Monday, 10/29/2012 @ the know

Why does this all Local bands show cost money?

are you implying that local bands don't warrant a hyper-reasonable cover charge? because they incur no expenses? no gas/vehicle is needed to lug their gear to the show? no practice space is rented for their rehearsals? no strings are ever replaced on their guitars or sticks broken? and regardless of all of these factors...they're still not worthy of everyone chipping in a few bucks in exchange for a night of entertainment???

penny for your thoughts.

I just believe that if you are in music and you are doing it expecting to get payed you are in it for the wrong reasons.

Yes, being in a band costs money. Yes, running a venue costs money.
But this is a bar doing a Halloween cover show where bands were getting payed to cover songs someone else wrote, I don't expect to get payed for riding the bus(costs money) to a bar where I buy drinks(costs money) and do karaoke, so would a band expect the same treatment?

This isn't an attack on the bands though, it wasn't their choice to charge people for this event. Also the venue most likely made more money selling drinks than the did at the door, so why even bother making people do it?

First off, let's square on Fuck any band who thinks they're going to be a rockstar and make money and fuck bitches and do energy drink commercials.
That being said, -i've been involved with many DIY-till-you-die bands over the years and it's just not possible to survive or give a fuck that long with being able to make a few bucks at places like The Know. Sure, We'd all prefer to play free, all-ages shows but reality is that money is necessary.
Bands must go on tour and that shit sure ain't free.
You've gotta have money up front to put out an album. You don't need to pay Rick Rubin to produce you album, but you're buying at least 20 six-packs for someone.

We've tried so many times to do tour-kickoff fundraisers\album fundraisers in all-ages basements but there's always a DIY touring band coming through town and it's yours/our obligation to always make sure those cats get what they need and some money to get them back home. It's reality. Five+ years and i can't think of many local fundraising shows made it successful where we didn't 'have' to accomidate touring crew and thus use the money for the original goal.

Places like the Know are rare gems that we should prop the fuck up. The door crew and booker (same guy, often) are RAD AS SHIT and just get how diy + punk works and what may be sad truth in what it takes to keep it all going.The know does consistantly rad shows with great bands and has been doing it for years. PDX is non stop awesome show-spot going bullshit gone-away - cool show spots don't last long here yet the know keeps it rocksteady.

You can go anywhere in town and catch any number of shows.
When you go to The Know, you know you're going to see a lineup that is not comprised of 100% douchebag mommy-fuck-bands. The sound is going to be on point and the people in the show part of the location are there to see the music and not just to do blow in the bathrooms and be seen outside smoking and talking shit.
The bands know that they will be well taken care of. They'll get some free beers from the bar and the sound, again, will come correct. The door guy won't fuck with them and they'll actually be able to put some money in the cookie jar, even if just a $20spot, to help drive up to Olympia and play a show the next weekend.
NOBODY on the music side is making money here. The door dollars don't go to the bar - it all goes to the bands. The door guy works for high-fives basically. To be in a band means that you work your ass off at some shitty pizza joint until you can raise enough money to quit and go on tour for three months untill you're broke as shit again and can't afford to get your stolen tour van out of impound and then have to borrow your friends guitar and equipment until you can find a new job to put more money into your band and do the whole fucking thing over again until you just can't fucking take it anymore that anytime you try to do something that you put so much energy and time, mush less money, into and then people just bitch that they want everything for free and can't just kick five-fucking dollars to see four awesome bands and AHHHHH!

so c'mon. When it's like $1.17 per band for a night's worth of entertainment, just pony that shit up. If you have $3 in the world but offer it up and say 'sorry i don't have the other $2 to make cover, but i really want to see this band..', you're doing it right and i'll bet you can get in. If your perogative is to get everything for free and can't spare some precious beer money for the bands - nope.

Totally not calling anyone out right now. Zoe, i'll buy you a drink if i ever see you at the bar, but i don't think it's too much to trow down a fiver for some rad local bands (be it this specific bill or not).