Pumped no longer?

As we sat on the patio at our friends’ cottage up north earlier this week, our hostess told us about her $300 list. That is, acts she’d pay $300 to see. Her list includes Elton John, Paul McCartney, Tom Jones and Stevie Wonder.

(We didn’t have the heart to tell her we saw Tom Jones for a lot less than $300.)

But taking our family of three to see Stevie Wonder at Milwaukee’s Summerfest on Thursday night came close. Add gas and food, and it topped $300. As did our trip to Iowa last month to see Neil Sedaka.

Our friend has her $300 list. I have a list of bands I’d travel to see. But now that it costs $50 just to fill the gas tank, I’m starting to think such road trips might be coming to an end.

We don’t often travel to see a show, either. Over the last 30 years, we’ve traveled only to see acts not likely to stop in our corner of Wisconsin. That short list: Jimmy Buffett, Joe Jackson, Tina Turner, KISS, AC/DC, the Eagles, Queen with Paul Rodgers, and now Neil Sedaka and Stevie Wonder. Each one was well worth the time and money.

But with that money becoming increasingly tight, we’ll be staying …

Closer to home.

“I’m Your Captain (Closer to Home),” Grand Funk Railroad, from “Closer to Home,” 1970.

This terrific album was released 38 years ago this summer, with this cut dropped as a single in July of that year.