Can We Post: Karoke Businesses Hurting Too

Formatting problems again. I'll try to figure it out.

> > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Thomas Funari" <hdiver@divertunes.com> > >> >> I run a small Karaoke & DJ company based out of Rosemount. I >> currently have 3 nights a week at my local American Legion. Which >> has increased from 1 when I started back there 2 years ago. They >> started with Friday nights, added Thu about 6 months later and then >> January 07 added Saturdays. >> >> My Thursday night business used to be mediocre, BINGO brought in a >> number of people before BINGO who'd sit. Then after BINGO I would >> generally get quite a few people who would come into the bar and hang >> out for an hour or two prior to leaving. In addition, the breaks >> that take place during Bingo used to see a large crowd coming into >> the bar, usually lining up at the pull-tabs. >> >> We can no longer tell in the bar proper when there's a Bingo break. >> We don't see hardly any traffic coming across and the Bingo crowd is >> suffering. My karaoke show now consists of a core group of regulars >> and I'm not seeing hardly any traffic coming from the Bingo into the >> bar when it's over. >> >> Additionally, there's been problems for some time getting standard >> wages for karaoke shows. The norm when I started in the business in >> 1996 was $150. That was up to $200 by 2000. Then we got the rash of >> people opening karaoke businesses that had no clue what they were >> doing, in the computer age it became really cheap to start a business >> and pirate an entire library. This brought us right back to the $150 >> a night price. Now, bar owners are having trouble even justifying >> that because the crowd just isn't there anymore. When you factor in >> gas, setup time, less than $150 just isn't worth the work to >> transport and set up all of the equipment. >> >> We still have the expense of keeping the library current, patrons >> want to sing what they hear on the radio, these discs run between $15 >> - 30 each, plus the wear and tear on equipment. (I can't count the >> number of monitors I've gone through over the years because someone >> drunk and not paying attention took out the monitor stand!) >> >> I've already been warned by the commander of my Legion that I can >> pretty much count on Thursdays being taken away for the summer this >> year because the ban is adding to slow sales. This very well could >> cause my van to be lost since it's my 3 nights a week that are paying >> my van payment. Marketing for Weddings isn't going well either. People >> just aren't spending as much there because of the economic >> hard times. >> >> There are so many industries that are suffering in addition to the >> bars that it's not even funny. There's a blog I just ran across from >> a person who installed Smokeeter systems who was laid off in 2006 >> because of the threat of the ban. Sales went down while bar owners >> waited to see what would happen. This guy lost his job, his house & >> his car. >