Hema and I began by going to bars in Georgetown to talk with managers on how they make live music decisions, focusing on M Street. Many of the managers either didn't have the time to talk or couldn't talk for long, however we got some great insights.
The best interview in Georgetown was with David at the Rhino bar. Due to noise restrictions in the Georgetown area and a limited space, they only use DJs, and have no plans to change that. Currently, he contracts a company which supplies DJs, and the company is responsible for making sure the DJ shows up, stays on the set list, and acts professionally. Other than that, David doesn't care who the DJ is. Without even posing a question or prompt, he said you know what I really want and would make my life easier - some kind of automated DJ that stays on the theme I pick but can also take requests. I asked him if it would be something like an off-site DJ which still takes requests and is hooked into the sound equipment by computer. I really think the closest product to what he is looking for is TouchTunes.
Second best interview in G'town was Robert at Mr. Smith's of Georgetown. He said they used to have live music, but its been a few years. Like most bars in Georgetown, they switched from live music due to noise restrictions, and now function as a piano bar. He currently contracts out two piano players, and they have each been playing at the bar for five years or more, and he expressed no need to change from his current state.
After realizing from a few other bars that we would have trouble finding establishments with live music, we went to the Courthouse/Ballston area. There the best interview was with Jonathan at Ragtime, a cajun bar which regularly hosts live music. Jonathan said they try to have a wide variety of music, and that he spends a significant amount of time finding or vetting and booking shows, but he couldn't think of another way to book. Because the bar was busy he asked that we talk later and gave me his card.
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