Underage Performing

[TromboneAl]

My jazz quartet consists of three fifty-somethings and a great 17-year-old sax player. Last night we had a gig at a pub with a big sign in the front door: "No one under the age of 21 allowed." We came in the back door.

I spent the last week worrying that we'd get there and the owner would see the kid, and tell us to hit the road, but there was no problem. We played for three hours. I don't know if no one noticed, or whether someone noticed and didn't say anything.

The sax player didn't have any alcohol, of course, and I made sure he didn't mingle with the crowd during breaks. We even refrained from alcohol.

We'll probably be offered future gigs there.

So what are the legal issues here? Note that they serve food there, but not full dinners.

My guess is that it is not legal to have him performing there, but that the worst that is likely to happen is someone will pull the plug, and we'll have to leave.

Anybody familiar with this stuff?

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Depends on the state. In some of them, you AND the club can be issued fines for allowing underage people in the club, drinking, mingling or not. If the club has a lot of citations against their liquor license, they could lose it.

 

[HFWR]

Not recently, of course, but I was at one time familiar with underage drinking...  

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

yeah, this thread wasnt what I thought it was going to be about...

 

[HFWR]

Tracy Lord?

 

[sgeeeee]

I think this depends on the State and even local laws.  I know that in Chicago I have visited bars with family (including minors) to watch inlaws play and they let us in through a back door and seat us in a "VIP" area where the youngsters have to stay.  Apparently that satisfies their issue.  But I've been to bars in Arizona that don't seem to care at all.  I don't know whether that's the law or just a lack of respect for it.  

In Mexico bars I've been in, they don't seem to have a problem with minors, but sometimes they do have a problem with women.  It hasn't been that long ago when women in some Mexican bars would have to buy a $5 Prostitute's Liscense before they could drink.  

 

[JPatrick]

 It hasn't been that long ago when women in some Mexican bars would have to buy a $5 Prostitute's Liscense before they could drink.  

Why did they quit?? Everyone already have a license??

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

You can see the pickup line... "Hey...you already bought the license...you dont want to waste that five bucks now, do you?"