Even more about rocking revitalization

Ran into an old friend last night and we reminisced about some of the concerts we saw together. Still mulling over going to see the New York Dolls next week.

Today's USA Today has the story "Smaller rock venues are doing big business," about the rise of smaller acts playing in smaller places--theaters and clubs--with capacity and attendance under 3,000. A couple years ago the St. Paul Pioneer Press had this article, "Houses Divided: As the big-draw headliners dwindle, Xcel Center, Target Center and arenas around the country court midsized acts and multiple shows by creating intimate settings for 5,000 to 8,000 spectators," BY JOHN NEMO (Posted on Sun, Aug. 24, 2003). It's not online but is accessible within the nnep@yahoogroups.com archive. Because I circulated this as an idea for an XM Coliseum tied together with XM Satellite Radio and Uline Arena/Washington Coliseum.

Karaoke in Oak Park ,Michigan, Photo by Ricardo Thomas, The Detroit News.

I still think that the movers and shakers on Barracks Row (8th Street S.E.) are shortsighted in being unwilling to allow the addition of even a modicum of "entertainment" to their commercial district. Adding more restaurant-type establishments without adding to the base of patrons is a recipe for declining business.

I enjoyed seeing the Kills at Black Cat. Flickr photo by Kitty Kowalski.

See my blog entries on this topic, "The Future of Barracks Row?," in the June archive, "Yesterday's testimony on the DC Main Streets program" in the April archive, which discusses in my opinion the success factors for Barracks Row Main Street, "A Creative Idea for Adding Entertainment" from last month, and "Rocking Revitalization" from the March archive. As I said in one or more of these entries, business is declining on an individual basis for BR restaurants, but it's been masked by the increase that is associated with baseball patrons (fortunately).

Flickr Photo, "The Roots at The Metro" by Fabian F.