“it’s just the local club that books the indie acts.”
The problem is very few artists break even, or break out of just playing for their friends. It costs money to print posters, postcards, and drive to a gig. It still costs money to produce creative work on a level where you can make a living at it. Yes, some doors will open as a result of where things are going, but by and large, not even the big names are making money any more.
I can’t argue with that, but I don’t really believe that thing were much different in the world before mp3s. There were still a bunch of people that wanted to play music for a living that were broke.
Just seems like this article is pure nostalgia. “Gee, wasn’t it great when I could go into the record store and find this great new band I’d never heard before?”
Sure, I guess, but I’d just rather listen to XM, hear a band I like, go on the Internet to the band’s website to see its tour dates and find when the band is coming to my city, buy tickets for the show on the Internet, and then download its album on iTunes. To me, that’s a heck of a lot better than standing in a record store with a set of grungy headphones that umpteen sweaty people wore before me. But that’s just me.