Over
the weekend, the
Chron reported that the Department of
Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) was
allegedly going after all-ages clubs like
Slim's, Bottom of the Hill, Cafe du Nord,
and Great American Music Hall for reasons
the clubs are calling unreasonable (i.e.
totally unrelated to drunken teenagers). In
the article, club owners expressed serious
concern over outrageous laws forcing them,
for example, to up their food sales when
people don't patronize them as
restaurants--they're rock clubs. The article
caused a stir in the music community, as
many music fans --both underage, and those
who understand the great value of all-ages
venues--expressed their eagerness to rally
behind these beloved clubs. Well, sounds
like the outrage worked, as today the
Chron reports that the ABC stated a
willingness to work with these venues,
thanks in large part to a meeting with State
Sen. Mark Leno. Our hero. These are all
reputable venues, with owners who know how
to run legit businesses. I've been to many
an all-ages show, and they're not dens of
adolescent
sin--more like, as one of Bottom of the
Hill's sound guys described to me the other
night, "club houses for kids who love
music."
