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"Standard Tap Poster Flap" (continued)
So Boruchow came up with what he thought would be a thought-provoking
image, sans text, that band members agreed would disturb people.
"In my mind, it was a political/editorial commentary,"
says Simpkins.
"I wanted people to stop when they saw it—to intellectualize their emotional response,"
says Boruchow. "From what I understand, a lot of people didn't share that view."
One of them was Standard Tap owner William Reed, who not only asked that the posters come down,
but cancelled the Lights' show. Reed found that the poster lacked context.
"We just didn't want the Tap to be associated with the Klan," says Reed. "Without context beyond
that, it's hard to read anything but—just our name, their name and all this KKK imagery." Reed figured
that the only way to not show tacit approval was to take the Nite Lights off the Feb. 15 concert bill.
"Normally when I see something like that, I assume that it is a political statement. But I just couldn't
see how this was one."
Neither could some of the Tap's habitués, a few of whom complained to Reed. "But we took it down based
on our response—our own good name," says Reed who, after a conversation with Boruchow, found the two at calm
loggerheads, agreeing to disagree.
Reed says he's offered the Nite Lights (who will play this Sunday at The Fire) a future gig. Just without the posters.
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