Maybe it's the fact that it's so fucking expensive to do anything, forcing us inside which is reenforcing itself rather cyclically. It is really hard to get excited about things when you don't have the funds to go out and do things. I am older but would be going out way more to events if I didn't cringe at the money I know I will be dropping on these nights out. Third real world spaces are dearly needed and people are getting priced out of them. I used to go out to music events at least once a week ten years ago.

bands aren’t disappearing. Small local bands are still cheap and great fun. I know, i’m in one. We tour locally every year and play a show every weekend throughout summer. We have to turn people down because we are so booked up. And that’s not just us, but most locals i know. People still love live music just as much as they ever did.

Definitely agree with the dude talking about how niche music has gotten. And to the dude who said "all new music sucks", get out from under your rock man. Theres just so many bands/artists creating so much music now, some is bound to be good. Its easier than ever to record a song and get it out on the internet. The bloat makes it harder to find stuff you jive with, but when you do it almost feels tailor made for your ears.

Technology supporting solo artists hits close to home.
It was certainly a larger factor in my decision to quit playing in bands, that composing/DAW software allowed me to make music in a similar fashion.

In many ways, it's better than playing in a band, because you can make exactly the music you enjoy and play not just one instrument, but a whole orchestra.

Obviously, this is far easier said than done and there's many awesome parts of being in a band, too, but I can definitely see this being the preferred alternative for many people.

I wonder if how niche music tastes have become has something to do with it.

Probably; it feels like less that 'young people aren't excited by bands" and more like 'to be a band that takes off the way they used to, you gotta be doin something different'. I don't think anyone's exactly clamoring for bands to do the same shit as your average Seether, Incubus, or Three Days Grace expies. Meanwhile, you've got acts like Polyphia, Zeal and Ardor, and Ghost running around out here doing actively different shit and seeing payoff on it.

Marketb is over saturated with cover bands. If you don't seem then at your local venue it's because the promoter simply doesn't want to book cover bands. If anything cover bands are too damn popular

Maybe it’s because I’m old, but modern music SUCKS (yeah, blanket statement. There will always be exceptions, I know). It all lacks that organic warm feeling that elicits that feel good thing music used to bring.

I honestly don’t think niche music tastes have as much to do with it as much as music seems to have become exactly like movies. Rehash something from the 80s again and call it new or like all the marvel/dc mcshit.