What to do on Monday (Oct.19th)

Join us at the Triple 3306 west broad street for:

Country music superstars - The O's
From the amazing local music scene sweethearts Itchy Hearts own - Andy Cobb
and new to the venue, but equally amazing - Dave House.

Please remember that it is industry night, so if you work in a restaurant or venue than you play pool for FREE! Nice, now you can use all the money you saved on a stress free evening of boozing!

Presented by Community Chest booking & promotion!

ACTUALLY fighting the good fight...

If you follow local news, if you're an avid reader of RVA blogs, if you have a single hip friend on any social network living in Richmond you should be aware of the issues involving CAPS and their unorthodox methods of 'purifying' our city.
Whether or not this issue directly effects you it has and will continue to indirectly influence your life in a number of ways. When you can't see live local or touring acts for under $20 at the local watering hole. Maybe when your favorite spot to catch dinner and a show closes it's doors. When First Friday ceases to exist artists will no longer have an outlet to display their wares, then off to Portland, NY, and Chicago they go. Slowly we may see the VCU arts department become even less relevant and the influx of bright, young, creative minds flooding in to bolster our local economy becomes a distant memory.
If none of those examples have any bearing on your life, why not take a stand against the city of Richmond getting too big for it's britches and taking away the civil liberties of your friends and neighbors?
Join us, we will fight, we will make you informed, and we will not bend over and take it in the ass any longer...
http://www.facebook.com/posted.php?id=533006211&share_id=84456783252&ref=nf#/group.php?gid=41316594956&ref=share

(yeah it's facebook but at least we're trying...)

Who's Running This CITY!?

On a scale of 1 to poor we're poor. Ramen is not only a staple in our diet it's a necessity. We have to save up to buy household items such as a vacuum cleaner, microwave, and used couches. We have little more than a roof over our heads, our car(that we can hardly afford), and our wardrobe comprised of Plato's Closet, Goodwill, and Rumors Boutique clothing. We're not complaining, hell, we actually love our life. We're small business owners in Richmond which is something to be proud of. It's not that we're bad at what we do...we're definitely some of the most ambitious and passionate about our cause...so why are we doomed for nothing more than retiring at poverty level?

Recently Style Weekly published this article written by Don Harrison, which I think sums it up:

http://styleweekly.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=6FAFC3462ED8441C9F9F0861CAE5168D

If you don't have time to read the whole article I'll try and sum it up in 200 words or less -
If you are in any way shape or form affiliated with the local music scene in Richmond, whether you're a booking agent, venue owner, coffee shop with acoustic acts, gallery owner with live music, or an A-room (like the National) that provides live music to the people of this city you're fucked. These places not only pay taxes to, The Federal Government, The State(VA), the ABC, and the city of Richmond...but currently the city proposes a "Night Club" tax be imposed on anyone who hosts live music!! The tax basically equates to MORE than what a business owner pays to insure their building a year!! Here's the kicker, the Virginia ABC does not allow any business to operate as a Night Club or Bar. YOU MUST BE A RESTAURANT and adhere to almost impossible ratio's of food to booze sales. Not to mention that if your insurance company catches wind of the fact that you are now being taxed as a "Night Club" and guess what!? Your premiums almost triple! Now fellow Richmonders we are not anti-tax, We're anti REPRESSION!!
I must ask you, how will small business's ever thrive in this climate??? How will new business's ever get their feet off the ground? Plenty of business's are already going under - so long Bagel Czar, adios Artist Underground, later Toad's Place, Alley Katz-the 'katz' outta the bag (your FOR SALE)...

Hmmm, what will we do bands, musicians, booking agents?? House shows perhaps? NOPE, you will be ticketed by this city for not possessing a BUSINESS LICENSE!! Maybe we can hang out and enjoy music at a small locally owned clothing store and offer donations to bands as thanks for playing for us? NOPE, this city will ticket the business owners and shut the place down!!
Looks like we're shit outta luck Richmond, I think we're going to 'Anne Frank it' and wait for the tyranny to subside...