They say that information equals power in the new century,
and I'm starting to believe it. The force of digital technology
touches every one of us.
Just check out my new career direction. Last week, as I
casually trawled the Matrix for golden tidbits of music
news, I stumbled upon a lucrative opportunity that may finally
let me in on the "New Economy"--or "e-commerce," as I heard
it called the other day. I am currently petitioning Negasso
Gidada, the president of Ethiopia, offering my
services as an expert on the Y2K computer glitch!
It seems that, according to the Orthodox calendar used in
that ancient nation, it's actually 1992. I figure, with
eight years' headstart and my razor-sharp expertise, we
can solve the problem before it's too late.
In the meantime, the wire burns hot and bright with music-industry
news of late. And you didn't have to haul yourself all the
way to the 'Apple, where no solid night of nightclubbing
is complete without a mysterious shooting, a police
chase and a "combative" press conference--the word "combative,"
in the case of Sean "Puffy" Combs, apparently denoting
a defendant with the raw nerve to insist on his innocence.
The new rich have such gall.
Right here in Oregon, the gub'mint continues wrestling
with the ever-troublesome combination of intoxicating
spirits, pagan rhythms and impressionable
youth. During its December meeting in Portland, the
Oregon Liquor Control Commission delayed a decision
on a controversial proposal
to ban minors from music venues serving alcohol. And, citing
the uproar summoned by those with the most to lose--business
players like the McMenamins chain, which counts the
Crystal Ballroom among its many properties--the commission
revised the proposal significantly.
The new rule, to be considered during the commission's
Jan. 9 and 10 meetings, would continue to allow minors to
attend shows with alcohol sales but would demand more stringent
segregation between tot-friendly and -forbidden zones. Under
the new rules, dance floors would have to be well-lighted
at all times. Whether this means you'll rock to the next
Built to Spill guitar wank in an atmosphere as bright
as an operating room is unclear.
Other proposed provisions would ban alcohol ads from concert-going
teens' sight; require a 48-inch-high physical divider between
sodden and sober areas within a given venue; and demand
that venues provide trained security guards and alcohol
monitors to keep things chill. While this seems a safe'n'sane
fix for big venues like the Crystal or the Roseland,
such extensive staffing requirements might put mixed-use
out of reach for smaller operators.
Which brings us to the latest Glass Factory Update!
Fulfilling my contractual obligation to mention the currently
inoperative all-ages haven at least once per calendar month,
I'm pleased to report that more progress toward reopening
the club has been made.
Backstory: Glass Factory partners Todd Patrick and
Josh Blanchard intended to parlay the loyal all-ages
indie audience they built at the now-defunct 17 Nautical
Miles into a much larger operation, including a beer
and wine bar. Then the Man (in a moving portrayal by the
City of Portland) stepped in, demanding numerous
upgrades to bring the old bottling plant on Southeast Pine
Street up to code. The would-be entrepreneurs, lacking in
capital and unused to the higher level of regulatory acumen
demanded by the larger operation, have since struggled to
raise the necessary funds through benefits and selling speculative
$50 three-month passes. While those efforts have spared
them an eviction notice, they haven't raised enough to begin
the necessary work.
According to Patrick, though, the stalled club has rounded
up some new partners, some restaurateurs who hope
to run a cafe in the wide-open spaces of the old factory.
Patrick says the cafe team has already helped Glass Factory
nail down a new five-year lease as of Jan. 1 and is pursuing
a small-business loan that would allow both eatery and club
to open early this spring.
"The people who helped us out should know that they allowed
us to keep the space," Patrick says.
In the midst of the rest of this post-millennial Week in
Rock--what with the Beatle-stabbings, Everclear bashings
and rumors that Noel Gallagher of Oasis has
disappeared--that seems a hopeful beacon on which to close.
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Willamette Week | originally
published January 5,
1999
|
