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Pay-to-play is a custom where fledgling artists are given a set number of tickets they have for pre-sale in order to perform at a venue.

According to Ortiz, the idea to create a space for “real ones” was born in the spring of 2022 as a counter to L.A.’s notoriously predatory “pay-to-play” live music scene.

Murphy also noted Trump’s orders to fire inspectors general and other watchdogs meant to keep an eye out for corruption and pay-to-play tactics in the federal government, and his scaling back of laws meant to discourage it, such as the Foreign Agents Registration Act, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the Corporate Transparency Act.

He’ll fatten his bottom line with crypto and pay-to-play trade deals with foreign countries, and he’ll play plenty of golf.

“We’ve had a pay-to-play atmosphere at City Hall,” said Julie Pitta, president of the Phoenix Project, a progressive group that tracks tech money in San Francisco politics.