After the planners of this weekend’s historic Mifflin Street Block Party determined they would have to cut down on the number of live music stages because the expected revenue from beer sales at the event would be lower than anticipated, a number of bands cut from the set took to the streets to find an alternative venue.

Madison resident James Glaser, a recent University of Wisconsin graduate and long-time Mifflin attendee, said when he found out his friends from Bloomington, Ind. would no longer be playing Saturday he began to circulate a flier asking local residents to lend their backyard as a concert location the day of the party.

Glaser said his friends’ band, The Main Squeeze, was originally on the bill to play at the party but was booted off the lineup after the event’s sponsor, Majestic Live, dropped down to only one live music stage.

“We were disappointed they would be unable to play, so we wanted to be proactive and try to find a place for them to play,” Glaser said. “We’ve had interest from a couple of people who were interested in hosting the band in their backyard, but the head of police contacted us saying it would be problematic because we needed a permit to host a concert.”

According to city ordinance, individuals wishing to host such an event on private property need to apply for an amplification permit and a permit approving an event of large size, Ald. Paul Skidmore, District 9, said.

Glaser said after he circulated a flier around the Mifflin area offering free beer in exchange for a venue, he was contacted by the Madison Police Department and told he would have needed to apply for a permit 10 days in advance – a policy Glaser said he did not know existed.

“It’s sort of funny that our creativity and passion to have our friends play their music here has turned into a dialogue between the city and the police,” Glaser said.

Skidmore said the proposal also opened the door for further problems, claiming if individuals begin to host large concerts in their backyards, the city would lose what control it has of the party.

The city has been working for decades to bring what has been a series of private parties into a controllable situation, Skidmore said.

“It’s a regulated forum, it’s a regulated party and the city and the sponsors have determined that there are a certain number of venues that are going to work and there is a certain amount of music and amplification that is appropriate,” Skidmore said.