by Rashah Amen

Austin, Texas -- "Live Music Capital of the World." I moved to Austin in 1983. I was truly amazed at the vibrant music permeating throughout the city. Music was happening in the clubs, in people's houses and on the streets. There were jams and music parties (good music) all over the place. Being a gypsy by nature, I moved around the country to Philadelphia, New Orleans (by the way of planet Saturn with Sun Ra), a short California stint, Seattle, Atlanta, and several stops back home to Greenville, SC. Yet I would always gravitate back to Austin. There is truly something special about the energy in the ground we all stand on. A creative-sacred-blessed area of some sort. However, every time I moved back here that sacred vibe seemed to be getting choked (strangled, if you will) by an array of different influences: the high-tech industry (which helped push rents up, thus forcing many players to move to lower-rent towns), city noise ordinances, and, most inappropriately, overzealous police hassling and arresting musicians.

The police problem in Austin (in America, for that matter) needs to be addressed. In 1992 I moved away from this city after being stopped by police 15 times in a year-and-a-half on foot. On 10 occasions, the police demanded that I show an ID or get in the car. The last incident of '92 happened in November while I was waiting for the #5 Woodrow bus at 8th and Congress. A policewoman on a bike came up and yelled, "Which direction did you come from?" I asked her, "Probable cause, please?" She called for back-up on her walkie-talkie and the second cop arrived in seconds. I told them that I was waiting for a bus and asked her why I was being questioned. I was told that two guys had robbed a bank downtown and that I fit the description. I told her that no way was that me, and I handed her a flier for an upcoming International Music Extravaganza happening at McCullough Theater later that month. I told her that I was the producer of this event not a bank robber. She then yelled back, "Yeah, sure you are!" The #5 arrived and, taking a chance on being grabbed by the cops or, worst case scenario, shot, I walked away from them and got on the bus. However, that was my fifteenth stop (many happened in Hyde Park, where I lived at the time), and I split the Austin scene right after the McCullough Theater event.

Since returning to Austin in 1995 (why? many ask -- well, it goes back to that creative magic this sacred ground seems to have, where I have created more songs than anywhere else), I've only been stopped by cops three times in almost three years. In the most recent incident, a couple of months ago, an officer threw me against the trunk of my car as I went to get my wallet to show my license to his partner, who had just asked me for it. Thanks to both the Creator and the crowds that formed in several of my run-ins with the law, I have avoided being arrested.

Some of my fellow creators of sound have not been as fortunate. It's quite ironic that people who give so much of their heart and soul to this city through music are having incident after incident with the APD. It really piqued my anger last year when I read that J.J. Johnson (drummer for Hot Buttered Rhythm, Billy White Trio, Abra Moore, etc.) was almost arrested while unloading his drums on 6th Street. Many people (most notably his fellow drum partner in HBR, Brannen Temple) wrote letters and complaints to the city and the police department about the incident. But that situation was not the straw that...!

What has truly tilted my tolerance came this year. Talking with Brannen Temple on March 19, I found out that he and HBR bassist Edwin Livingston (one of the greatest, nicest guys anyone could ever meet) had been arrested the night before. How much irony can we stand here? These guys had just come from receiving an outstanding achievement award at the Austin Music Awards, where they also backed up rapper MC Overlord.

Flying high, they were then on the way to their own Hot Buttered Rhythm SXSW showcase a few blocks away at the Mercury. As many of you know, neither Edwin nor Brannen made it to that performance because an overzealous policeman tossed them both into his car and took them to jail. (They did rock the house the following evening). That's two of Austin's finest players arrested. That's two HBR members -- two down, four to go. Well, several concerned artists, including myself, aren't planning to wait for more arrests. We feel it's time to address this issue.

Music brings millions of dollars into this city annually, and the players contribute greatly to this influx o' dough. Therefore, this city (whose envelopes carry the "Live Music Capital of the World" slogan) has to help in the matter of getting APD to have respect for the players who attract so many people and their dollars to this city.

After speaking with bassist Dylan Jones of Big Game Hunta and poetess Tammy Gomez and hearing their stories of all the musicians they know who have been hassled downtown and on 6th Street specifically (Dylan's been hassled many times unloading his bass gear), myself and several musicians plan to develop a strategy to solve this out-of-control problem. For starters, we are collecting information from players who have been arrested and/or hassled by the police. Please call Cosmic Intuition Productions at (512) 604-4405. Give a little background on your incident and leave a return phone number. It's just like any other situation; if you sit back and do nothing, the BS will grow and prevail. APD and the city needs to hear from the music community, concerned citizens, and music lovers alike on this matter. We all must demand a different treatment than what has been for performing artists and not let this city become (as KAZI reggae DJ Aldia Bluewillow so precisely labeled it) "Live Musician Hassler Capital of the World."