First off my condolences to the families of Marilyn Praisner and Gene Lynch, their deaths were truly unexpected.

I didn’t see eye to eye with either on a number of issues but I’m glad I was at least able to talk face to face with Ms. Praisner even though it was in opposition to her stand on development and the growth policy.

NO TO LIVE NATION!

I admit I admire their persistence but yet again we have another opposition group formed from the belly of the “Birchmere/Indie” crowd.

This new group is dedicated to the “the cessation of the Live Nation project.”. An open bidding process is a valid argument indeed but Sligo from the Silver Spring, Singular brings up a valid point on ThayerAve.com…Where were all these people crying for an open bidding process when the Birchmere was dragging it’s damn feet for 5+ years?

Why doesn’t the opposition tell us how they really feel? Which is…they don’t like a big ‘ole corporate entity Live Nation. Further more they don’t want that “devils music” bringing “those people” to “our neighborhood”. Well it’s my neighborhood too and I want it! How about that?

You know, they used to say the same thing about about Jazz music and Swing dancing back in the 1920s. The same people who vowed that they would never be like their parents when they grew up and would “keep on rocking” are now the ones complaing about a music venue in Silver Spring.

Which brings me to another underlying message that I’m tired of hearing from people especially those who aren’t even from this area which is “Silver Spring is a small town”, again are you blind? As compared to where?

First of all it is neither a “town” nor a city technically but that’s beside the point. Some will argue that Live Nation is “too much” for Silver Spring but I beg to differ. I’m always surprised at what I find when doing a little digging on stats about Silver Spring.

But Silver Spring can handle such a venue mos def (no pun intended but hopefully he’ll perform there too). It would be thwarting it’s natural growth and vitality to continue trying to keep it small when it hasn’t been a small place since the late 1800’s!