You have been waiting weeks for this moment. Every day at work slogged in anticipation of this night. You convinced your best friends to take it easy tonight to enjoy the next few hours. Bass reverberates through your bones, the dim lights tease the obscured production, and the opening notes quell all hushed whispers. Suddenly, the muted lighting explodes in a spectrum of color and his name comes to life on specifically-erected lights above a massive LED panel, commanding the audience to acknowledge the music. Avicii, his second-ever show at TD Garden, and you bear witness to it in the heart of the crowd.
The plucky strings and twangy vocals of “Hey Brother” heighten the energy of the crowd to a peak before the Swedish producer/DJ subverts expectations by weaving in Syn Cole’s complextro remix. You and your friends lose all sense of time in favor of dancing and jumping along to the constant stream of energy. You look over to your left and gasp in horror as a kid as young as your 15 year-old brother falls to the ground. The color in his face purples, his pupils flicker and disappear, and his limbs writhe on a floor drenched in sweat, beer, and water. Calls for a medic draw your attention to a young girl vomiting profusely and stumbling over her friends’ feet. You join in calling for a medic but the unfittingly cheery synths drown out your pleads. The night has only just begun.
Attending a show should free you from all inhibitions, worries, and stresses. Unfortunately for attendees of Avicii’s show at TD Garden on June 25th, a harsh reminder of the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse marred the Swedish star’s performance. The worst part? Most of the 36 people hospitalized were under 18 years old. Miraculously no one died but the night bore heavy scrutiny from the press and curious observers alike.
Just hearing the awful news abt tonight. Its a terrible thing, I rly hope everyone is ok! My thoughts go to those affected & their families.
— Tim Bergling (@Avicii) June 26, 2014
Unfortunately this incident only marks one of the many incidents of all-ages concerts becoming mass hospital exoduses. Avicii seems to have the worst luck: a previous all-ages event in Toronto resulted in over two-dozen people being sent to hospitals. In 2013 Zedd’s Clarity tour faced even worse circumstances when an underage girl died at his show in Boston due to a drug overdose. In 2012 New York police cancelled the event Haunted Coliseum before headliners Sebastian Ingrosso and Alesso could even play. The reason? 911 calls reporting hundreds of underage overdoses and intoxications.
Two words tie these tragic events together: all ages. All-ages events carry a significant amount of responsibility. Most venues sell alcohol despite the lack of age restriction, prompting rebellious youngsters to borrow older friends’ IDs or procure fake, “just turned 21, of course!” IDs. Most of these venues neglect to give out free water and instead price water bottles at $3-$5 a pop, despite the fact that the words “kid” and “broke” have become synonymous. Conditions worsen when considering the use of illegal drugs such as MDMA or Methylone, drugs which dramatically alter body temperature.
So the cycle continues. Why do promoters continue to allow young people to purchase tickets for their events given the mass hospitalizations and overdoses? Easy answer: money. Booking an act like Avicii ain’t cheap, especially not at a venue like TD Garden. While an 18+ show would certainly net a nice profit, why not increase cash flow by scaling down the age limit? Kids love EDM now: Avicii’s singles play on the radio constantly, teenagers spend time checking out new DJs on Youtube and Soundcloud, and the influential marketing of events like Ultra Music Festival and Tomorrowland inspires serious cases of FOMO (or “fear of missing out” for those unfamiliar).
However, ethics must factor in, right? Promoters might just have some heart, no? Who could sit back and count their cash while hundreds of children spend their nights struggling for breaths in ambulances and end up drowning their parents in medical bills and fees? Apparently money takes precedence over safety these days.
Luckily some promoters and venues have taken the hint. Barclays prevented anyone under 18 years-old from entering Avicii’s recent show even though the initial guidelines allowed people of all-ages to purchase tickets. While this practice may be a bit unfair, I think Barclays and their promotions team practiced great judgment that night, judgment that all venues and promoters should emulate.
Yes, people over 18 make poor decisions and sometimes pay dearly. Yes, not every underage concert-lover consumes copious amounts of drugs or alcohol and compromises their show-going experience. My 16 year-old brother went to Ultra Music Festival with me in 2013 and had a blast. However, legally-speaking anyone younger than 18 bears no responsibility for their actions. It’s the reason why institutions like juvenile detention centers and juvenile court exist. We adults have legal and ethical obligation to look out for younger people and make sure they stay safe.
It’s not fair to say all concerts should be 18+. Everyone (within reason of course) should have the right to see his or her favorite band or DJ. However, all-ages events must come with stricter regulation. Promoters, take a careful look at an ID before giving a blatantly young-faced teen a 21+ bracelet. Give out cups of free tap water, don’t try to make a quick buck. Youngsters, we dig your love for live music, just remain cognizant of potential dangers and make smart choices.
Blaming children for being irresponsible or EDM for promoting drug use only skirts over the issue and unfairly and irrationally pegs blame. All-ages events carry complicated connotations but at the end of the day maintaining a safe environment for all music-lovers will yield fruitful results. How awesome is it to see a teen dance along with the dark drums of deep house? You were never that cool at 14, you only knew the profane lyrics of “Get Low” at that age. Kids now have the greatest events at their fingertips; we all just need to work together to stay safer.
Photo Credit: Boston Globe, Newsday, Gary Baumgarten, WGNTV.
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By the way, great article. The topic doesnt get much exposure
A substantial number of the people my age who go to concerts of people like Avicci or zedd have very little knowledge of electronic music or even the artists playing. What attracts them to the concerts is the hope of some idiot selling them beer so they can jump into people and cause trouble for three hours. I saw hardwell at the Sands event center and even when some no-name DJ (this lady was a glorified button pusher) was on the decks, ~20 kids got kicked out for being completely shitfaced. I understand that it’s a big risk for venues to allow u18 concerts in light of all this news of kids overdosing at concerts, but for people who actually enjoy the music and goes for the experience and fun, it ruins the chances of seeing my favorite artists when they come to town. Unfortunetely concert culture shows people the outfits and lights and the party, which puts the wrong impression in their heads of what a show should be like. Fellow u18 ravers, if you want to get drunk and be an idiot in the crowd, stay at home. It’s not worth getting hurt and going to the hospital