To help pay off $1,800 in fines slapped on them by Amherst Police Department for "Noise" and "Nuisance House" violations late last Saturday night, the boys from Dad City, an illegal underground live music venue set in a working class neighborhood, are promoting a "benefit show" this Friday.
At least the event will not be hosted at 665 West Street, South Amherst.
But I am a little surprised that UMass, a state institution plagued by the bad off campus behavior of a minority of students, would allow access to a taxpayer subsidized venue for an event designed to neutralize enforcement actions of the town.
20 comments:
John 11:25-26
And Larry Kelly said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."
Through Larry Kelly, we have been granted a chance to have Eternal Life.
You are IMPOSSIBLE. These guys just want to put on shows- you break up their current, illegal method- and now when they take the steps to do it totally legit, you're STILL on their butts about it!
This proves, conclusively, that you don't care a whit about people doing things the right (your?) way, and that will never be happy with anyone or anything.
There is an older couple who have been conducting an illegal used and antique furniture and merchandise thrift shop in their front driveway for at least ten years--it's an incredibly dangerous location on 116 when they are open--which is approximately twice a week for about 6 months--because it is right on a blind curve where the speed limit is 40mph, and there will be cars stopping and jumping out into traffic and people trying to run across the street to their cars or the market. sometimes there will be 8 cars parked along the edge of this dangerous section of highway, obviously it's not zoned for business, i don't believe they have any sort of a permit to do this, and i doubt if they contribute any collected sales tax to the state (although i'm sure they use their reseller tax i.d. so they don't have to pay sales tax when they purchase their inventory!) they also post illegal signage along 116 advertising their market set-up.
it's a drain, and a serious, real danger to their customers or people flying by in their cars. this is of much greater concern to me than these kids who have have heard your message and have changed their business model as a result!
They are setting up a show in a totally legal way to pay off fines that they aren't able to pay off with student salaries. They could have tried to have another illegal show or resort to other methods to make a quick buck. Stop whining.
Because UMass tries to foster creativity, which was the original intent and purpose for the basement show that took place (since there's a real corporate hold on the venues in local downtowns). You really are beginning to sound like a geriatric old fool.
These comments have merit Larry. In one breath you say that UMASS needs to step up to their responsibility and provide more venues for student recreation that don't tax townspeople and, in the next, you criticize them for actually doing it. Which way do you want it?
Well if they scheduled the music events on campus in the first place there would be no need of a fundraiser to cover $1,800 in well earned fines.
Unfortunately, you have to know your audience, and the audience trying to be reached ISN'T one that wishes to stay on campus for a Friday or Saturday night (believe me, getting a group of friends to go the Reading Room is difficult no matter how good the band). Yes, what they did was illegal, and the police weren't in the wrong to bring fines, but no one needs to be publicly shamed for bringing art of any kind to a party scene that essentially thrives on drinking and screwing for the sake of drinking and screwing.
Will be sure to be there! This is the best punk blog I've seen in a while!!
Good for UMASS!!! Start becoming a community and supporting the students needs in the social arena. It's a benefit concert for what was fines for an illegal event. Good. While the money might support that, it's the event that's more important and very needed in this town. And it's the students ability to have a venue that isn't playing crappy Joan Baez-type music and charging an arm and a leg to hear crappy music that students don't want to hear. Start waking up UMASS and create a study if you need to waste the money. Or look at the facts, students have nowhere to party in Amherst RFD. Start addressing that and you'll find your school population is happier and UMASS will start being known a very cool place to go to school.
Just ask the students if I'm wrong. Yes college is a place to learn, but it's not a prison camp, or it shouldn't be. But around here it's become a place where there is nothing to tweet and Facebook pictures are boring cause the social scene here in this town with a near 25,000 person college age population is designed for 3000 geriatrics.
I wonder if they'd let me come make a video that shows what a good time is and why this type of thing is so needed here.
I wasn't even at the illegal show in question since I was out of town but I'll definitely be coming to this one and bringing friends. Hopefully Dad City can even end up making money off this, they deserve it for encouraging Amherst art.
Walter! Come to the Reading Room at 8PM if you'd like to make a video. Admission is free. Thanks for the promo Larry Kelley. You should come too! Larry 4 Prez 2016.
Larry what you are missing in all of your post about Dad City is that it is not a business. There is no door charge, nor has there ever been one in my personal experience over the past year. Noise is unlawful, but the venue itself is not because it is taking in no revenue.
Looked like a $5 charge for the July 23 "Albany invades WMass" show.
Larry, that show was nearly three years ago and put on by completely different tenants with no relation to the current ones.
Yes, previous residents at 665 West street charged admission but the current ones do NOT. I hope that they don't mind my speaking for them when I say that they put on these shows to share music with friends and for friends to share music with them and NOT for profit.
Please stop referring to Dad City as a business. It is a nickname for the house.
Please stop referring to the tenants as "entrepreneurs" or "business wannabes." They are artists.
Larry I have enjoyed reading your blog for a while. While I support and would protect your right to report and voice your opinion.. I do not support the use of slander or libel. It's a fine line between critical journalism and slander, be careful mister. Just because you most likely won't get slammed with a lawsuit, doesn't mean that you should keep it up. Have some standards and stick to them!
Truth is the ultimate defense against libel/slander.
"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of Death, I will fear no evil ..."
Larry, you are a textbook case of ethnocentricism. You are making fun of a culture that you do not belong to from your own cultural bias. Maybe if you really cared enough to make an informed opinion, you would immerse yourself in the Do-It-Yourself scene which you have so deeply scrutinized. But that would be too easy right? Even then you would be hard pressed to go in with an open mind, no? I don't doubt that, and I have no problem with you sticking to your guns. I even agree that perhaps the show in question originally was out of hand. However, you assume they charge people (among other assumptions? That's not how DIY venues work. You ask for donations to give to the touring bands. You know, the ones that come from across the country to share their art simply for art's sake. Those donations? They go straight into the gas tank (if you get any), and if you're really REALLY lucky you've got 5$ leftover for food.
I am in a band that goes on tour plays shows at houses like Dad City all across the country. You know why? It's for the music, and the art, nothing else. And it's totally fine that you don't agree with following your dreams or loving what you're doing, but you shouldn't stop other people from doing those things. There's no reason to scrutinize this show at Umass, because it's exactly what you stated was missing in Amherst. Please, pick a side and don't contradict yourself. I believe you made some good points in your last article, but this one is just another "grumpy old dude" who decided to live, and stay living in, a college town.
You're right Larry, Truth is the ultimate defense, but Karen's class also talked about how intentionally skewing facts, or using true facts out of context is another way to libel, I'm wondering if you were paying attention to that part.
I was.
Even back 25 years ago when Howard Ziff talked about it as well.
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