Suddenly there are musicians in Dallas freaking out about the closing (and one name change) of some Blues venues. There are a number of reasons for the downturn, the biggest being the Internet and TV. Our entertainment time has been expanded greatly. We used to only have 3-5 channels to watch and no computers. Now we can watch 100 channels and see live music via YouTube and other sources.
We must also take in consideration that folks who were really into live music are now older and have families. Like myself they have other priorities and need to stay home more for obvious reasons. And younger folks as a whole just don't seem interested in concerts and clubs with a band stand.
DUI laws are now stricter than they have ever been. Some point out that this is the main cause but it really isn't.
Next is the economy. The last 2 years have not been kind to the the live entertainment or food service industries. People just don't have the extra cash to pay for parking, pay for admission then buy drinks or food. Instead they are taking that money and spending it on home entertainment.
And this is something I have been gripping about for a number of years and that's the quality of the music and bands I see. If I was an average Joe I would be really disappointed with a lot of the stuff that's out there. People really don't need to see another Stevie Ray Vaughan cover. And they don't need to see a horrible singer singing "The Blues Is Alright" or "Hoochie Coochie Man". I see a lot of laziness and no sense of direction. I have heard CDs that make me wonder "WTF"? There is no thought into production or song writing.
Just my 2 cents. I really don't see a bright spot on the horizon except for what I can do to keep from going into a major depression about all this. Teaching and leading my church band helps but going through YouTube the local entertainment rags is a hard thing to do anymore.
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