The Boycott: Downtown takes a stand against Jerry’s Pizza Intimidation - by N.L. Belardes
What’s happening to the downtown scene? Jerry’s Pizza’s poor planning at divide and conquer seems to be showing itself. You can’t just swing bats in people’s faces, call the cops on good folks, complain to landlords with unsubstantiated accusations and so forth. The Indie folks are more than determined to face Jerry’s Pizza intimidation head on. My sources are telling me they’re set to take a stand against the Gangs of Bakersfield style business acumen being thrown at them. You would think this was a movie being shot on the lower something side of some big town. And that’s because it’s playing out like one. You tell me who would play who in the film version? I don’t think it’s going to be a Deniro film. Some businesses now have to play duck and cover. Not everyone wants to have a bat wielded in their face, and not everyone is willing to put their business on the line because after all, these businesses don’t own the buildings, they lease the space, which gives power to landlords and their politics of controlling what goes on in the local Bakersfield music scene.
I hear there’s a boycott going on. Bands and folks are simple no longer going to Jerry’s. As for how many bands and how many people this involves, I don’t know. I did see quite a few kids milling about Jerry’s Pizza last night.
There’s also word that Numbskull Records, Jerry’s Pizza’s biggest supplier of bands has pulled out. Whether that is true or not or will stand the test of time, we will all have to wait and see if people are truly sticking together to fight this intimidation that has forced out Gigantic Clothing.
And you have to ask yourself who might be next? Could it be Downtown Records and their beginner bands and hip hop nights? There’s already bad blood downtown because of the night a Downtown Joe’s guest blasted one of the clothing store’s guests in a frenetic free-for-all. And what about Downtown Joes? Are they a threat to Jerry’s Pizza? Likely not. Bars like Downtown Joes and Rileys are untouchable to the intimidation factor; it seems only all age venues can be forced to leave or not host shows at all. What this really does kill is the Indie scene, a scene that Jerry’s Pizza ignored anyway. So where’s the logic?
You have to wonder if all the kids hanging out at Jerry’s Pizza even know what is going on? Are they aware of the intimidation style politics being waved in front of Gigantic, Underground Records, and in various bands’ faces? I hear that even the skinheads protecting Jerry’s personnel won’t back them up when just up the street near Gigantic and Downtown Records. Nate Burg and Jerry’s Pizza’s divide and conquer policy just may divide themselves. But then, that would be fine. Jerry’s Pizza has the right to continue to operate in decadent fashion, as long as it doesn’t impose its will on other businesses. More to come…
I hear there’s a boycott going on. Bands and folks are simple no longer going to Jerry’s. As for how many bands and how many people this involves, I don’t know. I did see quite a few kids milling about Jerry’s Pizza last night.
There’s also word that Numbskull Records, Jerry’s Pizza’s biggest supplier of bands has pulled out. Whether that is true or not or will stand the test of time, we will all have to wait and see if people are truly sticking together to fight this intimidation that has forced out Gigantic Clothing.
And you have to ask yourself who might be next? Could it be Downtown Records and their beginner bands and hip hop nights? There’s already bad blood downtown because of the night a Downtown Joe’s guest blasted one of the clothing store’s guests in a frenetic free-for-all. And what about Downtown Joes? Are they a threat to Jerry’s Pizza? Likely not. Bars like Downtown Joes and Rileys are untouchable to the intimidation factor; it seems only all age venues can be forced to leave or not host shows at all. What this really does kill is the Indie scene, a scene that Jerry’s Pizza ignored anyway. So where’s the logic?
You have to wonder if all the kids hanging out at Jerry’s Pizza even know what is going on? Are they aware of the intimidation style politics being waved in front of Gigantic, Underground Records, and in various bands’ faces? I hear that even the skinheads protecting Jerry’s personnel won’t back them up when just up the street near Gigantic and Downtown Records. Nate Burg and Jerry’s Pizza’s divide and conquer policy just may divide themselves. But then, that would be fine. Jerry’s Pizza has the right to continue to operate in decadent fashion, as long as it doesn’t impose its will on other businesses. More to come…
This entry was posted by N.L. Belardes, on
Sunday, March 20, 2005.
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