KOOP Radio's Raffle Party - Sunday, 27 July + Keeping Up With P.A.C.E.

I'm supposed to be on vacation until August, but I'm taking a little time off from my vacation to make two important public service announcements (from MySpace) - because they involve local and independent art, music, and radio. These are a few of my favorite things...

KOOP 91.7 FM is throwing a Scooter Raffle Party, and we're all invited! It's a live art and music event at the United States Art Authority with my favorite indie media expo Staple!, and a few of my favorite smart indie rockers, including The Bellfuries, Foot Foot, La Snacks, and Peel, who performed a phenomenal set at diy revolution's second bi-monthly music series (Friday, May 16 at Beauty Bar).

For more info, including how to buy tickets for the grand prize and other special gifts, go to:

myspace. com/koop917

Help raise money to rebuild our community radio station, and maybe drive off with a Vintage 150cc scooter from Scooter Revolution, or some other cool prize.



Actual image from P.A.C.E. web page has the public seeing red.

I received news about another C.O.A. (City of Austin) organization that may be threatening the livelihood of local entertainment - P.A.C.E. The following is my response included with a repost of a bulletin by a pirate radio station DJ:

P.A.C.E. (People Against City Entertainment?)

City of Austin is being taken over by a bunch of bureaucrats who don't know (or don't care) that the City of Austin wouldn't have as much revenue if it weren't for live music events. P.A.C.E is about a waste of local taxpayers' money and biting the hand that feeds you...

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/pace/

The MySpace post continues with the original bulletin re: P.A.C.E. (which actually stands for Public Assembly Code Enforcement). The poster argues that the C.O.A.'s P.A.C.E. team is "ruining our venues, our festivals, and our livelihood". Since I make it a habit to question everything, including authority and opinions of MySpace bulletin posters, I didn't just take the DJ's word for it - I looked it up for myself.

P.A.C.E. claims to be a public group, but I don't see the names of the members listed, just city departments, and no meetings listed to discuss the P.A.C.E. agenda. There are a lot of rules and regulations that we the public can download as .pdf documents, but no true discourse or public conversation. Sure, we can send them an e-mail - but will it be taken seriously by this enforcement committee?

Is this truly a public cause, or another way to police parties - and over-regulate the local music industry which is already struggling, no thanks to city zoning for high priced residencies in well-established entertainment districts? (See Red River and Warehouse.)

I'm wondering how many local musicians and promoters will be lined up to discuss what P.A.C.E. means to people who book and participate in parties and festivals with Austin city limits at the next C.O.A. council meeting?

And those are my P.S.A.s about local art and entertainment.

Addendum: I've received more information about how P.A.C.E. effects local artistic expression - in particular one venue called the Enchanted Forest. It's one of the cool small spaces in the city where you can enjoy the freedom of artistic expression on a 3+ acre parcel of land located in South Austin (78704). Visual art, puppetry, live acoustic music, are just some of what makes this a special place in the city's entertainment landscape. (See http://www.news8austin.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=215070.) The news article doesn't specifically name P.A.C.E., but this arbitrary committee is definitely behind what's happening to one of our art spaces.

I've just sent an add request to them in solidarity with their current bureaucratic nightmare, and hope others reading this blog will do the same, as well as send a testimony or positive message about Austin's Enchanted Forest via their official web site, the C.O.A. web site email link (above), and in person at the city council meeting - happening in a matter of minutes.