[Dixielandjazz] Loudness - Redux

[Stephen Barbone]

Barbone Street is performing a return engagement on Friday evening,
December 12, at Club ViVA, the new jazz club in Reading Pennsylvania.
You may recall that we performed at the Grand Opening last month. I just
received the "House Rules" which will become effective December 1.

Normal and very fair, but just have to quote the following snippet:

"Sound Volume Levels:"

"Weekday and Sunday entertainers must bring their own sound equipment.
Friday and Saturday late evening entertainers must use ViVA's main sound
system (JBL Speakers) Volume to be controlled by ViVA management. First
sets are to be softer (66% to 75% of normal volume) while ViVA dinner
guests finish eating. In general, ViVA sound volume levels are to be
lower than most entertainers normally perform at due to the older age
and preferences of many regular ViVA guests.:"

We are not worried about sound levels because we play mostly acoustic,
even in this large club, (it seats 300 plus at $5 a pop cover charge)
and Gary Spencer of the Berk's Arts Council is the production manager at
the club and he does our sound at Berks and Rehoboth Jazz Festivals as
well. And we perform from 10:00 PM to 1:00 AM. (which cuts down the "old
folks" audience size)

They put these "sound" rules in effect to lower the volume levels of the
Weekday and Sunday jazz groups who perform during eating hours, (dinner,
and sunday brunch) when they have that "older" crowd.

I guess we old folks are just a bunch of softies. :-)  Or is it that the
younger musicians don't know enough to match the volume to the audience,
especially at dinner time? ;-)

Cheers,
Steve Barbone