Some of the biggest music promoters in Portland are worried
that Dec. 7 could truly be a day that will live in infamy.
By that day, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission
will have voted on proposed
changes to state booze regulations that, if adopted,
could drastically alter the live music landscape of Portland.
The state body charged with making sure that no bars serve
kiddies, no drunks get drunker, and that everyone goes night-night
by bedtime may ban minors from live music venues serving
alcohol. That would put the kibosh on all-ages shows at
places like the Crystal Ballroom and Roseland
Theater--or it would mean those establishments could
no longer serve demon rum while youthful innocents
cavorted on premises.
Right now, the Crystal and Roseland--two of Portland's
largest, most eclectic venues--slosh the sauce for those
of age in segregated areas. Commissioners worry that current
precautions barring minors from drinking areas aren't formidable
enough to keep the young'uns sober; more to the point, they
worry that drunken adults might prey upon wee concert goers.
"I was very upset about the potential of having young girls,
some of them 13 or 14 years old, dancing with men who'd
been drinking who were 35 or 40 years old," says Commissioner
Kay Kennet of Eugene.
Hence, the proposed new rule, which has provoked a riptide
of opposition from music fans and promoters worried about
losing half of their revenue one-two punch.
"You've gotta have ticket sales just to cover the cost
of the band, and then concessions to make any money," says
Brian McMenamin, of whose ubiquitous brand-name pub
chain the Crystal is a part. "We probably do 70 to 80 percent
of our shows as all-ages shows, so this would impact us
tremendously."
McMenamin says his company has an exemplary record on ID
enforcement and an otherwise excellent relationship with
the OLCC. Kennet and Commissioner Ray Baum of LaGrande
both say the OLCC has identified certain venues around the
state as trouble spots, though neither will name names.
OLCC Public Affairs Coordinator Louise Kasper tells
similarly anecdotal tales of problems brewing at age-mixing
joints but says the agency hasn't cited any venues for violations.
Kasper says that public testimony submitted before the
Sept. 15 deadline is almost unanimously opposed to the change.
In the apparent absence of even a whisper of political support
for a clampdown or hard evidence of a pervasive problem,
the five commissioners will take some sort of action on
the proposal during meetings held in Portland Dec. 6 and
7.
They could enact the new rule--a move that could make Portland,
like Seattle, an essentially kid-free music town. They could
kill the idea, which seems unlikely given the emphatic safety
concerns expressed by Kennet, Baum and Kasper. Most likely,
say Kennet and Baum, is a delay followed by a compromise.
Kennet, who says the proposal has sparked by far the most
outcry she's seen as a commissioner, avers that the attention
paid to the issue may ultimately outweigh any formal action.
"When there are some bad apples, sometimes the good apples
have to pay for that," Kennet says. "I am very appreciative
of the attention we've gotten from parents on the issue.
I think we can reach a reasonable solution. We don't want
to put anyone out of business."
"If this discussion sends the message, we may not need
the rule," says Baum, a lawyer who was the state House majority
leader in 1995. "What they're doing is legal. We just want
to make sure it stays legal."
Baum adds that, while public opinion is certainly against
the rule change, he believes that venue owners are orchestrating
the opposition. McMenamin, who's trumpeted against the rule
change in his company's newsletter and on a Web site, doesn't
hesitate to cop to that.
"I tried to get people on board because six months ago,
I was the only person who showed up at the first meeting
on this," he says. "I've been overwhelmed by the response.
Hey, at least we know people are reading our Web page."
To judge by Kennet's account of the input she's received,
the politicking of Portland venue owners has, indeed, powered
a strong push against the ban.
"I've just gotten a ton of mail, and it's all, 'please,
don't put up such barriers so that no minors would be able
to go to dance halls,'" she says. "I've gotten 50 or 60
letters, which is more than I've ever seen for any controversial
issue. I think two were in favor of clamping down. Almost
without exception, the letters were from Portland."
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Willamette Week | originally
published November 23,
1999
|
