So yeah, this news is sooooo 3 days ago but I haven't had the chance to sit down and write about it yet, but I feel its important enough to mention here. In case you haven't heard, the Chicago City Council had drafted an ordinance that was obviously not well thought out and would adversely affect many of the smaller venues and promoters here in town. Without rehashing the entire ordinance here, I encourage you to check out Jim Derogatis's article from the Chicago Sun Times.

While I don't disagree that the safety of patrons attending an event should always be a top priority, if the current ordinance were allowed to pass, the regulations imposed on smaller venues would be enough to shut them down, and leave us with way fewer options in terms of where we choose to hang out on a given night. Chicago thrives on the abundance of smaller, independent venues that don't have the bankroll or resources to withstand what the Council had proposed. Without getting up on my soapbox too much, it would seem that a dialogue between City Hall and the individuals/businesses who host such events would be a good start, but apparently that makes too much sense. However, the vote was postponed as of this past Tuesday, hopefully in response to the flurry of phonecalls and emails sent in by Chicago residents.

To learn more about where the ordinance is headed and to stay current, visit the following sites:

Chicago Music Commission
Chicago Artists Resource
Save Chicago Culture

... and to find your alderman and let him/her know how you feel on the issue:
find them here