Bars are in the business of selling booze. To do that they will put salted nuts on the bar, hire women to parade around in lingerie, bring in professional comedians or amateur singers (God, please rain fire on all karaoke machines). They will also hire bands, or coerce musicians to perform for free (pass the hat still lives here in Chicago). What really gets customers at the moment are live sport events. "That's just the way it is. Some things will never change." - Bruce Hornsby. I'd rather play for free than get treated like a bowl of nuts for a few bucks.

Many years ago my contry rock band was playing at a bar in Stevens Point, Wisconsin on the night of a Muhammad Ali fight. This was pre-big screen TV, and the only television was a small one over the bar at the other end of the room. The fight went the distance and all we saw all night long were the backs of people's heads. When the fight finally ended, we played about 1/2 hour more, the crowd turned around, and the place was rocking (the crowd was loaded). When we were leaving the owner told us we never played better. You could have fooled us.