The problem/regulatory motivation. From the Chicago Tribune:

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…

The actual solution (note that it only took 5 years…). From Save Chicago Culture:

The “Event Promoters” ordinance requires any event promoter to have a license from the city of Chicago and liability insurance of $300,000, but that’s just the start:

• 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.
• “Event Promoter” must be licensed and will pay $500 – $2000 [every two years] depending on expected audience size.
• To get the license, applicant must be over 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 7 days in advance of event.

The solution that doesn’t solve anything…back to the Tribune:

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?

Yes, why should responsible private venues and promoters have to pay for the city’s own regulatory incompetence? I mean, the city’s solution to ineffective bureaucracy is…more bureaucracy!? Good god, goodbye entrepreneurship…

The effect this garbage will have on the Chicago music scene. A quote from today’s Jim DeRogatis article:

“The ordinance will reduce the amount of music in Chicago, make events more expensive for consumers, dampen the large and growing economic engine that is Chicago music and create a much less supportive business climate for Chicago’s small music business community.” [Alligator Records founder and CMC board member Bruce] Iglauer said.

Call to ACTION. What you can do…for that, let’s go back to Save Chicago Culture:

We are collecting signatures to present to the council voicing our opposition to this ordinance. YOUR VOICE IS NECESSARY TO ENSURE CHICAGO’S CULTURAL SCENE CONTINUES TO THRIVE. Please leave a comment as your expression of disapproval. These will be presented to the City Council and to all Chicago Aldermen prior to Wednesday’s vote.

(SCC began collecting on the 9th and as of 1:36pm today, there have been 5,522 signature-comments. I invite you to add your own.)

More importantly, activists are asked to attend this week’s City Council meeting—where the ordinance will be ultimately voted on—in order to make their opposition heard.

When: this Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 10:00 a.m.

Where: Council Chambers, 2nd Floor of City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle Street, Chicago IL 60602.

If you are unable to be there in-person, according to the Office of the City Clerk’s website, you can view a live broadcast of City Council proceedings here…which is what I’ll be doing. Definitely not as cool but oh well. Hmm, anyone know of a program that captures live video stream? I have a feeling this is something I want to record.

Lastly, if I didn’t explain the story well enough, check out the following video. It’s from a previous City Council meeting in which the ordinance was discussed:

UPDATE: Jumping on the live stream, I quickly realize that the “Event Promoters” ordinance is not on the City Council’s agenda…which appears to be a good thing! From the Tribune:

A proposed event-promoter ordinance that prominent members of the Chicago music community say goes too far was put on hold Tuesday, a day before it was to be voted upon by the City Council.

The decision to further fine-tune the measure before it’s presented to the council was made by Ald. Eugene Schulter after an extraordinary meeting between aldermen and club owners at City Hall...

In response to the outcry, Schulter called an 11th hour meeting Tuesday on the third floor of City Hall that included club owners, members of the Chicago Music Commission, city attorneys and aldermen. At the meeting, Schulter concluded, “there are still unanswered questions and issues that should be considered” and decided against putting the ordinance on the city council’s agenda Wednesday.

More discussions with the music community will now likely take place, which leaves the door open to the ordinance being revised.

…making it the 2nd time in recent history that Schulter has reversed suit due to public pressure. Awesome!