When The Music Stops; City Hall vs the Cricle Bar

The Circle Bar has cancelled live music for now, as the City of New Orleans has refused it an entertainment license.
Read Alex Woodward's BlogofNewOrleans story about it here

As this article clearly states, they did NOT have a permit for this, as mentioned in the article linked above. But in 1999, when they began doing this, this system of permits wasn't in place. The permitting of artist's in the square, tarot readers, restaurants, cab drivers, has all changed and been changing, especially under Mitch Landreiu, Cultural Ambassador. Hospitality overlays, leveeing new taxes and gaining controlling interests is his favorite. Serpas enjoys these crack downs. Its Boss Hogg & Sheriff Smithers (he daddy usta been the Drivah) wielding Hillbilly Justice, 21st century style.

NEWS FLASH; City Hall approved their liquor & bar permits every year until this one, with international advertising, nightly ads on WWOZ and live fucking broadcasts. So they couldn't give them 30 days to comply? Blighted houses that potentially fall & kill people have a 90 day limit for repair, once purchased, and STAND FOR YEARS.

So, we have music cubs getting boot locked without a days notice, because... they've been operating successfully, employing dozens of industry workers & musicians for, I dunno, 13 fucking years? At what risk? The Circle Bar is world famous and hosts amazing talent. It doesn't bother the neighborhood, that I know of, and creates a cultural spectacle found only in New Orleans.

It's also an easy hide to hang on Serpas' Barn Door, when the DOJ is finally getting in, PANO is calling him useless and the murder rate is getting higher & higher every year, while he sticks his nose in a monitor screen or rides through Fat Tuesday on his Big White Horse.

This is political, plain & simple, and the War On Art, under the flag of the Cultural Ambassador, means if they can't make it corporate, fit into a time slot and market the hell out out of it at hotels and gift shops, it aint gonna fly in New Or Lee Anns.

We have a marketing director for mayor and a half bright data entry clerk with a Wyatt Earp complex for Police Chief. That's the problem.