We are proud to name as this week’s Laura Lee & Cutter weenie of the week, the owner of the 1st and Goal sports bar on University Ave in Green Bay. Now we will leave his name out of this story as, according to the band involved, this situation has been resolved and they finally got paid. But that’s part of the issue, a band had to air dirty laundry on social media, something I know they didn’t want to have to do in order to get the promised pay for performing at 1st and Goal last Saturday night. The band in question is called Romana and The Flower. They are an acoustic duo based out of Green Bay, doing what so many of us local musicians do, play some fun tunes that we all like to sing and dance along to over the course of a 3 to 4 hour set at a local establishment. According to a since-deleted social media post made by the band, during their set, the owner was texting the bartender, refusing to pay the band, and making what looked like drunk and belligerent comments. Now context is key here, and the owner went on the bar’s page and apologized, kind of. He claimed the band Romana and the Flower were unlicensed and therefore were not allowed to play cover songs at his bar. But the bar generally already pays those fees if they have a touchtunes or play any kind of music, from an old school jukebox to hiring bands. Generally, it is not the band’s responsibility, but that could be up for debate. I digress, the point is this shouldn’t have been an issue in the first place. And while I’m happy that the band got paid, and seemingly everyone has moved on. It should be noted that I am a local musician, and maybe I take something like this a little personally, but it takes time and talent, plus equipment, rehearsal time in order to be able to go perform 30 to 40 songs on a Saturday night at a bar, and the pay should never be questioned. If you don’t like them, don’t book them again, but acting like that was not OK.
So, for making a first and goal from the 1-yard line feel like a 4th and goal from the 20, for being the bar owner equivalent of refusing to pay dinner after eating three-quarters of the meal, and for making the patrons of the 1st and goal sports bar hoping it goes back to its previous name of House Divided.
We are proud to name the first class bad-mannered bar owner of the 1st and Goal sports bar as this week’s Laura Lee and Cutter Weenie of the Week.
