The Death of Small Venues

From: Bmore-electro

Like most people you probably don’t pay much attention to what comes across the table at the Baltimore City Council hearings. Well, if you are a fan of music and dancing, then you should probably pay attention. The City Council recently held a formal hearing to determine whether or not the city should change the entertainment zoning laws in the city.

This “Live Entertainment - Licensing and Regulation” bill #08-0163, is looking to move away from entertainment zoning and make venues procure a license that allows them to operate within the city. What’s so wrong with that you ask? For one this new bill would allow disgruntled neighbors to file a formal complaint that could in turn shut the venue down. Not to mention the unspecified fees associated with filing for the license. Great recession tactics Mrs. Rawlins-Blake. Hey why don’t we charge venues more money and give pissed off neighbors the ability to shut down a venue that they don’t agree with. So when these establishments shutdown the tax base is shrinking and the money pours out to clubs outside the city that support non-mainstream music. This is almost as belligerent as ASCAP, but that’s another beast all together. Michael Byrne of the Baltimore City Paper explains in greater detail.