Pine Leaf Boys: Get Off My Lawn

<!- UL police order local musicians to pack it in. UL police told music group they couldn’t make music in the middle of the afternoon on the University o Louisiana campus without proper authorization. -><center><img src="http://www.theind.com/photos/20050406-news-0101.jpg"></center><blockquote><p align=justify>If The Pine Leaf Boys make enough money from their afternoon gigs to buy a pizza, it’s a good day. But a recent encounter with the UL Police has silenced the group — at least on campus.

Bandmember Wilson Savoy says he and his roommates, Jon Bertrand and Cedric Watson, along with Drew Simon, have been playing Cajun music on campus since August — usually with fiddle, guitar, accordion and t’fer. The acoustic quartet has performed on the corner of Rex Street and St. Mary Boulevard.

“We live near campus,” says Savoy. “We like playing music, and the people like it. We go out there when there’s nice weather to make a few bucks, but we’re not begging for money. That’s one of the nice things about Lafayette; the music is what it’s all about.”

While the group performs, there’s an open case for passersby to part with their spare change. “People thrown in money,” Savoy says. “We don’t ask them. We make, on average, $10 a day.” On the afternoon of March 23, The Pine Leaf Boys had netted $5 and had been playing for about five minutes when a UL Police car with its lights flashing pulled up to the curb.

An officer approached the group. “He said, ‘Stop the noise. There’s a complaint from the dean of students that there was noise on campus,’” says Savoy. “And he said, ‘That’s the same reason that we don’t let bums beg for money on the street. So if y’all want to do it, y’all have to get a permit.’ And yada, yada, yada. It was pretty offensive, so we packed up and left.”

Pat Cottonham, UL associate dean of students, says her office received a complaint about loud music and adds that the band wasn’t registered for an activity on campus, which is required by her office. “We didn’t know there was supposed to be a band,” she says. “People can’t just set up and be on campus.” Cottonham says The Pine Leaf Boys also didn’t have a permit from Lafayette Consolidated Government to perform. She adds, “They were in a quiet zone, 20 feet away from an academic building where science classes were going on.” (Montgomery Hall, the school’s chemistry building, sits on the same corner.)

Cottonham also claims that university police had paid The Boys a visit about the noise a week earlier, a claim that Savoy flatly denies. Cottonham also says that the officer denies making a reference to “bums.” Calls placed to the UL Police department were unreturned as of press time.

It was the first time the dean’s office had received a complaint about the music, according to Cottonham. “But if someone calls and complains, then we look into it,” she says. “I wouldn’t understand how a band would be able to be there since August — in a high traffic area — and not be noticed.”

<center><p><a href="http://www.theind.com/news2.asp?CID=459794151">The rest of the story</a>

By R. Reese Fuller
4/6/2005 <!--

Dean of Students Edward Pratt says the UL Police have informed him that The Pine Leaf Boys had been previously warned. “These are probably a bunch of nice kids,” he says, “and I wish they would have come up to us, talked to us and said, ‘Dean Pratt, we want to play music.’”

“I guess we’re just not going to do it anymore,” Savoy says. “It was kind of like a slap in the face. We weren’t doing it for the money, by any means. In a way, we just wanted to raise the morale of the UL experience. A lot of people take tours [of the campus] and a lot of students are out there. The only thing that differentiates this campus from LSU is live Cajun music, right here in Lafayette. We’re supposed to be the Cajun heartland of Louisiana, and UL is supposed to be the Ragin’ Cajuns, but they made us stop playing. I thought it was just pitiful, especially when we’re on a street where they’ve got trucks driving by, at 100 decibels, blowing out their rap and ~~~~.”

“I’m disappointed that they feel they weren’t treated fairly,” Cottonham says. “We want to be seen as a friendly campus, but there are rules and procedures to follow. This wasn’t the first warning given to them, and I would like to talk to them about what our rules and regulations are for coming on the campus. I’m sure that there’s a reasonable way for us to have a dialogue about this.”

But along with scraping their afternoon matinees, The Pine Leaf Boys don’t intend to speak with university officials over registering their activity or securing a permit from consolidated government.

“No, of course not,” Savoy says. “We didn’t think we needed a permit, and we still don’t.”
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Man, this is about some bull____ for real. These guys are nice enough to come out and play music for the students and what does the administration do, they friggen stop it. First of all if these people are complaining about loud noises from Montgomery why don't they stop the loud ~~~ cars from passing by there with there loud ~~~ music, now thats distracting. These guys would set up on the opposite side from Montgomery and just play music for the students. They were barely getting any kind of money because there playing for poor ~~~ students. You know the university preaches preservation of cajun culture, and then you have an outlet like a cajun band who comes to your campus and plays for free, just to play for the students.

If what they need is permit, the university should step up and get them one, because they were a breath of fresh air on campus.

Geaux Cajuns

It was odd to see them when they first started last year, but I got used to hearing them and learned to expect them. I thought they added something to an otherwise mundane day on campus. They play at the cajun jam at The Blue Moon Saloon and are definitely the "heart and soul" of the night. I'll be writing a letter to the Dean requesting they be given a spot, maybe near Cypress Lake.

I say get a petition together and try to get them back. Because obviously they should be able to play music on UL'S campus without a permit. So if you get a petition together saying they should be able to play without a permit. I say that if they are nice enough to play for the students on campus for free, The University should be nice enough to be able to let them play without a permit.

Guess what?? They just received the best unpaid publicity in the world!! Trying to suppress their activity by police action just made them the most popular/wanted group in Lafayette. If they get an opportunity to do "their thing" on campus you can bet your "bootie" they will pick up more change than ever before.

I am always amazed how some folks leap before they look!

I sent the following e-mail to The Vermillion as well as to a number of students and friends. The chain e-mail has started and it is going to the dean of students Dr. Pat Cottonham:

To all of you music lovers,

I did not have a great interest in cajun music when I first arrived here from Florida, but the experience of having local students play their hearts out most afternoons on Rex Street showed how fun it could be. If you agree that hearing The Pine Leaf Boys play after having a bad day made you smile, or that they added to the experience of this University, then copy and paste the letter found at the end of this correspondence to Dr. Pat Cottonham. Her e-mail is: patcottonham@louisiana.edu.

Sincerely,

A fan of this University


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Dr. Cottonham,

The Independent has recently printed an article, which you can find at the following website http://www.theind.com/news2.asp?CID=459794151, this article concerns the removal of the The Pine Leaf Boys from campus. I do not know any of the members, but I do have a personal gain, and that is to have a memorable experience at the University of Louisiana. Can anything be done to invite these musicians back to campus? Cypress Lake might be a reasonable spot. I believe the only way to have them return is to offer them an invitation and it would be a nice gesture if the University of Louisiana made this offer.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

The Student Body

SGA will be hearing about this on Monday...

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Originally Posted by Tripple Threat

I sent the following e-mail to The Vermillion as well as to a number of students and friends. The chain e-mail has started and it is going to the dean of students Dr. Pat Cottonham:

To all of you music lovers,

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I Sent a copy to her as well, anyone else I can bother about this? Those guys put a little cheer into the day.

<center><img src="http://www.timesofacadiana.com/images2/pineleafboys.jpg"></center><blockquote><p align=justify>Lafayette’s Pine Leaf Boys learn the whole world’s not a stage — at least when it comes to UL’s campus.

When Wilson Savoy, Cedric Watson, John Bertrand and Drew Simon get together to play, they call themselves the Pine Leaf Boys. Since August, The Pine Leaf Boys had been getting together and performing on the corner of Rex and St. Mary streets. They say the crowds loved them, often telling them so through compliments, dancing and clapping.

But when the University of Louisiana discovered the group, campus police had a different reaction.

St. Mary meets Rex in the heart of UL’s campus. On the corner, the university allows student organizations to fundraise and spread awareness for their causes. The soapbox is not, however, allowed for non-organizations, including musicians. According to Associate Dean of Students Pat Cottonham, UL has a policy requiring all on-campus activities — whether credit card sign-ups in the Union or fraternities seeking pledges — register through the university and follow guidelines. For live music, the corner of Rex and St. Mary is off limits. Instead the school offers the Green Area, which sits near the rim of the swamp between Cypress Lake and the Student Union.

On Wednesday, March 23, The Pine Leaf Boys were playing one of their usual hour-long lunchtime sets on the corner when a University Police officer approached. According to the officer, complaints were made, and the dean of students put a halt to the performance. Savoy, who is currently enrolled in the university, says that although no citations were given, the officer told them that they don’t allow bums to beg for money and called their Cajun music noise.

For Savoy, the comments cut deep. He is upset that the school of the Ragin’ Cajuns, which dedicates itself to preserving the culture, would stop the music from its campus and equate them to bums. Savoy says they never begged for money, but they did accept tips (usually only $5 a day).

Cottonham, however, says the interim University Police head and the responding officer deny the comments were made.

“Our mission is certainly not to make it difficult for people to come to our campus. We are complimented by people who want to come on campus,” she says. “It is just that our students are our first priority, and we do have rules to govern that they can have certain spaces on the campus and have access to those areas. If we didn’t have that kind of system in place, then people could be anywhere, anytime.”

According to Cottonham, this was the second time the Boys were reprimanded for playing on campus, adding they could have pressed “remaining after forbidden” charges.

<center><p><a href="http://www.timesofacadiana.com/Default.asp?Page=20">The rest of the story</a>

Nick Pittman
nick.pittman@timesofacadiana.com <!--

Savoy denies the allegation and says, “It wasn’t a problem until that particular day.”

Cottonham was quick to attempt a remedy for the situation, offering not only the Green Area, if they registered, but a chance to play Welcome Week, the first week of school when street performances are allowed for the entertainment of returning students. But the Pine Leaf Boys say it’s not worth the hassle.

“In a way, I don’t want to sound at all egocentric, but we were kind of doing it to give something … to the people that’s out there,” says Savoy, a world-traveled accordion ace and the son of Cajun music pillars Marc and Ann Savoy. Savoy points out that in addition to current UL students, prospective students visiting the campus saw and remarked on their performances.

For Savoy and his band, the registration process takes away from the spur of the moment informal performances. The irony of a school called the Ragin’ Cajuns booting a band of Cajun musicians off its campus is not lost on him.

“I think those rules apply if you want to play some kind of loud rap music or for some reasons if it was any way disrupting the order of the campus. I think they should welcome the Cajun musicians to the campus, they definitely shouldn’t give us any flack about it,” he says.

From Cottonham’s stance, there is no irony in the situation, as the policy applies to any and all who wish to come on campus.

“I don’t think that was the case. I think it was more the case of they didn’t register their event,” she says. “You know Hub City Ford might not have any problem with me going and setting up and selling cookies on their parking lot, if I tell them it’s for a good cause. But they won’t appreciate me just showing up there.”

“We hear it both ways. We certainly respect that this is an institution of higher Ed, that students are learning and growing.”

The legality of hindering artistic expression at a public place depends on the situation, according to Joe Cook of the Louisiana American Civil Liberties Union.

“You have to look at the facts of the situation, look at the rules and regulations, see if they pass muster in regards to the First Amendment,” Cook says.

But he is quick to point out that there can be a number of restrictions and conditions placed on First Amendment activity in a public place.

“You have to look at elements (and decide) whether the government has a compelling reason for regulating speech or restricting speech at a certain time or certain place,” he adds.

Cook says certain manner and certain types of speech can be restricted.

“Remember, that they can’t disrupt …”

In UL’s favor, their policy remains rigid toward who can come on campus. If they were to allow certain groups, Cook’s example is religious groups, but not others, the policy would be flawed and unconstitutional. UL’s policy seems to pass muster with its blanket policy and reasonable registration. On the other hand, whether four musicians performing without amplification on a busy corner — competing with traffic and car stereos — were disruptive can be questioned, especially when a student can bring a stereo on campus and likely be louder than The Pine Leaf Boys without violating UL’s noise ordinance.

The corner of Rex and St. Mary is very close to classrooms, but Savoy says people told him after the incident their music was barely audible from across the street.

“Compared to the rest of the noise, it’s almost inaudible from anything more than 30 feet away,” he says.

Either way, The Pine Leaf Boys already have found a new place to play — Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

LSU’s student organization office says that while a band must register to play a frat house or an event, because the campus is a public place, a band may come onto campus as long as it is not disruptive or amplified.

“They really appreciate us over there. We go and play out in the quad, and they have 100 people that come instantly and just start clapping for us and dancing,” says Savoy. “We went last week, and they had a French teacher, she brought her whole class. The whole class sat and listened to us.”

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Thanks to our lovely UP's and paperwork, I believe the Pine Leaf Boys have already transplanted themselves to lsu-BR...

What exactly do you mean by "transplanted"? I hope there not gone for good; I enjoyed hearing them at the Blue Moon as well as campus.

I wish I would hear cajun music in my classes, all I get is lawnmower noise.

All I really know is that I keep trying to get in touch with them, leaving messages offering to try to do something about the situation. Being that I went to middle school with one of them, I thought I would at least get a call back, but that has not happened yet. And then I read that they are playing at LSU since they can't play here. So I don't know what that means about their weekend schedule or anything, but I'll keep trying.

Free The Pine Leaf Boys! I haven't had a cause to really fight about in 30 years! These kids looks like fine young men. Let's get behind them.

"Free The Pine Leaf Boys! I haven't had a cause to really fight about in 30 years! These kids looks like fine young men. Let's get behind them."

Hippie rabble rouser! (just kidding :D )

PS: Hi

Thanks Chris... I think they really represent a Cajun culture and were creating a positive influence on the University. The Dean of Students should definitely find more crimes on campus bothering the student body, such as the loud music played by workers in the quad near the Moody Building (although it doesnt bother anyone, I dont think that the Pine Leaf Boys should be removed from campus for playing). Thanks and have a good one!!

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Originally Posted by mickzat

Free The Pine Leaf Boys! I haven't had a cause to really fight about in 30 years! These kids looks like fine young men. Let's get behind them.

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Right on MICK!!!!

somethin' tells me in your younger days you were one hell of a "rabble rouser"!!!!

is it football season yet? LOL!!

Z. :ms01:

I saw two music students practicing on campus yesterday and found myself wondering why the UP's weren't after them too.

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Originally Posted by BabbForHeisman

I saw two music students practicing on campus yesterday and found myself wondering why the UP's weren't after them too.

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No Cajun musical instruments!!!! ;)

Hmmm...This is an interesting topic. "The right to assemble peacefully?" Maybe the first Amendment? Hmmmm...How about "Speech in public forums?" Maybe....Food for thought, "While the government has the power to regulate the time, place, and manner of speech, the scope of this power depends in part on the governmental interest asserted. The government has a legitmate interest in maintaining public order and safety, but this interest may not be used to ban public expression entirely, or to regulate it in an arbitrary manner that it may allow censorship." Just a little food for thought!

That was beautiful...really. I wonder if the Dean is aware of these freedom's.

Let me give ya'll something to think about. Being a former bus driver for UL for 4 years, i can tell you that the UP's are a waste of a blue uniform. They look for anything and i mean ANYTHING to enforce their "power of the blue uni" on you. If someone scratches their arm, the whole force is there, they think they are more powerful than state troopers, the FBI, etc. And no, I am not exaggerating. I know because we dealt with them a lot. They're the bullies on campus, and they will always be. :hot: ::x:: :hot:

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If you don’t know the name Wilson Savoy, you will. A Eunice native and son of master accordionist and squeezebox builder Marc Savoy, Wilson is making a huge impact as a musician, cultural advocate and filmmaker. He’s only 24.

Wilson’s band, the Pine Leaf Boys, has literally become an overnight sensation. The Boys, who are all in their early 20s and late teens, became media darlings last spring when they were kicked off the University of Louisiana campus for playing their energetic Cajun and Creole music.

A few months later, they signed a record deal with Arhoolie Records of El Cerrito, Calif. and released their debut CD, "La Musique." Gigs stretching from Maryland to Fort Lauderdale to the New Orleans Jazz Fest await the Boys during the next two months.

<center><p><a href="http://www.acadiananow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060407/COLUMNISTS09/60406011/1040/ENTERTAINMENT" target="_blank">The rest of the story</a>

Herman Fuselier
hfuselier@theadvertiser.com

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Just last Sunday, Savoy showed his skills as a cultural advocate. He was the driving force behind the Save the Music Festival, a fundraiser for Louisiana Heritage and Gifts, located on Gloria Switch Road.

Like most record stores, Louisiana Heritage and Gifts is in the brink of closing its doors because of music downloads, legal and illegal, from the Internet. But this store doesn’t just sell CDs. It’s a sharing and learning center for musicians.

Young and old gather for jam sessions every Saturday afternoon. Fiddle and accordion lessons, taught by the best in the field, are held each week. But what happens to all that sharing and learning if the store closes?

Thankfully, musicians can put their minds at ease. Hundreds attended the Save the Music Festival and thousands of dollars were raised. Eleven bands provided nine hours of non-stop music. More wanted to play but their wasn’t enough time.

Dozens of people volunteered and just as many passed by to drop off cakes, pies, chicken or anything that could be sold to raise more money for the store. Talks are to make the festival an annual event.
Savoy’s most lasting impact may come from Almena Films, a Lafayette-based production company he founded in August 0 2000 with Bennet Rhodes. Ironically, for such a music-mad area, very little of the local sounds have been preserved on video.

Almena Films plans to change that with an ongoing series of documentaries, short films, instructional videos and more. The company couldn’t have picked a better first subject than the ever-changing and ever-colorful Horace Trahan.

In the DVD, "Hard Pressed, But Never Crushed," Trahan is captured at home in Ossun, with a cigarette and Miller High Life at hand, when he’s not playing the accordion. He details the racism and confusion he encountered on his “spiritual journey” from traditional Cajun prodigy to zydeco star who gave up rights to his smash hit, "That Butt Thang."

Trahan disappeared from music to become a born-again Christian and re-emerged to play reggae or whatever else came to his mind. He’s also had to defend his smoking and drinking to his church brothers.

“It’s says in the Scripture that it’s not what goes in a man’s mouth that defiles him,” said Trahan in the film. “It’s what comes out of his mouth that defiles him. So nothing that I put into this physical body of mine can touch my spirit.”

Trahan goes on to share his colorful philosophy on government, poverty, women and more. The film is an engrossing 19 minutes that leaves you wanting more.

Besides "Hard Pressed," Almena offers instructional D___ with Cajun accordion ace Steve Riley, zydeco triple row specialist Corey Ledet and fiddler Mitch Reed.

Savoy has proven he’s adept at music, film and culture and he’s only a few years removed from high school. The future is indeed bright with Savoy on stage and behind the camera.

(Listen to Herman Fuselier’s radio show at 10 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday on KRVS 88.7 FM. His TV show airs at 1:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on KDCG-TV 22.)




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&nbsp; The Pine Leaf Boys Bring Some Irreverence to Cajun Music with La Musique

The Pine Leaf Boys are a funny bunch. Even their name is irreverently funny (think about it for a second if you don't get the joke). They're a group of young guys whose non-musical behavior brings to mind the frathouse in college - you know the one, with the burning furniture in their lawn and the nonstop keg parties. Okay, they're not that bad, but they did get thrown off of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Campus once (they were playing music on the quad... apparently a no-no). In any case, they are a bunch of mischievious youngsters who play by far some of the best Cajun music out there today. When the music starts, the hilarity stops. There's no Caribbean-Cajun fusion (a la Beausoleil) or Swamp Pop slickness (a la Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys).... this is pure, unbridled, straight-up Cajun and Creole music, played carefully and lovingly in the old style.

<center><p><a href="http://worldmusic.about.com/b/a/257347.htm" target="_blank">The rest of the story</a>

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Their new album, La Musique, puts their music across as clearly as you'd hope it would. It's traditional yet fresh, and while the songs speak of sadness and lost love, the good-time Cajun feel comes across.

The Pine Leaf Boys play regularly in Southwest Louisiana, and will be appearing at both New Orleans JazzFest and Festival International de Louisiane. They'll be taking their act to the road in June, as well, and their tour schedule, while still a little fuzzy, does include Maryland, Virginia, Philadelphia and the greater Washington, DC area. They'll also be up in Chicago for the Old Town School Of Folk Music's summer festival in July.



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Originally Posted by NewsCopy

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Last year...kicked off of campus
This year...playing Jazz Fest

Not bad