MOLOA‘A — It was supposed to be the 10th and one of the most memorable editions of the Homegrown Music Festival. And it still might go into Kaua‘i’s history books as such, but for different reasons than the organizers and
MOLOA‘A — It was supposed to be the 10th and one of the most memorable editions of the Homegrown Music Festival. And it still might go into Kaua‘i’s history books as such, but for different reasons than the organizers and concert-goers had envisioned.
While many musicians and residents are praising last weekend’s event as a peaceful get-together, they are also appalled by what they are calling harassment by the Kaua‘i Police Department.
“It was probably one of the most beautiful family get-togethers that I have ever seen on this island,” said event organizer Dove Liddle, who police arrested for disorderly conduct after allegedly receiving noise complaints.
Donovan Frankenreiter, Chris Berry and Sashamon were among the long list of local talent performing at the two-day festival at Moloa‘a’s One Love Gardens.
Some 500 people attended the concert on Saturday, and 300 on Sunday. More than half of them were women and children. Not one fight broke out, not one person got heavily drunk, according to Liddle.
For KPD, however, the event wasn’t all about love, peace and music, as they reportedly showed up Saturday in large numbers. On Sunday, the police returned and left with Liddle in handcuffs, plus 60 traffic citations.
Liddle said even before the music started on Saturday, there were several police cars outside the event’s site. The police told him they were there because there had been a noise complaint, he said.
Local musician Rosie Cutter had a performance scheduled for Sunday evening, but she also attended the event on Saturday as a concert-goer. She said there were about 16 police cars, taking limited parking stalls and slowing down traffic.
“They made it so that there was only one direction of traffic, and they made everyone stop,” she said.
Inside the event, people were “sending positive messages of love and peace,” said musician Shoshana B, calling the festival a place to “gather thought and celebrate life.”
Cutter shared a similar view.
“It was super chill; there were kids running everywhere. But then there was this ominous presence of the police,” she said.
Organizer arrested
Liddle said a police officer told him on Saturday to turn off the sound at 9:30 p.m. because of a noise complaint. On Saturday the event was scheduled to run from noon to 10 p.m.
Liddle said the law allows him to make sound at a certain decibel level between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. He even showed the officer a print-out of the law, he said.
“Police officers don’t like it when you try to show them the law,” he said. The police replied by telling him that if they had a complaint they could shut down the concert any time of the day.
“Here I am totally stone-cold sober, trying to have a conversation with the police officer, and then all of a sudden there were eight of them all around me, circling me,” Liddle said.
At that point, Liddle overheard the officer on the phone saying: “Should we take him in?”
Realizing he didn’t want to go to jail, he said he agreed to turn the music off.
Donovan Frankenreiter was playing, and Liddle said he tried to stop the music.
The police then came into the venue and surrounded the stage.
Liddle said the night was then over, and the crowd went home.
On Sunday the concert was scheduled to run from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. The police once again showed up.
“I talked with them and no one told me they were looking for me,” Liddle said. At 6 p.m. the police arrested Liddle for alleged disorderly conduct the previous night.
“It’s a petty misdemeanor. It was only $50 bail,” said Liddle, adding he had never been arrested before. “I have a court date. I’m definitely going to plead not guilty.”
After Liddle’s arrest, the police left the concert altogether, but not before telling the organizers to shut down the music, according to Liddle’s wife, Raven Liddle.
Musicians did continue to play, but did so in acoustic mode, and many of them had their act cut short or canceled.
Traffic tickets
Many complained that the heavy presence of the police at such a peaceful concert was a waste of taxpayers’ money.
Officers issued as much as 60 traffic tickets, a number confirmed by county spokeswoman Mary Daubert.
Liddle said it was unfair, adding that one of his neighbors, a farmer, got a ticket because his license plate was dirty. “Is that crazy or what?” he said.
“They were just out to ticket whoever they could for whatever,” said Liddle, adding that he saw many cars that got ticketed because a tire was touching the curb.
Questions
Liddle questioned why KPD’s priorities were so high at such a peaceful event. He said he hired four security guards to ensure safety, but all those guards did was talk to the police the whole time.
“The police were the problem. If the police wouldn’t even show up, it would’ve been perfect,” he said.
Artist Annabelle D’Artois, who performed an aerial-silk number, questioned why the police would target a peaceful get-together and family-oriented event.
Cutter called the police action “ridiculous.”
“I don’t understand why we’re allowed to have rodeos, huge football games and all kinds of other stuff,” she said.
‘Awesome event’
Shoshana B said the event was about bringing people together and sending a message of peace and harmony. Despite the police presence, she said there might be a positive side.
“Hopefully, maybe something positive happened with the whole thing going down,” she said. “Maybe it’ll shed some light on something positive.”
Cutter said there are a lot of other problems on Kaua‘i, and it’s hard to get the police to show up for any of them.
“Music is good for the people and we have to get our priorities straight on this island,” she said.
Liddle said after his arrest he has received “huge support” from the community. “Everyone is really shocked.”
Musician Sashamon said the island needs a place for people to gather and have music.
“It was an awesome event,” he said.
Police response
Daubert said KPD responded to a complaint filed by a Moloa‘a resident for “loud and excessive noise” by monitoring and conducting traffic enforcement at the music festival in Moloa‘a.
“Our police officers acted appropriately and professionally in ensuring the safety of the concert-goers, those traveling through the Moloa‘a area, and the surrounding property owners,” said KPD Chief Darryl Perry, adding that no major incidents occurred while police were present in the area.
Visit www.thegardenisland.com for video footage of Liddle’s arrest.
• Paul C. Curtis, assistant editor and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or pcurtis@kauaipubco.com.
• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@kauaipubco.com.
