| SOUNDCHECK | t Music THU 4/21 TOMMY CASTRO AND THE PAINKILLERS FEATURING SPECIAL GUEST DEANNA BOGART • 8PM $26-$30 FRI 4/22 ELECTRIC SIX Volk• 8PM $20-$25 SAT 4/23 ROSIE FLORES & THE TALISMEN Pat RobERtS & tHE HEYMakERS • 8PM $20 SUN 4/24 ROGER! DOUG PRESTON, CAROL PACEY AND THE HoNEYS • 8PM $10 TUES 4/26 THE ANTIBACTERIA CAFETERIA PRESENTS JaRED GottbERG, MIlES to NoWHERE • 8PM $10 WED 4/27 IGOR & THE RED ELVISES • 8PM $10-$12 Gold Plated Alice Cooper is coming to Arizona license plates. BY JENNIFER GOLDBERG I t seems like Arizona has specialty plates for just about everything, from the Arizona Cardinals to the Girl Scouts to Route 66. Soon, the latest option will be an Alice Cooper license plate. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey has signed House Bill 2615, which authorized a special “youth music and art” license plate. The bill was sponsored by Republican Arizona State Representative Joseph Chaplik (R-23). The license plate will bear the image of Cooper, who has lived in Arizona for decades and founded the Solid Rock Teen Centers in 1996. Solid Rock’s Phoenix and Mesa locations offer support, a welcoming environment, and free arts Noisy Neighbors Tempe music venue Shady Park loses its case against Mirabella at ASU. BY JENNIFER GOLDBERG with its across-the-street neighbors, senior community Mirabella at ASU, about noise levels, the judge in a lawsuit Mirabella brought against the venue has ruled against Shady Park. Shady Park announced the news last A week on social media. “With a heavy heart, we have surprising and devastating news to report: the judge in our February trial against the ASU retirement home has just ruled in their favor. This ruling will force Shady Park to cease all live music operations immediately, as the restrictions mandated make it impossible for us to hold live music events.” Though the venue said it plans to appeal the ruling, it added that if it is upheld, “Shady Park will likely be forced to close its doors to so many of our friends, family, and staff members.” In his ruling, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Brad Astrowsky wrote that noise complaints against Shady Park were not limited to Mirabella residents, and cited testimony from ASU students and guests at nearby hotels that they found the music 36 Benjamin Leatherman City of Tempe to shut down live music at Shady Park.” In July, Shady Park paused operations to add sound-reduction measures to the prop- erty, including a step-pyramid roof. The venue reopened in September. But the soundproofing didn’t do the trick, according to Mirabella residents and Astrowsky’s ruling. “No credible evidence was presented to support the conclusion that the installation of the canopy had any impact on mitigating the volume and bass emanating from Shady Park,” he wrote. “To the contrary, the testi- mony of Mirabella residents, residents of neighboring apartments, and guests and management of neighboring hotels strongly suggests that the canopy had little-to-no lmost 10 months after popular Tempe music venue Shady Park announced that it was in a dispute and music instruction for young people ages 12 to 20. “Alice Cooper has spent decades gener- ously giving of himself to benefit Arizona charities and communities,” Chaplik said in a press release on April 7. “His Solid Rock Teen Centers are making a real difference in the lives of Arizona’s youth by providing a safe and supportive environ- ment where they can find inspiration, friendship, and overcome shared chal- lenges through the arts and music.” coming from the venue to be disruptive. The public first heard of a dispute between Mirabella and Shady Park in June 2021, when the venue posted on its social media, “A few weeks ago, some of [Mirabella’s] residents began a coordinated, aggressive campaign to attempt to force the Jim Louvau You’ll soon be able to put an Alice Cooper license plate on your vehicle. The specialty plate will cost $25 per year for the driver, $8 of which is an administrative fee. The remaining $17 per plate per year will go to Solid Rock. An availability date for the Alice Cooper Youth Music and Art license plate has not been announced. Keep an eye on the Arizona Department of Transportation website for updates. impact on noise and bass levels.” In October, Mirabella filed a lawsuit with the Maricopa County Superior Court in which it requested an injunction to prohibit Shady Park from playing music at a level that “exceeds Tempe’s community standard.” Shady Park’s attempts to get the case dismissed in January 2022 were unsuccessful, and the trial began in February. Mirabella at ASU issued a statement after the ruling was announced. “We appreciate and respect the Maricopa County Superior Court’s time and decision in favor of Mirabella at ASU and its resi- dents. This ruling provides relief to Mirabella residents and the surrounding community who have been harmed by Shady Park’s excessive noise,” the statement read. “Our residents are an important part of the vibrant and growing downtown Tempe community and appreciate its culture and energy, but simply wish to enjoy their commu- nity without unreasonable disruption. We hope the court’s ruling results in peaceful coexistence moving forward and a celebration of a community that is inclusive and respectful of all.” So for now, Shady Park is ceasing opera- tions, but the venue is looking ahead to the appeals process. “We remain hopeful that the court system will correct this injustice and that our appeal will allow us to once again host live music and provide a bit of joy and happiness to thousands of people every week.” APRIL 21ST– APRIL 27TH, 2022 PHOENIX NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | FEATURE | NEWS | OPINION | FEEDBACK | CONTENTS | phoenixnewtimes.com
