Texas Bar Owner Starts a Controversy After Making Bands Play the National Anthem at His Venue
Peace of Blues guitarist Kepha Arcemont had planned a night of guitar slinging at Canyon Road Barn & Grill reminiscent of his guitar hero, Jimi Hendrix, slaying the stage 50 years ago at Woodstock.
A lanky, white-haired 59-year-old, Arcemont has been a fan of Hendrix since he was a teenager growing up in New Orleans. He is such a fan that on Saturday night in late July, he swapped the signature white Afro wig he’s been known to wear onstage for an authentic replica hat that Hendrix had worn onstage at Woodstock in 1969.
So when a patron at Canyon Road reminded him that he was required to play the national anthem at the beginning of the set, Arcemont quickly found Hendrix’s version of the national anthem, put his phone up to the microphone and played it through his buddy’s PA system. He figured Hendrix’s version would be better since he doesn’t have the vocal range to sing it or the chops to set his guitar on fire like Hendrix.
Arcemont figured wrong.
Band members were forced to leave before playing the rest of their set, and though he faced the flag and placed his hand over his heart, Arcemont says bar owner Kent Thomspon admonished him for not removing his hat during the national anthem. Now he says he knows how NFL players like Colin Kaepernick felt when they began taking the knee in protest during the national anthem.
Read more: https://www.dallasobserver.com/music/a-texas-bar-owner-demand-musicians-play-national-anthem-musicians-say-hes-violating-civil-rights-11725045
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