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Richard Brian, Las Vegas Weekly file
The crowd at the 2010 Electric Daisy Carnival in Los Angeles.
Sunday, May 8, 2011 | 2 a.m.
Tom Collins
Amairani, the cashier/espresso queen at the place I walk to most mornings for a wake-up jolt, was talking about the huge concert planned outside Las Vegas next month. “I guess they’re moving here because so many people died at the concert in L.A.,” she said.
A practiced concertgoer, the UNLV student had been to Southern California for the Coachella megamusic festival a few weeks ago. Now for summer fun, she plans on going to the Electric Daisy Carnival at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in June. “It was kind of creepy,” she said of Coachella. “It was fun, but everywhere you’d walk, you’d see people convulsing on the ground.”
Convulsing from what?
From all the things people ingest to enhance a musical event and get wacky, including alcohol and drugs such as Ecstasy and balloons of nitrous oxide. Combined with dehydration and little food beyond Cheetos, Doritos and Mountain Dew, and a person’s body can get overloaded, resulting in some ugly and sometimes dangerous reactions.
But what’s she’s talking about is coming to Las Vegas? And is it true about all the deaths in L.A.?
Electric Daisy Carnival is a musical event on a scale never seen before in Las Vegas. It’s to be held over three days, Friday through Sunday, June 24-26. Because it’s excruciatingly hot in Las Vegas — average highs during the day are 100 and average lows at night are 70 — the music starts at 8 p.m. and ends at 7 a.m. On the first day tickets became available two weeks ago, 85,000 were sold. (A three-day pass goes for $180 plus $15.30 service fee). About 150,000 people or more may attend.
Held at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in June, the concert drew 180,000. It also drew some unwanted attention.
What kind of unwanted attention? Did people really die?
A 15-year-old girl died and about 120 were taken to hospitals, mostly for drug intoxication. The teenage girl, Sasha Rodriguez, was said to have died of an overdose of Ecstasy. And the Los Angeles Times reported this year that a coliseum official who helped plan security at the June event was being paid by the event’s producer. Los Angeles police had said they didn’t believe there wasn’t enough security at the event. As a result, the coliseum’s manager resigned — he had given permission to his assistant general manager to be a paid consultant to Insomniac Inc., the company that staged the Daisy Carnival. The assistant general manager also quit to become a full-time event promoter.
Are local officials in Las Vegas and Clark County worried about the event?
Asked about potential problems at an event of this magnitude, Clark County Commissioner Tom Collins, whose district includes the speedway, said Las Vegas and its police are experienced with handling large-scale events, such as hundreds of thousands on the Strip every New Year’s Eve.
“The speedway has a huge investment in this, and it does not want to jeopardize its reputation and have anything like that incident in L.A. happen here,” Collins said. He added that there are a “lot of differences” between the event here and the one in Los Angeles.
You must be at least 18 to get in, and the event’s website says there will be “zero tolerance” for drug use or possession, adding that “if you are found inebriated at the door, security will not allow you to enter the venue.”
Everyone who goes will also be searched and “you will need to empty your pockets and have all items examined.”
The site will have “cooling off zones” and a 140-foot-by-300-foot misting tent set up. Because of “less restrictive pyrotechnics regulations,” the site also says “much bigger caliber of fireworks and effects” will be used.
Still, some worry.
Like who?
Commissioner Steve Sisolak wonders how much revenue will actually be generated.
“I don’t think many of these people are coming here to gamble or see a show on the Strip,” he said. Granted, he added, “any money spent here is good.”
He just hopes it’s safe.
“I don’t want it to turn into a free-for-all. And I want to do everything I can to help the economy, but it’s of great concern to me that Los Angeles didn’t want this because of all the problems associated with it.”So far, at least 85,000 ticket holders are undaunted. We’ll see how they feel on June 27.
May a bunch of retirees with fanny backs will revieve the economy? Or a bunch of teapots, like they had in Searchlight?
"Commissioner Steve Sisolak wonders how much revenue will actually be generated."
Thanx, Steve, you just put it all in perspective about government -- it's always about the money.
mred -- what's a "fanny back"?
In a post-9/11 gig with Jefferson Starship, Grace Slick came on the stage initially covered in black from head to toe in a makeshift burqa, which she removed to reveal a covering bearing an American flag and the words "F___ Fear". Her statement to fans on the outfit: "The outfit is not about Islam, it's about repression; this flag is not about politics, it's about liberty." -- from Wikipedia's Grace Slick article
Why is it always about The Casinos making money. Maybe Bruton will build a Water, Concert and Amusement Park out there and claim some of the Casinos Industries money for himself.
In Charlotte NC there is a Great Wolf Water Park plus a giant Mills Outlet Mall next to the Speedway. And there is another 20,000+ outdoor concert venue in close proximity. They also have staged Concerts and other events at the speedway without problems. Charlotte already has a major Amusement Park so a second one is not needed at The CMS Speedway.
Brutons land is a great location and if Las Vegas Politicians ever discover what a true Beltway looks like, Bruton will be a Major Winner.
If Any Politician is reading this: A Beltway is Circular and goes all the way Around a City - not 3/4.
"Why is it always about The Casinos making money."
Assuming that is a question, the answer is simple: About 70-cents of every dollar made and spent in Southern Nevada originates from the gaming industry.
Next?
If this is controlled right it will be good for Las Vegas.
We are the entertainment capital of the world and we have been in need of big out door events.
Being held at night they should not have the heat problems as with many day time events.
Money will be spent in Vegas. Just not what the NASCAR crowd spends since they spend a lot of time in town and not at the track. Most of these people will need hotels and will spend money during the day since the concerts go all night.
It is great seeing the speedway being used more for events. The great suggestion by Ben of a big water park at the speedway is a good idea also. That place has many possibilities.
When Vegas is done, someone always finds ways to bring it back and make it bigger and better then before. Time has proven that over and over.
What's the big deal? We live in a modern day Sodom, a place with strip clubs, pornographic book stores, 24 hr casinos, unlimited alcohol service, prostuties and only god knows what else. METRO will have no problem with this music event. The tax money will flow into the county coffers.
A few years ago, Vegoose was awesome. It brought a lot of business to town.
We need to give people a reason to visit besides gambling and boozing.
@mslv...
"We need to give people a reason to visit besides gambling and boozing."
Right on.
People can gamble close to home now, in most cases.
Yes, Las Vegas is "special" for the gambling crowd, and that's great. But a LOT OF MONEY is left in the wallets of visitors or potential visitors to our fair city because of exactly that fact...
or the perception of same... nothing to do but drink and gamble...drink and gamble...lather, rinse, repeat...OPTIONS FOR THE CASUAL GAMBLER and the non-gambler in a gambling crowd would help bring more dollars to town and add some diversity to the economy.
This music festival will be verrrry interesting, however.
This is definitely NOT the kind of crowd Metro is used to policing.
This is not a good thing , not a good thing. Worse than the Grateful Dead coming to town, remember that?. The age group at these events wouldn't help the economy anyway. But hey go ahead and learn the hard way.
So who are the performers?
Las Vegas has experienced with large crowds in a control area. Small areas such as the Thomas and Mack, the Convention Center, MGM Event Center, Mandalay Bay and others on the Las Vegas strip. Many times with all areas in action at the same time. However, a rock concert is something totally different. The outcome will be interesting.
This is not a rock concert - it's a big, days long rave.
They can check bags all they want - drugs will get in anyway. If you look at the picture, you will see kids sucking on pacifiers, which they do so they don't grind their teeth while "rolling".
The problem is 140,000 of the concert attendees will be from california,and will stay on the grounds overnight,so I wouldnt expect the strip revenue to gain too much
There will be security,and no admittance if looking inebriated?
Are you serious,half the illicit drugs can be shielded from the 8.00 an hour security guard that takes the job just to check out the band floozies,and wear one of the stylish polo shirts with SECURITY written on the back
peace out