Lawyer/Musicians Pitch in to Help @BeachlandCle Pay Legal Debt

Beachland

Sat 2/7 @ 8PM

Back in 2010, the City of Cleveland stepped up the enforcement of its entertainment admissions tax which it had long let slide. It started coming after small locally owned music venues such as the Beachland Ballroom and Peabody’s, to pay this steep tax, which has been raised to 8 percent — one of the highest in the country — in the mid ’90s to help pay for the construction of a new Browns Stadium.

The amount the city wanted out of the Beachland — nearly $400,000 — threatened to shut the club, which had just hit its first decade in business and was finally starting to see returns on its faith and investment in the Waterloo Road area. The grants that were starting to be awarded to the area for things like the recently completed streetscape and rehabbing housing for artists would have gone to dress up a ghost district if that had happened.

And since clubs like the Beachland make their money at the bar, not the door, almost all of which goes to pay musicians, they were essentially taking some indie band’s gas money and putting the screws on small entrepreneurs who were barely surviving to help a billionaire team owner get a little richer. If you don’t think that made smoke come out of local music fans’ ears, think again.

“We don’t make money on the door,” said Beachland co-owner Mark Leddy in 2011. “They are taxing a portion of your business that is a loss to begin with. That’s a big, dark cloud hanging over the Beachland. Every time the city comes after us, [co-owner] Cindy [Barber]’s colitis kicks up.”

(The kicker: repeated studies have shown that professional sports, especially football, provide no economic benefits to a region, but merely move disposable dollars away from already existing businesses — like the Beachland.)

Beachland2

Now, as the Beachland moves into its 15th anniversary (which it will celebrate in March), they finally worked out a deal with the city late last year to cut the amount they owe, dropping some of the steep interest charges and letting them pay it over time. And thanks to public outcry and pressure and supportive city council members, in July 2012 the city dropped the tax to 4 percent for venues under 750, which includes the Beachland. But the club still has close to $25,000 in legal fees to pay.

Appropriately, a bunch of their lawyer friends are riding to the rescue. Led by attorney Michael Donnelly who is in the band Faith and Whiskey (there are more lawyers in bands than you would think), four bands comprising primarily lawyers will perform at Raising the Bar: Lawyers in Support of the Beachland. It takes place at the Beachland of course, and Faith and Whiskey will be joined by Rule 11 & the Sanctions, Out of Order and the Hung Jury. DJ Wolfe will also be providing music.

The event will also feature a silent auction of music-related goodies so get there when the doors open at 7 to spend some time checking them out.

Admission is $10 in advance, $12 at the door, although you are certainly free to donate more. This is the time for every one of you music fans who loves the Beachland and the constant stream of high-quality artists, both local and touring, it presents to step up and help out. There is a GoFundMe page for those who can’t make it to the show but want to help out.

beachlandballroom.com/raising-the-bar-cleveland-lawyers-in-support-of-the-beachland-w-faith-whiskey

Cleveland, OH 44110

 

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