Wednesday, June 16, 2010
NOPD enforcing 8 p.m. curfew on street performers, shuts down TBC Brass Band at Bourbon and Canal last night
Posted by Kevin Allman on Wed, Jun 16, 2010 at 2:09 PM
We're still trying to gather information, but here's what we know right now:
Last night, the NOPD's 8th District quality of life officer and a familiar face in the French Quarter, Roger Jones, shut down the To Be Continued Brass Band as they were playing at their usual spot in the first block of Bourbon Street, just off Canal.
The TBC is a regular sight on the street, a group of young men from the Seventh and Ninth Wards who formed the band as an alternative to the life of crime and drugs on the streets where they grew up. Begun in 2002 at Carver Senior High School, the band was on the cusp of national success when Hurricane Katrina struck, taking out many of their homes and musical instruments. Their story was told in a recent documentary, From the Mouthpiece on Back, and the band -- which has no regular nightclub -- is often the first taste of traditional New Orleans music heard by tourists as they leave their hotels and venture down Bourbon.
Officer Jones told the band that the city was enforcing existing curfews of street performers in the French Quarter, and that the TBC would no longer be allowed to play after 8 p.m. In this video of the incident, everyone -- the officer, the band members, and the bystanders -- treated each other with respect, but the messages were clear:
"We got a new superintendent, we got a new administration, we got a new city council..."
"A lot of people been complaining about it..."
(Bystander: "So Frenchmen and Chartres is out too?")
"Definitely out. I don't know if you saw me out there last Friday night, but that was me."
"You don't have to take this lying down. You have elected officials. Law enforcement. All I'm doing is enforcing the law. ... Just because they make these laws doesn't mean they're set in stone. They could amend that."
"Y'all want to have a meeting with myself and the commander, the door is always open."
The members of the TBC were asked to sign a letter on NOPD letterhead as a "receipt," which outlined the two city ordinances being enforced: the first specifically prohibiting performance on Bourbon Street between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., and the second prohibiting "persons playing musical instruments on public rights-of-way" between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., unless the performance is of "temporary duration" and a permit is obtained.
We've requested a copy of the letter from NOPD, and will be seeking comment today from Superintendent Serpas, Mayor Landrieu and the TBC Brass Band.
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Comments (18)
Showing 1-18 of 18
You know, I was walking around the Quarter last night with an out of town visitor and we stopped and commented about a lone trombonist playing on Royal. No hat or plate. Just playing. That is part of what makes our city. I understand that there is a residential component, but if you live in the Quarter this is what you sign up for. Pretty soon though, Bourbon will be completely free of any true New Orleans culture--just a Disneyland attraction, everything scripted. Too bad.
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You know what else is against the law? Murder. Armed robbery. Burglary. Rape. Assault with a deadly weapon. Do these cops not have anything better to do?
This makes me sad. With all the violence and crime, you would think they could find a way to better focus their energy.
Let's not misplace our anger on this issue against the NOPD, as the video shows, they're just doing their jobs. The real question is why the City of New Orleans would enact such counter-intuitive ordinances. Many street performers are young local musicians that would be getting into all sorts of trouble if it weren't for the instruments they play. While you can see how the bands playing on Frenchman caused a safety hazard with people overflowing into the street, TBC has had a long-standing relationship with the city. For New Orleans to deny them the right to play now is just incomprehensible.
If you disagree with this speak up to the city. Like the officer said this isn't written in stone. Lets get it amended.
I agree with Benjy. The French Quarter is - bless it's heart - exactly what it has been for three hundred years. People like Jackie Clarkson seem "morally" motivated to "clean it up" while I believe high-money real estate is the driving force behind the politicians.
"let's not blame the cops, they're just doing their jobs." What? Give me a break. Police officers HAVE a choice. Just like all of us, they are adults who make their own decisions. They shut down the street musicians. They didn't HAVE to, they CHOSE to. They came with guns and badges, and shut down TBC. Those are the facts. . Police officers MUST be held accountable at the individual level for their conduct whether they're murdering people, attacking Mardi Gras Indians, or shutting down the music that's this city's lifeblood. . NOPD is at war with New Orleans; their actions speak for themselves.
Alejandro, the sensible reaction to a street like Frenchmen turning into a pedestrian zone later at night is to *codify it as a pedestrian-only zone,* not go back to Auto Uber Alles.
Alejandro is an expert. He knows the problem on Frenchmen St. is all those durn musicians and music lovers cluttering it up. TRAFFIC MUST FLOW SMOOTHLY, LIKE ON THE CAUSEWAY.
Le Bloc, please do not blame this on the police officer. He was ordered by the Chief of Police and the Mayor to enforce the existing ordinances. That is his JOB. Please don't try to make this an issue between the police and the musicians. The issue is that ordinances that need to be changed. I had no idea these ordinances existed. The solution to this is to take it to the city council and the mayor and get these ordinances changed.
I don't know how lawful this ordinance is, someone needs to get a ticket, or arrested to fight it. I understand a "noise" ordinance, but not all Street performers are loud. Not to mention the difference between. This law is written to include someone playing a Uke on their front porch, with passer bys listen.
Let's not fight this in the courts until we need to. We can get this changed through positive and civic engagement, write your city council folks or call their offices (or both).
So what's behind this? I saw the documentary on the 9th Ward, and one of the film makers during the Q&A afterwards said something about NOLA being changed by outsiders who are coming in, buying real estate and then complaining about "noise". Any truth to this?
So who or what is behind all this? Is there some new group of people in NOLA who all of a sudden decided that live music on the street after 8 pm was inappropriate?
Terribly lame. If you choose to live near Bourbon St., you surely must know that you are choosing to live in a very noisy area so I'm hesitant to blame the residents, and I agree that law enforcement officers are supposed enforce the law to keep their jobs (yeah, I know there are exceptions but let's give this guy the benefit of the doubt). There is definitely some not-so-ethical driving forces behind this policy. Gross.
Im Ms Pearl of the Buskers Bunkhouse .We are allowed to work now because we used the system the one no one uses.We asked people to write the powers that be and we provided them with a list.We named it Music and Muses untill Midnight. The list is avaleable .One groupe that wrote was CSU'S college of the arts.It worked.I have the e mails to prove it.
The law is still on the books but not being enforced at this time
Contact Buskers Bunkhouise if you have issues ,comments or are a street performer in need of houseing 504 943 9149
To those who's complaint is street performers over street criminals, I can suggest several cities where the latter far exceed the former.
Street performers and the crowds they draw are in themselves crime deterrents and for those, including the elected, who don't understand that, try getting out a little more often.
Street performers are a part of the golden egg that funds New Orleans.
