Far from COVID hysteria about virtual concerts, the future of live music hinges on deeper relationships between people and venues. Membership based social clubs would be a start. Like gyms, they eliminate risk of walk up and allow for easy and consistent support

Members and support. Members and support. Members and support. No other route at this point for almost anything important.

connect supportnet trends of patreon/ghost with IRL event spaces. Democractically elect councils from patrons to steward venue policy and oversee bookings. Memberships can be bought at the door for walk ups.

the asymmetry between communities on this is wild. I'm in Discords with thousands of paying subs to projects. I'm in DAOs that pool donations to democratically vote on funding projects. I can't easily think of a label or venue that has a forum.

Remember this when people make fatalistic and self fulfilling prophecies that people won’t pay for music anymore. People will pay for music, but we have to modulate what we see as valuable about music (ie belonging and expanding your perspectives)

A lot of my thoughts on the potential opportunities of scene owned spaces can be found in this nice conversation from a while ago on @newmodels_io https://m.soundcloud.com/newmodels/episode-5-unrealestate-dryhurst-kalliala-lhooq-busta-keller-lilinternet

I know a spot, it’s a democratically run member owned club with a diverse and challenging booking policy supported by a global scene membership and yearly donations from financially successful artists who found their identity there

Ask yourself what in fact is a more futuristic and beautiful proposition? Atomized young people playing games on Friday night that occasionally celebs appear in, or making music spaces more democratic, resilient enough to take risks, and globally interconnected? No contest.

COVID has served as an indictment of immaterial congregation. We got to stress test these tools and the IRL experience universe is going to explode with vitality for a generation of people who remember how much it sucked.

Virtual pipelines will serve a role to make people want to set up their own IRL nodes. Hybridizing online spaces with real spaces will be exciting.

Will also make more money for everyone in music too. Music will not be able to compete with games. The one edge it has over any other field is IRL belonging and connection.