In a possible case of EDM's bad press getting dance culture caught in the crossfire when a mismanaged venue gets put back on the path of the straight and narrow, the re-liquor licensed Congress Theater in Chicago has banned "EDM" in the venue at-present, and as well, EDM will not be in the cards for future venue owners, too. Defining "EDM" as "music created by a DJ or multiple DJs primarily using specialized equipment and software instead of traditional instruments" and an "EDM performance" as "a performance of Electronic Dance Music or any performance by a DJ or multiple DJs featured the playing of prerecorded music. Performers that incorporate electronic beats or prerecorded music in their acts shall be allowed, provided those performers either sing vocals or play an instrument(s) (or do both) during their performance," this is an amazing and possibly terrifying precedent that must be considered on all levels.
Of course, this decision is actually directly linked to numerous deaths at high-profile "EDM" events this year, as City of Chicago Liquor Commissioner Gregory Steadman stated that there's a "rising level of concern about [EDM] events and whether or not they're safe."
Intriguingly, while EDM has been linked to why the venue lost their liquor license in May 2013 (due to issues surrounding fighting at an Armin van Buuren show where a patron reportedly fought a security guard for the return of his phone after the patron attempted to snap a picture of himself with van Buuren), there's a number of larger issues at play that have very little, if anything, to do with EDM, but just dealing with rowdy crowds overall and the idea that Chicago in general is under the sway of venue owners and staff who may be more driven by greed and anger than by safety and common sense.
April 2012 saw non-EDM artist and rapper Chief Keef play at the Congress Theater, with similar reports of violence. Of course, the violence was as much a cause of the crowd as perhaps exacerbated by police presence described to DNAInfo Chicago by Chicago's then 14th District CAPS Co-Chair Joe Kopera as the "charges against the venue have been blown out of proportion by both the city and the media," as during the Chief Keef concert, the aldermen "were expecting trouble from the get-go." "[They were] out there specifically looking for something," said Kopera, who continued, "There's something going on here and I don't know what it is—something fishy." He finished by characterizing the City of Chicago's actions against the Congress Theater as "a witch hunt."
Blaming EDM feels foolish as well when considering the record of the Eddie Carranza, the owner of the Congress Theater. Back in April of 2013 we reported on a Facebook group that wanted to see the Congress closed for good, that as of that press time had an impressive 1500 likes. Within said article, the issues surrounding the Congress Theater staying open while fixing potentially dangerous building code violations, as well as Carranaza defaulting on the loan he used in order to purchase the venue while being allowed to purchase yet another venue IN THE SAME CITY. Also, the venue's security guards were accused of seizing drugs from patrons, and then selling them BACK TO PATRONS.
There's absolutely no doubt that EDM is becoming a dangerous scene. However, the real danger may not be in the kids who are consuming too many drugs without enough information about how to handle their effects. The more problematic issue may be the owners, promoters and staff hosting these events who are looking at impressive short-term profits but not being concerned with the long-term effects on a culture and a scene.
There's a famed white paper floating around that says that "EDM" could be potentially worth $20 billion globally by 2018. As well, there is a belief that says that $20 billion is actually the tip of the iceberg concerning potential monies to be earned from electronic music culture overall. For as much as we can marvel at SFX recently reporting earnings of $82 million globally from April-June of 2014, SFX is at the top of what is an incredibly wide, broad, and deep global EDM structure. If we use the vaunted 2018 earnings figure of $20 billion, then earnings of $82 million are less than half of one percent of overall global earnings. Thus, for as much as SFX can exist with their corporate sponsorship, RFID technology, likely-to-be-sanitized festival scene, and other measures for mainstreaming and safety, the City of Chicago (in certain moments) can exist, too. Chicago, with their well-documented history of corrupt venue management measures, clear bent towards violence-leaning security and at the city's Concord Music Hall, the potential of an old structure's roof caving in on top of partiers.
The time has come for everyone involved in all levels of EDM to really consider the future. Where rules clearly no longer exist, standards must become the norm. When standards are set for mismanagement and blanket assignment of genre and culture blame, the potential for even worse conditions than those described in Chicago (and elsewhere throughout the scene) to exist develops. Chicago re-opening a venue that has hosted Skrillex, Rusko, Major Lazer, Steve Aoki, Skream, and Flosstradamus, and explaining that these pop-dominant acts (and yes, all of those who will come in the future after them), is absurd. The buck gets passed, and some other owner and promoter in a venue potentially worse off than the Congress Theater will happily host these revenue generating acts. And of course, let's not get started on the public drunkenness, rape, and death at those country music shows that could replace EDM at the Congress Theater. Maybe it's not just EDM that should shoulder the blame. Maybe the problem is deeper and obviously mis-assigned.
