No music, no life

Teens got hosed when Junta closed. The powers that be have come to the conclusion that teens don’t need an all-ages music venue, creating one more vacant hole on K Street where Junta used to be. Not only is Sacramento ignoring the money to be made from one of its larger demographics—and all that disposable income—but it also has lost a positive outlet for teens. That increases the likelihood that they’ll find other, slightly less legal, forms of entertainment. After all, wouldn’t you rather have teens head-banging in a controlled environment than banging heads out on the streets?

Ages 10 to 14 years 31,465 (7.73 percent of total)

Ages 15 to 19 years 29,863 (7.34 percent of total)

Nationally, the percentage of 13- to 17-year-olds who listen to music after school: 87

Proportion of teenagers who name music as a hobby: two-thirds

Proportion of 12-, 13- and 14-year-olds who watch music videos daily: one-third

Number of hours teens spend daily listening to music: four to five

Number of hours teens spend between seventh and 12th grades listening to music: 10,500

Number of hours spent in school over all 12 years: 11,000

Percentage of teens who report that they know all the lyrics to their favorite songs: 90

Percentage of teens who purchased at least one CD in the last three months: 71

Sources: 2000 U.S. Census and the Office of National Drug Control Policy.