Tim Sukits

Tag: Noise Ordinance

  • TWISler Breakdown: Noise and Entertainment Ordinances

    TWISler Breakdown: Noise and Entertainment Ordinances

    Published Dec. 31, 2010 TWISler Breakdown: Noise and Entertainment Ordinances The number one culprit holding this “Creative Paradise” of ours back from becoming the best damn place on Earth to live and work is a medley of Sarasota City and County laws commonly referred to collectively as the “Noise Ordinance.” You’ve probably heard about these nasty little boogers before, but you may not realize exactly how much they affect your nightlife options, especially in the live music department, and therefore how detrimental they are to the health and well-being of Sarasota’s unique contemporary music scene. Basically, the story goes like this: (more…)

  • The Local Original: Artists of the 941 are called to crank it up once again with submissions for Noise Ordinance 2 now being accepted

    Published December 8, 2010 If you happened to attend the first incarnation of Noise Ordinance back in February, then you have a pretty good idea why it won the title of “Best Local Music Festival” in our Best of the Suncoast Readers’ Poll last month. The hyper-local, yet intriguingly unfamiliar gathering helped to introduce the various sub-scenes of our largely splintered music community to one another, revealing for the first time a complete picture of what the “Suncoast music scene” actually looks like. Bands saw their fellow area musicians displaying high morale and excited about the uniquely artistic environment they were creating.  And everyone finally seemed to figure out where they fit within the larger local scene, respecting and supporting the contributions from each part of the whole. Since that first go around, Noise Ordinance co-founders Claire Franklin, Katherine Derr and Ed Midler createdSarasotaMusicScene.com along with promoter Chris Falk. Falk has since moved to Michigan, but that won’t stop the remaining trio from bringing back Sarasota’s original music showcase in the form of Noise Ordinance 2, now officially presented bySarasotaMusicScene.com. With the submission selection process fully underway months ahead of last year’s call out, SMS plans to follow up a successful first year event with a mind blowing sequel. (more…)

  • The Local Original: Getting paid for musical art is not a Suncoast tradition

    Published November 17, 2010 Original music artists to the Suncoast: “Show me the money!” A few weeks back I received a letter from a local musician who’s been playing original music around the Suncoast for over 30 years. Since age 15 he has watched the local scene ebb and flow, and countless bands and venues come and go. He wrote to me from this perspective in an effort to shed light on a huge problem that the Suncoast has seemingly always suffered from: musicians’ inability to find decent compensation for their original music. I find there are three root causes for this local phenomenon, some more easily solved than others depending on which you think are easier to change — bad habits or local laws. The artist, who chose to remain anonymous, touched on one big culprit in his letter: “The local club owners have figured out that a 21-year-old artist who is living with Mom and Dad is happy just to have the ‘opportunity’ to play their music. So, the club owner gives them as little money (many times none) as he can get away with … Until that kid gets a few years older and starts to need money. At that point, the choices are to get a straight job, play for next to nothing, leave town, or play covers.” (more…)

  • Sounding off: County Commission candidates speak up on the noise issue

    Published October 27, 2010 It’s been 10 months since our in-depth report on Sarasota County’s harsh noise and entertainment laws(printed Jan. 27), and not much has changed — except for all the musicians who have left town. Under Sarasota County’s entertainment ordinance, local establishments are not permitted to have live (human) entertainment past 10 p.m. unless they are granted a special exception. There are currently nine businesses in commercial zoning areas of the County that hold exceptions: The Hub Baja Grill, Daiquiri Deck Raw Bar, Siesta Key Oyster Bar and Captain Curt’s on Siesta Key,Pastimes and Boar’s Head in Gulf Gate, Nightlife Center on the South Trail, Kirby’s on Stickney Point, and as of two months ago,The Hoosier Bar in Osprey, with The Beach Club exempted by a grandfather clause. No other place is allowed so much as a mime after 10 — no complaint required. Aren’t arts and entertainment supposed to go hand in hand? We asked the candidates vying for County Commission seats — District 2 incumbent Joe Barbetta and challenger Cathy Antunes, and District 4 incumbent Nora Patterson and challenger Mark Hawkins — what they think. (more…)

  • The Local Original: CL debuts its new weekly column covering all aspects of the Suncoast original music scene

    Published September 29, 2010 Since we announced the launch of our “new and improved” Soundboard section in August, it’s been very encouraging to see groups all over the Suncoast rising up to do their part in support of the local original music scene. While there’s been significant movement in the camaraderie department, I haven’t seen an influx of great press photos and bios from artists, and loaded booking schedules from venues, pouring into my inbox every week like I expected. This brought me to the realization that while bands and venues would like to promote themselves and their establishments to the fullest potential, they haven’t necessarily been exposed to the best ways of making that happen. So, in the spirit of musical community, I’ve decided to start this weekly column to provide readers with an insider’s view of what’s happening in the scene and how they can contribute to its improvement, and to give local artists and venue owners some tips on how to get the word out. I won’t be telling people what to do, but rather explaining what I and other local musicians are doing to further their careers, and also giving incite into the interactions and conversations I have with those involved in the local scene. (more…)

  • Making its case: How Mattison’s City Grille convinced the Sarasota City Commission to change its tune on downtown outdoor live music

    Published February 17, 2010 Since the Downtown Partnership asked Paul Mattison to open his outdoor dining venue on the corner of Lemon Avenue and Main Street seven years ago, Mattison’s City Grille let live bands play until 11 p.m. during the week and midnight on weekends. The restaurant had received a half-dozen or so sporadic noise complaints over the years, but the city never took action. Which it could have, since city code states that the cutoff time for live music at a non-enclosed structure is 10 p.m. on weekdays and 11 p.m. on weekends. When an anonymous noise complaint targeted Mattison’s in early November 2009, though, the Sarasota Police Department intervened, delivering a blow to the business’ bottom line. “We’ve been there for seven years and we’ve always done those hours and we never had an issue,” says Mattison. “Then out of the blue we got this one complaint and they were on us like white on rice.” The move had such a negative effect on business that Mattison felt the need to go before the City Commission to make his case for a legal extension of the cutoff time. “The other thing that I tried to get them to do, but they didn’t, is that you can’t complain anonymously,” he says. “It could be a former competitor. It could be anybody. … That’s the most frustrating part. You want to be able to pick up the phone and say, ‘Let’s talk about it.’” (more…)