665 West Street, Amherst
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UPDATE (Wednesday morning):
The April 14 concert has been cancelled. Ahhh ... was it something I said?
Original Post: (Tuesday morning):
So you have to wonder if the Amherst underground Punk music business is bustling enough to absorb an extra $1,800 cost of doing business bestowed upon them by the Amherst Police Department?
If so, I'm sure the Amherst Building Commissioner will be more than happy to get involved and shut down these boy wonder music entrepreneurs wannabes for all sorts of zoning violations (including parking on the front lawn).
Darn! Sorry I missed "Anal War Head"
Around midnight Saturday Amherst Police arrived at 665 West Street located on the front steps of Orchard Valley, one of the oldest working class neighborhoods in Amherst, to find 250 patrons crowded into the basement of this one family ranch.
And you just know the "promoters" did not have a trained employee as "crowd manager" -- a Massachusetts Fire Code enacted after the devastating conflagration at the Station Nightclub ten years ago where 100 patrons perished.
Not much headroom in the basement
APD issued each of the three leaseholders two $300 tickets, one for Nuisance House and the other for Noise. So at $5 head entry, the 250 patron crowd did not even generate enough revenue to cover the fines. But more than enough to disrupt the neighborhood.
Maybe they will just increase the cover charge for the
Dad City, 665 West Street, Amherst
Electrcal fire waiting to happen
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Boston PD uses Twitter to follow Punk parties in neighborhoods (sort of)
More kids to add to the UMass blacklist
Getting even the artists attention
More kids to add to the UMass blacklist
Getting even the artists attention
The sad part is this property is owned by a local resident. Not the absentee landlords as usual so this shows why we need rental changes immeadiatly to keep things like this to a dull roar.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm sure they are new to the rental industry.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeletehey don't knock'em the Bennington Banner has them listed as an upcoming event as "DAD City" 665 West Street, Amherst Ma. I've got my tickets get yours soon before it's sold out or busted up!
Methinks the latter.
ReplyDeleteLarry, this address needs an intervention. Follow this link they have a 3 band venue coming up on April 14th 2013 at 665 west street. http://www.songkick.com/venues/968051-dad-city#calendar-summary
ReplyDeletePlease tell the owner is not the same person that teaches here in Amherst. if it is even our educators need educating! Shame, Shame, Shame!
ReplyDeleteLarry,
ReplyDeleteTake a look at this, There running a concert promo for April 13. Didn't know I could turn my house into a commercial enterprise that easy. http://happyninvalley.blogspot.com/2012/03/coming-up-at-babetown.html
Here your chance to show if you got the girth?????
Those darn police spoil everything. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is why landlords are so vulnerable under the proposed permitting system. These kids will be fined for sure, but in the end the landlord will be left holding the bag as he will have to go for months with his permit suspended through no fault of his own. It will be a loss of thousands of dollars a month.
ReplyDeleteWhat about "punk" do you now understand? The entire movement (yes, it was/is a movement) dating from the 70's was all about anti-establishment, diy values.
ReplyDeleteWhat were you all like in the 60's? Still a bunch of prudes?
Larry, this has "PSUCHOP" written all over it. You post a couple fake events that aren't going to happen, have the histrionic townies pressure a police force never known for great concern about either due process or civil rights into preemptive action which becomes indefensible and then the town winds up quietly giving the boys a six figure settlement.
ReplyDeleteIt will be just like the SWAT team that did a drug raid - on the home of a couple who had retired from the CIA - on nothing more than the fact that the couple had purchased a lot of hydrophonic growing equipment & had an electric bill reflective of the use of artificial grow lights -- and found a grand total of three tomato plants, two butternut squash plants, and a cucumber plant. The cops not only didn't find any pot plants anywhere, but absolutely every test came up negative because these folks didn't even smoke it.
Even better, both have a career's worth of negative drug tests (just like a cop would) that will show that neither one of them has ever smoked pot. Yes, they have an attorney, and yes, this is likely going to cost someone quite a bit of money.
And it doesn't help that anyone who knows anything about marijuana (e.g. officers trained in finding it) also knows that marijuana and tomatoes enjoy similar growing conditions, and that not only are a lot of tomatoes grown indoors using hydrophonic technology, that< is what it was developed for.
But back to the Punk Band PSYCHOP:
Ideally, you arrange for a young out-of=town attorney to come confer with you on the noise charges when this fake concert is supposed to be happening and he gets turned away at the APD roadblock.
Or even better, have the attorney evicted out of the house when the APD arrives for its scheduled raid.
Next Monday, the attorney is over to B'town with a motion to dismiss the noise complaint charges on the grounds that the APD prevented him from conferring with his clients -- the DA, of course, getting a copy of it.
The DA is going to do a Nulle Prosq so fast that it won't be funny -- if they are smart and quick enough to act before the court does. This is worse than "tampering with witnesses", it is the sort of thing that can get one disbarred, and no one in the court is going to want any part of it -- not for a minor muni bylaw violation...
Remember, the boy's attorney isn't in on the PSYCHOP - he is one of the many young lawyers who can't find a law job in the ObamaEconomy and hence practices law nights & weekends with a day job doing something else -- but like I would, politely complies with the officers' orders without telling them how illegal they are - until the next Monday morning....
Interfering with a criminal defendant's access to an attorney is about the absolute worst thing a police department can do, and they know this. And it is 46 USC 1983 and sovereign immunity does not protect municipal police departments nor their officers from liability.
This is going to be more expensive than the SPED suits -- and the interesting thing will be if the APD is stupid enough to fall into this trap.
I have a feeling APD, the building commissioner and AFD will come down on these Nitwits like a ton of beer kegs.
ReplyDeleteAt least you spelled my name correctly.
ReplyDeletePunctuation could use a little work, however.
they use punk-tuation.
ReplyDeleteWalter, it is not just that but that the police have made 250 enemies, ~200 of which they otherwise wouldn't have had. Making enemies is expensive, Machavelli was quite clear on this, and the American tragedy of Vietnam is the classic example of how you can loose a war by winning all the battles.
ReplyDeletePortland, MAINE had some Punk Rockers in the '80's, and instead of taking the APD approach, they
decided to be proactive.
At the time there was an area of largely-abandoned Civil War-era industrial buildings, one of which was partially demolished. For some reason they couldn't bring heavy equipment in there and it would cost a lot to hire people to wheelbarow the debris out to where they could get at it with loaders -- although it was valuable clean fill that the city could use.
The city went to the aspiring bands and essentially said that "while we don't consider it 'music', if you provide the labor to lug the bricks & masonry debris out to where we can pick it up with loaders, the City will make it go away and when it's not raining, you can use this City-owned was-a-building to play your 'music' as loud as you want to."
"The City will provide the electricity for your lights & sound - as much as you need -- as long as you have a licensed electrician check out everything you plug into it. If you comply with all the rules (we will help you), you can sell tickets and if you give us a set percentage, we will establish a perimeter, provide basic police/fire/EMS (on the OUTSIDE of the perimeter, and other than things that are clearly dangerous or illegal (e.g. reckless use of lasers, human sacrifice), you can do just about anything you want to until 1AM (statewide everything ends at 1AM)."
"We will even help promote your events."
"And if people are stupid enough to want to pay you money to listen, it's a free country and more power to you. Just make sure that the people driving the vehicles out of there are sober because we will arrest them for that -- and we will have cops down there looking for it -- but otherwise, we don't care."
The city leaders (a) resolved an issue of community concern, (b) promoted/taught free enterprise to young people, (c) got a mess cleaned up without having to pay for it, and (d) got some valuable fill as well.
Why can't Amherst do something like this? Instead of fighting the kids over noise, give them a place to be as loud as they want to be...
I know an out of the way, money losing golf course they could use.
ReplyDeleteWhy can't Amherst? Look at how this place is run, what is done right? A body with no head wanders aimlessly.
ReplyDelete"Instead of fighting the kids over noise, give them a place to be as loud as they want to be..."
If I was a farm owner in this area I'd open a tobacco farm to private invite events. Put some cool lighting in the barn, nice sound system, have a band, DJ and have hired security and tap a few kegs. Kids would be strewn all over the fields the next day but the place would rock.
Walter,
ReplyDeleteYou are a genius. When you get busted for running a bar without a liquor license you just go back to planting tomatoes, right?
Larry Kelley; the omnipresent squeaky wheel of Amherst.
ReplyDeleteWere it not for these three issues (kids having fun, loudly or otherwise), flag obsession, and Cherry Hill, you'd have to find something productive to do with your life.
If a responsible young person walked into town hall, went into the first office he found and said "I have a band, I want to have a concert, I want to do it legally, can you help me?" -- what do you think would happen?
ReplyDeleteYou can't blame kids for not doing things "right" when it isn't possible for them to do so.
These are ambitious young people and all you are doing is fighting with them, which is stupid. And not working...
Earlier today I posted about the bind landlords are in because of the proposed permit system and parties such as this one. You did not post which I think is a shame. it seems you only want to beat the drum for your own point of view.
ReplyDeletewho the hell are you calling "punks"? do you even know the people who live there?
ReplyDeleteWhat you're saying about the people who live there is no better than me saying "Larry Kelley is a stay-at-home nobody born and raised in amherst wasting his time making controversy (or clearing it up) over the internet" based on what little he-said-she-said you've picked up on over the past couple of days or what you're understanding of the house's history has led you to believe. Don't make general statements, if you want to make a claim back it up with facts or else you run the risk of being credited with weak arguments.
And thank you dr. ed, you at least speak sensibly.
No one acknowledges the fact that the police officer was met as one of the tenants was in the process of getting people out of the yard and off the roof, for what was listed as a "show" turned into what you naive neighbors might call a "punk party."
This isn't journalism, Mr. Kelley. And please don't call it "punk music" because we're not playing punk music.
ReplyDeleteThe forum thread on "Albany Invades WMass", where the July 23rd event was promoted has "Amherst Punk - "Where Stupids Live." as a masthead.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they were wrong about the "punk"... but got "stupids" right.
http://www.amherstpunk.com/showthread.php?tid=1572
The current tenants didn't even live there when the July 23 event took place.
ReplyDeleteSo the previous tenants sold the new tenants the "Dad City" business?
ReplyDeleteBlogging man...it's a waste of time. Practice playing an instrument, maybe make some friends. Then you can invite them over and share your talent with them. No need to desperately seek validation and attention on the internet. I'll be your friend lonely and sad stranger. :) <3
ReplyDeleteI seem to have an awful lot of people who come here to partake of my talent. Even you. Nitwit.
ReplyDeleteI'd just like to point out that the residents that are being referenced from 2010 are unrelated to the houses current residents.
ReplyDeleteThe current residents have never charged anyone any amount of money to come into their home.
Larry, has anyone really been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like?
ReplyDeleteMr. Kelley did you even speak to the tenants of the house to get their side of the story? Do you know how journalism works?
ReplyDelete(Part one of two)
ReplyDeleteHere is a truth, like it or not. College age is a time for exploration, independence, experimenting in the social scene, and a bunch of other pushing limits that garnishes the phrase age wasted in youth. I would hope we've all been there. I would hope we all remember that narcissism and stupidity often ruled and establishments rules were made to be broken.
No one is going to curb the appetite for drinking, enjoying music, and the rowdiness that comes with youth. There is no system for students to legally find ways of doing what is expected socially of any 22 year old in this town. Permits to party? Never heard of it and doubt anyone would care to sign up. The culture class of being a young 20-something doesn't allow it.
I see a big problem with Amherst is that it's a rural town with a hidden population of 25,000 teens and young adults. Hidden as in my uncles a drunk but no one knows and we just ignore it and no one seems to say anything. For a town whose full-time resident population is slightly larger than the visitors who school here, you are going to perceive that we have a problem.
A school like this works well in an area around cities like Boston and Tucson where the infrastructure, social service, public works, and government can deal with all that comes with it but in a town like Amherst where the biggest tourist sight is a house a poet barricaded herself in, it's always going to seem like a problem. But is it?
Well, we have barely enough police, nowhere near enough fire personnel, and not enough of any civic presence to deal with the elephant in the closet. So what is the problem? Is it the University, or is it the town?
The town loves all the free money and all the economic benefits that allow it to spend money as irresponsibly as a lower income person who won the lottery. I see the real issue as a sleepy town that's like a Pinto with a formula one engine under the hood. We have far too much horsepower and no one wants to admit it but everyone complains about the engine noise and the fumes.
So with all these kids all looking to find their sense of self and run away from life before they are forced to pay the price of life, what do you expect. Where is the business that is needed to sustain the social needs of people this age?
God forbid anyone allowing more bars and social venues in town. Amherst would lose all sense of self proclaimed dignity. UMass might be looked at as some sort of party school. Of course it's not one now. They give out cookies and sing carols to show how no one drinks and everyone is responsible.
And because the social scene in the sleepy hamlet of Amherst is designed for a population of 3000, you have 25,000 kids who say WTF!
(Part 2 of 2)
ReplyDeleteSo what to do when you are 21 and you're finally going to get the taste of stuff no one allowed you to have? If you can't bring the party to us, we'll make the party ourselves. And so my friends you have what any young 20 something would do. So it seems really shocking because Amherst is a nice place to live and doesn't have the issues that other towns and cities have. Poppycock!
As a result of a town that puts their head in the sand of reality, you have a razor thin police force and fire department to deal with it. Almost as if the town is ignoring the need. Oh I forgot, my uncle doesn't drink, he's just feeling ill. And why shouldn't the town ignore reality. As long as the state keeps pumping money into the town, they can make all the dumb decisions they want as the Umass trust fund is perpetual. YOu'll never lose your job living in Amherst on state welfare.
That stretch of farmland now up for development next to Amherst Brewery? And the rest of that vacant land on University Drive. Let's push for making it a social strip for the University. More bars, more restaurants, more of what 25,000 students need and are missing. I remember thinking ten years ago how I wanted to put a bowling alley with bar and club there and how well it would do because Amherst has NOTHING and nowhere to go for students. Oh I forgot, the wonderful underground student center on campus. Sort of like Beneath Planet of the Apes.
I know its blasphemy to admit that there isn't a thing for Umass students to do but shoot up in their room, or go out and hang out on someones residential rooftop in Amherst and then drink and drive their way home. If you will not make a music scene for us, we'll just make one ourselves. Beach party, we make that too. We are pretty inventive when there is little to do and the town shuts off the lights at 8pm.
Look how perfect University Drive is. Already has two three bars and some food. It's sandwiched in a business only area for the most part. Kids could actually walk to it. Want to make Umass a fun place to go to school where the population of the school gets in less trouble, add what is now a very important part of life for the Facebook, Twitter generation, a place to socialize and tweet about. A few more restaurants, walking mall, bars, dare I say a dance club, you know all the things that every college considers when picking a college. Invite it by allowing it and entrpnuers will come, rather than think Emily Dickinson is going to come back one day and say what have you done to my home. Make it so Robert Frost wants to come out of that trail and get himself a tall one.
And admit that Amherst is a town where 60% of its population works at and around the University. Where most all of it's income comes from the University being here. Make it a town that has the proper number of firefighters, police, and equipment for a town of 50,000, and not the 3000 you think really live here.
Larry will report DUI every week and all the other problems related to telling the kids to go down in the basement and play every day of the week because it's too cold to go outside. That's how you get in trouble, and refusing to both acknowledge and then plan for this reality is simply more of Amherst's ignorance and selfish self importance.
Wow Walter Graff, well said.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't have said it any better myself.
ReplyDeleteWell maybe I could, if I were not so tied up dealing with Comments.
Sad you didn't get an invite Larry? Don't be. The residents of this house did not invite the majority of students that attended. Unfortunately, in such a small college town word seems to get around and on a weekend where many left to celebrate Easter with family, it left a lot misinterpreting a music show for party. You'd probably enjoy the music shows if you did anything else better with your time.
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
the girl who doesn't expect you to be brave enough to post this
That's okay, I plan to show up for the April 14 shindig (if I dare use such an antiquated word).
ReplyDeleteLarry Kelley, get a job, you boy wonder journalist entrepreneur wannabe. I would recommend doing research next time you try to write a story like this, big guy.
ReplyDeleteWalter, you are saying what I said a decade ago when I believed that the powers that be (both town & gown) considered UM students to be human beings.
ReplyDeleteReality is that they don't.
Students are considered to be an inexhaustible fungible resource to be exploited for the gain of others, and it is only a matter of time until the facts that UM is (a) a cesspool located two hours away from anywhere a young person wants to be and (b) in a community that hates young people becomes widely known. At that point, the game will be over.
Amherst will be like those islands in the Pacific that never understood why the airplanes stopped arriving after we won WW-II and who still so "magic" dances in hopes of making the airplanes come back again.
Want a view of the future -- look at WNEAC Law -- and what happens when your incoming class is half the size it used to be. That's going to happen to UMass shortly, and I will not feel sorry for you folks when it does...
"That's okay, I plan to show up for the April 14 shindig (if I dare use such an antiquated word)."
ReplyDeleteThat's ok Larry, it's been cancelled, due in part to the negative attention you've brought us. Feel free to come over for anyways though, we could probably correct some of the false, heavily biased assumptions you've made - unfortunately, this article seems to be largely fictional. Thanks for devaluing our art and helping jeopardize the way we share it with the world.
Dr. Ed and Walter, appreciate the thoughtful responses.
Sincerely,
Notapunk
Don't worry Larry, I'm sure the Babetown boys on East Pleasant would really appreciate your attendance that weekend. Now that your free.
ReplyDeleteBehold, the amazing power of simple sunlight.
ReplyDeleteThey look like hippies to me...
ReplyDeleteOr Hampshire College kids.
ReplyDeleteI was at that show....My band played at that show... Yes, it did get out of hand and there was a dangerous amount of people there, but the fine is too damn high. It was a bunch of kids who gathered to watch awesome music and be in company with fellow music lovers. Dad City has gained a reputation for for just that. Maybe there is a lack of that on the campus or nearby. I know North Hampton is full of venues, but you have to ask why 200 kids would jam themselves into a basement just to see some killer local bands play.
ReplyDeleteI love the Carnival Joe, really I do (as do my kids).
ReplyDeleteBut when they come to town I expect them to make proper arrangements for staging, and not simply setting up in the yard of a residential neighborhood.
Very witty indeed. You should write songs or something.
ReplyDeleteTHESE KIDS ARE JUST A BUNCH OF YOUNG TRICKSTERS UGH
ReplyDeleteThey are also cheapskates.
ReplyDeleteTheir alma mater, Hampshire College, rents out the Red Barn; and it's only a few yards down the road.
What are you talking about "their alma mater Hampshire" ... literally one of them went to Hampshire. Please stop citing facts based on previous tenants.
ReplyDeleteMr. Kelley
ReplyDeleteLet me start by saying I feel it is a complete utter waste of time getting involved in your pathetic blog and trying to talk some sense into a big fat nobody. Thus I can only imagine how empty your life must be...
I spent probably a solid minute checking out some more of your posts (pretty much all I needed) before deeming you garbage. From what I did see, it seems you just love to report on the misfortunes of the young folk. I ask you just what the hell went wrong in your young adulthood (and what may still be going on?) that compels you to act like such an ass.
Getting to the matter at hand though, I implore you next time to actually try doing a bit of research, maybe interview them (journalism 101?). You may be an old fart now, whose memory is starting to fail, but take it from a soon to be college graduate, sometimes parties get out of hand and it is by no fault of the host. I wasn't there, but I know a good amount of people who were, and this wasn't just some rager, it was a concert, a concert where a friend told another to come, then another, and another until it grew just a bit too large.
You can cite them all you want on "Fire Hazard!" "House nuisance!" and you know, perhaps you're right. I agree people shouldn't be on roofs, and trashing lawns, but so do the tenants of the house! It simply got out of hand.
Furthermore, I'd ask you if you understood how tough it can be to get gigs around here, but I know you wouldn't cause I'm sure you waste what time you have free to write a hateful blog that probably 5 people read, instead of doing something creative and useful to this world.
These guys were just trying to have some fun and let other bands showcase their music, and you are trying to shit on that? These guys, unlike so many Umass douchebags, are actually hosting events to spread creativity, rather than fill their patrons with as much alcohol as possible. Being the kind of uptight father I picture you to be, I bet your kids haven't done anything half as cool or fulfilling.
All in all Mr. Kelley, I see your point about violating certain laws, but will never understand your need to bitch and moan about it, and other things like it. As I said before, please for the love of jesus, do some actual work and research before whining and thinking your doing a good deed.
Hope your sex life improves
-John
Larry, you should go after that perpetual tag sale that occurs every weekend in nice weather on rte 116 around that blind curve--VERY dangerous, someone's gonna get hit there or cause an auto accident. I wonder if they collect sales tax. also, i've seen them illegally post signage up and down 116.
ReplyDeleteWhy can't they rent a space and pay their taxes like trading post and everyone else?
everybody in the town of amherst knows that Larry Kelley is a pathetic loser. ask any townie and they will most likely tell you how tired they are of listening to Larry Kelley's crap being babbled on and on and on. at least the kids at that house have a job or go to school. atleast they dont just sit at their house and jerk off all day while wasting time on a blog. we may as well just hire larry kelley as our new town of amherst manager. im sure he will do just as crappy of a job as everyone else...TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THIS TOWN IS BECOMING. and did the tenants even get a warning? or did the police just have a search warrant... not sure why they entered the house just to kick out people who are trying to share their art and love for music. Larry Kelley must not own a radio or any music. atleast those kids arent going to jail like rapper 50 cent just to make a reputation, no they are sharing their skills for music hoping that people wil say "hey those kids are really good i wish they played on the radio"
ReplyDeleteYeah I guess I should stop putting a gun to residents heads and forcing them to come here and read my pathetic drivel.
ReplyDeletedo you have any statistics on how many residents visit/read your blog?
ReplyDeleteLarry, you probably don't even realize that you got a shot of someone sort of famous in one of your photos on this post: Glenn Danzig.
ReplyDelete