I think I’m moving to San Francisco this fall. Boston’s infrastructure for promoters and artists is so flawed, it’s a shame that a city can be so full of talent and ideas, yet so difficult for young people to make a living. 

Maybe in a few years things will be different, but the city desperately needs more clubs with active talent buyers looking to build acts they believe in. It’s astigmatic for venues to focus more on room rentals than building artists over time, especially Live Nation, who could be a massive force for the city with their larger venues and budgets. Hopefully Bowery’s new venue, The Sinclair, opening in Harvard Square will be the game-changer everyone needs. Companies like The Echo Nest and Gupta Media are doing incredible work, but it unfortunately doesn’t make much of a difference for independent artists without big ad/dev budgets.

The difference in mindsets between San Francisco and Boston really struck me during my trip to SF for Noise Pop, everyone out there is so full of optimism and happiness. It kind of reminded me of how everyone was at Berklee, with the addition of happy hour. 

It seems immersing yourself where you want to be is the only way to go, and the SF tech scene trumps the entire music industry. The labels that build their own platforms with a focus on streaming, real-time analytics, and live booking are going to be the ones that take charge of the industry over the next few years, and it’s becoming clear that is a lot more important than continuing to book club nights. 

… Decisions.