HRE Suspends Luke's Permit to Sing

Late-night coffee drinkers and North Yardlings will be left remembering "the day the music died" for at least this month, since an official at Harvard Real Estate (HRE) last week suspended the popular street singer Luke's permit to perform in Forbes Plaza, the Harvard-owned square in front of Au Bon Pain.

Luke Hunsberger, whose repertoire of such 1960's standbys as the Beatles and Don McLean's "American Pie," has drawn crowds in Harvard Square for the past three years. He said received a letter last Saturday suspending his performance permit for a month.

But Hunsberger said the letter, written by HRE official Dianne Dislin, who dispenses permits for the Harvard-owned plaza, has permanently ended his era of Au Bon Pain performing. "They set this volume threshhold, which apparently I crossed over," he said yesterday. "[The suspension] is not in response to a number of complaints. But it's private property and [Dislin] sets the rules. That's why I won't be playing there anymore."

Instead, the musician, who has attracted a loyal following of Cambridge residents and Harvard students, said he will move his nightly concerts to the city-owned traffic island in the middle of Brattle Street. Hunsberger said he does not plan to reapply for a Harvard permit.

"I want to play loudly because that's the way people like to hear it," he said.

Hunsberger said that the letter, while not referring to any specific complaints about his music, called the sound level "ear-splitting."

Dislin could not be reached for comment yesterday.

A Cambridge city ordinance, which Harvard has used as a guideline in setting its policy on performances at Forbes Plaza, requires that noise must not exceed 80 decibels within the city limits.

Hunsberger said he did not know why his license had been revoked at this particular time. "In the years I've playedthere, if [Dislin] was getting complaints, shewould always let me know."

Harvard police and Au Bon Pain representativessaid they had complained about Hunsberger's noiselevel in the past, but said they could notremember any recent incidents involving thesinger.

"I haven't heard of any complaints down therein a while," said Sergeant Joseph Miller, the deskofficer in charge of the police details coveringthe Au Bon Pain area.

And Paul Stevenson, the night manager at Au BonPain, said he had not complained about Hunsbergersince the summer. "As far as I'm concerned we havenothing to do with the permits," he said.

He added that Hunsberger's move would notaffect business at the Harvard Square cafe."People jumping up and down in tie-dyed shirtsaren't the people who come in the store,"Stevenson said.

HRE recently tightened restrictions onperformances in Forbes Plaza. Earlier this month,the company ordered all shows to end by 11:30 p.m.The announcement cited the Harvard Police shiftchange at midnight, and said Harvard wanted toprovide continuous police coverage during theshows.

Hunsberger needs a Cambridge city permit toperform at his new Brattle Street location. But hesaid the city's requirements are less strict thanthe Harvard regulations