Blast-o-mat - Booze - Drugs= :)?

Submitted by xrocksthespot™ on Mon, 01/11/2010 - 2:04am.

Blast-o-mat has instilled a strict no booze/ no drugs policy. This message has been passed around for the last few weeks online,

"WE ARE BECOMING A TOTALLY DRY VENUE, SO THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL SPACE TO BE SHUT DOWN. PLEASE SUPPORT US IN OUR EFFORTS, BECAUSE ITS ABOUT THE MUSIC NOT ABOUT GETTING WASTED!
SO KEEP THAT IN MIND FROM HERE ON OUT....

LONG LIVE THE BLASTO AND THE 303!"

This has been in an effort to save the venue from getting shut down by the police. This sounds like a complete travesty to some fun loving loyal attendees of shows at Blast-o-mat. Some may say that music has for more than half a century become synonyms with drugs and alcohol. While others believe strongly that drugs and alcohol have no place in music, or in such places as Blast-o-mat, because they do not have proper licensing and are therefore not permitted under the penalty of the law. What do you think? Should it be okay that the police are trying to shut down our beloved B-mat because of underage drinking and pot smoking? Should everyone suck it up and be happy that Denver has a cool spot like Blasto? Does it take anything away from the venue that it is being forced to go dry?

xrocksthespot™'s blog

Its always been that way--

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 07/24/2010 - 12:31pm.

Its always been that way-- except if you were a super-special-uber-hip-cool friend of theirs...then you could go downstairs and drink.

Exclusivity has always reigned here, and with it the hipster crowd followed. This is in no way a DIY venue. They have booking people, they have structures, and a PA. Not DIY. Aside from that, most of the founders were trust-fund kids that always fell back on mommy and daddy when things got tough.

__________hater zone__________

Yes, I'm hating. Why? Well I know the founders, and very well. The beginnings of this place are tainted with hypocrisy and elitism. If you weren't a scenester, you weren't accepted. Old school punk? Maybe- only if you could gain them extra cred. Thats the hip/scenester mentality- they USE you. This venue was not born out of necessity, it was born out of making a name for a select few people, and screw the rest (punx/squatters/DIY/anarcho-punx/d-beat culture/train riders) unless you could somehow add to their street cred or image. Thats whats up.

Proof? Ask them for help. For ANY kind of help- big or small. They wont do JACK for you unless it benefits them. Punk rock unity my arse. Mutual-aid my arse.

too bad this real history is all too clouded over with all the "cool" bands they book. Not to say all the bands that play there aren't good, its just that they book the good ones to add to their clout? Get it yet?