© 2024 KALW 91.7 FM Bay Area
KALW Public Media / 91.7 FM Bay Area
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
State of the Bay

Can Live Music Thrive in the Bay Area?

Host: Lauren Meltzer

Producer: Matt Fidler 

With the Bay Area music festival season coming to an end, it would seem to the music consumer that the San Francisco live music scene is thriving. But to those trying to make it in the trenches, the story is not so clear. From classical to rock, the chances to play live music are changing. Where does a band get its start in the Bay Area? Are there enough opportunities for musicians to make a living in a city as expensive as San Francisco? And why is San Francisco not on the map of great music cities in the country?

Guests:

  • Jeremy Malander is the founding member of the local band Sweedish
  • David Schoenbrun, President of the Local 6, Musicians Union who represents over 1,700 professional musicians in five Counties in the Bay Area.
  •  Mike Sempert, the founder of the touring San Francisco band Birds & Batteries.