Live Music Venues Noticeable by Their Absence

Two days ago, I returned from Nashville, where two of the newest spots on Broadway in 2024 belong to Eric Church and Garth Brooks.  On a street where tourists and bachelorette parties are plenty, there’s live music in each and every honkytonk.

In that city and others, however, it’s the venues that have closed that, sadly, are just as notable and deserve to be talked about.

At a time when many A-listers are pricing some fans out of going to stadium or arena shows, the options to go to a local music joint are dwindling at a noticeable rate, unfortunately.

We saw some, but not all, of this coming four years ago when the pandemic made an impact that stretched far beyond what it did to scores of people medically.  Back then, the very venues we would all frequent on a regular basis had to pull out all the stops to find a way to avoid going out of business.  From crowdfunding campaigns to organized efforts to get government funding, it was a Herculean task to figure out how to stay afloat.

Yes, in 2020 we all got used to seeing musicians perform online and those livestreams became a great alternative to being on lockdown, not to mention, of course, those artists being able to derive some income by performing from home for all of us to see.  But don’t think that because the pandemic is in the rearview mirror it’s all sunshine and roses.

In Nashville, Belcourt Taps was a place you could count on to go see a writers round, but not anymore.  In New York City, Rockwood Music Hall was a staple for great live music.  One year ago this month I was there and now I’m writing about them having recently closed their doors.  Meanwhile, out in Los Angeles, the owner of Kulak’s Woodshed has made no secret about his venue being on life support.

Here in the greater Tampa Bay area, guys and gals who perform live music are finding it even tougher after back-to-back hurricanes two months ago destroyed some of the very venues they would play in.

The sad part is that not only does it not end there, but, the state of the live music landscape is just as bad, if not worse, “across the pond.”  Euronews reported 125 venues in the UK shutting down in twelve months, representing “15.7 percent of the sector and were primarily grassroots spots where smaller artists make their names.”

It’s no wonder that I sat in a meeting in Nashville two days ago and listened to a highly respected producer say that an up-and-coming independent artist these days needs a band so they can play in bigger venues instead of small crowds at hole in the wall spots as a solo act.

Keep in mind that all of this is coming at a time when CDs are long a thing of the past and so consumers are getting music through streaming, which – just like the disparity between A-listers doing arena shows and the little guy watching venues close up – leaves very little opportunity for any kind of notable income.  In many cases, whether they reveal it publicly or not, a number of artists are having to clamor for other ways to make money.

What can the general public do?  Three actions spring to mind immediately, although it’s important to note that there are lots more.

One is, support the local independent music venues – even if it’s a bar, restaurant, pub, whatever you want to call it.  If you’re deciding where to go on a Friday night, skip the major chain that has locations all over and instead go to that one-of-a-kind spot that you know will have someone performing.

Secondly, as you’re watching that performer and hearing them ask for tips and seeing their sign showing the methods of how you can do so, up the ante.  The one dollar bill you’re about to pull out of your pocket won’t even get that artist a gallon of gas for their vehicle that they have to pack up and head home in when they’re done.  Make that a five-dollar tip instead so that you both are happy about the gesture.  (Heck, if you’re really enjoying what they’re doing, see about buying merchandise!)

Third, purchase downloads of music you like rather than simply streaming it.  If venues continue to close, the people who created the songs you’re enjoying will need ways to make money from their art even more.

As a bonus suggestion, if there’s a spot you like to go to for live music but that’s not all they do, support that venue during the daytime.  Go in there for lunch – and bring people with you – because they might need the business more than you know.

Don’t do nothing and wait for the next person to pick up the slack or that just might be your last time in there.

For twenty years I have been helping indie music artists, authors, actors, entrepreneurs, podcasters, filmmakers, small business owners, and more.  What challenges are you having in your creator career that I can lend some insight to?  Let’s get on a short call together so you can take advantage of all my experience, and I can help and keep you moving forward.