The noise issues on Frenchmen Street continue. This morning I heard from Bruce Coury, owner of Mojito’s Rum Bar & Grill who told me that amplified music in his courtyard had been temporarily stopped by the city’s Quality of Life Officer for being too loud. Vaso, on the corner of Frenchmen and Decatur, across from our office, also received a warning citation regarding music noise being over the limit. I also hear that BMC on the corner of Esplanade and Decatur was cited, but I haven’t been able to confirm this.

Music isn’t noise. But it can have a very negative impact on neighbors, if it’s loud enough and late enough. I just think that complaining about music—no matter how loud it is—before 10 at night is ludicrous if you live on or near an entertainment district, like Bourbon or Frenchmen. I know people do this, and I just have no patience for it. Bourbon Street has been an entertainment district since before I was born; Frenchmen Street has been an entertainment district for at least 12 years. If you can’t stand the heat, you shouldn’t be in the kitchen.

When I asked Coury if he knew what had precipitated the shut-down, he told me that he understood that someone who lived on Frenchmen Street complained. He told me that the venue had received two warnings previously, which he said were not accurate, as these complaints came in when they didn’t have live music playing.

“If we can’t have live music in our courtyard, it’ll definitely affect our business negatively,” Coury said. When I made the suggestion that he might need to move the music inside, or at least have the outside music be non-amplified, he said: “Patrons like to sit outside in beautiful weather and listen to a live band. Our clientele loves the music we have.” As a business owner, I understand his concerns. Mr. Coury was trying to get in touch with Kristen Gisleson Palmer’s office to discuss the matter.

I happened to speak to a few people in the neighborhood about the noise issue, and found that some clubs say they are being harassed by neighbors, even when they try to conform to the noise ordinance regulations. Checkpoint Charlie’s manager said that her club (Esplanade and Decatur) and the Balcony Music Club (BMC) (on the same corner across the street) are being targeted by the owner/resident of a building next to BMC that is for sale. “We’re aware of the noise issue,” she said, and we try to keep the doors shut to contain the music. But this guy complains no matter what; he even complains when we don’t even have music. He’s complained about brass band music at Checkpoint, which we don’t even have. We’ve shut the doors, and he’s still the only one that complains.”

BMC had their acoustic balcony music shut down after complaints from the same resident. They now apparently are keeping their front doors that face onto Esplanade shut and are opening only their side doors.

The Fire Station that can't move away from the loud music. (Source: TripAdvisor)

Then I got a visit this afternoon from the chief of the Esplanade/Decatur fire station, which sits in the triangle between Vaso, Checkpoint Charlie’s and Mojito’s. Turns out that the firemen had complained about Mojito’s music because it was so loud they couldn’t sleep or watch television. (Mojito’s outside courtyard is smack-dab across Frenchmen Street from the fire station). “We don’t mind if they play music, but it’s so loud at 2 a.m. that we just can’t function,” said the chief. “An even worse offender is the Dragon’s Den; at 5 a.m. they are playing techno music so loud that it bounces off the Old Mint and literally shakes the walls of the fire house.” That’s not acceptable either.

As my readers know, I will always root for the music side. The city needs music; Frenchmen Street (and Bourbon Street) need music and have to present it. It’s essential to what makes New Orleans the culturally exciting city that it is. It’s a shame that Mojito’s can’t have live music playing at 2 a.m. because it disturbs the fire fighters across the street. Perhaps turning down the volume would help, or moving it inside and have recorded acoustic music outside that’s not quite so loud would help solve that issue.

Clubs on both Bourbon and Frenchmen assert that without being able to open their doors to let music out into the street, they will not be able to attract customers. But there’s a difference in letting the sounds of music drift into the street, and playing music so loud that it becomes a nuisance. Another downside when this happens is that other clubs—particularly those on Bourbon—try to outpace competitors in loudness, so there’s a battle of the speakers going on that escalates until the music is so loud that not only is it not enjoyable, it’s precipitating complaints from residents. It’s damaging to the eardrums of potential patrons, the people who work in the venues, and the musicians who play in them. This is again, not acceptable, and it needs to stop.

I wonder—and maybe this is just me—if I want to go into a venue that has music to party, would I go to one that was so loud I couldn’t talk to other people in the bar, and that hurt my ears? Not me. I wouldn’t. But then my motivation is not to drink massive quantities, dance and to meet people of the opposite sex.  I’d rather talk.

This is sort of where Bourbon and Frenchmen diverge. Bourbon has a reputation of being more of a place to drink and party, whereas Frenchmen Street is more of a music destination. In either case, though, I do perceive that the issues regarding the noise ordinance and music need a meeting of the minds, and enforcement of existing laws. People in New Orleans tend to be laissez-faire about almost everything, but annoy a few residents who have money, and access to attorneys and the government’s ear, and you’re going to close down the businesses. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. If the residents squeak loudly enough, they’ll be able to control what businesses operate. That’s not fair to the businesses. They need to stop their campaign to squelch music.

On the other hand, if the businesses conform to noise laws—shut your doors, that’s a good start—they’ll have less problems with complaints.

Personally, I feel there is a well-oiled machine and well-funded miniscule residents’ group that’s behind all the brouhaha regarding loud music. The businesses need to bring their contribution to the tax coffers to bear, and at the same time, try to work with the city to make sure that everyone benefits. Not every resident is going to be happy; and I can assure you that the venues will protest that unless they can broadcast music into the streets that they won’t be happy either. There’s got to be a middle ground.