"Live" Ain't Dead ... Yet.
by Jeff Raspe

Tramps. Coney Island High. The Melody Bar. Wetlands. Cooler. Chicago Blues. Live Tonight/Beat N' Path. Boo Boo's. Orpheus. What do they all have in common? They're all legendary venues in the NY/NJ area for live, original music of many genres that have, or in the case of Wetlands and Chicago Blues, are about to, close down. This doesn't even include the numerous clubs that have been forced to close, reopen, change hands, close again, etc. (Remember the Bank? Limelight? Stone Pony? Fast Lane?). How about those years before Todd bought Maxwells back? Yup, we can include Maxwells on the list of local venues that have had "down time". There have also been numerous dance clubs, live music venues of other music genres or discos that have been forced to close.

What is it that's forcing all of these clubs to have hard times, sometimes to the point that they have to close? Obviously one of the biggest is rent. The owners of the building that Wetlands is in are turning everything into condos. Much better for the so-called neighborhood that has spent most of the venue's 13 year life trying to get it closed down. The Melody also had new "landlords" that have forced it to go dark.

Some have tried to keep up with the ever-changing definition of what's "hip" just to have the beautiful people quickly decide something else is "hipper" and all of a sudden there's nobody standing behind the velvet ropes.

In NYC, could it be Mayor Guiliani's re-enforcement of an antiquated "cabaret" law banning dancing in venues with certain types of liquor licenses?

Or is it simply that not enough people are going out to see live music? Nah, that can't be it, cover band bars are always jam packed with people, right?

It couldn't be that not enough people are going out to see original, live music, could it? I know that there are a lot of reasons that prevent you from going out to see a band that you maybe only know a little about, on a Wednesday night, in Asbury Park. But since I tend to go out more often than people with real jobs and real lives I actually see a lot of great bands playing to near empty rooms just because local radio isn't supporting them, it's a work/school night, in a town you've heard "sketchy" things about. It bothers me to no end to hear everyone else cry bloody murder when some place closes down or turns into a cover band bar or a salsa club or discontinues live music all together because having live, original music is just not paying the rent, salaries and bills. Don't forget, the "kids" can't get into most of these places. 21 and over. It's up to us over 21's!!

Pretty soon we'll be left with just the larger sized venues (PNC Arts Center, Meadowlands, etc), large package tours (Warped Tour, OzzFest, etc), and the mega-stars (Bon Jovi, Madonna, etc), and the ticket prices that all of those things bring. The day will soon come when you can't walk into a bar, pay a seven dollar cover, and see a band "on the way up", "getting back to their roots", or just having some fun (remember my Green Day at CBGB story?).

Everyone asks me how I "discover" a lot of the bands I happen to find before the rest of the world does... One of the biggest reasons is that I spend nights at the Saint, the Luna Lounge, the Mercury Lounge, CBGB, Maxwells, the Court Tavern, and a bunch of other places that I pray will never fall victim to "the times". Quite honestly, I don't know how they've been able to stick it out this long. I know the odds are stacked against them in a big way. Landlords raising rents, neighborhood gentrification, the nights with 15 people paid at the door...I don't know how they do it.

Sacrifice some sleep every now and then! Take a chance on a band you've "only heard about"! Get out more often to hear live music!! Original music!! Since you can't discover "good" or "new" music on the radio anymore, you have to go out and find it!! It's still out there!!

©2001 Jeff Raspe