Triple Crown capacity becoming a problem?

Bands around San Marcos have been packing Triple Crown faster than a bunch of scene kids scrambling to a 50 percent off sale on Chiodos-themed hair straighteners at Hot Topic.

Yes the scene is vibrant with many great bands filling the (only) venue with lots of sweaty bodies. Happiness is only real when shared with a sweaty hippie-chick stranger who is grinding on you, right?
Sadly, there are a horde of souls who never make it into the party. Triple Crown’s capacity is 199 persons and this means that the line of the 1-in-1-out variety is especially popular at the bar.
Triple Crown is the only bar in downtown San Marcos that caters to rock bands. Tantra is great but the only time I’ve ever been to a rock show at Tantra, the stage broke and a barricade of chairs was set up to separate band’s from the audience. Lucy’s took a big ol dump all over San Marcos residents who would stage dive than have bottle service.
So, we’re left with Triple Crown. A great venue with great staff and a great big space problem.
The space problems not only exclude people from shows but have an adverse effect on the bands that play. There have been more than a few times that I’ve walked outside during one of my band’s shows and seen a line of 20 people out the door waiting for the chance to get in (I assure you, they were not there for my band. They were there for the Couch, Buzz N’ Bangs, Fulton Read, Clubs, Newlywed, Equals, free pool, cheap drinks, shelter from a coming rain storm, etc etc).
It’s going to be interesting to see how many people get turned away (Lord willing it’s only gonna be the n00bz, am I right?) at the upcoming Chachapalooza mini-festival on April 10. The line-up features my band, Zlam Dunk, along with Buzz N’ Bangs and Equals.
Fewer people getting into shows means less money for bands to drive to other cities and play. It means less money for recording songs. The sad reality is that money makes it very easy to play in a band and poverty does not.
Poverty does, however, breed creativity. While talking to Zach Carothers of Portugal. the Man at SXSW two years ago, he said one of the wisest, nay, THE wisest thing I’ve ever heard. I’m paraphrasing here but: “There’s just not any money left in the music industry, which is cool because in five years, you’ll know the people who are still in the industry are in it for the right reasons.”
Preach it brotha’.
But the fact remains that San Marcos needs a large venue. Something that can accommodate the crowds San Marcos bands are attracting.

Check back in the coming weeks as we examine the issue with more writings and multimedia.

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