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Greetings!
There are truly fabulous shows happening this week and next, and I have some opportunities below for you to WIN TICKETS (look for the highlights in red below) to see Chrisette Michelle, The Robert Glasper Experience and Ray Obiedo Group featuring the Horns, Vocal and Percussion of the Carlos Santana Band!
Please be sure to review the calendar listings and thank you for supporting LIVE MUSIC and the community that creates it!
Last week, I was fortunate on March 6th to host an internet radio show, Solutions Now Radio. The discussion regarded the Grammy category cuts, the effects on gender and race and the efforts that have been made to restore the diversity and where do we go from here. The panelists included; independent writer and jornalist Sylvia Pfeiffenberger, 3 x Grammy winner, bandleader and composer for Spanish Harlem Orchestra Oscar Hernandez, Ex - Board Governor for NARAS and recording artist Sandy Cressman and professor and grammy nominated artist Benjamin Lapidus.
Please click here to listen to entire discussion that I hope spurs critical thinking, as our national institutions for culture have a responsibility to safeguard our American treasures!
The other day my partner's brother asked me "Why do you do what you do?" This was in regards to my efforts to look at fair wages for musicians and my efforts to stand up to NARAS regarding the cuts to categories for Grammy consideration. I have been asked this question many times over.
Thinking of the why, I have determined, much like most peoples why, it is because of my life's experience. For the most part I have worked for small business and I have always supported the arts and I have experienced the inadequacy and unfairness that I hope to balance in what ever ways I can, as I cannot turn the other way anymore.
I have been fortunate in that I was a bartender in some amazing gems for music and for people and when I look back, nearly all of the venues I have worked at no longer exist and it makes me sad. I can also tell you I have worked at some other venues that I wish were closed as their business practices have taken advantage of their employees, musicians and patrons, but alas they unfortunately are still in business and maintaining their unfair practices. So seeing the good, the bad and the ugly AND knowing the people, this is the WHY.
The list of venues I have worked at that have closed, but certainly not a complete list include: Jazz at Pearls (I worked for Pearl), the 5th Amendment in Oakland (The best juke joint that ever existed), Eli's Mile High Club (worked there with KoKo Taylor performing and was shut down the night Joe Louis Walker was performing) in Oakland, Anna's Jazz Island - Berkeley (Anna fought a good fight with City of Berkeley but to no avail), The OLD Cliff House - the New one just does not have the same character, Coda. Supper Club - even though was relatively new - it had a good vibe with soul and now the Gold Dust Lounge is in jeopardy!
Currently the Gold Dust Lounge, a bar and music venue that has been there since 1919 located on Powell Street on the cable car line in the heart of Union Square and under the same ownership since 1965 by Jimi and Tasio Bovis is in jeapordy of being closed. The landlords of over 45 years, the Handlery Family, who owns that entire square block on Union Square has decided to evict (on a technicality) this small business that is beloved by many in order to put in a escalator because the Express (chain clothing store is going upstairs to the Weinstein Gallery - another small business being ousted - and to make matters worst, this chain store has an existing location of less than .2 miles away!)
I was a bartender at the Gold Dust Lounge from 1999 - 2002. I worked there on 9/11, and witnessed kindness among strangers that I have never seen before. The Gold Dust was the only business in Union Square that stayed open and people needed to be with each other. Without a doubt this little bar has more history and importance to San Francisco people than I can begin to tell you, as what happened on 9/11 is what happened every day I worked there in one way or another.
My customers ranged from hotel and retail employees, to locals stopping by when they were in the area shopping to the tourists - the many, many tourists who would come in every day to just see a friendly face and to tell me of their adventures - and the adventures I referred them to. I am happy to say I have stayed friends with some of these folks... no where that I have worked was I able to make these type of connections with people.
I will save you the many stories I have, but I want to tell you one. There was an older gentleman, a WWII veteran by the name of Vern. Vern had no family and suffered from old age and hard life (mostly from the scars of war, he had survived the Bataan Death March). Jimi and Tasio learned of his living conditions... I will point out - he never drank alcohol - he would come in for a soda and some good cheer. Anyway - Jimi and Tasio helped him to claim his Social Security benefits - which had gone uncollected for over 35 years and thereby helped him get badly needed medical care, improved housing and a better quality of life. They did this from their hearts, which meant going to meetings, helping him fill out forms and countless other thankless efforts to help this one person. They did similar things many times over for people. This is why small business is so important - we actually know one another and can help and support one another, even if it is just a kind word.
Another important treasure to the Gold Dust Lounge in my mind is that they have employed the same musicians 7 nights a week for over 20 years. This is unheard of! As a person who now works to present live music and advocates for musicians, this alone is a reason to maintain the history and keep the Gold Dust Lounge open.
These are just a few examples of how these two small business owners - brothers from Greece, who helped significantly the life of a long time San Franciscan resident and have maintained a livelihood for musicians! I saw this first hand time and time again.
So putting an escalator where they now exist is simply wrong. While doing the right thing might be inconvenient, but sometimes it is best to be inconvenienced. Further, you cannot change that keeping the Gold Dust Lounge open is simply the right thing to do.
This isn't about saving a bar. This is about saving San Francisco character that has long history. This is about standing up for community and for taking a stand for small business and if we don't how it effects us all!
Musicians and Venues: How to create economy that supports both?
On this subject, a couple weeks ago I started a petition to seek tax break incentives for small business that pay musicians a living wage. All the venues I mentioned previously PAID THE MUSICIANS or at least provided a secure foundation for them to make a decent door percentage that could be counted on. The economy and greedy landlords is the reason for closure in every single instance! So, in the attempt to provide some economic foundational support so that we can maintain our venues and maintain vibrancy for music I am on a quest to understand how we can create solutions to help our small business that support live music and our musicians to thrive. Here are some economic impact studies on the music industry including San Francisco's study just released March 12 and I have found other "music" city studies from Austin, Nashville and Seattle that I think we can learn from as well. I truly believe San Francisco and the Bay Area is positioned to be a great city for LIVE MUSIC if we can create economy for it. I need your help and I am seeking some folks who would like to work with me on this. From the Economic Impact of San Franciscos Nightlife Businesses Study, conducted by the Office of Economic Analysis released on March 5 2012. - In addition, by drawing new visitors and spending into San Francisco, the Nightlife Industries are an economic driver, which expand business and employment opportunities for other sectors of the economy
- In 2010, Nightlife Establishments Generated $4.2 Billion in Spending (this includes restaurants)
- $220,000,000 are spent annually in Venues and Nightclubs (not including food and beverage sales)
- $110,000,000 are paid out to musicians and other performers.
- From SF nightlife industry, $55 Million in Tax Revenue from Sales and Payroll Tax is generated, and nearly 75% of which comes from sales tax (primarily from food and beverage sales, which musicians do not benefit from at all)
From the Nashville Chamber of Commerce Economic Impact Study of the Music Industry, January 2006, - Each dollar spent in the music industry has an impact on employment.
- Many are convinced that the live scene needs direct intervention, from City Hall, in order to simply survive. That means money at a time when City Hall has little to spare. Some obvious off-the-top ideas, often advanced, include offering utility rebates to clubs. "When it comes to the live music venues, there's got to be some kind of ... well, 'tax relief' gets everyone wadded up, but if you own your own utility, utility relief would be a great thing," says KGSR star Kevin Connor, chair of the city Music Commission. "It's pretty expensive to keep Antone's or Steamboat cool most of the year."
From the Economic Impact of Seattle's Music Industry,A Report for the City of Seattleā€™s Office of Economic Development, February 2004 - A key trend identified by interviewees was the increase in independent artists, and simultaneously the low wages paid to performers. As a result, many people working in the industry have multiple employers and sources of income.
- Many people who provide instruction to music students also engage in performance, and may sell recordings on independent labels. The combined income from these multiple sources of work creates higher earnings than average wage figure of $22,771.
As you see, every "music" city agrees, the music industry creates jobs, whether they are direct or indirect, therefore seeking economic gateways to support our musicians and our venue owners to be sustainable is relevant to economic recovery on many levels. If you are interested in working with me on this, please feel free to contact me at urbanmusicpresents@gmail.com. Once again, thank you for letting me share LIVE MUSIC with you and my firm belief that LIVE MUSIC builds community! Peace through music, Stephanie Jazz*Community*Accessibility www.UrbanMusicPresents.com |
SFJAZZ Presents
Urban Music Presents
