Herd Behavior and Harm: How Negative Online Reviews Affect Independent Music Venues

Abstract The influence of Yelp reviews on independent music venues is acknowledged, though the exact nature of this impact remains unclear. As negative reviews increase, they can shape public perception, leading even those with neutral or positive experiences to avoid the venue. This behavior, known as the bandwagon effect or herd behavior, reinforces the venue’s negative reputation and further influences potential patrons. The study examines 1,423 independent venues and their Yelp reviews, dating back to the venues’ opening or as far as 2004, the year Yelp was founded. Subsequently, the study leverages a meticulous extraction methodology involving 30,486 keywords derived from an extensive dataset of 2,305,734 mostly negative or neutral Yelp reviews that were rated 1, 2, or 3 out of 5 stars. These keywords have been systematically categorized into seven codified groups: (1) Noise/Music, (2) Food/Drink, (3) Service, (4) Place/Atmosphere, (5) Transactions, (6) Positive words, and (7) Negative words. Moreover, a devised sentence extraction mechanism has been coded and implemented to capture contextually relevant information for each distinct word category. Subsequently, a sentiment analysis was performed on the extracted sentences to evaluate the overall impressions associated with music/noise-related topics. The significance of this study is underscored by its potential to augment our comprehension of the impact of Yelp reviews on independent music venues, offering actionable insights for venue management, and contributing substantively to the broader discourse surrounding the intersection of online reviews, big data, live music, noise studies, and hospitality.