Austin360 blogs > Out & About > Archives > 2009 > October > 01 > Entry
Controversy on Sixth Street
Brendan Puthoff, owner of Third Base sports bars and Aces Lounge on East Sixth Street, called with a dilemma.
The singer now produces songs with anti-violence lyrics and has donated the proceeds of a 1993 song to AIDS charities. Others are not convinced Banton is reformed. A Web site, Cancel Buju Banton “Rasta Got Hate” Tour, is devoted to protesting his appearances.
Puthoff says he can’t break his contract with the promoter, but he wants to make it clear he doesn’t approve of Banton’s views.
He’s talking to respected Austin gay activists Bettie Naylor and Mark Erwin about an appropriate way to assure the gay community that he finds Banton’s lyrics abhorrent.
“What’s kind of ironic is my sister is a lesbian,” Puthoff says. “I walked her down the aisle at her wedding.”
Permalink | Comments (13) | Post your comment Categories: Music
Comments
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By Jenny
October 20, 2009 2:36 PM | Link to this
Alright - you folks need a history lesson in the Amendments - the first is free speech. The 2nd Amendment is the Right to Bear arms.
Buju produced that song when he was 15. He is now 36. He converted to Rastafarian religion later on and sings about peace and harmony. I'm sure all of you have done some stupid things when you were younger, but none of you are continually punished for it for 20 years. He is an amazing performer. It will only be Aces lost if they cancel the show.
By Lioness
October 8, 2009 10:04 PM | Link to this
I LOVE BUJU BANTON!!! I will hold my head up high walking into Ace's to see him.
HAIL RAS TAFARI WITH NO APOLOGY!!!
By Breederz
October 8, 2009 12:18 AM | Link to this
FREEDOM OF SPEECH!
It's all part if being "diverse" people. We all see and hear things we don't agree with everyday.
By Steve Basile
October 7, 2009 12:41 PM | Link to this
Concerts by this criminally homophobic unrepentant slug have been cancelled all over the country, including ALL LiveNation and AEG promoted shows. Yet Austin ADDS a show? Incomprehensible. Freedom of speech does not confer impunity for yelling "fire" in a crowded theater, nor "kill people you don't like" in any forum.
By Gay Human Being
October 2, 2009 7:11 PM | Link to this
The fact that the club owner has a lesbian sister makes this much much worse.
What if SHE is the victim of the kind of gay-murder described in BoomByeBye.
In other clubs across the country, when club owners have figured out who they booked, they cancel the shows and pay up. Sucks to be them. But this owner doesn't value LGBT lives enough to do that.
We understand.
By Johnny Hughes
October 2, 2009 7:40 AM | Link to this
The odds on a club owner lying are 9 to 1, in favor. Puthoff is putting y'all off. This contract means nothing. It was obtained by deception, if they did not pop the facts up front, given the nut-case involved. As the club owner if he can google? Read?
One can tell a great deal about Silah, who confuses the first and second amendments, because he has been doing his "my cold, dead hands" bit. If Silah isn't a moron that gets his information from Rush the Pillhead, I'll ask God to strike me dead right here at this keyboard!
By Sarah
October 2, 2009 4:26 AM | Link to this
aces is a horrible bar anyway, i dont know anyone would want to go there but heres one more reason not to
By Andrew
October 1, 2009 10:46 PM | Link to this
Silah, I think you're confused about a couple different things. Number one: the second amendment has nothing to do with freedom of speech. Number two: Banton is not a u.s. citizen. Number Three: You are possibly the stupidest person who has ever commented on this webpage(besides TaxBob maybe).
By Silah
October 1, 2009 9:54 PM | Link to this
Aww, Silah, do you need a brotherly gay hug? Methinks you doth proteth too much, GURL!
By Bobby
October 1, 2009 9:38 PM | Link to this
Silah--you need to learn the difference between supporting the Constitution (something you obviously know nothing about since you have no idea what Amendment applies to free speech) and proclaiming your support of someone who espouses hate language. What if it was a White person singing about how he thinks the n-word is beautiful? Would you be praising support for the White singer? Or if someone was calling for the destruction of the Jews and praising Hitler. Still on board for celebrating the hate? Probably not. You are probably a minority bigot, anyway, happy when other minority communities are shunned.
By Bill
October 1, 2009 7:04 PM | Link to this
Silah - when Gay performers start saying that straight people should be brutally killed for being straight we'll protest that too. By the way, the second amendment protects Gay people and supporters of Gay people who protest this guy - or did you conveniently forget that? Puhleez indeed.
By chris
October 1, 2009 6:42 PM | Link to this
No Stonewall in Austin, please!
By Silah
October 1, 2009 6:16 PM | Link to this
thank you for giving me another reason to support Buju Banton! The second amendment gives him the right to sing about whatever he wants, and the liberty we might only have for a short while longer in this country gives you the right to NOT support him if you so choose! Do promoters have to go around assuring anti-gay activists that the MULTITUDE of gay performers in Austin do not represent them personally! Pahleez!