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Fight for your right to party
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The dominant issue in the San Francisco nightlife, music and entertainment scene the past few weeks has been the escalating battle between local all-ages music venues (most notably Slim’s, The Great American Music Hall, Café du Nord, Bottom of the Hill and the DNA Lounge) and the California Alcohol & Beverage Commission (ABC). The endgame of this battle threatens to shutter these living music landmarks that have launched the careers and imaginations of countless Bay Area artists and fans.
The main issue stems from a sudden enforcement of rather arcane laws that require all ages venues to maintain a very specific balance between the amount of food and alcohol available on their menus, and how and when they serve their patrons. In order to respond to the ABC’s inane citations (e.g. Bottom of the Hill has been cited for not serving enough Mexican food and DNA Lounge has been cited for "lewd behavior.") these famous all ages music venues have been saddled with cost-prohibitive legal and administration fees they simply can not afford. If the ABC continues this blind absentee enforcement logic, the result could be as serious as the closure of some of the country's most famous music venues and a fatal blow to SF's live music scene as we know it.
These food/booze laws were theoretically created as responsible safeguards to discourage underage drinking and ensure the safety of minors and the venues. However, as none of these venues are in violation of any serious transgressions, the recent unprompted aggression from state bureaucrats in the ABC appears to be nothing more than a thinly veiled culture war fueled by the ulterior motives of California politicians and career professionals who have no direct responsibility to the citizens of San Francisco or the Bay Area.
Thankfully not all hope is lost. Grassroots groups are forming, the media is making noise and our local representatives are listening. As fans of live music of any incarnation, whether it be an acoustic showcase or electronic music club, it’s our responsibility to get informed, organized and active in this cause and save San Francisco live music as we know it.
As the Beastie Boys forewarned, you gotta fight for your right to party, people.
For more info:
-Join the "Stop the War on Fun" movement online, on Facebook and on Twitter
-Learn more about the issue from SFist, The Guardian and the DNA Lounge Blog
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