Live music is dead!
September 3rd, 2004
What happened? Boise was a music town. From Paul Revere to MadRo, or world class Gene Harris at Shotz, schooling the likes of future stars Curtis Stiegers and Paul Tilitson, Boise had a vibrant music culture. Music Week was born in the Boise High Auditorium. Now? Well the live music scene is disappearing-fast.
Last Wednesday the weather was perfect and one of Boise�s most popular bands $oul Purpo$e was at the Alive After Five and no one was there. 
Even last year there would have been 500 people, not a couple of hundred. Rebecca Scott did have a nice crowd at the Piper, but it wasn�t S.R.O. like the past. Not only was there not a line to get in to Hannah’s, upstairs was dead. No music downstairs at Graineys, quiet at Bouquet, Karaoke at Lucky�s and the Ranch Club. See what I mean?
The weekends are not much better. When I asked former Blues Bouquet owner Jo Fryberger why she and her partners sold the Blues, she sighed and told me, �It used to be you could bring in good music, charge a fair price for a drink and people would come, dance and buy a couple of cocktails. Now, that is just not the case.�
John (not so fat) Nemeth and I sat down for a minute as he was preparing to head off to San Francisco. That�s right no more John for Boise music lovers. �Basically, a professional full time musician can�t make a living in this town.� he said. With no radio support and limited venues it just doesn�t work for John. �Get outta� town, is my recommendation!� says John.
It�s not just the MTV generation�s fixation for DJ�s. It�s the neo-prohibition enforcement of liquor laws, especially DUI�s, combined with a public transportation system that quits before happy hour is over. It is hard to get around safely.
Have we ever really recovered from 911? Where are the tourists that used to come out and play?
Some would say Bravo had a hand in the demise. Did they turn off the public with high prices and poor venues? Maybe, but the bottom line is music lovers must be changing, at least in Boise.
Hope things turn around soon. It seems very odd that the masses will pay $100 to see old timers lip sync, but wouldn�t give two dollars to watch Lori B! or The Hoochie Coochie Men play their hearts out to rock the house. Music is better performed live!
- Posted in Uncategorized
September 13th, 2004 at 12:49 pm
And let’s not forget about Alive After Five. Or is it Dead After Five? It seems the “powers” are trying to kill this institution. Remember when this was a saviour of the downtown revitalization? First, this was the shortest season I can remember. Early on it was cancelled because playoff hockey was being played at the BofA Centre. That didn’t make sense. The festivities could have been a perfect pregame pep rally for the Steelheads. But instead, it was decided there was too much fun concentrated in too small an area. I guess. I never quite hear the official reasons. Does anyone else? Whatever the reason, I don’t see the difference between that scene and a parking lot full of tailgaters at BSU that currently has a party population of around 30,000.
And let’s not forget about all the cancellations due to the weather. Let’s see, there was one day in which some rain came down. I remember a time when Alive After Five would take place in a downpour. Now, if there is a cloud in the western sky they run for it. And remember the one cancellation that happen because it was too hot. That still brings a chuckle. Last I looked around we were in the DESERT. Too hot! Wow! One word-misters.
I agree with the liquour problem. I see that now you have to stand in line to get a wrist band before you can stand in line for a beer. That can be a deal killer. Especially when you can go to any bar and and have that litmus test taken care of the old fashioned way-simultainously. And without wrist bands.