So, my peripatetic and confident daughter and a few of her friends from Parliament Oak went to the Taylor Swift concert in Lisbon earlier this year.

Including Easyjet airfare from London and three nights in a safe and fun hostel, the total cost was less than the ticket price for Swifties to go to the upcoming concert in Toronto.

Celebrity culture has taken over, whether it be in the arts or professional sports. It’s a weird weird world out there.

Taylor Swift packs 70,000 fans into her concerts and they all agree it was a seminal event in their lives.

Top celebrity athletes pack arenas and stadiums at outrageous prices — and do they ever gouge for beer and pop and hot dogs or sushi.

Here’s another way to get some culture. Subscribe to Music Niagara or Jazz Niagara or the Shaw Festival or any of our local arts providers. They work so creatively and hard to entertain us, and to coax us out of our comfort zones.

In late July, I went out to the Ironwood Cider House on Lakeshore Road for the Odin Quartet concert, “Beethoven in a Glass House.”

Four young musicians playing violins, a cello and a viola. They are true professionals, passionate and certainly understand how much talking between pieces is just right.

For $40 plus tax, with reasonably priced charcuterie and ciders and wines, I marvelled at the talent and dedication of the four musicians.

Excellent acoustics and a view of the peach orchard and the setting sun. Two hours in a comfortable chair, in the front row due to my suspect hearing and short attention span.

Country music and old Beatles tunes, with some Elvis thrown in, is my comfort zone. The Odin Quartet live in a different world and speak a different language.

Still, I was riveted, as they talked about a cello concerto as well as George Augustus Bridgetower and his piece, “Henry: A Ballad.” A mixed-race sonata, by a mixed-race violinist with a mixed-race composer. Whew!

Samuel Bisson from Quebec talked about the Odin Quartet’s next “cool piece” and delighted in telling the audience that they hailed from the heart of Toronto’s musical scene.

The other three musicians were educated in various countries: Serbia; Italy and Hungary; and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

I discreetly nibbled on my charcuterie bowl, as Bisson effortlessly talked about the mechanical use of notes, minimalist music and how a small change can effect a big change.

All of this knowledge shared with we musical mortals in Niagara and never once did he seem condescending or pedantic: an art in itself, by such a talented and passionate performer.

All four of the Odin Quartet looked so sharp, with shiny shoes, dashing shirts and snug vests.

Tanya Charles was elegantly presented in a dress and stylin’ shoes. This was a totally first-class evening.

Again, for $40. Why then were there only about 45 people in the audience?

It’s a mystery to me, and only thanks to sponsorship from Ontario Creates and several other generous sponsors, is the musical table set here in Niagara.

Try as they might, the various local musical groups struggle to attract sizable audiences.

Trust me and the other folks who were at Ironwood that evening, the level of entertainment is superb.

They will continue to present fabulous and thought provoking musical evenings for us.

Please, neighbours, commit to the arts. Don’t let Yogi Berra’s famous malaprop be proven here, as he famously said, “If people don’t want to come to the ball game, you can’t stop them.”

Go online, or search out the ads in The Lake Report. Step out of your comfort zone and be amazed right here at home.

The prices are right, the variety is unbelievable and the evenings are inspiring. It just feels so good.