little venues can't afford bands once a week, BANDS LOSE MONEY for little venues. Trust me I know.
Not all of them. I get paid $200 a WEEK to play in a very small bar. I don't know the square footage, but it's got about 12 bar stools and maybe 7 tables. But as long as they keep drinking and having fun, they keep having me back. It aint out of the goodness of their hearts.