05/04/2026
Howdy Rockstars! Harlow here.
It's been a minute, so I wanted to share what's been on my mind about live music and venues across the country. I've had the fortunate opportunity to meet a lot of great venue owners and have some real conversations about the state of things.
Here's the deal: small venues are getting squeezed. Rents are climbing, insurance and licensing costs keep rising, folks are staying home, and alcohol sales are down more than they've been in 90 years. A lot of mom-and-pop spots are asking hard questions about whether live music (full bands especially) is still a smart business move.
And it's not just hitting the venues. It hits the bands too. At most mom-and-pop spots, the budget for bands comes primarily from ticket and drink sales. When those take a hit, it impacts what the bands can get paid.
The good news.. you can help. Go see a show. Any show, any small venue. Netflix will still be there tomorrow! Show up for your local scene and bands!
As for me, I'll be taking most of May off to work on a partnership we're building: a platform to help musicians and venues thrive together in one connected ecosystem. Cutting-edge stuff, and I genuinely believe it can help bands tremendously and give venues some real tools to help booking great talent.
And Harlow's? We're doing okay. We've always worked toward memories, not profit. LOL! That said, it's expensive to keep the doors open, so I'll have to focus on booking what makes sense and making sure every artist shares our passion for live music.
Anyway, thanks for your support, and I look forward to seeing you at a show soon! For Harlow's, that's May 29 with national touring artist Framing the Red. It's gonna be great!!!
v/r,
Harlow
