You can get some kickass shots with the 2.8 70-200 IS, but you're looking a grand and a half for that Canon cannon...though it's a beautiful lens and extremely diverse for live music photography and highly dynamic material (tigers, etc).
I recently picked the Nikon version of that lens up in December and it was the best investment EVER! I've since paid it off and I'm getting some amazing photos with it. There just hasn't been much for me to shoot around here.
I'm thinking of catching the improv night in Montreal featuring Brad Barr this weekend. That would be a great photo-op!
should i try renting some different lenses just for this event? lensrentals dot com seems very doable, with the 85mm f/1.8 and the 100mm f/2.0 both at very reasonable prices for a week
and the days are long... like the words to a little song