From BenWaB3@aol.com Fri Mar 12 03:56:28 2004
Subject:Re: 50 dollar gigs....etc.

IMO there are a lot of items at play here. Tony's point about raising the drinking age is one important one, but also on that subject, the lowering of the alcohol amount being needed to charge someone w/ DUI factors in as well. Also up through the 70's into the ear;y 80's if you wanted to be entertained your options were pretty much sterred towards leaving your house. Then the VCR boom caught on. Now instead of going out you could stay at home to watch a movie. Now computers & computer games add to that factor. Also not to be ignored (allthough lord knows we try) is the DJ factor. Even back in the late 70's you were losing a lot of live music clubs to them and that has steadily eroded as time continues. When I moved to my present location (Lancaster, PA) in 179 there were 5-6 clubs that ran live music 5-6 nights a week, Now there are none. But you can still find weekend work around here. I admore the guys like Tony who still manage to play full time. Most of us have become weekend players now. Anyway enough Sturm und Drang for now. We still get to go out & play out clones & "real things" as often as we can & wait for that elusive "perfect in every way" clone thats around the corner.

Ben Ninmann