The ins-and-outs of all ages concerts at bars

A good discussion of what venues have to do to host all-ages shows and how promoters decide which acts to open to all ages and which ones to keep as 21+.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 3/25/07 - All-ages concerts: Clubs expend extra effort to keep venues legal for underage fans: "All-ages concerts in bars mean beefed-up security, visits from undercover police and a working knowledge of the arcane Pennsylvania Liquor Code.

But local concert promoters say they will gladly take all of them. They, and the music industry generally, have an interest in making venues safe and legal for kids, hoping it will pay dividends later on....

'We want parents to feel comfortable having their children come to live events,' said Jon Rinaldo, who books Club Cafe and Diesel on the South Side. 'If they start out at a young age supporting music -- and if that interest continues when they're over 21 -- that's how the live community is structured.'

The same stringent liquor laws that keep alcohol out of Pennsylvania grocery stores and oenophiles from mail-ordering fine wines also affect the state's music fans. Any time they want to go to an all-ages show at a traditional music club that serves alcohol -- as most large clubs do -- it means running through the thicket of Liquor Code regulations concerning minors.

Go to a show in Cleveland or Baltimore, and patrons of all ages are allowed to mix on the concert floor. One fan can be drinking a beer while an underage fan is standing right next to him, with only a large "X" drawn on her hand to show she is not yet 21.

In Pennsylvania, minors are separated completely. Venues either have to remove all alcohol from the premises, or (as is usually the case) have a separate space reserved for those 21 and older, overseen by a security guard checking identification. Those older than 21 can go into the underage section but not carrying alcohol."

all ages