"The speakers didn't go up to 11 last weekend …", but apparently some of the attendees did.

I am really happy that the MV Police Dept is doing its best to "accommodate the venue, but also protect the residents," The fact that the residents need protection from the patrons of an entertainment venue is worrisome. Do you think Saratoga residents need protection from patrons of the Mountain Winery and Villa Montalvo?

The 15 year lease (I think signed in 2006) gives the city the ability to reject shows that have "posed a public safety threat in the past." I would say that excludes nearly all of the lineup based on the continuing reports of fights, drug arrests and shootings (some fatal). Certainly all of this bad behavior would be a violation of the lease?

They were talking about the noise complaints and the narcotics. It was not a "public safety threat".

I will certainly say that gun violence is a public safety threat. However, they think that this was one person who wanted the specific person dead - not a random gun violence event.

The Mountain Winery and Villa Montalvo do not make the money on ticket sales the way Shoreline does. It is a different crowd, who pay for a sit-down dinner. A huge venue like Shoreline would not work for their shows or their clientele.

The police do a fantastic job and we are all safe.

I think this "being a huge buzzkill" policy will work well to keep the smarter riffraff out. I'm just curious though, more than 100 were arrested, but how many were ultimately charged with a crime? Was there a single distributor arrested or was it all people with recreational amounts of illegal substances? Did the police just corral up all the less intelligent recreational drug users who were expecting to be ignored like at the majority of venues in the Bay Area that cater to these kinds of shows?

How sad that the MV police spent their time arresting adults for entirely victimless consensual behavior. I have to assume that like most police departments around the country, they have perverse incentives to encourage large arrest numbers (perhaps as a condition for getting all those free assault rifles from the military?). A "zero tolerance policy" for "narcotics" -- a very inaccurate term for LSD, MDMA, and cocaine, by the way -- does not keep anyone safe but it does ensure full employment for the bloated police, court system and prison system.

The main drug that causes huge problems like violence at Shoreline and elsewhere is alcohol, and the police know it. Shame on them for using an evil law to harass & destroy 100 otherwise law-abiding citizens.

Disgusted- Do you know each of the 100 arrestees and their crime free lifestyles personally? Victimless consensual behavior like riding a motorcycle without a helmet or driving a car without a seatbelt? These consensual behaviors cost society as a whole, which is why there are laws against them. When you overdose and I have to pay your life support bill, that doesn't just affect you. And yes shame on the executive branch of government for enforcing the laws that are on the books that they are sworn to uphold! Quit shaming the cops for doing their jobs and take your argument to the legislators who write the laws.

@Kathy:

It is not realistic to compare Shoreline Amphitheatre with Mountain Winery or Villa Montalvo.

Note that Mountain Winery ticket prices are not wildly different than comparable shows at other venues.

Mountain Winery makes money from both ticket sales as well as concessions (including full meals). You do not need to pay for a sit-down dinner to enjoy a concert at Mountain Winery.

The concert bowl itself accommodates 2500 people. The chateau deck seats 250 diners and there is little opportunity to turn tables (i.e., have two seatings).

Moreover, restaurant margins are pretty tight. If you want to make a pile of money, don't open a restaurant. It's more of an amenity than profit center. Even in regular restaurants, the majority of the profit comes from the bar.

The Mountain Winery does rent out their various facilities for corporate meetings, weddings, etc., something that typical concert venues do not do. *That* is how they stay in business. There are better margins running a banquet/catering operation than a typical restaurant.

Villa Montalvo is similar to Mountain Winery in that they make most of their money as an event rental location, not from concert ticket sales.

If they had a zero tolerance on people being under the influence of alcohol, I could see the logic...one shoe for all, but they serve alcohol in the venue.
From the story it tells us what people were arrested for in the past, but it makes ZERO mention of why people were arrested over the weekend, or if they will even be charged with anything, but we arrested them anyway.

From the rampant alcoholism rates, its clear many police LOVE to drink alcohol, so maybe they feel a bit connected to the staggering drunks you see at other concerts, and less connected to the mostly vibrant youth that make up these concert goers. I never felt in danger before during or after the concert, but I guess that is because I saw a lot less drunks.

There don't seem to be any articles on MVPD taking away booze from kids. Which you'll easily see in the parking lots before concerts. So pretending that this is a some rave drug crackdown for brownie points is ridiculous.

Go ahead. If you are that concerned about the truth...check it out. You'll see MVPD walking through the parking lot. Looking into bags. Looking in trunks. People being forced to pour out beers... beer being taken away. Hard Liquor being taken away.

So many of the arrests may not have been drug related at all? Bad reporting or skewed story to sensationalize something that may or may not have happened?
Pick one.

@Facts Please

You could read the article :

"Most of the arrests were for narcotics-related charges, according to Shino Tanaka, public information officer with the Mountain View Police Department"

For real?: You seem to support criminalizing any behavior that can cost society money -- not wearing a helmet or a seatbelt, in your example. Can I also assume you are intellectually consistent and therefore support the outlawing of alcohol, which causes exponentially more violence, suffering and death than all illegal drugs put together? How about we criminalize participants in contact sports like football & soccer? Lock up people who drive cars, which kill 50K people per year?

As a general comment, the MV Voice could use more actual journalism as opposed to simply being stenographers for police press releases. The proper role of journalism is to act as a check on powerful organizations like the police and justice system. How many of the arrests were for consensual drug use? How many for underage drinking? How many for crimes with an actual victim - robbery or theft? Did the police make the concert safer by arresting those over 100 people?

A tenacious journalist might even ask what if anything the police have to gain by adding 100 arrests to their annual record.

Interviewing some of the arrestees might yield interesting information. Are they monsters or human beings? What percentage of those arrested are white, and how does that compare with the racial makeup at the concert? Is Mountain View safer with those 100 people being arrested in our city, on our watch?

"the number of narcotics-related arrests remained high"

LOL

"We were right about a lot of things . . . , but we were wrong about the drugs."

- David Crosby

Thanks to those of you who pointed out Villa Montalvo and Mountain Winery are not comparable to the Amphitheatre. I guess the sarcasm did not translate. The point I was trying to make is that the Amphitheatre requires a police presence, consistently attracts a bad element and in general, does not reflect well on our City. The focus of Mountain View Police should not be to provide Security for Live Nation.

Yes, if you only look at the bad of Shoreline, you will think it reflects poorly on the community(I should say, some will). However if you look at the whole, the Symphonies, and the Bridge School Benefit for example, you'll find that it reflects well on MV. It depend where you want to focus, the good or the bad.

I'm remembering the concerts back in the 70's. The Day on the Greens in Oakland where people would get rip snorting drunk at 7am and continue all day into the night. I was a teen so it was tolerable, but looking back, the abhorrent behavior of so many dwarfed any perceived issue at Shoreline.

We have it easy at Shoreline people, believe me. You know I'm right if you were a concert goer back in the day. Funny, things are FAR better but apparently people are less tolerant.

Disgusted- No, I don't believe in criminalizing everything. I was pointing out that there are many laws that are passed in this state that go against personal choice for the "greater good." You seem to want a police force that ignores the constitution and interprets the laws on their own. Is Mountain View safer after those arrests? A question that cannot be answered. Would one of those 100 been like one of the several people that have died at similar events around the country and they were saved by the police seizing their drugs? Were other saved by the seized drugs not being available for them to ingest? Do cops save lives making DUI arrests when their hasn't been a crash? Do cops save lives by citing people for running red lights, getting them to think before they run the next red light? We ask the police to enforce our laws, so what can they gain by making arrests? They can gain our trust and thanks for doing a thankless job because people like you have no understanding of the job that they do.

Half Full - agree that there are a couple of good events, don't think two great events makes up for all the trouble caused by many of the Live Nation events. I am really looking forward to Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube on Oct 10th.

@ Jay Park

About two years ago, was the last time that we went to the Mountain Winery. The reason being, is that we paid about $225 for some seats, that were at best marginal. Your comment that seat prices are equal with Shoreline are invalid.

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