FortWayneMusic.com

A topic brought up many times on the boards here, I'd like to rehash it. Why don't all ages venues work in this town? Or at least, why dont YOU think they work? Many have tried with little success...and I'm trying to pinpoint why that seems to be. Marketing? No booze? In addition, I'm wondering how many people OVER 21 would support an all ages venue in Fort Wayne?

for matt sturm i would support anything

thanks nick

if a whole lot of contributing factors (wife @ work, babysitter, work schedule, $, which bands are playing, if the stars line up in the shadow of Jupiter, etc...) i go to all ages shows (i am over 21). most slagg shows are all ages and i like it that way.

there is no underage scene for unheard of bands, its a mis-conception that anyones gonna go to your show for music unless they heard it and like it. end of my story.

YES

and my friend's dad's boss (dan jasper) is thinking about opening up what was once george and kate's furniture show room on anthony and redesigning it kinda like how the subterranean is/was... and making it an all ages venue, but if he does, there's about a year till it'll open

boom wrote:there is no underage scene for unheard of bands, its a mis-conception that anyones gonna go to your show for music unless they heard it and like it. end of my story.

when i did shows at the factory i let tons of unknown bands play, even if i never heard of them or knew any of the members. I AM JUST THAT NICE OF A GUY

My thoughts, which have been rehashed as much as the topic:

- Money. The Basement was an all ages venue set up to make money, and that was the reason people didn't like it. When LSR and EPP were running the Art Factory, we both tried to cut all sorts of costs and made sure we weren't presenting ourselves as money hungry grubs, but in general, the shows only barely broke even if they even did that. We were looking into opening the Art Factory permanently as a non-profit venue, but we would have been subleasing and all sorts of other things just to make ends meet and pay touring acts.

- Inner-scene rivalry. Remember the Crappy Art Factory Bands vs the Basement bands thing from 2002? Yeah. That was forking stupid, but how many times after that did you see Blame It on Rio visit the Art Factory as audience members? (Not to single them out, I just remember them the best. And Corporate Circus had the Warsaw excuse anyway...)

- Rumors. "The Art Factory's closed forever." "No it isn't." "Those bastards just want our money so they told us it was." "I hear they only let punk bands play." "I hear you have to suck a lot of ass to play." "They're just trying to fund their recording studio."

- Stupidity. Why would anyone vandalize one of the coolest places for the all age crowd? Why would anyone drink right in front of the building? That just makes no sense to me.

- Downtown. If you're venue's downtown, you automatically eliminate anyone in your audience who never goes downtown. If it isn't downtown, go back to the money problem.

- Pessimism. Me: "Hey man, I haven't seen you in a while. You should come check out X venue this weekend. There's some cool bands playing." Old friend: "Man, Fort Wayne sucks. There's no scene. There are never any all ages shows to go to." Yes, I actually had a conversation just like that.

- Lack of publicity. It's amazing how much advertising costs around here. And so few people in the all ages crowd regularly check entertainment listings because they get enough info, they think, from word of mouth. (See the rumos problem.)

you should write a book called "Running an All-Ages Venue for Dummys", I would buy it

I went to the Dukes and Foley show last night.... Talk about vadalism!

SodsInMyPants wrote:when i did shows at the factory i let tons of unknown bands play, even if i never heard of them or knew any of the members. I AM JUST THAT NICE OF A GUY

True, and Thanks.

Peace.

yeah, you see I even let NON PUNK bands play, too, and Sub-Surface is a damn good non punk group, they are so non punk that they are bonified punk rock, actually!

you want an all ages venue to support? try the mocha Room in Decatur Indiana on Dec 13, The B-Sharps will be rockin it. not enough booze eh? sneak it in, poor it in your coffee, but keep it on the DL....just kiddind(sort of)

Its always funny to read about all age sh*t. I have ran 3 full time clubs in this town. No of them but one lasted a year. Why cause the kids wont come out. They b*tch about nothing to do but they never come.So I think they will never work. I wish they would!!

Nolan,
What clubs did you start, or head up? Just curious on what you we're doing, or what could have changed(other than poor kids being stupid) to make these venues last.

cheers
-mathieu sturm
www.matthewsturm.com