Pitchfork

Clipse photo by Nolan Wells

Local interest story? Perhaps, but the implications may be far broader reaching than that, so listen up. The respected venues and stages that form the cornerstone of the vibrant music and theater communities of the fine city of Chicago-- the city Pitchfork has called home for years now-- are in jeopardy thanks to an unfortunate piece of impending legislation.

The proposed "Event Promoters" ordinance (or Chapter 4-157 of Title IV of the Municipal Code of the City of Chicago, if you're fancy) goes before Chicago's City Council TOMORROW, May 14, 2008, at 10 a.m. central time. Simply put, if this thing passes, it will make putting on shows a fiscal and bureaucratic hell for the venues Chicagoans have come to love.

How's that, you ask? A few bullet points [via Save Chicago Culture]:

* The ordinance requires any event promoter to have a license from the city of Chicago and liability insurance of $300,000.
* The definition of "event promoter" is so loosely defined it could apply to a band that books its own shows or a theater company that's in town for a one-week run.
* The "event promoter" will pay $500 - $2000 depending on expected audience size.
* To get the license, applicant must be at least 21, get fingerprinted, submit to a background check, and jump over several other hurdles.
* This ordinance seems targeted towards smaller venues, since those with 500+ permanent seats are exempt.
* Police must be notified at least seven days in advance of event.

At the very least, the "Event Promoters" ordinance will likely result in increased ticket prices for live music (and theater) fans, while curbing variety and severely stymieing gig possibilities for emerging acts. At worst, it could well spell the end for absolutely essential Chicago venues like the Empty Bottle, Schubas, Metro, the Hideout, and others, plus pave the way for similar legislation elsewhere.

Let it be said that the folks behind this ordinance are well-intentioned-- it's meant to snuff out irresponsible promoters, in part as a response to the E2 disaster of 2003, during which 21 people were suffocated or trampled to death when panic broke out at the South Side nightclub. But by imposing these unreasonable restrictions on such a loosely-defined and far-reaching body of promoters-- most of which have run countless events for years now without incident-- the city of Chicago is basically saying "fuck you" to the music and theater cultures it so often claims to cultivate.

So here's where you come in. If you live in Chicago, find your alderman and write him or her at once. If you have friends in Chicago, pass this along. If you want to further inform yourself (and get a headache), waddle through the legalese in the "Event Promoter" ordinance draft here. And for additional info, check out efforts from both the Chicago Music Commission and Save Chicago Culture to stop the ordinance from becoming law in its present, seriously flawed form.

Again, the "Event Promoters" ordinance will be voted on TOMORROW MORNING, so the time to act is now.

***UPDATE: Good news! According to a Chicago Music Commission statement [via Jim DeRogatis' Chicago Sun-Times blog], the "Event Promoters" ordinance is going back to the drawing board following public outcry. It will not be voted on tomorrow as originally planned, and folks hope this will allow more time to fine-tune the proposed ordinance into something a little more amenable to Chicago's music and theater scenes. Keep abreast of the situation via the links above.