Despite how retro it may sound, raves, light shows, and carnivals in concert setting are still a regular part of the American music experience. The Electric Daisy Carnival in L.A. hasn't gotten the press coverage of some other festivals, but with appearances from the likes of Moby, Will.i.Am, and Basement Jaxx certainly make it a regular pop music experience. At the fourtheenth Electric Daisy Festival, things got out of hand.
Over 226 people sought medical attention at the festival at the L.A. colisseum, with a variety of substance abuse-related injuries and ODs (ectasy was still a regular factor). But the death of Sasha Rodriguez, 15, of suspected drug overdose may have ended mass-scale rave events in Los Angeles once and for all.
Similar controversies surrounded the drug use and lack of ID checks at a New Year's Eve festival that resulted in one death and 18 ODs. But the death of a teenager put a halt to festivities at the L.A. Coliseum last weekend, and may stop future parties of this ilk in the future.
It's too early to report on the exact cause of Rodriguez's death, but it is pretty clear that one of the larger music celebrations in California will never quite be the same.
