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An open letter to bar owners with live music

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It has happened again. A club I have been playing at for several
years, a club in a major US city where I have done well and made
good money from the door, has decided to have only DJs from now on.
No more live music. They make much more money when they have only
one DJ to deal with as opposed to five musicians. "It's not
personal, Candye. People drink more when there's a DJ," the club
owner said. "When they watch a band, they stand there until the band
is over and then order a drink. When the DJ plays continuous music,
they come to the bar throughout the night, sweaty and thirsty. It's
a no brainer."

Of course it's not personal. It's just my life and my livelihood.
It's just the way I have been making a living for the past 14 years.

It's just the way it has been done since I was old enough to sneak
into punk bars in Hollywood with my fake ID. Watching live musicians
play live music was how I grew up. Seeing bands like Los Lobos, The
Wild Cards, James Harman, Top Jimmy and the Rhythm Pigs, X, the
Paladins, Smokey Wilson, Roy Gaines and the Blasters gave me a lump
in my throat, blisters on my feet from dancing all night and an
empty wallet from too many beers.

It gave me a dream to hold onto; A dream that I could
someday be on that stage playing music as well. My dreams have come
true a thousand fold, allowing me to travel the world singing for
people and sometimes getting paid really well for my music. It has
allowed me the luxury of recording my songs on cd and the chance to
play music with my son, handing down the family tradition and taking
him around the globe with me. It has made my life rich and rewarding.
It has given me the opportunity to keep in touch with friends and
family in city after city and enabled me to learn about different
cultures and languages. It has given me the chance to revere and
emulate the musicians who came before me and made this one-nighter
lifestyle possible.

And so it's time for me to thank YOU the club owner, who is
committed to keeping live music going in your small bar or middle
sized venue. Maybe you already know how grateful I am to you for
the gigs you provide me.

Maybe you can tell when I am beaming from ear to ear onstage and
hugging you at the end of the night, how grateful I am to have this
job. But I am here to tell you again "YOU ARE INCREDIBLE. Your
dedication and commitment to live music means more now than ever
before!" I know times are tough. You have had to cut back; not offer
as many hotel rooms or maybe no rooms at all. You have had to lower
your guarantees, maybe not offer food to the bands or work the front
door yourself while you juggle the sound board so as not to pay an
extra person. You are struggling too with rising gas prices, higher
taxes, no indoor smoking and city bureaucracy harassing you. You are
dealing with smaller crowds and less big drinkers with endless bar
tabs. I know times are tougher for you now, just like they are for
me. And yet, you keep on keeping on. You provide a place for people
to come and dance and forget their troubles for a while. You provide
a workplace for waitresses and bartenders. And most importantly, you
provide a place for us middle of the road musicians to share our
talents. In this day and age of digital downloads, you tube and
American Idol, you provide a community service by allowing live
human beings to venture into your club and share their music with
others.

I know it seems like a thankless job sometimes when you're dealing
with crabby road dogs, drunk patrons, huge egos and complaints from
ingrates. But I am here to tell you that your work MATTERS. Your
support of live music in spite of these changing times and uncertain
economy shows what a big heart you really have. You are the sole
reason why people like me survive. And hopefully, together, we can
weather these uncertain times in the music business and come out on
top. I don't want to be a grandmother telling my kids "There used to
be live people playing this music. It wasn't just a recording, it
was real people." I don't want live music to be obsolete like the
8 track. I want my grandkids to grow up knowing that playing live
music is an option just like any other occupation. I want them to go
to bars and see live music being played. And I want you to stay open
and thrive!

Thanks so much for what you have been doing all these years and what
you will continue to do, because you believe in musicians like me.
Thank you for all your hard work and dedication. Thank you for not
giving up. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, for making my
dream come true.

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Interesting view point. Candye is thanking the bar owner for taking the hit, weathering the storm, having the faith to keep live music going, losing money in the meanwhile. So, it is the bar owner dedicated to live music that is responsible for this scenario? As long as he is willing to get the short end of the deal and keep at it, this is where the hope of future live music dwells?

Hmmm. Somehow, I feel that, eventually, all of these good Samaritans will give up in frustration, give up due to lack of money or give up due to lack of support. Then we blame the bar owners for the demise?

Move on down to the food chain to the patrons - if they are supportive, come out in numbers, spend money on cover charges without whining about them, buy food and drinks, come back the next weekend with friends/families, show their love of live music by attending and spending, then, somehow, I feel that the bar owners may be more inclined to continue supporting live music.

Here in Central Florida, being involved in producing shows, playing as a musician, having dialog with bar owners and blues society presidents, and watching what unfolds, once again it is on the public to show their support by SPENDING THEIR MONEY in that direction. This area, especially, is full of whiners and complainers - not enough good music out there, not enough good blues shows, not enough opportunities to play, don't wanna pay cover charge, don't wanna spend money on meals/drinks/tips at the club, too tired to go out, too rainy to go out, too many good shows on tv to go out, wah wah waaaaah - and then, OHMYGOD - ANOTHER EVIL CLUB OWNER IS SWITCHING TO KARAOKE AND GETTING RID OF BANDS/HIRING A SOLO ACT W/SEQUENCED BACK UP TRACKS - IT"S THEIR FAULT.

20 people at an OBBS major recording artist concert? Who do you think will want to create these shows when they eventually wise up to the fact that it is a lose/lose situation? Only those with rich relatives, major inheritances and/or lottery winnings. I know many club owners who state they are tired of paying $400/Friday for a personal local band show in their venue for themselves and the staff, which is what the reality is.

The Iceman

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