[Dixielandjazz] Venues that can't support the band.

[Steve barbone]

BudTuba at aol.com wrote (polite snip)
 

> Most restaurants are happy with the number of meals they serve without
> entertainment.  A band in today's world has to justify its addition to the
> patina. . . .
> We get $100 and free meals for 8 guys and a  vocalist and we pass the
> hat for another $80-100 bucks..  We bring in  about 40 people who would not
> otherwise be there (and on some cold winter's  nights even that attendance not
> met).  If we asked for scale (what is  it now --$65 for 3 hrs?) that would be
> $520 not including a leader's bonus of 1  extra.  Those 40 people would have
> to 
> spend $13 each to hear the  show.  Won't happen.  So we could reduce the band
> to 4 pc (or 3--2)  but that ain't dixieland anymore.
> 
> One of the two restaurant owners (who loves our band) responded when I
> suggested we get $200 said:  "Actually, I'm losing money when you guys come
> in.  
> Your patrons are happy to order a meal and coffee and sit there for  the rest
> of the night sipping water.  When I flick on the sports'  stations I get
> people spilling out the door and running up $20 bar bills."

Hi Bud:

I sympathize, but when the people we bring in don't spend any money, then we
need to figure out how to bring people in that do spend money.

15 years ago I worked a few joints like that. Old folks who spent no money.
That's why I targeted younger people. I found, like Wiggins suggested, new
venues and new (read young) audiences that will support the band.

If the people who supposedly "love" Dixieland can't spend a few bucks to
hear it, we are all in deep do do if we continue to play upon playing free
where these people congregate.

Cheers,
Steve