I know restaurants and clubs here in li'l Rhody pay a fee, although I do not know what it is ...
Also, the musician's union isn't as strong as it once was in the northeast either ... no one has ever asked me if I was in the union or not ... I realize that in the larger cities such as NYC, Boston, Hartford, and even Providence, and I would think Philadelphia as well, the union can still apply some muscle for major venues such as playhouses, arenas, etc. to protect the interests of their members. When I first started in this business, you belonged to the union or you didn't work. I would think that for the most part the union members are full time guys playing shows, etc.
t.