Residents: Concert too loud, obscene

Residents: Concert too loud, obscene



By PETER GUINTA
peter.guinta@staugustine.com
Publication Date: 05/14/09

Marla Hilliard, who lives two blocks from Francis Field, believes the city dropped the ball by allowing rapper Snoop Dogg's "vulgar and disgusting" lyrics to be played at the Ancient City Crawfish Boil last weekend.

"I could hear it through my walls," Hilliard said Wednesday. "If I wanted to go to a concert, I'll purchase a ticket. It was extremely inappropriate for a residential area."

A score of city and county residents joined Hilliard and also sent their complaints about the volume and profanity to St. Johns County and St. Augustine administrative offices.

Many, however, added compliments about the event's organization and the St. Augustine Police Department's watchful eye.

Friday night, when Snoop Dogg took the stage, about 4,000 fans filled the air with applause

His lyrics contained many words not allowed in polite company.

And that drew particular irritation from residents, perhaps because children were exposed to them, or perhaps because of the Los Angeles rapper's extensive rap sheet, his acquittal in a murder trial and his celebrated reputation for self-medication via illegal herbs.

City resident Carol Lopez-Bradshaw wrote in an e-mail to the city, "Snoop Dogg is not permitted to perform in Jacksonville or Daytona, and I understand why."

Kevin Munger wrote, "If you people want this garbage in this city, that's fine. But don't have it in a place where people have no choice but to listen to it."

Kim Bradley of Water Street wrote, "That kind of concert has no business downtown. I had a headache and the windows were closed."

Both the profanity and the volume problems were brought up by both the St. Augustine City Commission on Monday and the St. Johns County Commission's workshop on Tuesday.

Paul Williamson said the city is "content neutral" and cannot censor artists.

Troy Blevins said every performer's contract prohibits vulgarity on stage or their pay will be withheld. However, in practice, they are paid no matter how much profanity they use because doing otherwise would discourage other acts from coming.

"We're going to have to look at how to manage that," he said.

According to officials, the Saturday concert drew 9,000 fans for G.Love & Special Sauce, Presidents of the United States of America, CandleBox and 3 Doors Down. Many noise complaints arose on Saturday as those rock bands let loose.

Blevins, director of the county's Parks and Recreation Department, which planned the concert with city officials, said he got eight complaints. The city got a dozen or so, and other county offices got about 20.

"I was surprised to learn that most of the (noise) complaints I got were from Vilano Beach," Blevins said. "The water must have amplified the sound in that direction."

Williamson, public affairs director for St. Augustine, said he'd like to see a moratorium on events on four-acre Francis Field to prevent it from becoming a dust bowl.

"We must determine how we want Francis Field to be used," he said.

Police Chief Loran Leuders said his officers have "become efficient at emptying downtown as quickly as possible after an event. It's one basic plan tailored to each occasion."

Public Safety Officers worked traffic lights to allow vehicles on side streets to empty onto U.S. 1. Leuders said the plan was designed by Special Events Corporal Mike Etheridge and Commander Barry Fox and "worked perfectly."

Officers made two arrests. On Friday, a juvenile male was arrested for a narcotics violation. On Saturday, a man was charged with theft after he tried to flee with a sausage he didn't buy.

The Crawfish Boil series began in Birmingham, Ala., in 1991, and they are held around the country. The largest crowd at any boil was in Birmingham in 2007, where 45,000 attended.

Proceeds from the series go to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Blevins said, "People were there to have a good time, and they did. We're trying to determine what the economic impact of the concert was to the area."

The numbers are trickling in. St. Augustine received $3,000 from the county for use of the field.

Bottom line, the county could gain or lose about $10,000, Blevins said.

But, he added, 81 percent of the people at the concert were from out of St. Johns County. That's more than the average of 70 percent at St. Augustine Amphitheatre events. In addition, more people in town meant twice the number of paid vehicle admissions to St. Augustine Beach.

Blevins said, "Our goal was to break even and build a name for this event."

Mayor Joe Boles said the city must always test its infrastructure.

"The profanity comes from generational differences," he said. "We didn't have one person at the City Commission speak against it. But we're going to be having events (for the city's 450th birthday in 2015) that will have to handle 40,000 or 50,000 people in multiple venues."

Have concerns?

Click here to return to story:
http://staugustine.com/stories/051409/news_051409_061.shtml

© The St. Augustine Record