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October 27, 2006 > Arts & Entertainment > Houston must stay safe place for bands to play

Houston must stay safe place for bands to play

By Bryce Gray | Thresher Editorial Staff

Two weeks ago, the San Francisco-based indie rock band Two Gallants headlined a show at Walter’s on Washington. The police showed up at the club after receiving a noise complaint only a few songs into Two Gallants’ set. The night ended in disastrous violence, with the band’s singer and guitarist Adam Stephens running away from the police through dark alleyways and drummer Tyson Vogel handcuffed in the back of a squad car.

It is difficult to know exactly what happened, as the Houston Police Department has refused to tell its side of the story pending an ongoing investigation. Stephens and Vogel have been talking to anyone who will listen, including Rolling Stone, which published an interview with the duo on their Web site Oct. 20th. Meanwhile, Two Gallants fans have turned to the Internet to rally support for the band — firsthand accounts of the incident have been pasted across message boards and blogs, and a few grainy videos have shown up on the video-sharing Web site YouTube.com.

The videos show Stephens being thrown to the floor by an HPD officer while his guitar twangs in discord and the crowd at Walter’s roars in confusion and outrage. The officer calls for backup while engaging in a shoving match with Two Gallants and their fans. Apparently some words were exchanged between Stephens and the officer. Stephens did not understand why the band was ordered to stop playing. His confusion is understandable, as Stephens told Rolling Stone, “You don’t walk up to the stage of a venue that has a license to play music. We’re not the ones to blame for it. You don’t come up to us. You go to the establishment first.”

It was only a matter of seconds before the situation escalated out of control, but the reverberations of the chaos may be felt for months — maybe even years. Houston’s biggest advantage in attracting music and artists is its size. There are other lucrative markets for music; it would be a shame if Houston had to start fighting for artists because of a reputation for being unwelcoming. News of the violent and apparently unwarranted police response at the Two Gallants show can only reinforce negative stereotypes of Texas and Texans as backwards and ignorant. I talked briefly about this with Mira Aroyo of the British electronic band Ladytron after their show this past Saturday. Aroyo remarked that Ladytron had been pleasantly surprised by the size and enthusiasm of the crowd in Houston. She had been skeptical that there was much of a market for their music in Texas — outside of Austin, of course. Houston has neither Austin’s music festivals, nor a large community of artists. Big venues and names have no problem booking shows in Houston, but small acts face stiff competition and are relegated to old and decrepit facilities. Admittedly there is some charm to clubs like Walter’s — small, simple and intimate — but I would be surprised if the majority of Houston’s small venues even pass fire code.

The same nonexistent zoning laws that allow the Chinese Embassy to sit next door to Soundwaves on Montrose mean that most small music venues are located dangerously close to houses and apartments. Walter’s should not have to deal with noise complaints. It is their business is putting on live music, but if the police receive a complaint, they have an obligation to follow up. The violence that erupted at the Two Gallants show was almost certainly unwarranted. However, I can only question HPD’s actions after they arrived on the scene, not their reason for being there in the first place.

If Houston becomes infamous for hostility to musicians and fans, it will be harder and more expensive to convince bands to make a stop here. Fewer acts and higher ticket prices mean everybody loses. I have no desire to pay $50 to see Kenny Chesney at the Woodlands. I want to be able to see a variety of small and interesting acts right here close to downtown.

Two Gallants may be the only clear winner here. Regardless of how the situation resolves in court, Stephens has expressed the band’s desire to take legal action against HPD, saying, “It is not over from our side.” Two Gallants will reap the benefits of popular support and an incredible amount of free publicity. I just hope the next time the band goes on tour that they give Houston another chance and are not scared away by their experience two weeks ago — I do not want to have to drive to Austin to see the show.

Bryce Gray is a Jones College junior and Arts & Entertainment Editor.

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