Arts as production: The rock music ecosystem in West Seattle
I've written a bunch of articles on music as an element of the local arts ecosystem:
-- "Ground up (guerrilla) art #2: community halls and music (among other things)," 2011
-- "Under threat: Austin's music industry as an element of the city's cultural ecosystem and economy," 2016
-- "Leveraging music for cultural and economic development: part one, opera," 2017
-- "Leveraging music as cultural heritage for economic development: part two, popular music," 2017
-- "NBC4 asks if DC can become a concert capital like Nashville, Austin, and New Orleans?," 2019
-- ""Arts district planning" in Arlington County | Many communities don't know the difference between arts as production and arts as consumption," 2021
-- "Another example of why local culture plans need to include an element on retail/dealing with for profit elements of the cultural ecosystem: Nashville's Tubb Record Shop," 2022
and I think that you could apply the principles listed in John Montgomery's 2003 article, "Cultural Quarters as Mechanisms for Urban Regeneration. Part 1: Conceptualising Cultural Quarters" (Planning, Practice & Research, 18:4)," to music as a performing art in terms of developing "music as production" as opposed to "music as consumption."
This Seattle Times article, "Is West Seattle the rock ’n’ roll capital of Seattle?," illustrates those ideas--record stores, clubs, artists living there, record labels, the KEXP-FM rock radio station, practice spaces, recording studios, music education programs in Seattle Public Schools, etc., alongside affordable housing and commercial space, and adaptable buildings--in how it discusses the primacy of West Seattle as the anchor of the rock music ecosystem in Seattle.
From the article:
On the surface, a budget-proposing government suit doesn’t exactly scream “rock ’n’ roll.” But during his decade-plus as King County executive, lifelong West Seattleite Dow Constantine has been the local music and arts community’s biggest champion in local government. The county authorized what was believed to be among the first local-level COVID-19 relief grants earmarked for arts venues and turned an old Harbor Island flour warehouse into a film studio last year. More recently, King County and Visit Seattle teamed up for what they’re billing as Cloudbreak, “Seattle’s ReviveLive Music Fest.” The program gives guests at roughly 70 Seattle hotels a free pass to 60-plus shows throughout the month of November.
What has developed in West Seattle for rock music is like the Penn Avenue Arts Initiative in Pittsburgh, in how two adjoining neighborhood organizations recognized that artists were locating to their communities, and they could leverage their presence by repositioning Penn Avenue as an arts-focused commercial district, by developing and recruiting anchors, developing programming and special events, creating public art, etc. ("Artists bring flourish to Penn Avenue," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "A Transformed Penn Avenue," Pittsburgh Magazine, Vacancy to Vitality in Pittsburgh’s East End: Penn Avenue Arts Initiative, case study, Metris Arts Consulting).
We would call these "naturally occurring arts districts" in the vein of "naturally occurring retirement communities" and what I call "naturally occurring innovation districts" ("Naturally occurring innovation districts | Technology districts and the tech sector," 2014).
Although the Penn Avenue district is being further "developed" through the Penn Avenue Arts Initiative while West Seattle's "music ecosystem" is still self-developing.
Labels: arts-based revitalization, arts-culture; concerts-music;, cultural planning, music-entertainment
posted by Richard Layman @ 8:00 AM&Permanent Link
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https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/five-ways-toronto-s-hard-hit-live-music-venues-could-be-saved/article_9da58dd8-ab13-578e-8143-0697f32bcb40.html
https://archive.is/1LFCN
Five ways Toronto’s hard-hit live music venues could be saved
9/24/2023, Shawn Micaleff
Back in 2015 Toronto declared itself Music City, a place that welcomed and nurtured a local music scene. Think New Orleans, music pouring out of doors onto sidewalks.
I think of that self-proud, aspirational announcement every time I’m near the corner of College Street and Dovercourt Road and see The Matador’s old marquee. Perhaps Toronto’s most famous after hours booze can — where Leonard Cohen shot his “Closing Time” video — it shuttered two decades ago. Efforts in recent years to revive it as a legitimate music and event venue stalled, were mired in city bureaucracy, local NIMBYism and a municipality that seems anything but a music city.
... “It does seem miraculous that many music venues did survive the pandemic, it is almost universally thanks to government support and subsidies that there was not a more devastating tide of bankruptcies,” says Jonathan Bunce, the executive director of Wavelength Music, a non-profit arts organization that champions local music making and performance. “Now that pandemic recovery funds are drying up and grants are starting to get cut back to pre-pandemic levels, with post-pandemic inflation of costs, I’m worried you are going to see more closures in the coming years.”
To get ahead of all that, Bunce and Wavelength partnered with the University of Toronto’s School of Cities to produce a report, to be released on Thursday, titled, “Reimagining Music Venues: Towards New Models of Conservation and Innovation for Ontario’s Live Music Spaces.”
https://www.wavelengthmusic.ca/rmvlaunch/
--- continued ----
... Bunce points out that big venues are doing just fine. It’s the smaller ones where artists have traditionally been able to start out that have been squeezed. The report notes that challenges include financial constraints and market dysfunction, where fans think they pay too much, the artists feel they’re paid too little, and the venue itself is burdened with high costs.
Other findings include a downtown concentration of venues across most of Ontario and that while there’s a real appreciation of the value these sorts of venues bring to communities, there’s a desire for higher standards of washroom and water accessibility, sound quality, cleanliness and reasonable prices.
... At the start of the pandemic Bunce’s book, “Any Night of the Week: A D.I.Y. History of Toronto Music (1957-2001)” was published. “One of its main theses was that it was Toronto’s network of small music venues that most helped nurture the local scene,” says Bunce of how he and the School of Cities began their collaboration. Toronto and other Ontario cities were once known for the “vibrant club circuit, with hundreds of dedicated spaces booking live music.” Yorkville and Yonge Street are filled with historic plaques to long gone places, and my hometown of Windsor has the same kind of loss, though on a smaller scale.
The report identifies five potential new, innovative venue models. One is a self-sufficient stage truck that can be set up outdoors, especially outside of downtown cores. Another is conceptual: “everywhere’s a venue.” Parks, churches, parking lots, construction sites, beaches and so on, rejecting the idea that music can only be heard in a bar or club setting.
The third and fourth potential models involve music presenters partnering with existing multidisciplinary arts centres, as well as clustering music-specific uses into new, stand-alone music centres. Both models could be nimble and host a variety of performances and exhibitions.
The fifth proposal is similar to something affordable housing advocates have been working on for some time: land trusts. Here communities would raise money to create a non-profit cultural trust that will purchase properties and sell or lease them at affordable rates.
It’s important to note that live music doesn’t just mean traditional rock bands. “For me, ‘live music’ includes both DJs and bands — basically anywhere where music is the focus, not just piped into the background as in a restaurant, pub or café,” says Bunce.
https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/what-toronto-has-learned-from-sxsw-and-austin-its-sonic-sister-city/article_98b0a1b0-a3c2-5496-a8e0-4d5c5dffd89c.html
What Toronto has learned from SXSW and Austin, its sonic sister city
3/16/2016
Here are some things have come to fruition since Tory et al got a look at SXSW:
Relaxed enforcement of Toronto’s anti-postering laws
Easier access to permits for music in our parks; revisions to our noise bylaws
The free “Live at City Hall” concert series
Music by Toronto artists to entertain 311 callers on hold
The next step in Toronto’s “music city” development will be passing the city’s official music strategy. The extensive document, drafted with input from Tanner’s office and the 36-member Toronto Music Advisory Council, and innumerable industry and public consultations, has made it past the economic development committee and goes before council at the end of the month. Tory says it’s now time to “give it life.”
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2016/ed/bgrd/backgroundfile-90615.pdf
Toronto Music Strategy Supporting and Growing the City’s Music Sector Created by the Toronto Music Advisory Council for the City of Toronto February 2016
We should celebrate Taylor Swift. But her success shouldn’t crowd out others
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/30/taylor-swift-reaps-country-sized-riches-other-artists-squeezed-out
The fame economy – in music and the arts – is steeper than that of the most oppressive autocracy. There are a tiny number of winners, on whom unspendable riches are lavished, then legions of losers. On Spotify, artists need 6m streams to achieve the equivalent of a year on the UK’s minimum wage. One per cent of musicians hog 90% of the takings. Gaming looks similar, as do the visual arts. As these industries are increasingly globalised, things are getting worse. There is no striving middle class.
This is a problem because things tend to be better when wealth isn’t concentrated just at the top. Economies are harder to destabilise when they don’t rely on just a handful of people. They are also more innovative.
Swift, like the Rolling Stones, will sell out concerts for the rest of her life, even if the quality nosedives. But how many revolutionary artists have been ground out of the music industry, worn out or out of money? Monocultures are bad for the environment; as we forced golden, waving wheat to take over the planet, other species faltered and failed, rather than rising on their merits.
Ballard, 3//25/24
Tractor Tavern preserves old-school spirit, 30 years later
https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/tractor-tavern-preserves-old-school-spirit-30-years-later
For much of its lifetime, the Tractor has been the aspirational anchor of what Bellingham singer-songwriter Devin Champlin calls “the Ballard trifecta,” a close-knit trio of Ballard Avenue clubs — the Tractor, Conor Byrne and the Sunset Tavern — that organically built its own mini ecosystem within Seattle’s music scene.
“[Artists] move through playing shows at Conor Byrne and then to the Sunset and then to the Tractor,” said Brady Harvey, who started booking Conor Byrne when it reopened from the pandemic in May 2021. “All these folks are meeting each other, going to open mics, going to each other’s shows, forming new bands and making something truly special. … We have this really special spot in Ballard that doesn’t really exist anywhere else in the city. … We’ve really made a home for musicians there.”
With its capacity of around 400 people, the Tractor can accommodate more fans swilling Rainier bottles than Conor Byrne and the Sunset combined, and the smaller two venues have served as a steppingstone for both hometown and touring artists who would later play the Tractor. That was the case for Champlin, who leads folky standouts Sons of Rainier. When Champlin first cracked into the Seattle scene years ago with previous bands, they played Conor Byrne until they built enough of a following and made enough connections to take the larger stage across the street.
Murphy, too, praises the Tractor’s dedication to the local music community and willingness to give “young bucks” a shot opening for bigger acts, as well as the “family vibe” coursing from Cowan, Bezezekoff and booker Jeff Rogness on through the rest of the staff. It’s quiet and critical work that helps ensure the next wave of Seattle artists is supported like the generation that came before it. That level of care and commitment, Murphy said, isn’t always a given.
“Sometimes people are just booking shows randomly, but [Rogness] is someone who I’ll bump into at Conor Byrne and he’s like, ‘Oh, I’m checking this person out,’” said Murphy, who opens for the Jayhawks on Saturday. “There might be like four people there, but he’s watching somebody to put them in front of even more people. That’s how these scenes survive, is that kind of passion for it.”
https://www.startribune.com/twin-cities-music-venues/601314159
Our music critics grade the good, the bad, Berlin’s got good bites
Our music critics grade the good,
the bad and every music venue in-between
https://www.startribune.com/dakota-first-avenue-bunkers-lowell-pickett-prince-nate-kranz-james-klein/601457273
What does it take to keep a Minneapolis music club going for decades?
It’s not that simple. It takes a combination of factors in a low-margin business — ranging from a passionate staff and a varied music menu to maintaining relationships with city officials and building a reliable reputation beyond “Prince played here.”
“You need a deep bench to rely on,” said the general manager, whose team will present about 1,900 shows at First Ave and its other five venues in the Twin Cities this year. The flagship might require 60 staff members on a concert night, but the numbers could expand to 100 with shows at multiple spots on the same night.
“One of the secrets of First Avenue is it’s stylistically a different place every night,” Kranz said. “So, we’re not asking the same music fan to come down night after night.”
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First Ave has branched out to presenting comedy, fashion shows, podcasts and even pro wrestling matches.
The Dakota has a similar story of pivoting as Pickett started the venue out as a restaurant with live jazz in the bar. Eventually, the music became as important as the food. After the Dakota moved to Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis in 2003, Pickett began expanding his musical menu, now embracing everything from Graham Nash to Cécile McLorin Salvant to local favorite Davina and the Vagabonds.
Bunker’s, which sticks to local and regional bands these days, uses a different formula: residencies four nights a week (including Dr. Mambo’s Combo on Sundays since 1987) and a rotating selection of proven local bands on the weekend.
While Klein points out that its North Loop neighborhood “has changed dramatically over those years,” Bunker’s still draws a remarkably diverse audience of college students, millennials, Gen Xers and boomers.
Volume matters
Presenting live music six or seven nights a week sounds daunting. But volume matters. Not every concert is profitable.
“A high volume smooths out the edges,” Kranz pointed out. “I know one [poor-selling] show isn’t going to sink the whole thing.”
Deep resources
The Dakota, which rents its current space in Target headquarters in downtown Minneapolis, has turned to several investors over the years, including Richard Erickson of Holiday Stationstores circa 2001 and more recently his sons Lucas and Tyler.
reating artists right
Every musician has experienced the horror stories: unclean dressing rooms, cold pizza, a bill for beer at the end of the night, you name it. Minnesota Nice hospitality prevails at Minneapolis’ music institutions.
The Dakota provides free food and drinks for its performers. Ditto for Bunker’s.
“We treat them like staff,” Klein said. “We Christmas bonus them.”
At First Avenue, arrangements with artists vary from show to show. “Touring bands get food/snacks provided, per details in their riders,” Kranz said. “In general, we provide drinks, waters, etc. to all bands and in the very least offer a discount on food in the Depot,” First Ave’s adjacent restaurant.
treating artists right
Every musician has experienced the horror stories: unclean dressing rooms, cold pizza, a bill for beer at the end of the night, you name it. Minnesota Nice hospitality prevails at Minneapolis’ music institutions.
The Dakota provides free food and drinks for its performers. Ditto for Bunker’s.
“We treat them like staff,” Klein said. “We Christmas bonus them.”
At First Avenue, arrangements with artists vary from show to show. “Touring bands get food/snacks provided, per details in their riders,” Kranz said. “In general, we provide drinks, waters, etc. to all bands and in the very least offer a discount on food in the Depot,” First Ave’s adjacent restaurant.
While the Twins and other sports teams call it the fan experience, music venues need to be in touch with what their patrons want.
“It’s listening to your customers and getting the feedback,” Kranz said. “If you have a hot band, people will come.
“But we want people to take a chance because we want to develop that next wave of artists,” he added. “So you want to make sure they’re not in line all night. Make sure they can get a beer when they want one. Try to have a clean bathroom.”
Relationship with agents
How do music promoters discover new talent? Sometimes it’s Spotify playlists, conferences or recommendations from customers and friends. Oftentimes it’s from a trustworthy talent agent.
“I’ve booked bands who I don’t know who they are,” Kranz freely admitted. “But it’s because I trust this person and they have a great track record and great ear. I like to believe we all have the same goal.”
Relationship with city officials
Club owners, like all businesses, have to navigate the city rules. It’s helped First Avenue that several politicians, including former Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, were regular customers. The club connected with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) to co-sponsor the Save Our Stages Act in 2020, bringing millions to independent arts venues.
Kranz builds relationships with city officials because “you don’t want to meet the mayor when you have a ceiling collapse or when you really need help. We want to forge those relationships beforehand. It’s a relationship business.”
Production
Taking cues from customers and venue operators in other cities, Kranz is always looking to tweak things at First Avenue. He pitched a $1 million sound system to his boss.
“I can’t tell you it’s going to help sell more tickets, but I can tell you it’s going to sound way better and that’s part of the great experience,” said the general manager, who got the OK. “When you have one great experience, you’re far more likely to come back.”
The Dakota made similar improvements — new sound system, lighting, chairs, floor, touchless toilets and sinks — thanks to more than $2.5 million in the post-pandemic Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program.
Food
Food is a small part of the formula at Bunker’s (which sells burgers and offers free popcorn) and First Ave (which has the adjacent Depot Tavern). But it is a major piece at the Dakota.
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-nashville-tennessee-is-championing-independent-music-venues-as-essential-for-cultural-and-economic-prosperity/
https://www.musicvenuetrust.com/
Music Venue Trust is a UK Registered Charity which acts to protect, secure and improve UK Grassroots Music Venues for the benefit of venues, communities and upcoming artists.
https://www.crainscleveland.com/arts-entertainment/only-one-fifth-ohios-music-and-events-venues-turned-profit-2024
The peak of the COVID outbreak may be largely an afterthought, but for independent music venues, the challenges that have followed in its wake continue to mount, putting more and more of these small businesses at risk of shutting down.
“It’s been a struggle,” said Sean Watterson, co-owner of The Happy Dog in Cleveland and chair of the Ohio chapter for the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA). “We had hoped this would be the first year since COVID that we would be in the black. But unless we have an incredibly strong fall, we will probably finish a little bit in the red again.”
According to a new report from NIVA, dubbed the “State of Live,” it's estimated that a mere 20% of indie music venues, festivals and events businesses in Ohio were profitable in 2024.
Because performers typically collect most or all of ticket sales, venues and event promoters make their money selling food and drinks. But operating costs continue to trend up while sales trend down, creating an unsustainable dynamic. In particular, consumers are drinking less alcohol.
NIVA estimates that in 2025, costs for a variety of key expenses are up by: 60% for artist/booking fees; 58% for wages; 55% for insurance; 48% for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages; 45% for rent; and 43% for maintenance.
The report pegs the total economic output of independent venue businesses in America at more than $153 billion. With an estimated economic output of $3 billion, Ohio comprises about 2% of that total. The industry here represents approximately 21,604 jobs and $951 million in wages and benefits, according to NIVA.
“That scale rivals some of the largest investment and job announcements in the state, and it should be top of mind for governors, legislators and local officials when making decisions about investing in the arts and live entertainment,” said NIVA Executive Director Stephen Parker. “Independent stages are proven community anchors and should have a seat at the table when leaders set priorities for economic growth and cultural investment.”
On the policy front, NIVA officials are calling for support of Ohio Senate Bill 186.
Introduced in April by Ohio Sen. Kent Smith, SB 186 would create a music incubator program that would provide sales tax rebates to certain music venues and festival promoters.
“We have known for years that Ohio’s independent venues are gathering places, community anchors and economic development catalysts,” Smith said in a statement shared with Crain’s. “Today’s release of the NIVA Ohio report confirms the importance of these businesses as key contributors to both the quality of life and our tax base. I look forward to working alongside (Ohio Rep. Jamie Callender) and any other member of the Ohio General Assembly to strengthen these critical assets.”
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National Independent Venue Assn.
https://www.nivassoc.org/stateoflive
State of Live venues report.
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2025-11-10/midnight-lovers-bar-franca
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