Austinist: Live Music Task Force: Yesterday's Sound Subcommittee Hearing

mdahmus

Wed, 21 May 2008 13:52:04 -0600

Are you folks ready to stop complaining about condo-dwellers trying to shut down live music yet? I kept telling you it was the Barton Hills crowd (with a smattering of Eastwoods/Hancock re:Stubbs), but did you listen?

Slickshu

Tue, 20 May 2008 15:25:49 -0600

Grape Ape -- yes, way under 50.

LoudMouth

Tue, 20 May 2008 15:11:07 -0600

Goddamn police force is terrorizing me with their helicopters and search lights flying over my apartment at all hours of the night.

Grape Ape

Tue, 20 May 2008 15:06:11 -0600

For anyone that attended, was there actually anyone under the age of 50 that spoke out against live music? And "terrorized" that still cracks me up - something tells me that guy must have one hell of a trumatic day to day life if he is terrorized by the sound of live music.

LoudMouth

Tue, 20 May 2008 15:05:16 -0600

All outdoor music performances in Austin should be acoustic rather than electric. Anyone who thinks that needs to be locked up and their home sold to HUD because they are crazy.

ttrentham

Tue, 20 May 2008 15:01:00 -0600

I'm guessing that the guy who described himself as being "terrorized" by live music is the same guy who came to a commander's forum a couple of months ago in Travis Heights that was focused on burglaries in the area and how to work to fight them. There's a whole room full of people, many of whom have had their houses broken into and property stolen and this guy comes all the way from another neighborhood (Barton Hills if I recall) to complain about live music noise. What a colossal douche.

seth

Tue, 20 May 2008 14:58:12 -0600

I heard a rumor / conspiracy theory that SXSW is a proponent of limiting the outdoor events because they don't like 3rd parties setting up festivals in parks, etc. that aren't SXSW official events. Seth

Slickshu

Tue, 20 May 2008 14:44:22 -0600

Are you referring to the hearing held in Council chambers last night -- because your synopsis must be of a different meeting (or you've subjected your ears to too many 85 decibel evenings). This synopsis is riddled with statements and qualifiers that don't reflect the testimony -- no one said "all" outdoor music performances should be acoustic; no one said outdoor music venues "should be banned"; no one said "all" music should be played inside; no one said "all" music venues should employ an on-site sound engineer. And frankly, many of the neighborhood folks expressed their fondness for live music, and displayed no intent to undermine the industry (except one woman who just had a series of gripes). I guess you do what you gotta do to sell papers (or ads, whatever), but I think most people who were there are reasonable enough to see beyond the hype, find a responsible compromise.