Posted by chicagomedia.org on May 10, 2008 at 20:29:11:
Why proposed music-promoter ordinance could hurt Chicago's best clubs, by [email protected]
On Wednesday, the City Council is scheduled to vote on an ordinance that would make Chicago�s most responsible music clubs pay a steep price for a tragedy they had nothing to do with.
Five years after the E2 nightclub disaster that left 21 people dead in a stampede, the city has drafted an ordinance designed to prevent such a disaster from ever happening again. It is an estimable document in many ways that strives to tighten up the checks and balances of city government to ensure that only responsible promoters stage entertainment events. But in at least one respect, it is deeply flawed.
It requires any independent promoter hoping to do business with city clubs to buy a license for $500 to $2000 (depending on the size of the venue) plus acquire at least $300,000 in general liability insurance.
In effect, this would impose a double layer of regulations on any independent event at a club that already holds a public place of amusement license but which has fewer than 500 �fixed� seats. Larger venues, with more than 500 fixed seats, such as the Auditorium Theatre or Chicago Theatre, would not be subject to the restrictions.
The ordinance in effect singles out some of the city�s most respected clubs and theaters, including Metro, Schubas, Park West, the Vic, Buddy Guy�s Legends, Martyrs, the Hideout, the Riviera, Uncommon Ground and dozens more establishments with a history of running safe, well-managed events. Many of these venues rely on independent promoters to bring them events and help keep them in business. In return, these venues supply their staff and expertise to ensure that the event runs smoothly; every time a club opens its doors, its license is on the line, no matter who is promoting the event.
Yet the ordinance would require an additional license for any event brought in by an independent promoter. And that could mean that the event won�t happen at all. For many promoters, the line between a profit-making show and a bust is tissue thin, and the cost of a license and insurance could make that a risk not worth taking.
I�ve seen countless independent concerts in Chicago venues over the years, events that have enriched this city�s cultural landscape, whether it�s an all-ages show by Fugazi or the Noise Pop festival.
The new ordinance will cut down the number of such shows, and add to the financial burden already felt by one of this city�s most precious cultural resources: its music clubs.
Nobody wants another E2. And regulating independent promoters who hope to stage paying events at unlicensed locations is a step in the right direction.
But the city�s licensed venues are already subject to stringent city regulations. Disaster struck when those regulations weren�t properly enforced; the city mistakenly allowed E2 to stay open months after a court ordered it shut. The bureaucracy didn�t do its job. So why make the city�s most well-managed clubs pay for it?
Last year, the Chicago Music Commission and the University of Chicago released the first comprehensive study of the city�s music scene and concluded that Chicago is a �music city in hiding.� The study offered compelling evidence that the city fails to nurture and profit from one of the most lucrative and vibrant music scenes in the world.
The event-promoter ordinance, should it pass next week, would be further evidence of that short-sightedness.