Some music has to be loud to be good.

Queen's We Will Rock You sounds horrible when played softly. Bagpipe music sounds best at a distance of only a few hundred feet (still pretty loud). Inflicting either upon unappreciative ears should be minimized...but not done away with entirely.

As for folk clubs: my worst gripe with the best local club is its sight lines -- about 25% of the seats have poor sight lines to the stage and it's uncomfortable always craning your neck around, or being nearby the uncomfortable people. My second trouble is financial; I don't feel I'm doing my share unless I'm buying enough beverages and snacks and...they add up. I like local folk concerts (200-300 people) better; better performers, everyone has a good sight-line, and even with a snack at intermission and doubled or tripled ticket prices, it still costs less than a club evening.