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Lack of good talent?
Maybe? I can't speak for rock crowds but I can't recall the last time I've been to any music show and left thinking I just saw someone that had a real shot at making it.
Good local music
doesn't equate to trying to "make it." I grew up in the Syracuse area, which has always had a vibrant and successful local music scene. A lot of guys I grew up watching and playing alongside are still at it, as is a whole new generation, with no intentions of hitting it big. They work, go to school, and/or have families, but love to play music and people in the area love to go see them. Now different areas/cities have different demographics, "climates," and what have you, but the general sentiment rings true–local is the key word.
And this area is not short on talent.
rents are lower in Syracuse
Easier to make a living being a bar band there. Boston rents are brutal, especially if you want a family. Lots of office temps, waiters/waitresses, fast food workers "really in a band". I'm sure it's exhausting after a while.
Nobody is living off of
being a bar band there, save for maybe a few very established groups (even that is doubtful), hence me mentioning that they have jobs, etc.
Again, what I was getting at is that good local music ≠ trying to "make it," and gave a personal anecdote to support. Someone below mentioned NY, Chicago, SF, etc. as well if you want a larger city comparison.
Point taken, although we
Point taken, although we probably go for different reasons. Wanting to make it, and having the talent to make it are not one in the same. So i guess ultimately what I was saying is I haven't come across talent that would make me want to follow or pay attention to them going forward. I would love to hear of some.
I'm on board
with that assessment. You like what you like, and that should ultimately be the deciding factor in whether or not you go.
"making it"
Most musicians don't "make it" in the sense that you, I assume, are talking about. Most musicians now and throughout history, are working musicians, and usually other occupations to support what they love doing. I grew up around a lot of musicians, most who who didn't "make it" and some who did, back when the local music scene was very vibrant. And those who didn't, weren't necessarily any less talented than those who did. If a person's goal in making music is to "make it", they may as well pack it in at the gate.
To reiterate my other
To reiterate my other response, I haven't come across any talent that would make me want to follow them, or frequent any particular live music place. I'm open to having my mind changed though.
local stuff
check out these great resources for local boston music
www.redlineroots.com
http://www.pbandjayrecords.com/
If not rock then what?
OK so people are saying that rock is for old people. Even though I completely disagree, let's say that that is true. What kind of live music would young people want to go see?
Aspiring rappers.
Aspiring rappers.
Yawn
Yawn.
Electronic, dance, hip-hop
to name a few. The typical "rock" band that writes their own music and plays their own instruments seems to be a dying breed.
Live music in general seems
Live music in general seems to be a dying breed and not just in Boston.
Not true at all
Visit Seattle, Portland, Chicago, NYC, San Francisco, etc.
When I first moved to Boston I popped into some coffee shops/pubs looking for band flyers or a good weekly alternative with local music listings. The local live music scene just doesn't exist here like it does elsewhere. And it's doubly surprising considering all the university students.
things've changed
Things've changed, that's for sure. Can't say why but I'm sure there are multiple factor. Boston used to be known, (inter-)nationally for churning out great local bands.
The scenario you describe
" I popped into some coffee shops/pubs looking for band flyers or a good weekly alternative with local music listings. "
The scenario you describe fits the Boston scene of the late 70s and throughout the 80s to a tee. Band flyers were everywhere. The Phoenix, for one alternative paper, had seemingly endless band listings. Then again, things like "band flyers" and "weekly alternative" are anachronisms themselves now.
Passion Pit is a Boston band
Passion Pit is a Boston band that made it big. They are more Electro Pop than straight Rock but they do play instruments. You can still play instruments and appeal to college kids.
Rock is very unpopular right now across all age groups. There isn't a single band that has come out in the last 15 years that can fill an arena by themselves. Talented people like Beck and Arcade Fire win grammys and many people get pissed that someone they haven't heard of won an award over someone like Beyonce who can neither play an instrument or write a song.
What on earth makes you think
What on earth makes you think Beyonce isn't a songwriter?
What on earth
Makes you think she is? It's a well-known fact that she's nothing but a performer with a team of really good lawyers.
That's funny
Considering the number of songwriting credits she has to her name. But I guess if some rando says it's a "well-known fact", that settles it.
It's like executive producer
It's like executive producer credit - doesn't mean you had anything to do with the creation.
rock shows kinda are for old people...
...and I confess that I'm probably going to see TSOL at the Middle East tonight.
There's a lot out there, depending on whether you want to dance or jump or stare blankly into the middle distance.
I'm no expert anymore (I used to be, but I'm old now), but the last two times I've ended up at live gigs in traditional venues, with no idea about the artists beforehand, we ended up hearing rave rap (which was a blast and we danced two hours straight) and ambient folk (which wasn't a blast and I wanted to drive forks in my ears).
This was in DC. When I lived there 25+ years ago, only a few venues had shows pulling audiences across color lines on a regular bases. I think most promoters wanted more crossover, but the lanes on the road were pretty fixed-- if you liked go-go, you went here, punk went there, blues there, and so on, and it was unusual to be in the 9:30 Club and not see a mostly white audience in the middle of a city that wasn't. For that matter, gay clubs, lesbian nights, euro nights, latin clubs... everything was pretty well segregated by target audience, in all the cities where I lived, including Boston. I hopped around a lot, both for fun and because I wrote music reviews back then. But most cities were pretty stratified.
I like that this is breaking down some. There is a real effort to diversify the music and the audiences. But that means not defining clubs by genre. I loved TT's, saw some great shows there, but rock is a limited audience, and the 20 year old who listens to rock on Monday may want something totally different on Wednesday. It can't be easy in a college town to keep a club going without a core of regular young people who can stay out 'til the wee hours at least one night a week-- and tell me true, if you're over 40, how many nights a month are you out recreationally until the wee hours?
And as far as genres go, there's so much more available in our post-FM era. Saw a JP based band not long ago that sounded like early Velvet Underground + teen emo +folk buskers at Park Street. Have no idea what the genre would be. Definitely not rock. To pick some bands us olds may know, how about Bell Gardens or Sparkle Horse? Again, not rock, really. My student workers listen to more KPop and hiphop than rock.
Up vote because of the
Up vote because of the Sparklehorse reference.
rip mark linkous
Fell in love with Sparklehorse back when they were still in Richmond. Like Mazzy Star, one of those sounds that makes me want to lie on the floor & listen.
9:30 Club
Ah, someone else here that hears "9:30 Club" and thinks first of the one on F Street. Good chance we crossed paths there depending on the years.
Mostly the 80s-early 90s...
... before it moved, she says snottily.
Did you go to DC Space?
Metro Boston Area
has for literally decades now, pushed out Punk, Metal, and Rap from its music scene. I played in a metal band for about 6 years in the 2000s and I can count on one hand how many shows we played in Boston and still have a couple of fingers left over. During that time we played high energy shows in Worcester, Rhode Island, and many suburbs as far as local shows go.
I guess these genres are "too violent" for Boston area, and can't blame Boston proper venues, seeing how two adults getting into a fight on their own lands the club in front of the licensing board.
Now that all the clubs are dying, I am starting to see more metal and punk shows in town, so now they turn to those who they've spurned in the past to get kids in the door. Aw, you need money now? Let the moshing commence! How adorable.
Mike Beaudet and the Channel 5 kiddy journo club is busy putting a stop to the underground scene, maybe Boston should just go all Sharia law and ban music altogether, its just easier.
I feel no regret or remorse at the local scene "dying." it's a joke. Johnny D's closed! Oh No!!! No more shitty cover bands, sleep inducing folksters or Neil Young's wife playing garbage in Davis SQ. WHAT COULD EVER REPLACE SUCH A GEM?!?!?! GASP! TT's closed! Now where can I go to get PBRs and muscle may way into the 14 sq. feet with good sound in a club that holds hundreds of people?!? (full disclosure: I am kinda bummed about TTs)
Middle East still exists, and their schedule is shit because Live Nation gets all the big bands, but the fact remains, they need to BOOK BETTER SHOWS. If someone over there needs contacts I've got pages of em. I assume Live Nation screws artists over harder than the Middle East does, but who knows? Bands should WANT to play there, it's the last "historic" or genuine club left here.
Actually Middle East is
Actually Middle East is getting cut out because BoweryBoston and Crossroads are booking almost exclusively at Brighton and Paradise.
BoweryBoston...
couldn't think of what it was... i know the same company books O'Brien's, Great Scott, and Brighton Music hall, and you have to work your way up the ladder with those.
My point still stands though, we are just talking different bigMedia companies. The days of "knowing the guy that books at..." and getting a gig at one of the more well known venues are over. its all corporate streamlined bullshit.
Other venues come up though, as has been noted all over this thread. I love ONCE/ Cuisine en Locale. I have seen some pretty awesome shows there...for $15 no less. And they are willing to host metal shows and work with local promoters and DIY folks. Great venue, I hope they do well.
you couldn't be more wrong
the same company doesn't book o'briens/great scott & brighton. and the guy "bigMedia" guy that books great scott did join bowery boston is the same guy that booked the room since it was a once a week indie rock night 11 years ago and can be found there almost every night of the week, hardly corporate streamlined bullshit, but don't let facts get in the way of your rant.
as of a few years ago
the scenario I described was how it worked. O'Bs Great Scott and the Music Hall were all booked through the same person/company. Maybe its the barfly you describe, I dunno. If that has changed then I am glad. You couldn't just get a gig at Great Scott, you had to play O'Brien's first. That is fact. And if Bowery Boston, who books multiple venues across the area isn't "coporate bullshit" then color me surprised, cuz it sure sounds like it is.
Your user name has soured my memory of Boston's most entertaining second baseman, I hope you're happy.
False
The person who books Great Scott never booked Brighton Music Hall, not even once. Brighton Music Hall is operated by Live Nation/Crossroads, always has been and before that Harper's Ferry had their own in house booker. You COULD get a gig at Great Scott if the draw of your band warrants. And if you can't break 100 tickets what's wrong with actually developing your draw at O'Briens? Or get a good bill together with a few other bands and play Great Scott.
My "corporate bullshit" line to you is that you said "The days of 'knowing the guy that books at...' and getting a gig at one of the more well known venues are over. its all corporate streamlined bullshit." is completely false. The guy who books Great Scott is the same guy who's been booking the room since it turned into an indie rock room and is there all the time so its simply false to say those days are gone when that day is still there.
Bad booking practices
"The days of 'knowing the guy that books at...'and getting a gig at one of the more well known venues are over."
Well, if those days are over, good riddance. Those "knowing the guy (or girl) that books at..." days weren't all fun and games. In the 80s the booking scene at many of the major clubs of the day was a disgrace. They were like little fifedoms, and the in house booking agent was often a dealer
booking the bands of his/her junkie band friends (some of whom were quite well known locally), and equally frequently were booking agents, often female, booking their boyfriend's bands. It was a very catty in-scene.
Step away from the screen for
Step away from the screen for once, take off the headphones, and go out and enjoy the experience of good, live music with human interaction. Where? I couldn't tell you anymore. I haven't been to a good concert since I was in my 20s. And that was Bowie. And guess what? It didn't cost me f'ing $300 per ticket, either! *sigh*
In fairness though
That was back when artists made money from record sales.
They make the majority of their money from concerts and merchandise now, since nobody actually buys records anymore.
Not even concerts for the
Not even concerts for the younger less established bands. Just T-shirts.
Boston has tons of great touring shows
Places like the Paradise and Brighton Music Hall and The Sinclair and yes the Middle East have nationally touring acts multiple times per week. You don't have to spend $100+ to see great live music. In fact, The House of Blues is the biggest place I'll go to anymore, as the idea of being up close to the band is so much better than standing hundreds of feet back or heavens(!) having to watch on the video screen.
Music is magic!
Every year, someone with
Every year, someone with selective memory writes an article like this when a venue closes. Like when TT’s closed, there was suddenly a panic, ignoring the fact that newer live venues like the Sinclair and Beat Brasserie didn’t exist just a couple years before, and there was actually a net gain of venues for Cambridge. Even in Central Sq — TT’s closed, but places like Thelonious Monkfish have now come/expanded. Venues open and venues close, replacing each other over time as “scenes” change, but some people only focus on the ones that close and think that the sky is falling, or only focus on the ones that pertain to their scene that they think is the center of the universe.
What’s really ridiculous in the article is the argument about 21+ venues (even though the drinking age has been 21 since the mid-80’s, and was still 20 in MA before that), apparently unaware of the “All Ages” and “DIY” movements that developed in the 80’s underground scenes as a result. 21+ has ALWAYS been an issue, and is nothing new for today.
I agree that the DIY scene is
I agree that the DIY scene is vibrant and well-established. And as the writer of this article, I'd like to thank you for your insight. I also think it is important to report on these types of events, regardless of whether of the fears expressed by those quoted turn out to be well-founded or not. (And I personally think the forum was very revealing about the local rock scene in many respects.) Perhaps you would enjoy this article I wrote a little while back entitled "Stop Worrying. Closing of Beloved Rock Clubs Doesn't Mean the End of Boston Music." http://artery.wbur.org/2015/12/10/end-of-boston-music-scene Thanks for reading--and be prepared for further reporting on this issue! Or non-issue, as you may see it :)
If I hadn't known some of the
If I hadn't known some of the people involved in this I would have thought the 'BUR story was from the Onion, Hard Times or something from the Noise Board 10 years ago
Seems like we're not that far away from the ironic thought of a benefit show for the local music scene
Ticket fees and costs
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the ludicrous costs for tickets, and fees that Ticketmaster adds on to every purchase.
When most venues charge a minimum of $50 a ticket (even for the local/unknown bands), and then add on a minimum 25% charge for Ticketmaster, don't be surprised when folks don't want to pack the house.
Most DINKS like me like to go out, but when it easily gets to $200 for two tickets plus a round or two at the bar, we start thinking about priorities and where we want to spend our money. Your little venue and unknown bands aren't always at the top of that list.
Seriously? What shows are you
Seriously? What shows are you seeing? I've never seen a ticket above $20 at Great Scott - and most are 10-15. Most at Sinclair are even $30 or under.
Okay, hyperbole of sorts
Yes, there are venues that are better than $50 a ticket, you're right. But take that $20 ticket, and it becomes $35 when Tickemaster is done with you. Throw in a drink or two each, and now it's $100 to $125 for a basic evening out for what *might* be a good/great show, but also might be goddawful.
Or, take that $100-$125 and go to dinner at a nice restaurant that you know will be enjoyable.
We sometimes do the former, but we often do the latter.
So maybe look up a show
So maybe look up a show before you go? Pretty straightforward to tell who will be good and who will be meh, I think. I get that it *can* be expensive, so that's why I'd prioritize the music over the beers, or food. If you're in Somerville, get to a venue and buy tickets in advance there - no fees. I know there's extra effort involved, but easy ways to save money if seeing shows is what you want to do.
Missing the overall point
Sure, I could scroll through every venue's upcoming show list. Then hunt down each individual band's web presence (sometimes their own site, sometimes on FB, etc). Then see if they have some streaming samples of their music. And do this for every venue and every show coming up.
So you're right, yes, I can certainly avoid spending too much on live music. But that's not my point.
My point was that the article doesn't mention cost, which, as I have laid out, can add up quickly. Clearly, making live music financially accessible isn't a priority for promoters and venues, yet here they are getting together and scratching their heads and wondering why people aren't coming out in droves.
For those of us who might casually decide to go out (without advance research) the decision about what to do includes a value proposition. In my humble opinion, the value often isn't there to just "check out" a venue and a band or two.
Maybe these promoters and venues should consider cost, or at least discuss it as part of the issue.
Nor does it mention the
Nor does it mention the musicians making money. That's the issue. Keep costs low, and who suffers? Maybe pressure the venues into selling drinks $1-$2 cheaper - then what are the unintended consequences?
I just don't think live music
I just don't think live music is that expensive for an evening out lasting several hours, although everyone's willingness and ability to pay varies of course. I've found anything below House of Blues level is around $25, with places like Great Scott or Mid East Up being half that or less. (and even the last 2 HoB shows I went to were $25). Fees suck, but I've had very few egregious cases over $10 total for fees and tax.. usually I think it's closer to $8 total? Some might argue that you don't have to drink, but I personally need some booze if I'm going to stand for a few hours, so I'm counting that as a necessity (although $ you probably would have spent at a restaurant or some alternate evening out). But adding two drinks with tip to the bill still comes in under $50. Three drinks, not much more. Compare that to a sporting event, theater, museum, dinner/drinks and anything but a movie and it's a pretty good deal. (I do agree though that it's not worth it going in knowing nothing about the band(s). But in this era of heightened "music discovery" theoretically there should be bands touring that you want to see so you don't have to go in cold)
Honestly, when I look around at a show with 4 bands playing for 60-100 people for $15 a head, like so many shows around here, I don't see how anyone's making money. If cost is keeping audiences away, that's a problem, because I don't think there's any give there.
I go to a lot of live shows
I go to a lot of live shows and usually pay less than $20–$25 unless it's a larger venue like the Orpheum or House of Blues. I don't think prices are keeping live music fans away. As a huge fan of live shows I'd much rather check out a band than spend that on dinner. Granted it's probably a different story for college-age kids, but Even on my single, non-profit salary, I never had to skip a show because of prices. I think like anything it's how you prioritize what's important to you, and it doesn't sound like it's your scene anyway.
Definitely buy tickets from the venue
Except for seated shows or something that I think will sell out quickly, I always make the effort to go to the venue and buy my tickets. I look at the savings as getting my first beer for free. Plus I despise Ticketmaster and I avoid giving them my money whenever I can.
How did folks hear about this forum?
As someone who goes to live shows pretty frequently, I never heard about this forum and would have loved to attend. How did folks hear about this forum?
Boston's a study in contrasts. Students, sure, but then they leave and the live scene largely dies in the summer except for large arena shows. Shows should start later, but they should start earlier. The T runs until 12, or is it 1? Or 2? There's no easy answer that will satisfy all.
And Boston fans, by and large, at indie shows, are loud talkers, obnoxious, and don't care about the bands. They're there for the "scene", whatever that is. It drives me up a wall - I'm here to hear a band, not talk through their songs.
Promotion in Boston is bad, booking is bad, and as much as the national music press talks about the "Boston scene", there isn't much of a local band following. On the plus side there are diy-underground venues (Democracy Center, Allston stuff, etc.). I dig through sites to find who's coming because I love music. Today's easy accessibility to music listening (streaming, mainly) means folks don't care as much about seeing live shows, I'd guess.
Not coherent, I know, but get out and see some shows! Tonight, want electronica? go see Four Tet. Rock? SCOTS. Go out!
it was talked about and
it was talked about and shared all throughout facebook; i'm pretty sure Vanyaland (http://www.vanyaland.com) posted numerous times about it. also was organized by Anngelle Wood, who has the local Boston Emissions radio show on WZLX Sunday nights) those 2 resources should become part of your go-tos if you want scene info
To be fair, I don't like
To be fair, I don't like Vanyaland that much - the format bothers me - but it's one of the few places for local news - that and the Pudding since the Nac isn't that frequent anymore.
it's gotta start from somewhere..
The Boston area started discouraging live music around the mid 90s. The lawsuits coming in from all ages shows and accidents at clubs scared venues away from booking any new, un-established, young bands. Here we are 20 years later and that seed has manifested itself. All the good talent moved away, music fans moved on (either to other locales, or went into the corp world). Finally a few more venues have opened like the Sinclair, but Boston isn't the hot bed of new music like it was in the 70's and 80's.
Remember, people MOVED here to start bands... Think the Cars, Aerosmith, even the Pixies (tho college students) all are not Mass natives, yet came here to get these bands off the ground. Bands overseas started tours here (like U2). But in 2016, touring bands actively avoid Boston. My fave bands announce tours.. but only to find the closest date is NYC and Montreal. Bands dont want to come here. Its cyclical, bands avoid the area, therefore not inspiring young people, they dont start bands, they dont go to see live music. If they are serious about music the move to a music friendly place, they start bands, and probably dont tour here.
To solve this problem its going to take years to make the ship right. Boston/Cambridge/Somerville needs to realize these venues are valuable and not shut them down/fine them for the smallest infraction. News reporters need to stop narcing on underground venues (hello channel 5). Established clubs need to start booking new acts and encouraging established ones to come here. But this all will not happen overnight.
Could not agree more about
Could not agree more about the bands skipping Boston/Cambridge point that you make. So many tours outright miss us, and those that don't never seem to come back in the same album cycle, while many similar sized metro areas get multiple shows.
I would love to see more options for smaller scale events that are legit, like Out of the Blue Too in Cambridge, as I'm too old and not in the loop enough to keep up with the constantly changing basement scene.
Also, I think it really sucks that locally based bands (once they get a certain level of notoriety) always seem to leave town. Speaking from an indie standpoint, Quilt and Guerrilla Toss come to mind, but I'm sure there are countless other examples.
All that said, I think Bowery Boston does a great job, and gets a lot of bands that I want to see. Crossroads is okay too. I would love to see better stuff at the Middle East, and was really hoping the booking upstairs would fill the void left by TTs, but that hasn't really happened yet.
Hold on, now...
"My fave bands announce tours.. but only to find the closest date is NYC and Montreal. Bands don't want to come here."
Who are your favorite bands??? I have seen in Boston/Cambridge in the last two years: Wolf Alice, Slaves UK, The Orwells, Speedy Ortiz, Hop Along, Eagles of Death Metal, Heartless Bastards, M Ward, The Kills, Garbage, Ex Hex, Pale Hound, Torres, Courtney Barnett, The Stranglers, Elvis Costello, Steely Dan, among others and I'm seeing the Cure and Paul McCartney in the next couple months! Have you been to Porch Fest? There are a massive amounts of live bands touring and living in this area. The only person I have to travel to NYC to see is PJ Harvey. If you think there isn't enough live music here, you're not looking hard enough and you don't even have to make that much of an effort. I'm almost 60 and I love live music so I seek out the stuff I like and find it almost every time!! In Boston/Cambridge!
lots of bands
Just as pointed out in a comment above, Punk, Metal, Hardcore. Its too much liability. In fact TODAY, the Melvins announced their summer tour. 40 some-odd dates. They SKIP Boston. They are playing Northampton, MA, Providence, and NYC. Not here. Granted the Melvins have played here before, but why these smaller towns and not Boston? That is my point.
Melvins
The Melvins played the Paradise on April 16, 2016 with Napalm Death and Melt Banana.
also to my point...
Since the Melvins already played here last month, they go to other towns when they come back around. Wolf Alice played The Met in RI in Sept, then came to Boston at BMH last month. Bands with new albums will often swing through an area twice covering different towns. Eagles of Death Metal played BMH last year, then Lupo's a few weeks ago then they are back in Boston in a couple weeks. It happens all the time like that. Almost every band you or I have heard of and like will come to Boston at some point.
Looping back
That's true that looping back around can give the wrong impression. I saw Yo La Tengo in Portsmouth a few weeks ago, and heard several people in the audience say significantly "They're not even coming to Boston on this tour". Which, ok, the exact show they were playing didn't hit Boston this spring, but pretty much the same "tour" (with an additional band member from their early days) played Boston on their pass through the northeast last October.
my point..
my point.. they aren't skipping NYC, Toronto etc on each time around? But they are skipping Boston every other "run". Thats the point.
they often are..
skipping nyc and toronto every other run. maybe nyc more frequently as there are many more people events/festivals, etc down there but that's a different story. Its quite common for a band to tour major markets boston/nyc/philly/dc on their tour around releasing an album and then cycle back 6-12 months later and hit secondaries portland/providence/baltimore/nj, etc.
Ok yes, not all bands are
Ok yes, not all bands are avoiding Boston, but I have to say that I've also noticed maybe starting 2-3 years ago that when a band I liked was touring, I'd look up the Boston date, only to find that they were starting in NYC and moving south. I'm talking like 4 cases per year out of maybe 25-30 bands I'd see, so not a huge deal, but a Boston stop not being a given feels like a new thing to me.
Golden Age of Local Music
I'm an oldster, but I can tell you there was a true Golden Age of local music, and it was basically 1976-1983-ish, with places like The Club in Cambrige (I swear that place was a front for something), The legendary Rat, Cantones, The Space, Maverick's, The Underground (I never saw the big deal in that place that others did), The Channel (another front for something), Bunratty's, and on and on. .The whole thing kicked off with Willie Loco's 1975 indie "Mass Ave"/"Kerouac" single. For a while, A&R guys from major labels were swarming everywhere. Not that it did a lot of good for most of the bands that "got signed", which was the brass ring in those days. A more or less healthy scene continued until about the mid 90s. I also notice an interesting sociological parallel in that the decline of live music venues and the decline of gay bars. Probably not for the same reasons, but definitely some overlapping ones.
They don't actively avoid, there are gaps
This subject came up recently and it caused me to look up venue sizes in Boston. Basically you're good if you can play a small place, say 500 or under (Great Scott, Brighton Music Hall & the Middle East downstairs plus a bunch of others) and then there's a jump to about 1,000+ people (Sinclair, Royale & Paradise) but after that There's nothing until you get to over 2k people where you can play venues like House of Blues (2,425) or the Orpheum (2,700). After that you're jumping to arena shows like the (insert sponsor here) Pavilion (5,000), Agganis (7,200) or the Garden (19,000+).
The Channel had a capacity of 1,700 but now there is nothing for the bands that need a venue that's a good chunk larger than 1,000 but not 2.5x that size and again there's a gap at some of the larger sizes. So you might have a band that can fill the Providence Civic Center (12,000+) but are too big for Agganis & too small for the Garden. You might have a band that has an audience that fits Lupo's (1800-2000) well rather than playing the smaller or larger places in Boston.
Maybe you're connected to a lot of tour promoters who are telling you first hand that they are avoiding Boston for a reason but with the right size venues most bands would rather play here (and possibly Worcester and/or Providence as well) if the venue size and audience numbers line up.
This article seemed odd to me
This article seemed odd to me. They keep referring to "live music" as if it's some generic bar amenity like pool tables or Golden Tee. I think generally people will go to a show to see a band they already like, not just for the promise of "live music." At least that's what I do anyway. If you're booking lots of shitty bands that nobody knows or cares about, then nobody is going to show up to your venue. It's as simple as that.
Polka
We've still got live polka.
http://www.aljanik.com/
Polish American Club in Cambridge.It's always a blast every year.
Came across this one, too
http://allstonpudding.com/recap-state-live-music-boston-forum-52316/
Well, let's see
A lot of shows are 21+, so all of those college freshmen, sophomores, and half of the juniors can't get in, unless said band also plays the Student Union at the school.
When there's a rap/hip-hop performer, gangbangers turn out in sufficient numbers such that there's often fights or shootings...which gets venue management called in front of the liquor board to scrutinize if the venue did enough to prevent the fight/shooting from happening, with the risk of licenses being lost if it's discovered they did not.
When there's an electronica performer, fans take molly and other club drugs in sufficient numbers such that there's usually an overdose, which gets venue management called in front of the liquor board to scrutinize if the venue did enough to prevent people from bringing drugs onto the premesis, with the risk of licenses being lost if it is discovered they did not.
When there's a performer that's popular with young people, underage people and irresponsible pre-gamers turn out in sufficient numbers that someone gets busted with a fake ID or gets alcohol poisoning, which gets venue management called in front of the liquor board to scrutinize if the venue did enough to ensure IDs weren't fake and that people were not drinking before they entered the venue.
Now if the club doesn't want to lose their liquor license, what genres of music are left to host? Country-western? Frank Sinatra cover bands? Bands that were popular among young people 20 years ago and whose fan base is now 35 and has to get up for work the next morning so they're not rolling or tripping on anything?
Good list of generalizations
... but I agree with them all. I've been to the old school rap concernts started in the late 80s, and in the mid 90s, and several fights broke out - though that was providence so maybe not too surprising.
I think alot of these venues have to shell out for security and such and to make money they limit it to 21+ to limit their liability and sell more booze. I've been to some great shows at the Middle East recently, and the paradise, and it just reminds me I may be past the age where being out till 1 AM standing for 3 hrs is too much for me - but then on the plus side I can afford a taxi or Uber if I am out past T o clock
Country
"Now if the club doesn't want to lose their liquor license, what genres of music are left to host? Country-western? "
Obviously you haven't seen he rowdy drunken loutish crowds that turn out for country shows at places like Foxboro Stadium. Arrests galore. Venues think long and hard before they book country shows.
Demise of the Phoenix
What a resource that was. The Phoenix listed all the clubs and the upcoming bands. Where do you find that kind of information now? This forum happened at the Isotope. I didn't even know the place existed - so how would I know to go to their web site to see who was playing? I don't want to subscribe to very clubs newsletter, nor visit every clubs web pages thursday night to see what's going on.
Had any on-line outlet (or paper) picked up on the club listings that the Phoenix used to have?
and the Counter-Cultural
and the Counter-Cultural Compass are sister orgs and an excellent resource for live music and any other cool happenings in Boston area
Boston Hassle
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College radio concert reports
This is the WMBR concert report for rock shows and there are also ones for roots & experimental. I'd say that's a good place to look.
http://wmbr.org/www/cr
Weekly Dig...
...also has concert listings.