The unprofessionalism and the racial misconduct at the Ridglea
Warning!
The language that will be used in this article is offensive, vulgar and is triggering to many groups of people including myself. Parental and personal discretion has been advised
In the past several months, there has been multiple, unreported accounts of unprofessionalism, racial misconduct including name calling, usage of racial slurs and a handful of hostile situations, courtesy of the staff members at the Ridglea Theater. Witnesses, victims (including myself), former employees and promoters have shared multiple situations involving the misconduct of one or more staff members on more than one occasion. The recent months is only a quarter of the story behind the unwelcoming, volatile employees that occupy the Camp Bowie establishment. In this article, I will be discussing two of the most recent events where the employees have acted or treated a situation in an unprofessional manner, used profane and disturbing language to attendees and antagonized witnesses. The views and the opinions stated in this article are from my perspective only.
March 18, 2022, Not So Fun Weekend
On this evening, just like any other evening, the Ridglea theater was packed with a multi-cultural audience, a mixture of ethnicity and colors of skin. As the California band ZULU, all black powerviolence band, ended their set and began to wrap up their gear, the guitarist had a few words to say. The guitarist wanted to express his disdain and his opinion on the individual controlling the sound (let’s call him the sound guy). The sound guy was wearing an article of headwear the guitarist did not approve, the MAGA (Make America Great Again) hat. The guitarist also stated that the sound guy put the hat on before the band played, making it clear of the intentional gesture to create tension. After the guitarist ended his statements, the sound guy proceeded to position himself in front of the guitarist with haste and aggression. The sound guy’s actions were perceived as a form of retaliation towards the guitarist’s rights to exercise free speech (no form of violence or hostility was present in the guitarist’s words, only an opinionated expression). The signs of agitation were clear in the sound guy’s immediate actions, he did not put himself in the position to resolve the conflict at hand, he was present to make matters much worse than intended. As one of the photographers on stage, I was too close for comfort at the situation unfolding. In a fit of rage, the sound guy began to threaten the guitarist, screaming “Come on! I will beat your fucking ass!” repeatedly. At one point during his screaming fit, he yells to me, “I’ll beat your black ass too!”. Within the following moments, members of the audience began to express their disgust towards the actions of the sound guy. He redirected his temper tantrum towards the audience members, yelling at an audience member to “shut her fat ass up” and continued to use other vulgarities I am not able to mention because I began to exit the stage. From that moment on, the continuation of antagonizing behavior from the sound guy carried on, threatening more people until a huge brawl took place. Staff members poorly attempted to diffuse the situation, eventually reaching its bitter end.
In this situation, there are a number of things to talk about. I would like to stick to the main parts, to clarify why I feel as if it was handled unprofessionally in an establishment where professionalism is necessary.
Unwarranted aggressive behavior
As stated above, the verbal expression from the guitarist is what caused the sound guy to react. The words used by the guitarist did not insinuate, suggest or promote any acts of violence or aggression. It was simply to express the opinions of an article of clothing that the individual found distasteful, along with his view on what the article means to him. In the heat of the moment the sound guy, who is employed or hired to perform a duty, makes the conscious effort to intimidate, ultimately provoking a fight. There is speculation that the sound guy was wearing the hat throughout the day. Whether that is true or false, it is beside the point. As time continued forward, his level of agitation grew, forming into a temper tantrum followed by the brawl. The level of unprofessionalism in the situation is alarming. The emotional reaction of the sound guy, in attendance to perform a task, towards the verbal conflict is questionable. Damaging and out of control, the sound guy did not seem to be psychologically suited to handle a job that involves sharing the same capacity as the general public. Concern for public safety has reach a higher level and suspicions of the hiring process are in question. Audience members do not attend live music events to walk on eggshells around unruly staff members, they are there to enjoy their evening with as little trouble and drama as possible. Exercising the first amendment rights should not result to aggression by employees of an establishment, especially when there is no sign of prior aggressive behavior.
Continuation of antagonizing behavior toward audience members and others including the usage of name-calling
After the sound guy tried to gain the upper hand in the screaming match against the guitarist, the situation did not cease, only making matters progressively worse. The sound guy, still in his fit of rage, was not in his right mind, unable to contain himself. He redirected his attention to me, after I positioned myself behind the guitarist, who is also my friend, to make sure that nothing sinister was going to unfold. After he repeatedly threaten the guitarist, yelling “Come on, I’ll beat fucking ass!”, he turns his attention towards me and screams “I’ll beat your black ass too!”. In that moment I was not only uncomfortable, and a tad worried about my safety, but I was also deeply offended. I was not a part of the initial situation; I was there as a photographer for the event and to enjoy the festivities. The tone that was present in his voice was filled with hatred, his eyes were filled with malice, the same with his body language. There was no doubt in my mind that the sound guy wanted to hurt me as well. It was extremely uncomfortable spot to be in. The level of unpredictability was soaring to the roof. The sound guy then redirected his energy towards audience members. By this time, the crowd was fully aware of what was going on and became vocal. At that point, the sound guy yelled out to an individual, “shut your ass up, you fat bitch”. Uncalled for and unnecessary at it was, the sound guy showed no mercy, no remorse whatsoever, disregarding what he had said was hurtful. His intention was to hurt, insult, antagonize and cause harm to others. In our current generation, mental health has become one of the leading problems in young adults. With the increasing rate in suicide and self-harm incidents, I became worried about the mental state of the audience member. He screamed other vulgarities to the crowd, increasing the amount of tension as he continued to let his rage get the best of him. Before long, after spewing more negativity and hurling more insults and profane language, he ultimately received what he was asking for during the intense moments.
4/11/22 at the Ridglea Lounge
According to the witnesses who attended the show on April 11th at the Ridglea Lounge, the tension was obvious and was maintained at a high level. It carried on from the previous music event that occurred only two weeks prior, NSFWKND on March 19th. It was said that some of the staff members who were present at the event in March were also present at this particular show, including the troublesome sound guy. The show that occurred on April 11th did not reach the same outcome as the previous event; participants felt uncomfortable and were on edge due to the treatment from the staff. Although none of the participants were involved in the situation that took place at the last event, they were treated as if they were. Here are some of things that happened that night:
Refusal to let participants inside who previously paid for a ticket
According to witnesses who arrived at the show before 7:00 pm, the venue was packed but not a full capacity yet. By this time, majority of the participants have already paid to attend and acquired their wristbands to enter. After the first band performed, some of the participants stepped outside, due to the swelting heat that accumulated inside of the venue (another issue that will be discussed). Before the second band began to play, those who have already purchased a wristband were met with an illogical issue; the man who was working the door refused to let them in. It was said that the venue has reached capacity, or so it was said. By this time, band members approached the staff with an offer to pay for the show to be moved to a bigger room to let in more people in, including the individuals who already paid for their wrist band. With the opportunity to move the show to the other room that was not occupied, the staff vehemently refused, thus leaving the ones who paid for entry outside for the remainder of the show.
A/C cut off at full capacity
Former employees and participants shared the identical observations as to what happened with the air conditioning. Many reports said that before the first band played, the venue had the a/c on, blowing cool air. Although I was not attending the event, the few times I have occupied the Ridglea, I am fully aware of the cool air that the A/C unit provide. Right before the first band played, the A/C immediately shut off. Throughout the night, people began to fill uncomfortable with the rising temperatures but weren’t able to step outside, worried that there would not be allowed back in. There was also another observation; many individuals noticed the jug of water that normally sits at the end of the bar wasn’t present. I found the observation a bit strange. At the event two weeks prior, I was able to get free cup of water with ice all night with no hesitation. The A/C unit was working in the theater as opposed to the lounge, which is significantly smaller than the theater. One individual brought to my attention that they had to spend $8 to purchase a bottle of water. Others began to suffer from mild lightheadedness and dizziness as the evening continued. By the end of the night, participants said that as soon as the last band ended, the A/C suddenly turned back on, blasting cool air through the heat. Suppose the air was malfunctioning before the event, I would assume the staff would be aware of this issue before the show and properly handled the issue. Suppose the A/C was malfunctioning happened during the show, why not accept the offer to move the show to the adjacent room, instead of leaving participants in an uncomfortable environment, to avoid health and safety issues?
Continued harassment from staff members
Multiple witness claim there was harassment from the staff. Almost as if it was a continuation from the NSFWKND event. One claim in particular included at racially motivated comment. An individual with a fair complexion recently tattooed their nipples black. During the show, their shirt was ripped, exposing their chest. A bald staff member walked by the individual, glanced at the individual’s body and laughs “Haha! Nigger nipples!” and disappears behind the bar. There was a presence of uneasiness when it was discovered that the door guy is a registered sex offender, although it is legal for a sex offender to work at bar/venue, the moral compass of the establishment is in question.
I have attended the Ridglea a handful of times in the past several months. During that time, I have heard many stories about the establishment that did not end well. Whether it is hearsay or fact-based evidence, the reputation behind Ridglea hasn’t been decent to say the least. As questions continue to stir up a bit of irritation, I can’t help but to wonder about the integrity and the morality that hold this establishment together. What kind of establishment supports this kind of awful behavior from a staff member that has the audacity to pick fights with people? What are the standards of employment at the Ridglea. What does the RIdglea stand for? How many more people know about the Ridglea’s reputation? What about a Human Resources department, is that present? Who is responsible for the hiring process and why are they allowing such people to be hired in their place of business? Does anyone care?
Conclusion
In the recent years, Ridglea’s history has been exploited by DFW news and media outlets, including the owner’s legal troubles in regard to the drug trafficking charges in 2018. In between times, there has been numerous accounts of former employees and event promoters that have worked with the staff at Ridglea and resulted in numerous conflicts. Many have been unsatisfied with the way the staff handles business, former employees being mistreated, the delay of payment of the lack thereof, numerous hostile situations and much more. Aside from the treatment of the staff and the recent criminal history, the Ridglea seems to be a wonderful venue to host live music events with three different venues to accommodate any size event. For the local DFW hardcore scene, it has become the hub of verbal and nearly physical assault from staff members on multiple occasions. For a thriving community for musicians, bands and fans alike, the Ridglea has become an unpleasant staple of Fort Worth. Shows that were originally at the Ridglea have been move to other parts of the metroplex and there have not been any plans to host shows at the Ridglea in the near future within the scene. The reputation of the establishment has reduced itself to being an undesirable venue to work with and to attend. To a number of DFW residents, their experience at The Ridglea has been nothing short of unpleasant, for some individuals it has been much worse. As the increase of past cringeworthy and troublesome stories unravel, one can only wonder of the dark secrets those walls may contain.
