State’s new street bar music restrictions spark controversy

A few months ago, we announced the arrival of a new bar on State Street. The whole town of Madison was jumping for joy because State Street in its current state didn’t have enough bars. Prior to the opening of this bar, an interview was conducted with the bar’s new owner, Chase Williams.

“The VV is something special,” Williams said. “We’re doing something that none of the other bars are doing right now and I’m excited about the opening. I’m expecting big things.

This created a lot of hype surrounding the VV’s grand opening. With a lot of hype comes a lot of responsibility to meet and hopefully exceed expectations.

On grand opening night, the VV brought in Madisonians by boat, creating a line all around the block. Another line naturally formed in the opposite direction, consisting of sobbing freshmen after being refused entry. As everyone settled in and the drinks started flowing, many customers noticed something very strange. When they went to their Touch Tunes app on their phone, it looked like certain artists such as Luke Combs, Luke Bryan and Morgan Wallen weren’t allowed to play in the bar. Many customers seemed confused, some seemed to like it, and some were downright angry.

“What the hell is that stunt?!?!?! When I come to a bar, I expect two things! A nice ice cold Budweiser, Fox News on TV and my beloved country music” , said one of the customers, who was clearly upset about the music restrictions.

When asked why he named three things when he said he expected two things, his response was, “I’m pretty sure I said two things. Now leave me alone. I have high school wrestling to watch.

The owner was obviously under fire for music restrictions, prompting him to release a statement that read, “I kept my promise. The VV has something no other bar in Madison has! When Chase was asked about the possibility of changing this policy, he said: ‘All I have to say is that I’m not the only bar owner restricting music. I don’t mention any names. »

This controversy sparked many conversations. Important conversations that could lead to much-needed change in our city. Chase claimed that his bar was not the only bar restricting music and that the bars he was referring to would be a bar called Double U and Chasers. However, Chase neither confirmed nor denied that he was referring to these bars.

Chase says the reason people aren’t outraged at other bars is because they restrict rap music.

“Throughout the history of rap, rap artists and those who listen to rap music have been subject to many forms of discrimination and prejudice. When the townspeople of Madison hear someone listening to rap, they start to prejudge them. This problem has surrounded the genre since its inception. People said things like “rap is violent” or “rap doesn’t make sense; it’s just a question of drugs, weapons and money. These things perpetuate a false narrative surrounding the genre,” Williams began.

“Maybe these rap artists are rapping about violence and drugs and guns because from a young age that’s all they’ve been through. Rap ​​is like journalism and artists are trying to do light on aspects of their lives that others may not even understand. This gender discrimination is racism disguised as musical opinion and the restriction of this music is also racism. These restrictions are no different from clothing restrictions which clearly target certain types of people that many companies have recognized as discriminatory,” the bar owner said in response to the lack of outrage over the other music restrictions.

Williams raises valid and significant points that might upset a lot of people, but the good news is that if you want to avoid people who are upset, just go to the VV! As of now, the VV is still thriving and looks like it’s here to stay. It acts as a home for those who went to the previously mentioned bars and wanted to play Drake’s “God’s Plan”, only to find that even Drake was restricted.