My name is Brandon Schlia. Iʼm the President and Founder of Steak & Cake Records, a prolocal indie record label based in the Village of Elmwood. Last August the label held the first annual Bidwell Indie 5000 Music Festival. It was the perfect end to a summer that saw the beginnings of a resurgence in our music community. The little kids were dancing, the grandparents were laughing, the bands played great, and we all had an excellent time celebrating the artistry of our home town.
We had chosen that location in particular considering its proximity to our headquarters as well as its prominent visibility. Scheduling it in conjunction with the final day of the Elmwood Arts Festival also boosted the amount of random foot traffic, furthering our goal of providing maximum exposure for our well deserving local artists.
This year we got a head start on planning. Seeing that our event is funded wholly by donation, we were all very excited to make it bigger and better as a way to honor everyone whoʼs been so generous with their contributions. I submitted all the necessary paperwork and payment to the City of Buffalo on April 21st and breathed a sigh of relief knowing that weʼd have it all wrapped up early this year. On April 29th, we were notified that we had been denied access to Bidwell.
This decision was allegedly based on complaints from resident(s) that we were illegally selling alcohol and that weʼd breeched our permit time. However, both of these accusations are wholly untrue. We didnʼt sell anything at the event and we were done well in advance of our permitted time. If there was any merit to their claims you might assume thereʼd be some sort of police involvement. That day, one officer stopped by early on to check our paperwork, and that was that.
We were shocked. We requested a formal meeting with Andrew R. Raab, the Parks and Recreation Departmentʼs Deputy Commissioner. At the very least we sought to clear our name and restore an accurate representation of who we are, what we do, and why we do it. The response back was: “The decision from the committee is final – you cannot have your event at Bidwell Park this year.” We werenʼt even granted the chance to discuss the misinformation. We were all very disappointed in such a blatant lack of professionalism on the part of Mr. Raab and his department. If it were the case that the residents of the parkway were unanimously against the event, then weʼd be glad to respect their wishes and cease proceedings. However, it seems more than likely these complaints were lodged by a singular source with some strings to pull. Unfortunately, weʼll never know the specifics due to their unwillingness to sit down together.
We're a community conscious organization. This winter we held a fundraiser for the Buffalo Public School's "Let the Band Play On Campaign" because we believe in investing in a good foundation for the future artists of Buffalo. We host our summer festival for one reason only, to provide a clear channel between our underground talent and the everyday citizen. It costs nothing to attend, there aren't any vendors competing for your dollars. It's all about the music and the city for us and it always will be; if only theyʼd allow us to do what we do best.
I want everyone who donated and supported us to know that we wanted to give you another Bidwell Indie 5000. We wanted it to be bigger and better than last year and it could have been but the powers that be have decided otherwise. We will continue to plan events but as of right now we haven't decided what's next. If you have any questions or suggestions please email us at steakandcakrecords@gmail.com.
Mcgarret's patio was shut down because of "a singular source" also. You should have tried to book the other side of Bidwell.
this is lame. too late for alternate venues? may i suggest the soccer field on rumsey? or delaware park on the other side of 198.
what about essex street (block party)?
don't give up because of one asshole. that would be too ironically characteristic of hipsterism and it's apathetic masses.
good luck.
These are all good ideas. My first priority is the other side of Bidwell. I've been told in the past that this side of the park is over used and there won't be any more events held there but I'll at least give it a shot.
I've been dragging my feet over picking another location primarily because this event was so specific, I can't just move it to another place and have it be the same thing. I really want to do a large scale show but I want to find a way to do it that gives the local bands the maximum amount of visibility.
I've been trying to find a viable way to do this in the private sector so that I don't have to deal directly with the city's red tape. Maybe a rooftop show? Maybe a warehouse show?
There is no lack of good, creative venues to hold something like this, but the real draw of the Bidwell show was its boost to the community around Bidwell.
The Parks and Rec commish should grant Steak and Cake an audience to at least air both sides of the story. The disinclination to do this further paints the city as dysfunctional and disinterested in the well being of its residents and arts.
this is the worst day of my life.
Don't give up! I've never heard of this event until just now, but I would be there for sure if you found a new location.
It's drives me insane when one anonymous coward decides to use their connections ruin an event for everyone, but that's just another reason to keep fighting and make this event happen.
Don't let them win.
I bet if Leslie Knope were our Parks and Recreation commissioner this wouldn't have happened.
LaSalle Park? Close to downtown, already has a nice big stage...
Knope could save us for sure! Thanks so much for taking the time to brainstorm. Everyone's been extremely supportive today and we're very grateful. I have a few leads on some promising alternatives but keep the suggestions coming.
Isn't Larkin Square putting on live music this summer? They built a stage there.
Sorry to hear this. Days Park?