Oompah Music Grates On Richmond Residents; Complaints Soar Sunday

We think it safe to say that Richmond is home to a sizable segment of the community that likes its music deep and loud and bassy. But when that music is overwhelmed by a good, snappy polka and some thumping tubas, well, they’re just not going to stand for that, nossir.

Civic hotlines lit up Sunday night as Richmond and El Cerrito – largely those people living in the western end of those cities – complained about a thumping, persistent, bass sound unlike anything they’ve ever heard before. It wasn’t Jay Z, it wasn’t Easy E, it wasn’t D-renegade, this was something else, man, something brassy.

It turned out, after police had been called and a clamoring citizenry demanded police action, that the source of last night’s disturbance drifted in from across the Bay – from Pier 48 specifically, and from a bunch of guys in lederhosen.

Sunday was Oktoberfest in The City and those Spaten and potato dumpling-fueled celebrants know how to spank a tuba, brother, and they had it going on Sunday.

Hotlines grew hot. Police were dispatched to find the source of the noise, and about the time Richmond’s finest were giving up dispatchers had it zeroed and, mercifully for those who just don’t polka, it stopped.

If any moral is to be derived from this it may be that while Richmond may like its music loud and deep enough to crack concrete from time to time – one man’s music is another man’s noise – and they found the limit of their endurance Sunday night.