Dear ~S~ , I'm sorry, I didn't mean this as a thread for people to choose sides, but rather to elicit discussion. I tried to present both sides as accurately as I could. There are probably good points to be made on both sides, and also things to criticize. You are right, this should have been resolved by getting both sides together to talk before everyone got upset. But, unfortunately, that didn't happen.

To try to tip the scale more towards the organization, I will quote from their newsletter: [regarding the open mic] "The venue provides the space, the musicians fill it with people, and that is a fair trade. Musicians are doing their job when they bring people into an otherwise empty room. You cannot ask them to pay. Anything. Ever. Pay to play? No way. In this instance, it is not the five dollars that is the problem. Most patrons and musicians spend that much anyway. The tipping point is the requirement to do so. It reveals a fundamental disregard for the value of what the musicians bring to the table. And that is why we must leave." To the organization, this was a non-negotiable matter of policy. To the restaurant, once they made their decision there was no going back.

Respectfully, S.