I don't really understand the objection to having a wristband scanned to get into festival venues. It seems like a standard way of making sure that you have a valid credential, but maybe I'm missing something in the yadda yadda.

"If Paul Allen really wants to do something,,,why not invest...so musicians can afford to live here?"

Boo hoo.

Music Kids, the very thing that made Allen a wealthy man (technology) has been the greatest liberalizing force in the world of arts and entertainment. No longer do A&R reps, record companies, management cartels, radio stations and retail chains prevent musical "artists" from doing what they want and giving the world a means to hear it. (Ref: Youtube, Soundcloud, Twitter, Facebook, etc.).

If you can't make enough money to pay rent as a musician, then two things are possibly both true, but at least one of them must be true:

A) You're not very talented. Not enough people like your music enough to buy it, or share it. You have hobby, not a career. Should all hobbyists get housing (square-dancers, scrap-bookers, bowlers)?

B) You don't work hard enough. Not enough gigs, or promotion or style and persona to create an audience.

Coming on to bleat about your deserved windfall of rent subsidies, from talented people who actually worked hard to make a tech fortune, isn't just pathetic. It's embarrassing for you.

It sounds like:

"If the tech guy who actually created products that changed to world wanted to do something for people who aren't talented and lack ambition, why not pour money down the drain so that those of us that only know four chords can save more money for Rainier tallboys?"

Yeah The Undergound is not a great venue. Low ceiling = low stage = can't see shit from 30' back other than a crowd.

Re, "they did wrong to erect a technological barrier between the audience and performers"
Not sure what that means.

I think the Upstream web page and app are very good. The app even gives you history of the venue space and building it's in. When I first got scanned, I was thinking my attendance was going to be mapped along with everyone else.

I had a good time on Thursday. Saw nine bands I hadn't heard of from 5pm to 10:30pm and enjoyed them all. The venues weren't too crowded. I saw the Thunderpussy line and skipped that. Excellent festival, a huge version of Macefield and the old Joint Cover Charge nights in Pioneer Square. We sure miss those nights. Yeah, I wonder what the financial transaction is between the venues and Upstream.

My Thursday Upstream report at Seattle Music & More:
http://mtheads.yuku.com/topic/2476/Upstr…
.
.

So much fucking whining. Wow.