Dennis RomeroLas Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman today welcomed L.A.'s controversial Electric Daisly Carnival rave to his town, saying our city is a “second-class entertainment venue” for letting it go.
EDC last June at the publicly owned L.A. Coliseum saw more than 200 medical emergencies, about 60 drug-related arrests and the subsequent death of a 15-year-old who had taken ecstasy. Opposition ensued, and the event moved to Vegas for a three-day party June 24.
Goodman was all about it today as a presented a proclamation praising its organizer, L.A.'s Pasquale Rotella:
“Trouble never bothered me,” he said. “… People want to be idiots you can't stop them.”
EDC.; Credit: Caesar Sebastian
He said if a similar death happened during the June 24 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, so be it: He wouldn't hold Rotella and his Insomniac Events responsible.
(God forbid, but such a prospect isn't out of the question: Raves draw people who take ecstasy. Ecstasy and heat don't mix. While the organizer was wise to start this thing at 8 p.m. instead of the afternoon, as was the case in L.A., if a heat wave hits there could be trouble).
If ravers “can't take care of themselves, shame on them,” Goodman said.
Fox5Vegas.com managing editor Jason R. Latham tweeted: “Goodman either has no idea what to expect of this Electric Daisy thing, or he's acting ignorant so he can't be held responsible.”
(Rotella, by the way, wants EDC to return to L.A. even as he signed on for five years of partying in Vegas).
Goodman has made it clear for years that Vegas is a party town, and he's proud of it.
We'll at least give him credit for being straight up.
In L.A., some public officials declined to call EDC a rave and compared it to wine-sipping concerts at the Hollywood Bowl. The amount of bullshit was staggering.
With Goodman, you get an “it is what it is” stance, and what it is is a drug-fueled good time. Thanks, at least, for telling the truth, Oscar.
[@dennisjromero/djromero@laweekly.com]
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