a "homecoming" performance for the group's lead singer Spencer Fenimore, a member of the Iowa National Guard who served this summer in Iraq. Mindrite recently returned from Catamont Studios in Cedar Falls where it worked with producer Tom Tatman (Stone Sour) on a track for an upcoming music video to be directed by Los Angeles-based True Player Entertainment. The band plans to use the video as a marketing tool to attract attention from major record labels next year and will complete its filming Nov. 19-20 in downtown Des Moines, just outside Nollen Plaza.

Roadhouse 69 update

It's official, Roadhouse 69 has closed its doors, says owner Randy Coffey. The club's final show was last weekend after his lawyer and landlords Elwell Inc. were unable to reach an agreement to keep the live music venue open at its Ankeny location. Coffey had requested an extension to allow him time to move the club, but was denied.

"I don't think we quite fit into their business model," he says.

Coffey says he is evaluating his options to relocate the club in Ankeny or Des Moines. He has already scouted a location near Merle Hay Mall, but says he is keeping his options open.

Scene notes

Young Iowans interested in the arts and culture are invited to attend "Creative Conversation," hosted by the Iowa Arts Council and Americans for the Arts, Friday from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Vaudeville Mews... Singer-songwriter Joni Laurence plays the Ritual CafŽ on Friday at 8 p.m. A $5 donation is suggested... The Nordic Voices, whose repertoire ranges from medieval to modernist music, open the Salisbury House's 2005-2006 Chamber Music Season Friday at 8 p.m. at the Central Presbyterian Church, 3829 Grand Ave. Tickets to the a cappella ensemble's performance are $25. Call 274-1777... Indie rockers Cerberus Shoal, Micah Blue Smaldone and the Old Scratch Revival Singers play Saturday at 9:30 p.m. at The Practice Space in Ames, 138 Main Street... Emo fans won't want to miss The Rocket Summer at the House of Bricks on Tuesday. Showtime is 6 p.m. and tickets are $8 in advance. Adam Richman, This Day & Age and Sherwood share the bill... Texas alt-country angel Kelly Willis makes her Maintenance Shop debut Wednesday at 9 p.m. Time magazine calls her new album, "What I Deserve," the best country album of the year. Willis' husband is country music singer-songwriter Bruce Robison (which makes Charlie Robison and the Dixie Chicks' Emily Robison her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, respectively). Tickets are $20. Call (515) 294-2969... Roots-rockers Cracker, featuring David Lowery and Johnny Hickman, will perform an unplugged show Wednesday at the Vaudeville Mews. Tickets are $15 in advance through IowaTix.com or $18 day of show... Tickets for the Des Moines Metro Opera's 2006 season and its holiday production of Menotti's "Amahl and the Night Visitors" (Dec. 16-17) are on sale now. Mini-season subscriptions and single tickets go on sale next spring. The group's 2006 lineup includes Mozart's "The Magic Flute," Verdi's "Rigoletto" and Stravinsky's "The Rake's Progress." Season tickets range in price from $96 to $200. Tickets for "Amahl" are $10 to $38. Call 961-6221 or visit www.dmmo.org. CV

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