Facing the music

A wide ranging article in Chicago's Sun Times on March 28, 2004 by JIM DEROGATIS. Derogatis interviewed 20 music industry players from radio stations, labels, music stores and concert promoters on the sorry state of music's future. Besides the demise of the CD, the future may not be so bleak.

Says Michael Yerke of House of Blues, the head talent buyer for Chicago's House of Blues maintains that the live music scene is stronger today than ever.

'We don't do arena shows, and there is a lot more risk at the arena level, but at our level, it's thriving,' Yerke said.

'People are spending more and more time with video games and on
the Internet, but you can't match that concert experience unless you are there. There is no way to duplicate being at a live show. No matter what you have on your computer or DVD, it's not the same, so I am optimistic about live music up to the theater [size] level.'"

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