R.I.P. The Venue – Support all ages music!

As some of you may know, The Venue in Los Gatos was recently shut down. You can read the details here:

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=53757977&blogID=510799840

This kind of thing is a battle that is being fought in San Francisco also …

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/11/MNK217038L.DTL

http://www.stopthewaronfun.org/

All ages music – beyond just being a nice thing to have – is honestly a necessity for a healthy community. For one it’s an incredible artistic outlet and learning experience … but for a second, it is imperative that we provide space for people of all ages to gather and get to know each other away from the confines of school. The ability for youth to connect and to bounce ideas around and get organized together is exceedingly powerful.

It is a nightmare that in San Jose the only way we can host all ages shows is at places like Nickel City where – simply to cover costs – the tickets at the door must be $10+. Props to the people who make those shows happen as it is no one but the cities fault that that is the price tag. But spending that kind of money is simply not an option for most people so those events end up not being able to cater to anyone. How much of San Jose is sprawling empty abandoned office buildings? Not having all ages shows is not for lack of space, it is simply for lack of support.

They will say that teenagers and kids need controlling and a constant watchful eye but they are just like any group of people – treat them with respect and they will treat you with respect and the spaces they gather with care and a sense of ownership. Treat them as second class citizens and they will rebel. In Redwood City literally the only place for anyone under 18 to go is the downtown Century Theater. It is constantly swamped with cops – clearly put in place to ‘keep an eye on the kids’ – who harass and loom over the shoulder of every group of youth that dares gather. So what? Until you’re 18 you’re only allowed at school and at home? With curfew laws as they are you can’t even walk the streets most of the time. I don’t know about you, but under those circumstances I would certainly feel no ownership of the city or have any respect for the people that run it.

Being unsupportive of all ages events, along with all the curfews that are put into place by the city, is nothing short of ageist and is discrimination and oppression of youth.

dis⋅crim⋅i⋅na⋅tion [di-skrim-uh-ney-shuhn]–noun
1. an act or instance of discriminating.
2. treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit.

We compel you to continue to support all ages music – and all ages events in general – as much as you can. It is imperative they not only continue but that we help the adults in our lives and the people in power understand how important it is not just to the people attending but to the community as a whole.

Sincerely,
Zen and Please Do Not Fight