Yes, we are closing on November 1st. The Launching Pad is run by a nonprofit group named Full Circle and the board recently voted unanimously to close down the Lauching Pad at the end of this month. This was something we have been talking about for the last few months. We have had numerous issues and problems that were not able to be resolved.

1) We have had repeated problems getting insurance coverage for the venue. We simply can not continue operating without having insurance coverage in case someone were to get injured at a show. Apparently, no one wants to insure activities involving teenagers anymore. We searched for two months and finally decided we can not take the risk to continue operating without insurance.

2) Our landlord feels it is fair to charge $1500 (yes, you read that correctly) per month for our nonprofit venue even though the roof leaked for two months. The best month we have ever had pulled in $2000 total and most months we have made just enough to pay our rent and insurance.

3) Because of 2 above, we have never had the money to pay anyone that helps out at shows. No one involved in the LP has ever made even ONE single dime (myself, the guy who started the LP, has actually lost close to $400 of my own money). We have survived for over one year only because of the tremendous volunteers who have helped us run shows, run sound, and promote. Unfortunately, people who volunteer often don't feel like there is a reason to show up when they are scheduled, do things without having to be told to do them, and keep the place looking nice. We have had a steady drop in volunteers and this led to the same two people putting in 15-35 hours EVERY week for free to keep the place running.

4) To make matters worse, there have been a handful of people who choose to hang out at the LP and who like to show their appreciation by stealing from the venue/bands or vandalizing property. In the last nine months we have had the following stolen from us:

Approximately $550

ELEVEN microphones

two direct boxes

plus several instances of other bands' gearing being stolen during shows

The last straw for us was when one of our volunteers had her VERY expensive camera stolen. She helps out at most of our shows and takes pictures of all of the bands that play the LP. Some jerk stole her camera a few weeks ago. So, there goes another one of our essential volunteers who no longer wants to work at a place that doesn't give a crap.

Oh, and who do you think has to take the time to paint over the graffiti that people paint over our logo in the front? Is writing your band name next to our logo so important that you don't care that somone then has to waste an extra hour of their free time to cover it up?

5) Which brings us to our last reason for closing....Idiots. This place was started because several of us believed that Muncie needed a place for youth to play music for their friends. 99% of the bands who play here have been amazingly supportive and SO nice to us. And 95% of the people who come to shows have been amazing as well. However, there is a small minority of people who feel its necessary to steal, vandalize, and take whatever they can without giving anything in return. I hate that the actions of a few people ruin it for everyone else. I know its not fair to those of you that love the LP. But, its also little things. Like when there are 40 people outside hanging out with their friends who don't want to pay cover and some poor local band is playing inside for 10 people. Or the kids who constantly try to sneak in for free and when we let them know they can get into shows for free anytime they want if they'd just volunteer some time, just walk away. Or the people who volunteer and then leave the cash box or sound board unattended so they can hang out with their friends or smoke cigarettes rather than help out. Or the people who leave as soon as the show is over and don't help sweep up, take out the trash, or even pick up after themselves. Or the people who steal sink handles and toilet roll dispensers. Or musicians who spit on our walls. Or musicians who have to draw penises or write over the top of other band names in the band room. Or bands who do absolutley NO promotion for shows and complain that no one showed up. Or people who say its sad that people don't come out to shows as much, but they aren't willing to help put up posters or send bulletins.

Can you see how fixing all this stuff takes time? And when its only two people left to do it, its gets old REAL fast. When the people you're trying to help just don't care anymore, you have to ask yourself "why are we still doing this?". 

So, we decided to close.

I want to thank the people who have kept this venue alive and who put their hearts into it:

Mary Ogle-for putting in 40 hours some weeks just to keep the place going

Full Circle Arts Coop-for taking on the legal, financial, and management tasks

Britanny, Ian, Nicole, Sara, Robin, and the rest of the street team

Nick and Megan-for working about 90% of the shows during the last month!

Dreams of University-they get alot of crap from people, but not many people know that they were the ones who spent three weeks tearing out walls, building that stage, and turning the space from a multiroom office building into the LP. I love you guys. 

Kenny Matthews-for helping with sound issues and teaching sound

 

I hope that some day The Launching Pad will reopen. I hope that everyone misses it so much that if it does reopen you'll all take a more active role in keeping it going. Next time, tell people to respect the space. Next time, tell people to come inside to watch bands. Next time, ask if there's anything you can do to make the place look nicer. Next time, volunteer to help out at shows or promote. I truly hope there is a "next time". Unfortunately, it can't continue with our current crazy high rent, lack of insurance, and lack of people who care enough to help.

Thank you to everyone who has helped make this place possible and kept it going as long as we could. Thanks to the bands for all of the great music. I truly hope you all keep writing new music and that you can find places to play in town. If anyone wants to donate a free building, let us know!!!!

Alan 

Last time Margot and the Nuclear So and So's played at the LP (last summer) there were about 300 people packed into the place, which was totally unsafe and unconfortable for everyone. So, since our capacity is 200, we're only selling 200 tickets to the July 25 show. Last time we had 50-75 people who showed up the day of the show and who could not get in. PLEASE make sure you get a ticket prior to the show to make sure you get your ticket. Tickets are available at any Launching Pad show or online at the Brownpapertickets.com link below (or on our myspace page). If we have any tickets left over on the day of the show, we'll open the venue at 5pm to start selling the remaining tickets. Here is the online ticket link:





Buy tickets for Margot and the Nuclear So & So's July 25 at The Launching Pad, Muncie

The LP has gotten extremely popular with touring bands and as you can see, most of our dates now are being taken by touring bands. This DOES NOT mean that we don't want local bands to play. Touring bands just tend to be more aggressive about booking dates one or two months ahead of time. We still need local bands to play on nearly all of these dates. If you are a Muncie area band (this doesn't mean Indianapolis by the way), please take a look at our upcoming shows and let us know if there is a show you'd like to play on. We're also trying to save a few weekend dates that are only for locals, so be sure to e-mail us if you want a date and try to do it at least a month in advance. Also, we've been asking touring bands to directly contact local bands to play on shows. If a band contacts you to play a show, we HIGHLY recommend that you ask them to get you a show in their hometown in exchange and that they guarantee you gas money. I understand that it sucks to play a show here with a touring band, to work hard to get people to show up, and then have an out of town band take all the money for gas and you get little to nothing. Most touring bands understand that they are taking money from local bands and will be willing to get you a show in their area since you are helping them out. Feel free to tell them "no thanks" if they aren't willing to help you out in return. We'd love to be able to make both local and touring bands happy and we'll keep trying to do this by promoting our shows and the venue so more people come out to shows on a regular basis. Please let us know if there are any shows you'd like to play on. Obviously we are going to give preference to bands that we know will bring people to the show, but if you're a new band we'll consider putting you on a show as well.

OK, so now you Facebook fans can keep up with our upcoming shows by joining our Facebook page. We're hoping this will also make it easier for our street team and you lovely fans to help us spread the word about upcoming shows (myspace bulletins just aren't very effective). Please join our group and share it with as many people as you can. Thanks SOOOOO much for your support!


http://bsu.facebook.com/group.php?gid=18142125726

http://www.nuvo.net/articles/muncie_bands_blast_off_from_the_launching_pad/

(oh, we opened in 2007 and I'm a psychologist, not a psychiatrist just to clarify)

Due to our small capacity, we are going to start pre-selling tickets for some of our bigger shows so we don't have a crazy line out the door like we had at the Margot Show. We are using brownpapertickets.com for our printed, online, and phone tickets for the following upcoming shows:

Nov. 30th Rookie of the Year $8 presale, $10 at the door
Dec. 7th Gwen Stacy $10 presale, $12 at the door
Dec. 8th Asteria $8 presale, $10 at the door

Tickets will be available beginning Wedneday Nov. 13th at 8pm through
https://www.brownpapertickets.com/producer/6561 (there is also a direct link to buy tickets on our main page with a big BUY NOW button). You can also order tickets by phone 24 hours a day at
1-800-838-3006
WE WILL ONLY BE SELLING 150 TICKETS ONLINE

We will also be selling ONLY 50 tickets at the venue. You can purchase these any night that we're open. Just tell the person at the door what show you want tickets for. There is no maximum number of tickets per person. Tickets will be $2 cheaper if you buy them before the day of the show. Our ticketing company charges a very reasonable service charge of about $1, so it is still cheaper to buy tickets before the show (and it insures that you get a ticket). We are anticipating that all three of these shows will sell out, so get your tickets early and tell your friends to get their tickets early as well. Please let us know if you have any problems with the new ticketing system. Hope to see you at the shows!

So, I created a street team. Mainly to help me organize and keep track of all the super cool people who have been volunteering to help promote shows and help out at the venue. It makes me feel all fuzzy inside to have so many people willing to care for my baby and help it grow. For awhile there, I thought she wasn't going to make it, but now she's up and crawling. You people rock!

If you want to help out with promoting shows, working at shows, decorating, cleaning toilets, giving band members massages, or what not, then click on our little street team icon under our top friends and add the street team to your friends list. I'll be posting flyers for upcoming shows, asking for help, taking offers for help, taking suggestions, and accepting ideas for t-shirts for the venue through the street team page. Now, do realize, that by making the decision to add the street team as your friend, you are agreeing to let me harass you from time to time to put in a little work. In exchange, if you do some work for the venue, you'll likely get into a show for free and you may even get a cool t-shirt and stickers and stuff (assuming we make enough money one of these months to buy shirt and stickers). Plus, the people that help out the most get to be listed as Top Friends and I now how much that means to you myspacers out there....

Thanks so much to the band Brazil for the honor of having them play their final show at The Launching Pad. We had our first sell out crowd and it was a perfect night. The band and the crowd was great. Looking forward to having more nights like that this year. Thanks to everyone who helped put this show together and to This Story and Empty Orchestra for playing great sets as well. We'll hopefully post a few photos from the show soon as well as some video footage. And be sure to check out the Young Musician's Club show next Friday and support Muncie's blossoming young music scene. $5 for eight great bands.

Welcome to The Launching Pad, Muncie's only All Ages Venue! We're SO excited to finally have a place for bands to play and we look forward to helping Muncie develop an incredible music scene. We've just installed the best stage and PA system in the BSU Village and we'll soon be booking bands for the month of September. We still have some more remodeling to do before we begin booking bands full-time, but we should be ready to host shows every Friday and Saturday night beginning in September.

We've had tons of bands ask about booking a show. Right now the best thing to do is to send us a friend request and I'll post a bulletin as soon as we are ready to begin scheduling bands for September. We're also looking at having some unique events on Thursday nights including Guitar Hero competitions, open mic nights, poetry readings, and art shows. If you are interested in helping to organize an event, send me a message. We truly want this venue to be open to all types of music and creativity, and we want our local bands to call this place their home. We'll also post some pictures from our first shows soon. And please send out our myspace to your friends!