...at the Los Angeles Coliseum
Not because raves are banned, but because Insomniac believes it is an "insurmountable challenge," to stage an event at the Coliseum this year, in wake of all that has happened in the past eight months. So, the organizers decided to pull out and take EDC to Las Vegas on June 24-25.
This backlash against Insomniac and rave culture sparked last year, when a girl 15 year old girl died after attending the Electric Daisy Carnival at the Coliseum. The event was attended by about 185,000 people over the two days.
What does this mean for dance culture in Los Angeles?
Not good...
What is really a shame, is that Insomniac actually had momentum on it's side early this year... after they complied to strict changes, including pushing the age limit to 18 years of age and even recently decided to ban LED lights at their raves (What? I know). However, all hope pretty much fell apart when the LA Times revealed that assistant general manager for events at the Coliseum, Todd DeStefano, was simultaneously on payroll for Insomniac. This led to the general manager of the Coliseum, Patrick Lynch's, resignation... called upon by Commissioner Rick Caruso (-I'll get to him in a second).
Some say it is a violation of the first amendment... trying to ban music events. As the famous House DJ Kaskade says on his twitter,
"It's like Footloose all over again!"However, the critics and a portion of the Coliseum Commission see it as a drug filled haven orgy dance festival. And one particularly vocal critic, a Coliseum Commissioner named Rick Caruso, said to L.A. Now about EDC moving, “My first reaction is good riddance.”
Now what is interesting to note here, is that Rick Caruso, if you don't know, owns half of Los Angeles. He is the president of his own real estate development company that created The Grove and The Americana, just to name a few. So yes, his earnings are into the $billions. What's also interesting is that Caruso is on the USC board as well as one of the Coliseum's Commissioners. So if you were to put the puzzle together...
The Coliseum is owned by the city of Los Angeles and the state of California... who's in a recession and willing to sell this historical property to get it's budget back on track. According to the office of city Councilman Bernard Parks (a Coliseum Commissioner that is actually on board for these type of music events): EDC alone generates $33 million revenue and creates 4,000 jobs. Which is a mighty payout for the flailing economy that California is in.
Now if there is a ban or extraordinary pressure on promoters to put on these type of events from happening, then it will force these promoters to look elsewhere... maybe even in the private sector for an holding an event in Los Angeles. Thus, California won't see the $millions from holding these type of events at their locations and especially not the $33 million from EDC. So if the Coliseum is not profitable in selling events, then it may need to be put on the market for sale.
And who would be the first to buy it?
USC of course, since it is their primary tenant... which Rick Caruso is also a part of. And what if this historical landmark needs to be renovated (and it definitely does)? Then it should be made nice and posh, something families can go to, like The Grove. Well, why not actually hire the company that created The Grove to spice things up?
Also, this remodeling makes the historical Coliseum a great catch for a possible future NFL team... which creates more jobs than ever, and makes a crap ton of money. So, it's a win, win, win, situation, or a (cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching one). Rick Caruso gets a huge payout, and with his upcoming bid for mayor, this may certainly happen... and he becomes the saviour of Los Angeles... blah blah blah.
(--Speculation, yes... but I do find it's correlation rather interesting.)
It's just very disappointing that the death of a 15 year old girl was used to catapult this political mess. A mess that helped the media easily paint a very dark shadow on rave culture... when indeed, more people die from other events, but yet those aren't banned or even questioned. How many times have your heard people being arrested, being publicly intoxicated, stabbed, or even killed, or died, at sporting events or concerts? I bet it happens quite a bit, but that's research material for another time. After all, I am not a real journalist. right?
They even found a dead body at the Grove parking lot in 2010... which was later determined to be caused by drug overdose. So, should we call for a ban of The Grove because it harbors drug use and illicit behavior? Then again, it can be written off, as the LA Times corrected that this actually happened in the Farmer's Market parking lot, not the Grove (which is pretty much the same thing).
As for the future of dance music in Los Angeles?
Questionable... but mind you, this is just one step backward. Like in Footloose the dancing will soon commence... after all Insomniac does want to bring it back to Los Angeles... Someday.
LA Weekly Article
NBC Los Angeles Article
LA Times Article
Insomniac Banning LED Lights at raves?
Electric Daisy Carnival... end of raves?
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