SoVo: Why Paul McCartney, but no Pride in Piedmont Park?
June 25, 2009 at 3:57 pm by Thomas Wheatley in NewsThe Southern Voice raises an interesting question about why a former Wings bassist and ex-husband of model Heather Mills can be allowed to play in Piedmont Park, but the Atlanta Pride Festival had to reschedule the summer event until October.
…due to restrictions on city parks put in place during the drought, the official Pride festival has been postponed until late fall. Instead, a coalition of LGBT organizations are hosting Stonewall Week events through Sunday.
The Paul McCartney show — announced on June 24 and scheduled for Aug. 15 — is widely expected to draw a crowd as large or larger than the 50,000 who turned out to see the Dave Matthews Band in September 2007 for the Piedmont Park Conservancy’s Green Concert series.
But according to city officials, the concert is not a “Class A” festival.
“The Piedmont Park Green Concert Series is a Class B event. It is also a gated and ticketed event so it does not fall under the outdoor event policy,” said Sharon Davis, spokesperson for the city’s Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs department.
SoVo goes on to say the city’s dangerously close to contradicting itself should Mills’ former husband draw a crowd larger than 50,000 people. Now, we’ve never heard of this McCartney character, probably because we don’t listen to country music. But whoever he is, SoVo does raise a good point.
June 25th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
the piedmont park conservancy F’ed up and is ignoring the desires on atlanta’s citizens in order to make more money? again?
hard to believe.
those people normally have it together on every level.
June 25th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
the piedmont park conservancy F’ed up and is ignoring the desires of atlanta’s citizens in order to make more money? again?
hard to believe.
those people normally have it together on every level.
June 25th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
*Shrug*
I can think of many gay businesses surrounding Piedmont Park that would benefit from the McCartney concert.
Please, this is a once-in-a-lifetime event vs. an event that happens every year. Atlanta would be STUPID to turn Sir McCartney down.
The world also doesn’t always revolve around the gay community.
I’m sure we don’t want to be the community who prevented Paul McCartney from playing in Piedmont Park.
June 25th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Um, Dan, I believe the point is that if Sir Paul can put on his concert, Pride should have been allowed to have been there this upcoming weekend – not that Sir Paul shouldn’t put on his concert.
June 25th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Memo from the real world: gay pride is great, but it’s not every day you can score the bassist ex of a one-legged bitch. Gays have to live in the real world, too, and the park’s turf can only take so much traffic. Enjoy the show and accept your place in the grand scheme of things. You may be considered light in the loafers and all, but not literally. This is not a legit whine and the folks who made the decisions are not motivated by homophobia. After all, McCartney’s music is gayer than most of you could ever dream of being.
June 26th, 2009 at 7:38 am
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June 26th, 2009 at 9:31 am
I work near the Atlanta Parks Dept. Believe me, they aren’t homophobes. However, I’m not discounting the money angle. Also, like the article said the Paul Mc request was made this summer. Atl Pride plans have been brewing before the first of the year. Remember that the Jazz Festival hadn’t been allowed back to Piedmont either. With this venue, its always a rectangle — Piedmont Park Conservancy – Atlanta Parks Dept – Event Planners – community. Don’t squash the beetle, let him play.
June 26th, 2009 at 10:50 am
It’s not just the Pride Festival that has been kicked out of the park. Screen on the Green is now at Centennial Park, not Piedmont Park. Is there a drought going on at Piedmont but not at Centennial? I will never go to Centennial for the movies. It belongs at Piedmont. ATL Jazz Fest was also kicked out and the Dogwood had to be to let themselves back in. The City loves to keep perpetuating the myth that Piedmont is still in a drought, except when McCartney performs I guess. The city has destroyed the park experience. Every day is a red flag warning so you can’t even play sports there anymore, you have to pay to park since they closed the free parking lot, and security practically runs you down on their stupid golf carts. What a disgrace.
June 26th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Piedmont Conservancy is in it for the money and the Parks Dept does as it’s told. That’s not new but it’s all y’all need to know. They reckon to make a big bundle on the McCartney benefit concert, while their take from Pride would be minimal. In Conservancy dollars per blade of grass killed, it’s a no-brainer.
June 26th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Ding!Ding! I think that cityzen wins the prize for recognizing the true angle of the issue.
June 26th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
It’s the money! The Piedmont Park Conservancy gets to keep all the cash (and lots of it) from McCartney. Plus, what is wrong with the Conservancy making up rules that apply only to them? The Piedmont Park Conservancy has put money into the Park and now they own it. Only nimbys would have a problem with that.
June 27th, 2009 at 1:27 am
You uber liberals are such conspiracy theorists. The concert can pay for the damage it does to park. Plus it’s one night, not three days. Less wear and tear on the park.
June 27th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
Why does the Piedmont Park Conservancy get to close the Park to the public but that same Conservancy says no no other group can do so? The Park should be open to all at all times. But the most unfair is to let the Conservancy close it but not give that same privilege to others.
June 27th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
What does a conservancy do, and what does it need to do it?
June 28th, 2009 at 12:43 am
“The Park should be open to all at all times. ”
Yep, the hookers, hustlers, dealers and robbers would just LOVE that.
July 28th, 2009 at 5:18 am
i don’t mean to sound harsh here but you are talking about one of the greats here come on now don’t bash sir Paul case closed…
July 28th, 2009 at 5:39 am
I don’t know, Michael. It’d be one thing if we were talking about Denny Laine. But the bassist from Wings?
(insert winking emoticon here)
September 25th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
“Now, we’ve never heard of this McCartney character, probably because we don’t listen to country music.”
Oh wow. I hope you’re joking…
September 25th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
“Oh wow. I hope you’re joking.”
Oh wow. I hope you’re joking…
September 26th, 2009 at 12:23 am
Hypnotherapist: Well, I did get Paul McCartney out of Wings…
Homer Simpson: You idiot! He was the talented one!
October 2nd, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Wow people,Paul willing to come to Atlanta instead of some other city? Come on….PLUS DONATE THR PROCEEDS GET OFF THE PIPE AND GET OVER IT………. The thing that psses me off is they didn’t promote it right there should have been 80,000 people! The show was great just look up how many places he went on this tour……..not many
October 2nd, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Jack – McCartney is a legend and still alive, so it isn’t hip to like him or anything he does. It can be hip to like the music he made with the dead guys in the Beatles, who are far more hip than Sir Paul because he was the “cute” one and is still breathing.
Some of the same people who dis McCartney will foam at the mouth to see a bands that the MEMBERS of the band wont remember in 20 years. Do these people or the bands they love really matter? No, but they are hip. Mainly because you and I may not be in the know.
McCartney is a legend and I wish I had been in town for the show.
October 2nd, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Pretending to be unaware of McCartney’s musical significance is self-effacing humor, not humor at McCartney’s expense.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I understand some dork wants to bulldoze over miles and miles of some of the priciest real estate in the state so folks in Duluth can get to the airport faster.
October 2nd, 2009 at 5:12 pm
no one has ever accused dalec of getting it.