ATTENTION: IF YOU GO OUT ON RED RIVER OR 7TH PLEASE KEEP READING!!!!

THIS WAS SENT TO MY BOX EARLIER TODAY, ONCE AGAIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS @ IT AGAIN!!!

Hey Guys,

I hate massive emails, but I just ran into this piece of info that I had heard about when I covered the Save Austin Music launch last week and thought other people I know might be interested. Below is the text of an email I received, and before you start thinking you aren't affected these plans would affect the following clubs:

Stubb's
Red Eyed Fly
Beerland
Elysium
Side Bar
Creekside Lounge
Red 7
Beauty Bar
Emo's
And anything south until you hit 4th street.

Or at least that is what I was hearing from a few city council members at the launch party. If you go to any of these venues/bars the rest of this email might interest you.

Thank you for your time.

-
John Pesina
832.236.7595
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnpesina
http://www.johnpesinaphotography.com

For those unaware, the City is currently attempting to force the live music venues on Red River to sell their buildings so that they can raze the buildings, install an underground pipe to drain Waller Creek better, and then rebuild *more* retail and residence on Red River. This will effectively wipe out a large number of live music venues that many Austinites enjoy and that have been the springboard for many fledgling bands.

If you want to help assure the future of live music in Austin, please help us by showing up at City Hall tonight for the hearing at 7pm! We'll need all the help we can get. Following is a letter from John Wickham, owner of Elysium:

Forwarded from John Wickham

Okay guys, everyone has asked what they can do to help and here it is (first step):

7:00pm Wed, Oct 29th at City Hall 301 W 2nd St.
Live Music Task Force Hearing

We need as many people as possible to show up and support the recommendations of the Live Music Task Force.

Here's why:
If these get passed the City of Austin would create a Music Department that will work on helping Live Music Venues, Artists and patrons rather than just well-meaning lip service to the Live Music Capitol of the World.

This would help ALL the Venues and Artists that play along Red River (and all over Austin) with issues like:
-Parking
-Noise Ordinance Issues
-Red River becoming an "Official" District
-Development Issues that threaten existing venues and areas like Red River
-Permitting Issues
-Marketing
-Help to Austin organizations that aid Musicians (HAMM, SIMS, AMF, etc)

Here's the Problem:
Some Neighborhood organizations are concerned a new Live Music Department would hurt their chances to further develop downtown. Many of them favor stronger noise ordinances and restrictions on Live Music.

They will attend this meeting in massive groups. They will protest the recommendations.

What to Do:
Just show up, be polite (don't argue with the opposition), and if you can bring yourself to: Speak! Everyone there before 7:30 will have 3 minutes to address the City Council about what Live Music means to them and why this is an important issue to them. If you don't want to speak, you can still sign in and register your support of the Live Music Task Force recommendations. Even still, just showing up and letting the City know how many people think this is important will help.

Also, please forward this to everyone; bands and music fans you know, the full recommendations are at:
http://www. ci. austin. tx. us/council/downloads/lmtfreport. pdf

Parking is free in the City Hall garage.

John Wickham
Elysium