My pal Susan is composing an email, an important email.  As soon as I
receive it I'll forward it on to you.  But I am a proactive kind of guy and
I'm jumping in here to lay the ground work.  My basic preemptive message is
this:  Get off your dead ass and get out to a club.  The local music scene
needs your support, clubs that include all Ann Arbor music joints--The
Creekside, The Firefly Club, The Bird of Paradise, etc., need you.  These
clubs bring a SOLID high quality music product to market each and every
night and the local support is just about zero.  This is not an attempt to
boost a substandard market offering, this is an attempt to get you to join
the party. To get you to get out and say hi to a neighbor, to have a beer
and a burger and hear some cool music--just like you used to do before it
became 'inconenient' to do so.  To those of you that hit me with the 'I'm
in bed by 10 o'clock.' mantra, or the 'I'm just too tired after work.'
whine, I say bullshit.  Get your ass out the door, into the car, and take
part.  Wake up.  I was in Chicago a while ago and the clubs were packed, on
a Thursday night--for local acts.  What's up with the folks around here?
If you don't come to the party pretty soon people will stop having parties.
Hey, you don't like blues and r&b?  Don't care for jazz?  That's cool.  Get
to a blue hair and pierced face music venue.  Just put down the remote, get
off the couch, and get to the club.  Here some live music regularly.  This
is fun.  Lord knows the muscians that play out regularly on the local and
semi national level don't do it for the money.  If you hit a hip club once
a week before long you'll be saying, 'Wow, I forgot how much fun it is to
hang out with real live people in a happening joint.', and 'Gee, it sure is
great to get away from those spoiled rotten ungrateful little bastards we
call our children for an evening.'  Sometimes it's hard to get things to
start moving after they've been laid to rest.  Start by putting on your
pants and walking toward out the door. Just do it.  Be there.

18 responses total.

I think I know that Susan, if she's associated with the Firefly club.  

I think we're a bit smaller than Chicago. :)  Still, it's possible for
small-ish places to support a music scene.

If there were non-smoking clubs with acts starting around 9:00 I'd show up.
Probably a lot of other people would too.  

Quit giving me shit for not buying something that's packaged the wrong way.

(I'd love to support local music, but no way am I breathing thick smoke late
at night)

(Now linked to Music)

(FWIW, the Firefly does have a non-smoking section, which is usually pretty
smoke-free.  It's also pretty well-lit (in stark contrast to the Bird of
Paradise), making it possible to bring a book.)

This response has been erased.

I tried to go to the Greenwood once, but had trouble finding it.  I found a
place that seemed like it might be likely, but it looked too much like a 
church for me to barge in and find out. 

If you like 1920s and 1930s big band music, I'll take this opportunity
to recommend James Dapogny's Rhythm Kings.  They play at the Firefly on
Sunday afternoons.  Caught them once this summer and they were
terrific.  I've been feeling guilty about not having paid a return
visit.

(Flem: That was probably indeed Green Wood. You are welcome to barge in
anytime.)

This response has been erased.

I've looked at the Bird a few times, but I pretty much felt that the $20 cover
to get in was a bit excessive.  I've been told by several people that I'm just
looking at the wrong days....but I've not seen the old $5 cover since they
moved.

I do however, keep meaning to poke my head back into the Firefly...and then
never think about it.

I miss Gypsy Cafe.  

I also miss that Beatles restaurant on Washington; near the end they were
hosting some interesting local under-21 bands.

Never did the club scene and probably never will.  I prefer my music in the
quiet, smoke free venue of my own home.  I can choose the music I listen to,
breath clean air and not miss parts of the music because of other people
talking.  I can pick the foods I eat and not have to worry about how much it
will cost.  I can snuggle with my husband and/or kids while listening without
people looking at us like it is inappropriate behaviour.

I dont like paying cover charges but I will once in a while if someone 
drags me out. Luckily, there are lots of places that dont have cover 
charges and sometimes even have live music. If I go to a bar downtown, I 
usually go to Arbor Brewing Co (they have a nice non smoking section and 
I have seen live music there). Otherwise, I stay in Ypsilanti. I keep 
meaning to get over to the Elbow room. 

Maybe someone wants to drag me out to the Elbow Room one of these 
nights?

They have a cover charge and plenty of smoke.

Well, I might pay the cover charge once and I could probably deal with the
smoke but I can see I probably wont become any sort of regular there. 

I miss the Gypsy too.  It's a pity that alcohol (and the late hours, thick
smoke, and rude customers that come with it) seems to be necessary for a small
venue to stay in business.

Then again, I love the Blind Pig and the Elbow Room and so on.  I've got
nothing against seeing bands in bars, I just wish it weren't the only option.

  Ugh..  I always hated seeing a show at the Blind Pig.  It was usually
  crowded and uncomfortable and seemed to specialize in noisy and
  disrespectful audiences.  I think the only live-music venue in Ann Arbor
  that was routinely worse was Rick's, which had all of the above problems
  plus a distinctive smoke-and-urine odor that pervaded everything.  

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