The Scene

MusicDetour.com’s commentary on music, performances, and the DC metro area music scene

The bill continues to evolve.  The City Council has posted a new version of the bill, along with a FAQ, from the desk of the Council President.  Many of the additions and changes to this draft please supporters of the Baltimore music scene.  The whole council has not voted on this draft, and I hear that other council members indicated at last night’s community work group that they do not like some of the newest changes.  That is a shame, because many interested parties find themselves in the unusual position of supporting Mrs. Rawlings-Blake.  My thoughts follow after the jump.  Almost all of my news comes from lurking on the BLAS message board, which I recommend that anyone interested in this process join.  I will be attending the final community work group next Thursday, which I expect will be some event.

Part 1 Part 2 (more…)

There were many concerned citizens in attendance for the first community work session for the new live entertainment licenses legislation, but over half of the chairs were empty, and most of the people who stepped to the microphone supported the legislation.  However, the Baltimore Business Journal reports that the fire marshall had to close the doors to the Morgan State University auditorium that hosted the second work session last Tuesday, and the minutes posted by Baltimore Live Arts Supporters (BLAS, primarily comprised of performers and music fans who frequent the clubs owned by the members of BLABA) describe a contentious meeting, with applause following several testimonies against the legislation.

This post tells you of new sources of information on the issues, with some further ruminations after the jump.  Although the Baltimore Sun continues to ignore the issue, the Baltimore Business Journal and Maryland Daily Record each published stories last week.  I will continue to file reports here, but if you would like to connect more directly to grassroots organization you can join the BLAS Google group or join this Facebook group organized by students at the Maryland Institute College of Art.  An alliance of the live music and fine arts communities (which of course overlap anyway) will be crucial to shaping the new legislation into something everyone can live with.

Part 1 of the story (more…)

The highlights of the bill, according to the Baltimore City Council

The Baltimore City Council is currently considering legislation that would establish a system of licenses for live performance venues to replace the current zoning board jurisdiction over them.  Everyone agrees that the intentions behind the bill are good:  to allow for more live performance in Baltimore.  However, the issue is very complex, and there is a lot of room for questioning the motives of those involved.  Michael Byrne and Chris Landers of the Baltimore City Paper seem to be the only journalists covering this legislation.  Therefore, I will be filing a series of stories on the issue until after the final hearing on the bill at the end of April.

Last week a consortium of venue owners formed the Baltimore Live Arts Business Association (BLABA), and their representatives were present at the first of four Community Work Session hearings held by the Baltimore City Council.  Details of that meeting and an outline of issues that I will cover in upcoming posts follow after the jump. (more…)