Erin BroadleyIn this week's cover story, “Death, Money and Megaraves: Why Los Angeles politicians embrace a growing Ecstasy phenom that kills,” Dennis Romero goes inside the controversial world of megaraves which are emerging as a uniquely Los Angeles phenomenon. Romero writes:
Twenty years after the first American raves were organized in California, bringing young people a bright new paradigm outside rock & roll rebellion and hip-hop bravado, L.A. politicians have endorsed supersized versions of the parties. But the huge, uncontrollable crowds have led to an increasing number of deaths and hospitalizations.
As the events have grown from small, illicit — but usually safe — warehouse affairs to massive, officially approved, commercial experiences, mayhem has followed in Los Angeles, but not in the nation's other largest cities.
Watch the L.A. Weekly exclusive video enhancement above to see for yourself the mayhem that can erupt when megaraves get out of control, and also hear from proponents of other electronic music festivals, like Moontribe, who believe there are ways to avoid death and injury at these events by placing more focus on art and creativity. And don't forget to check out our interactive timeline of megaraves in the news after the jump.
Timeline: California Megaraves in the news
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