That's Just The Way It Is...After the North Tonawanda Police cited vendors at the Gateway Park concert two weeks ago, the State Liquor Authority has pulled the liquor license putting the event in jeparody for the rest of the season and forcing the promoters to move this weeks headline act to Buffalo. [Tonawanda News article]

The story really begins–like much misery in my life–with the overzealous North Tonawanda Police Department. A few weeks back they dispatched an underage, undercover girl to buy beer at one of the Labatt Blue Light canal concerts. The dumbass working the tap sold the girl beer, and as a result, the state liquor authority revoked the promoters’ alcohol license, making it impossible to raise enough money to pay Mr. Hornsby’s appearance fee. While the NT police still haven’t caught the Booby Bandit that has been loose in the city for the last week, they wrapped up “The Case of the Girl We Hired To Buy Beer” lickety-split. [Middleman web site]

With a week passed after the alledged underaged purchase, when does the SLA show up to turn off the taps? In the middle of last weekend’s show featuring Greatful Dead recreationists, Dark Star Orchestra. Were they looking to incite a riot?

Local band Middleman, quoted above from their website, was bumped off the bill at the Buffalo show, a charity benefit for the Feed The City project to help out the Buffalo City Mission.

Earlier this year, they canceled an appearance by Joan Jett after some contract mixup. Jett ended up playing at the Seneca Niagara Casino that day.

Once again, N. T. officials have managed to ruin a successful event in their city. You may recall the Molson-sponsored concert series that used to be held there was moved to Lockport because of a less-than-cooperative attitude between the Mayor’s office and the promoters. You’d think they would have learned their lesson. After this snafu, they’ll be luck to get an organ-grinder and monkey to play there next summer.