When 2014 enters the history books less than 48 hours from now, it won't be remembered as the year that Tempe music died. Far from it. However, it was most assuredly a period of great upheaval and change for the city's live music landscape, as well as a helluva lot of hand-wringing, consternation, and sadness over the loss of several haunts.
There's little doubt that the loss of significant and popular Tempe venues like The Sail Inn, Long Wong's at the Firehouse, Big Fish Pub, and Parliament, some of which were sacrificed to the gods of blockbuster development that have been ruling over the city as of late, was a major blow to the many musicians who played at each and all the regulars who came to see them -- but it wasn't a fatal one by any means.
