What do you mean three bucks!

The air was cool with a slight breeze. The glare of the corner street lamp dimly lit the metal door of the bar. The sign on the door read, "cover 3 bucks". When the door opened there was a large man with a beard who says, "band - three bucks cover"! The guy says, "what do you mean three bucks", and reluctantly turns over the money for him and his gal. What do they get for three bucks besides a mark on the top of their hands? Oh yeah, the band. The band is a few guys who have rehearsed long hours, carried equipment, patched and fixed cables, and whatever else it took to get ready for the gig. Is it worth three bucks? Well, for the band it is not the three bucks! If they make enough maybe they can replace that 15" speaker that is"actin up on em"! Or maybe tomorrow when it is all said and done they will treat themselves to a chicken dinner. What can you get these days for three bucks? You can't even go to McDonalds for less than a fiver. Three bucks, three bucks, three bucks!

"The Times They Are A Changin" for live music. Most bands have really only one venue for their chops these days. The local bar or tavern is the roots of the music scene. They are usually billed as "Live Band" because the bar doesn't have all the letters to spell the bands name on their sign. "If you want to sing you gotta make the register ring"! If the bar doesn't make any money it doesn't matter about that three song medley that you worked on for two weeks straight. Bar owners don't have many options either. They can pay you straight out by charging a cover at the door and jacking up the drink prices or they can let you play for the door and keep the drink prices the same. Either way it is a partnership between the band and the owner. Business in the bar scene is off from where it used to be a few years ago. Then there is the Karaoke and DJ acts. They charge 1/3 the price of a live band. There is nothing wrong with that, it just adds to the odds against live music. Is live music in trouble? I think there will always be live music. It is just that the odds of a few guys getting together and playing are getting worse. So the next time you go to a club and the guy says, "three bucks", say"what only three bucks what a deal"!