New York Liquor Authority: No Dancing, Darts, Pool, Cornhole, or Karaoke

Announcer: Quinn and Cantara.

Quinn: 1-800-LAW-1010. 1800law1010.com. Our friend Paul Harding from Martin, Harding & Mazzotti on the phone.

Cantara: Good morning, Paul

Paul: Hey, good morning. Good morning.

Cantara: So, I wanted you to come on the show and explain to us why we can throw axes but not play cornhole in Cuomo’s America.

Quinn: And no dancing. Don’t forget. No dancing.

Cantara: No dancing. I can have a wedding. I just can’t have a wedding reception.

Quinn: A wedding dance.

Cantara: It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it, Paul?

Paul: You know, it’s an ever-growing list. They’ve added darts, and pool, and karaoke, also. So the wedding fun is dipping by the moment here. Yeah, most recently, you know, a state liquor authority is the one that kinda comes in and sort of analyzes these things in venues. So, they’re saying, really, no live music other than incidental.

So, you can have a guitar player playing in the corner. They don’t want there to be a band because a band may make you want to stand up, and dance, and congregate. So, yeah, we’re just looking at it every day. And folks who are having a wedding, you know, they just probably are just watching this thing kinda change. And in many cases, it could ruin their wedding.

Quinn: And concerts and weddings, there’s always speeches. And people are always opening their mouth, and yelling, and screaming, spreading stuff around.

Cantara: Listen, I support doing the right thing to bend the curve like we are here in New York.

Quinn: Because I want to dance again someday, damn it.

Cantara: But what if… Paul, what if I went to… What kind of advice would you give me if I went to you and said, “I want to file a lawsuit against the state government because I can’t have my cornhole tournament”? Would you plow forward with me, or would you talk me out of it?

Paul: Well, you know, it’s happening. There’s lots of those things being filed. The most recent, they tried to have the wedding with 175 people.

Cantara: Right.

Paul: They won in state court. But then, three days before the wedding, the federal court said, “No, we’re gonna hold the stay.” And in fact, there’s a hearing today. Although the wedding was this past weekend, so that story’s over.

Quinn: Boy, she must be so worked up.

Paul: So, lots of lawsuits filed. I haven’t heard the cornhole one yet but probably coming.

Cantara: Yeah.

Quinn: So they’re allowed to play… They’re allowed to throw axes and drink beer, but not darts?

Cantara: That’s according to one story right there.

Quinn: Okay, which is the way it should be here in America.

Cantara: It’s just… it’s very, very confusing. We thought you could help us navigate this whole thing.

Paul: I can’t. I wish I could. I just looked at this and a lot of it doesn’t make sense. And I think they really struggle with different venues. Right? I mean, axe-throwing. Why is that different than playing darts? It feels like a really large dart, right? You throw an axe, you know, so.

Quinn: And who’s the dart police?

Paul: And who’s watching all this?

Quinn: Yeah, and there are bar owners. The story mentions a bar owner who’s not allowing… It sucks for him because he’s not allowing people to dance because of the deal. And because he doesn’t want to get fined and in trouble. So, I get it.

Cantara: It’s easy to make fun of and stuff.

Quinn: Right.

Cantara: But you must have some sympathy for the people trying to make these rules. Right, Paul?

Paul: Sure. Yeah, they’re sitting there trying to make this work. And then one got through like, you know, the axe throwing versus darts. And then now they look kinda silly. They gotta go back and take a look at that again or maybe there’s… Who knew? I’ve never thrown the axe. Maybe there are clean ways to do it. I don’t know. But I do know that the biggest thing at the wedding now is they’re doing bride and groom trivia. Number one, that’s been…

Cantara: What?

Paul: Yeah, we’ve been watching this at weddings. And so, they get a little nervous. You know, they ask some questions that… “What do you know about the bride and groom,” right? So you’ve got to be careful who’s…

Quinn: You put them on the spot?

Paul: …writing those questions. Yeah.

Cantara: It’s kinda like a match game? Is that’s what’s happening?

Paul: No, I guess they’re… They sort of made it up. And, you know, “What do you know about the bride and groom?” So there may be some things being revealed that, in fact, they didn’t want revealed.

Cantara: Right.

Paul: So that has been a fun wedding game here in New York as the rules change.

Quinn: The bride likes to wear a loincloth and throw the axe in the woods.

Cantara: Well, there is a…

Paul: That… kinda thing, yeah.

Cantara: …there is an ax-throwing place in Albany, Paul, if you wanna…

Quinn: A couple of them, I think now. Yeah.

Cantara: …go on a company outing once things get better out there, we could go.

Paul: It’s on our list of… yeah.

Cantara: Don’t bring Chaz. He could be trouble with an axe.

Paul: No.

Quinn: All right.

Cantara: All right. Well, you’re the best, Paul. But I’m still confused. But I think it’s me, not you.

Quinn: We’ll look back on this footloose moment someday and chuckle. Paul Harding from Martin, Harding & Mazzotti.

Cantara: I hope so.

Quinn: 1-800-LAW-1010. Right. 1800law1010.com. Thanks, buddy.

Cantara: Thanks, Paul.

Paul: Okay, talk soon, guys.

Announcer: Quinn and Cantara in the morning. And nothing but classic rock all day. PYX 106.