Behind the Pabst Theater Foundation

I basically stopped going to concerts when I moved to Milwaukee. Shank Hall can't book a decent act --when they do, they can't sell it out. It sounds OK but what an ugly place to see a concert. I saw Bernie Worrell in front of less than 50 people once--ya, he sold out a club in Chicago the night before... And the Rave is a disaster. Here are a few things I've seen at the Rave over the years: -Standing water flowing from the men's room--that's right, a clogged urinal flowing right into the concert hall. -Basement hall doesn't run thru a PA systen--I paid 20 bucks to stand in the back of an indoor concert that I couldn't hear. -They charge 20$ for parking -They run a fake ticket promotion. How do you spend 45 dollars up front when the voucher says, "free ticket" I hope Michael Cudahy puts those assholes out of business. I love watching people turn their nose at Rave promoters when they try to give their 'fake free tickets' at Riverside events. We should throw a party at Turner Hall the same day the Rave shuts down. God Bless the Pabst Foundation. Finally, someone in this town knows how to run a club. I see concerts now--sometimes just for the sake of trying out new bands. Thank you Pabst Foundation!

 

This blurb is lazy journalism. The Pabst Foundations financial statements are a matter of public record. The "detractors" (sometimes known as the small time operators who had a stranglehold on what was Milwaukee's dismal live music scene prior to the Pabst; also sometimes known as Peter Jest) can examine the Pabst's tax statement anytime they want to. It takes about 2 minutes to find them on the web. Among other things it shows that the Pabst derives 80% of it revenue from Earned Income. That is highly unusual for a non-profit where the standard split it is 50/50 between earned and contributed income. For a local example, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra has an almost opposite split: 80% of its revenue comes from donations and grants. Another thing that Mr. Rytlewski didn't bother to point out is a non-profit has a fundamenally different mission than a for-profit business. A for-profit has one goal: to make money for its shareholders/owner(s). A non-profits fundamental mission is to fulfill its charitable mission, in the Pabst's case, to promote the performing arts in Milwaukee. By uncritically spreading the idea that the Pabst is somehow hiding their finances, you do a major disservice to an organization that operates transparently and in accordance to it's legally mandated mission.