Fighting for the right to (promote a) party

Tommy Valentine, a local hip-hop artist and music promoter, is advocating for change ... to Athens-Clarke County's ordinance restricting the hand distribution of flyers.

Via a rather long email he sent out ...

In my time as a promoter, I have learned to carefully live by the rules of the city. I never place a handbill under a windshield wiper, I never place a poster on city property, and I am always careful to pick up after myself. Not only do I go out of my way to pick up any errant handbills that have been dropped, but I even take down posters for shows after they have happened. I only hand out flyers to willing customers, and only to people that appear of the proper age to attend the show I am promoting. Furthermore, I only used copy shops that used recycled paper. Thanks to my knowledge of promotion, I have not only been entrusted at times with a flock of UGA interns to mentor, but I was also privileged to be hired as the campaign manager for Bobby Saxon during his campaign for US Congress last year.

With all this in mind, last night I was, for the first time in nine years, fined for soliciting. I was told that I placed posters on city property, which is not true, and I was also told that handbilling is no longer allowed in Athens-Clarke County. After some digging, I was further informed that a great deal of this has to do with my city’s need for greater income. By following and fining for stricter regulations, alongside the increase in downtown parking fees, the city might receive much needed funds.

I am writing today, without any concrete hope for change, but a desperate need for action. We are blessed to live in one of the best music cities in the country. It has been the right of a musician to promote his shows, as long as he follows the rules. Although I have fully embraced the promotional power of the internet, there is simply no replacement for holding, in your hand, a well-designed invitation to an upcoming show. For the incoming freshman class each year, it is one of the first signs that you have entered into the town of R.E.M., B-52’s, Modern Skirts, and Drive by Truckers – a town that offers on any given night a number of quality performances by drive, talented local acts trying to share their music with the world.

Only weeks ago we lost the Georgia Theatre, an incredible venue where I released two of my albums. The loss of this proud concert hall was heartbreaking, and something I still haven’t recovered from. Unless you were lucky enough to have performed, or attended a performance, at the Theatre, it is impossible to understand the feeling of loss many of us have. To have, only a few days later, the loss of an important promotional tool that local musicians need, is completely devastating.

I would hope that this is especially concerning to those of you planning to run for local office next year: Nancy Denson, Charlie Maddox, and others. Can you honestly say that you do not plan to hand out pamphlets supporting your campaign? What about every single one of the current elected officials of this city? Can you honestly say that you would be where you are today if you did not have the right to hand out information to the voters of this city? If you are willing to be honest, which I hope you are, there should be no reasonable way that you can look yourself in the mirror if you also look the other way, hoping that the city makes an exception for political soliciting.

I call on the city of Athens, both the government and the citizens, to please understand how important it is that this changes. We are a music town. We thrive on a spirit of do-it-yourself, and self-promotion is an important part of that formula. While you may, in the past, have been handed a flyer for a show you did not care to attend, please realize it is part of the culture of this town. It is unfair for the city to try to squeeze a few dollars out of fines, when the music of this town already dramatically helps the city through the heavily taxed alcohol sold at every one of our shows.

I know right and wrong. I know that this country was founded on the right to self promote. I know that the American Revolution was spurred by privately printed handbills, largely under the guidance of revolutionaries such as Thomas Paine and Samuel Adams. I know that Athens is a music town. And . . . I know that the musicians of Athens deserve better than this.