Music venue in Chicago bans EDM artists over safety concerns

The reopened Congress Theater in Chicago closed in 2013 following a number of drug-related problems

A music venue in Chicago has banned EDM events following an agreement with officials in the city.

The Congress Theatre in Chicago has spent the past 12 months without a liquor license and was initially shut down in May 2013 after a number of drug-related problems. The venue, which has hosted Skrillex and Steve Aoki in the past, will reopen its doors with a new music policy in place.

NBC Chicago reports that the city qualifies EDM as being “music created by a DJ or multiple DJs primarily using specialised equipment and software instead of traditional instruments.”

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While this may appear to rule out a number of different genres besides EDM, live dance music acts will be allowed. The legislature states that “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).”

Local liquor commissioner Gregory Steadman says the ban follows a “rising level of concern about these events and whether or not they’re safe.”

The Congress still does not have a liquor license and does not have a date for its reopening. The EDM ban would remain in place if the owners were to sell the venue.

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