Yes of course- music can happen any where not just bars.

Problem is why should it be in expensive places?

Yes if you bring down the price of beer those who wish to will consume more and more patrons/audience will choose to attend and the landlord will do quite a bit better via increased volume. The more audience the better for the musician.

I can not possibly buy the detachment of music from food and drink as it just never was the case granted one can have a dry and foodless performance and that was done too but public playing was generally not in dry and foodless settings. And although I call it moderation the level of moderation was set significantly higher in the past.

My liver is just fine. I go to the doctor regularly and reserve drinking in quantity for special events.

You dont need organizations, halls or anything else.....

Yes people who eat and drink free their muses and get a bit loud.

I am reminded of Paddy Maloney of the Chieftains who I have met on several occasions and have talked with of the nature of the musical experience in depth.

He said that his main problem with US audiences was that they did not get up and dance, clap, make noise when he played energetic music designed to be accompanied by such. Even though he would at times send dancers into the isles the audience just sat there studying in an academic sense quiet unmoved. He believed that to be a sign of the detachment of the folk experience from the people.

For many limiting consumption of alcohol to extremely low levels is taken as a badge of saintliness- look at me I just had one. This is in effect elitist and stifles the folk environment.

Paying too much above market price is not just limiting it is stupid.

Yes I play bones, tin Whistle, brass instruments, currently alto horn.
Yes I have played professionally, I have managed large folk festival stages, I am a folklorist specializing in the Music of the North East, Ireland, Orange Order/unionist music and currently Bavarian Oktoberfest songs (I published the only complete songbook of these)

Conrad