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Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Austin Reggae Fest: Irie vibes for hungry times
- Photos: 2009 Reggae Fest lineup | 2008 festival
Continuing an Austin tradition over fifteen years deep, the irie vibes of the Austin Reggae Festival will resonate through Auditorium Shores on Saturday and Sunday. The festival is a benefit for Capital Area Food Bank which handles staffing, gate-keeping and financial affairs. Talent for the festival is booked by Austin reggae mainstay Flamingo Cantina. A favorite local event for years, the festival formerly known as the Bob Marley Festival exploded in 2008 with a line of expectant fest-goers stretching all the way across the Congress Avenue Bridge by 4 p.m. on opening day. Inside the festival grounds an eclectic cross-section of sleepy-eyed Austinites kicked hacky sacks, lounged in tents and danced with abandon. The massive artists’ market overflowed with vendors hocking everything from cute hippie skirts and jewelry to (ahem) glassware, and the expansive food court boasted a wide selection of international dishes alongside the standard festival fare. The vibe was mellow and while a pervasive smoky haze seemed to hang in the air over the festival, organizers report that there were no arrests at the 2008 event.
This year, anticipating another big turnout, festival organizers have taken steps to try to ease congestion at the gate, introducing advance tickets and separating the traditional food drive from the admission process. Advance tickets are $10 a day and will be available until 7 p.m. on Friday evening at the following Frontgate Ticket outlets. (Online ticket sales have already ended.) Ticket prices at the gate will be $15 a day with children 12 and under admitted for free.
We caught up with Capital Area Food Bank CEO David Davenport over the phone to talk about the history of the festival, the state of the food bank and what to expect at this year’s event.
Music Source: Can you talk about the relationship between Capital Area Food Bank and the Austin Reggae Fest?
David Davenport: We’ve been involved since the beginning. We provide volunteers and staff support for the event. We’ve also been the main beneficiary. (The festival) started in the spirit of Bob Marley— helping others while enjoying yourself. The food drive was a key part of the event from the beginning and that tradition has stayed a part of it all the way up to today and hopefully well into the future.
What percentage of the admission fee goes to the food bank?
About 40 percent.
Back in the day people could get reduced admission for donating non-perishable food items, but you’ve switched to a monetary donation?
Last year there was such an amazing turnout. The line was just really long reaching all the way into downtown. And it was a very hot day and people were standing for a really long time.
We actually talked to people who said they waited for over an hour to get in last year. It was the first time that happened?
Exactly. It was the first time it happened to that extent. The idea this year is to provide some pre-event sales. People with advance tickets will be able to enter through an express line where their tickets are scanned and they’ll be able to go right in with no need to get change or exchange money. Another thing that did slow down the entrance was the food drive. And folks can bring food. They can still make a donation if they choose, but the idea was to have a slightly higher fee to get in and then the food bank can turn around and purchase food with that extra amount. What it will do is keep the gates moving a lot quicker so we don’t see the lines that we had last year. On a hot day a long line like that becomes a concern.
Are you seeing an increase in demand for the food bank’s services this year?
Absolutely, we’ve increased our output about forty percent. Some of our agencies are seeing a two to three hundred percent increase over this time last year. Our largest month in our twenty-seven and a half year history was last month. We distributed more than two million pounds of food for the first time ever.
How strict is security at the festival, are people’s bags searched upon entry?
Yes, it’s a basic search that you’d get going into any event. We just want to make sure that it’s a good environment. It’s such a great, fun and enjoyable environment we want to keep it that way.
What’s the law enforcement presence like?
There will be both private security and police officers that are on duty at both the entranceway and on site.
The festival attracts a lot of eclectic types, what’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever seen at the event?
You know I thought that the dress and shoes that Leslie wore last year were extraordinary. It was sort of a purple sequined dress and a gorgeous pair of dark shoes. My wife was very jealous of both.
What are your expectations for this year’s festival?
I think this is such a cool part of Austin. It’s just one of the neat things that makes our community what it is. I expect a great turnout and a lot of excitement and folks just getting into the spirit of the event and the spirit of support for others in need. It’s such a special and unique event and I really look forward to it every year.
(Photos of 2008 Austin Reggae Festival by Laura Skelding AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
The Austin Reggae Festival takes place from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Auditorium Shores. The Skatalites headline at 8 p.m. Saturday and the Wailing Souls headline at 8 p.m. Sunday. Tickets to the festival are $10 advance, $15 at the gate. Children 12 and under are free. For more information visit austinreggaefest.com.
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Freddie’s Place permanently cancels live music performances
On Friday, an Austin Police Department officer came to Freddie’s and told them the music exceeded 70 decibels, a limit on restaurants established in the mid-1980s.
That was a warning. If it happened again, the restaurant would incur a $500 fine, a third offense would lead to arrests, Nelson said.
As result, Freddie’s won’t have live music anymore. The restaurant has canceled 83 bookings through the rest of the year.
“We can choose not to, but I can’t put my staff at risk of being arrested,” Nelson said.
According to city ordinances, restaurants like Freddie’s can have live music that does not exceed 70 decibels. At downtown bars and outdoor venues, that limit is 85 decibels.
There has been some confusion in recent years over how the ordinance is enforced. Nelson said that in his two decades of operating restaurants in Austin, he has always been held to the limit of 85 decibels — until Friday.
“It’s ridiculous. I’m talking to you right now at 70 decibels,” Nelson said. Having an ordinance that requires 70 decibels “precludes having live music,” he said.
Eighty-five decibels is equivalent to the noise from a diesel truck or lawnmower, while the typical vacuum cleaner puts out about 70 decibels, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Normal conversation is 50 to 65 decibels, the federal agency said, while prolonged exposure to anything above 85 decibels can cause gradual hearing loss.
Austin police spokeswoman Anna Sabana said police received a call at 6:55 p.m. Friday from someone complaining about the noise. The caller asked that officers return the call and provide a decibel reading from the restaurant.
According to department records, police did not issue a citation because the business owner told police the band would stop playing.
The police department has received seven complaints about noise at Freddie’s since Feb. 26, Sabana said.
You can read Nelson’s account here.
Photo by Laura Skelding AMERICAN-STATESMAN
- Photos: Scenes from Freddie’s Place
