Antone's Nightclub
Blood on the Tracks
RECEIVED Mon., Feb. 1, 2010
Dear Editor,
I just read that UT has decided to close down the Cactus Cafe along with its informal classes program. The savings they expect from this? $122,000 per year. With a budget the size of UT's, and with all of the money that their sports program alone generates, it's an unbelievably absurd premise that they can't find the money to keep the Cactus open. This venue – featured in a cover story in the Chronicle a few months ago ["Blood on the Tracks," Music, Feb. 6, 2009] – is one of the finest of its kind in the U.S., loved by both audiences and performers alike for decades, and a huge part of the music scene here in the "live music capital of the world." This will be an enormous blow to local culture – think back, folks, on all of the wonderful national and international acts you've enjoyed in the friendly, well-run, intimate, near-perfect-sound atmosphere of the Cactus Cafe. Think they're going to find another local venue in which they can share their music with us? Somehow I doubt it.
Mack Brown's salary alone could spare the money to keep both of these programs going. I suppose it shows us where their true priorities lie. Even if the sports program funds are technically separate from those affected by this decision, it's an ugly comparison in the eyes of the music-loving public – and we all know they could find the money somewhere.
Let them know your displeasure, folks.
I just read that UT has decided to close down the Cactus Cafe along with its informal classes program. The savings they expect from this? $122,000 per year. With a budget the size of UT's, and with all of the money that their sports program alone generates, it's an unbelievably absurd premise that they can't find the money to keep the Cactus open. This venue – featured in a cover story in the Chronicle a few months ago ["Blood on the Tracks," Music, Feb. 6, 2009] – is one of the finest of its kind in the U.S., loved by both audiences and performers alike for decades, and a huge part of the music scene here in the "live music capital of the world." This will be an enormous blow to local culture – think back, folks, on all of the wonderful national and international acts you've enjoyed in the friendly, well-run, intimate, near-perfect-sound atmosphere of the Cactus Cafe. Think they're going to find another local venue in which they can share their music with us? Somehow I doubt it.
Mack Brown's salary alone could spare the money to keep both of these programs going. I suppose it shows us where their true priorities lie. Even if the sports program funds are technically separate from those affected by this decision, it's an ugly comparison in the eyes of the music-loving public – and we all know they could find the money somewhere.
Let them know your displeasure, folks.
Larry Looney