I'm a musician. I play regularly in the area and I work a full time job. Bar owners can't be blamed for not paying a band if the band doesn't pull a crowd. Too many bands in Portland expect to be paid even if only five people show up to see them.

The only way for this to be 'fixed' is for bands to attract a following. Marketing, networking and PR are the best ways to for bands to achieve this, in conjunction with being a good band of course.

Furthermore, artists need to expect to starve for their art. Anyone who decides to become a full-time artist (painter, sculptor, poet, musician, etc.) must understand there's a huge possibility they'll never make any money doing it. This has been the case since time immemorial.

Artists need to live with the consequences of their decisions.