So why do venues play that game?
I hope that the employees were informed and moreso taken care of as best possible.
Beyond the appreciation of any individual club, it really seems like what is disappearing in the DC region is the tier of venue that is better than a total shitshow dive and still allows for less than hyped bands to test their sound and show in an environment that looks, feels and sounds like a real venue. The kind of place that friends would be apt to see your show at because they could recognize some of the names of other bands playing or having played there.