I'm sitting here trying to write a blurb explaining why we, Buke and Gase, are throwing in the towel, and it's annoying to admit, but the income-factor is a part of it. Everywhere we go, music is being played in the background, and somehow the money for that usage never reaches the people who create the art. Streaming has made the selling of albums nearly impossible!
Building on the spirit of DIY mutual aid, Vital Arts leads several programs, including a paid fellowship and free legal cafes, that work to address artists' material needs in the expensive Bay Area. As many advocates have pointed out over the years, the untenable cost of living and lack of available creative spaces is what pushed people to live and perform in unsafe venues like Ghost Ship.
