Brattleboro artists know the hustle. Rent's cheaper than Burlington, but the gigs are scarcer. Downtown rooms fill with musicians, painters, writers—creative types stretching dollars between projects. The comedy scene runs on shared struggle. Main Street hosts the open mics where everyone's working multiple jobs. West Brattleboro draws the back-to-the-land crowd, audiences who laugh at material about making art pay. Putney Road and Elm Street rooms book whoever shows up ready. Stage time here costs nothing but everything. You perform because the alternative is giving up, and nobody moved to Vermont to quit.