Noise complaint for "rocking out" to John Denver? Makes sense to us

Wisconsin's Fond Du Lac Reporter tells the tale of a local resident who was stirred in his sleep by something as terrifying as anything in Paranormal Activity: the music of John Denver. Playing loudly. A cop responding to the complaint had to pound on the door to get a response...

By Michael Roberts

January 19, 2010

Help us weather the uncertain future

We know — the economic times are hard. We believe that our work of reporting on the critical stories unfolding right now is more important than ever.

We need to raise $17,000 to meet our goal by August 10. If you’re able to make a contribution of any amount, your dollars will make an immediate difference in helping ensure the future of local journalism in Denver. Thanks for reading Westword.

Contribute Now

Progress to goal

$17,000

$7,400

Audio By Carbonatix

[
          {
            "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
            "component": "23668565",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "STN Player - Float - Mobile Only ",
            "component": "23853568",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "Editor Picks",
            "component": "17242653",
            "insertPoint": "4",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "18838239",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - 2x Rectangles Desktop, Tower on Mobile - Labeled",
            "component": "24956856",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25 
          
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "18838239",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
            "component": "17676724",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          }
        ]

Wisconsin's Fond Du Lac Reporter tells the tale of a local resident who was stirred in his sleep by something as terrifying as anything in Paranormal Activity: the music of John Denver. Playing loudly.

A cop responding to the complaint had to pound on the door to get a response -- and when he asked the guy inside why he had JD cranked so high, he said he was "rocking out."

Surprisingly, the man in question was cited for a noise complaint, not immediately rushed to a psychiatric hospital.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

A message from Michael Roberts: If you value independent journalism, please consider making a contribution to support our continued coverage of essential stories and to investigate issues that matter.

Support Today