Downtown Phoenix will never be a hotbed for live music. There, I said it. But when the news of Modified Arts closing broke earlier this fall, it seemed like we really lost something. (You can read my thoughts following the announcement on DPJ.) I’ve been here over six years now, and I’ve seen a lot of venues come and go (and yes, I’m still sad about Nita’s and the One Place), but it’s always just a bit tougher when it’s in the city core.

That’s why today’s news that Ruby Room (in the Warehouse district near Central and Grant) is closing was disheartening despite the fact that I rarely ever attended events there. I’ll say this: I liked the place. The location was a total dead zone, but they were doing the right things, and booking some boozy, sweaty bands that lots of people can appreciate

Despite what some think, these things are losses for the city every single time they go away. Didn’t go to the Ruby Room? I don’t care. I didn’t go often. (By the way, I went to Modified Arts a lot. I was there yesterday in fact.) That’s not the point. The point is that these crappy little buildings were trying, in their own ways, to make this a cultured city

Don’t believe me? I can name at least a dozen shit-smelling hole-in-the-wall music halls in New York, and I’ve never been to any of them. These places create a sense of place. I can’t stand the people that live in this town — or any other, for that matter — that root for failure. I won’t name names, but a lot of people laughed at the Modified announcement, like it was some sort of “I told you so” moment. It’s not. Everyone knows there’s no money to be made promoting and making live music — it’s always been that way. It doesn’t matter if you never utilize these places. Other people in town do, and it’s a boon to have them.

I’ve had talks with several people over the past two months about opening a new venue downtown. It’s not easy. People aren’t accepting of music spaces to begin with, and the property values downtown haven’t lowered despite the sour economy. On top of that, nearly all of the existing buildings near the desirable stretches of downtown Phoenix — Roosevelt Row, the light rail line, McDowell, Grand, etc. — would need tons of work (read: money) to pass code. The passion is there. The deep pockets are not. Dirt lots are a dime a dozen in these neighborhoods, but the city owns 60% of them, and the other 40% are incredibly expensive.

So, is downtown “ovah”? Well, I doubt it. Somewhere, someone will do something great. It comes and goes in cycles. I know that — just look at history. But that doesn’t mean we should just give in and wait around. If you want to make this place better — wherever you are, really — get off your ass and help make it what you want it to be. I’m eager to hear your suggestions, not your whining about how lame you think everything is. Find me. Let’s talk. Let’s make something happen.