3ten ACL Live, alongside EDM mainstay Diplo and pastel-crazed NFT company Doodles, were named as defendants in a lawsuit filed by a Travis County resident last month. According to the petition, plaintiff Taylor Prinsen attended a South by Southwest 2022 DJ performance by Diplo, during which “an untethered speaker fell off the stage, striking her right leg and breaking her foot.” The petition – which was shared in a press release by the Texas-based Carlson Law Firm – specifies that the brand activation was hosted by Doodles at ACL Live’s smaller Downtown venue 3ten, owned at the time by Block 21 Service Co. Prinsen, who seeks a maximum of $100,000 in relief, alleges several claims against the three parties, including “negligently failing to inspect speakers” and “negligently failing to cordon off areas to protect guests from spontaneously falling objects.” The Nashville-based Ryman Hospitality Properties, owners of Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry, purchased the entertainment space and neighboring W Austin Hotel in a $260 million deal in June 2022. Given their switch in ownership since the time of the incident, ACL Live representatives said they are unable to comment on the lawsuit. Both Diplo and Doodles, whose character-driven tokens include rainbow puking figurines and mustache-clad Popsicles, have not responded to requests for comment at print time. – Genevieve Wood
Austin Studio Tour, the Big Medium-presented, three-weekend annual arts bonanza, loops in quite a bit of live music. On my radar: Presenters PietschHouse assemble another big free showcase, Planet East, running Nov. 11-12 and 18-19 at Planet K Cesar Chavez, noon to 5pm. Weekend one packs Aubrey Hays, Arya, Sydney Wright, and e. artifact, while weekend two invites Ruthie Craft, Blue Tongue, Alexi 8bit, Mamahawk, and more. The art studio Grackle House, at 2606 E. Second, hosts two free afterparties in collaboration with experimental curators Me Mer Mo Monday – both promising free Show Me Pizza and liquid light shows by Me Mer Mo’s Melissa Seely from 6 – 8pm. Saturday, Nov. 11, features Turntable Trio (Alex Keller, Josh Ronsen, and Seely) and Flowertops, while the next Saturday, Nov. 18, hosts Chromatic Currents and Plume Girl (Sowmya Somanath of Felt Out). – Rachel Rascoe
KMFA Classical 89.5 launches a new program to provide musical resources to elementary school students, called Kids on Key, in partnership with Strait Music. Area public school teachers can register at kmfa.org/kidsonkey to receive goodies like ukuleles, boomwhackers, recorders, and xylophones, as well as instrument repairs. More than 40 classrooms have already signed up. The station hopes to support initial requests from this week’s Fall Fund Drive, running November 8 through 14, and eventually expand to middle and high school. In a press release, KMFA Education & Outreach Manager Guillermo Delgado says: “As a former elementary school music teacher, I realized that the world of classical music is waiting for all of us, if we can find our way.” – R.R.
Lil Wayne has invested in the Austin-based Major League Pickleball team, the Texas Ranchers, and taken on the role of strategic advisor. The Grammy-winning rapper adds to a flashy 30-person-plus ownership group already including musicians the Kid LAROI and Zach Bryan, as well as Kendra Scott and Micah Parsons. A press release claims Wayne will “support creative ideation and the development of future apparel collaborations, and work with the team to build pickleball courts in underserved areas.” – R.R.
Crosstalk: Lawsuit Filed Against Diplo and 3Ten ACL Live Over Alleged Concert Injury, and More Music News
A version of this article appeared in print on Nov 10, 2023 with the headline: Crosstalk: Lawsuit Filed Against Diplo and 3Ten ACL Live Over Alleged Concert Injury, and More Music News
This article appears in November 10 • 2023.