Singer Marcia Ball Allegedly Urges Boycott of Austin Java

Singer Marcia Ball is apparently upset with the owners of the Barton Place Project over the removal of a number of trees; so much that she allegedly announced a boycott of the Austin Java restaurant on Barton Springs Road during her Blues on the Green concert last week.

One of the owners of the Barton Place project is Rick Engel, who also happens to be one of the owners of Austin Java.

According to Engel, who phoned in while I was hosting the Jeff Ward on KLBJ-am show last Friday, Ball called for a boycott of Austin Java while she was on stage at the concert on Wednesday, June 25th.

This appears to be a disagreement between Engel and Ball: why the singer should ask all those at the concert to boycott Austin Java is a mystery to me. There are dozens of employees who derive their livelihood from that restaurant.

Engel and his partners are adamant that no additional trees have been removed other than the ones agreed on. There were several that were lost in that freakish storm we had toward the end of May. But that, as they contend, was that.

One would hope that Ms. Ball would address her grievances to the appropriate parties and let Austin Java continue unencumbered. The restaurant business is tough enough as it is these days.