A massive electronic music tour will be making a stop in Mountain View this weekend, bringing with it a slew of producers and DJs who will be spinning a mix of electronic sub-genres, like house, techno, dubstep and IDM.
The IDentity Festival is the first of its kind in the United States, according to the concert's promoters. While reggae, rock, metal and hip-hop touring festivals have been around for years, electronic artists such as Kaskade, Steve Aoki and White Shadow -- all of whom will be headlining the festival's three stages at the Shoreline Amphitheatre on Saturday, Sept. 3 -- have not had a genre-specific tour of their own.
The tour comes at a time when electronic duos and solo DJs have achieved rock star status in the United States. Artists like Deadmau5, who performs in behind a table in an oversized, LED-emblazoned mouse helmet has been selling out massive shows around the world; and Rusko, whose wobbly, laser-punctuated dubstep caught the ear of pop star Britney Spears, who ended up working with the musician on her latest release.
In short, the producers who once remained tucked away in studios and the liner notes of pop albums are now the main attraction.
However, with the good times and non-stop dancing that seem to go hand-in-hand with electronic shows, so comes a concern that the youth attending such concerts might have a bit too much fun.
Liz Wylie, a spokeswoman for the Mountain View police said that her department is going to be keeping an extra watchful eye on the IDentity Festival.
"We've never really had an event like this in town," Wylie said, adding that while all the advertisements surrounding the concert have billed it as an "electronic music festival," as far as the police department is concerned, "for lack of a better term, it's like a rave."
Police are concerned about increased use of ecstasy, a drug that comes in pill form and works both as a stimulant and a mild hallucinogen, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Scott Vermeer, Mountain View's police chief, said that all of the concert's promoters have been very cooperative in addressing his department's concerns and that the MVPD does not want to discourage people from going and having a good time.
"Our concern is with the medical care and health of young people at the concert," he said.
Unlike at concerts of a variety of other genres, where the department is aware that they may have trouble with drinking, marijuana use or violence, depending on who is playing, a large electronic music festival has never come through Shoreline before. As such, the police are taking extra precautions.
No backpacks will be allowed inside. There will be increased medical staff inside the venue, ambulances will be standing by and there will be at least one "amnesty booth," according to Liz Wylie, where anyone who has overindulged in any kind of substance -- whether alcohol or some other kind of drug -- may go with no fear of arrest.
Wylie said that the department has been in touch with similar venues around the country where the IDentity Festival has played, venues that have similar demographics as Mountain View and the surrounding areas, and said police officials believe that their concerns are valid, and that they are taking adequate precautions.
Comments
Shoreline West
on Aug 31, 2011 at 2:37 pm
on Aug 31, 2011 at 2:37 pm
"Police prepare for possible problems with drug use at Shoreline event". This has got to be THE most stupid headline the Mountain View Voice has EVER come up with. And your article? Is the writer freak'n new?? It doesn’t matter WHAT the genre is; it's Shoreline, it's a concert. There's going to be drugs and alcohol. I can guarantee you, 90% of those 'partaking' will attend the event "with no fear of arrest".
"No backpacks will be allowed inside". Who cares? That's not where we are stashing our pot anyway. Those of us who regularly attend events at Shoreline have come to realize that bringing a backpack is pointless anyway, since the only thing we need a backpack for is to carry legal H20, of which Shoreline shamelessly removes the caps, rendering our supply of water useless, leaving us no option but to dump what we brought and force us to shell out $4 to stay hydrated. And trust me, when you have people attending an event using drugs and alcohol, you want them to stay hydrated.
Oh, wait!!! I get it! Who's really the criminal here anyway? Geesh!!
Rex Manor
on Aug 31, 2011 at 3:35 pm
on Aug 31, 2011 at 3:35 pm
I agree that this festival is going to just be a huge rave with lots of underage kids doing ecstacy and other drugs like LSD!!! I know because my friend use to tell me all the time what its like at these stupid venues. Lets not forgot what happened at the Cow Palace these past years with overdoses of kids drugged up on ecstacy. Never again should City of Mountain View approve a stupid venue like this. This RAVE is a ticking timebomb!!
Whisman Station
on Aug 31, 2011 at 4:11 pm
on Aug 31, 2011 at 4:11 pm
I really love Electronic Music and I think there's a lot more to it than a bunch of kids raving on drugs. It can trace it's roots all the way back to the early Electronic Music of the 70s like Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk merged with the Dance music of the same period. I particularly like some of the music by "The Crystal Method" and "Kaskade" both of whom will be performing this weekend. I think I might be too old to attend the event tho. :)
another community
on Sep 1, 2011 at 10:41 am
on Sep 1, 2011 at 10:41 am
This article is only stating the obvious. People are going to have fun and the cops are going to be there for safety. I go to raves all the time and also, the reason why kids in the cow palace die is DEHYDRATION + BAD DRUGS. Not just drugs in general. Venues security and medical staff have to be on top of their game. Mountain view hot weather + festival = Possible incidents. But they are offering free water and allowing us to bring camelbacks too(Im bringing one)! I see only one person being hurt and thats going to be the bass because its going to be dropped all day long.
Castro City
on Sep 1, 2011 at 7:44 pm
on Sep 1, 2011 at 7:44 pm
I was thinking of electronic music as composed by Alan Strange with synthesizers and such :(.
Old Mountain View
on Sep 2, 2011 at 2:16 am
on Sep 2, 2011 at 2:16 am
"The reason why kids in the cow palace die is DEHYDRATION + BAD DRUGS. Not just drugs in general."
Peaceful Raver, you are on your way to winning a Darwin award. Just try not to take too many innocent people with you.
Sylvan Park
on Sep 6, 2011 at 9:25 am
on Sep 6, 2011 at 9:25 am
Why is the use of Ecstacy, an illegal and very dangerous drug, condoned and allowed to be used at these rave like events? Wasn't Kaskade the DJ who incited a riot in LA? I'm not sure Mtn. View is benefiting in any way with this type of behavior and these types of "entertainers."
Cuesta Park
on Sep 7, 2011 at 6:36 am
on Sep 7, 2011 at 6:36 am
And now that it has past without any horrific world ending cascade down into the evil world of drugs and debauchery that was predicted by the posters above, we can see who the silly chicken littles are in our community. I love how popular music and the 'scene' it produces still causes the older generations to look at it with trepidation.
The mass hysteria caused by Elvis's swiveling hips and the fear of drug crazed zombie kids wandering around is the same. The kids are alright.
Long live rock and roll.
Cuesta Park
on Sep 7, 2011 at 9:19 am
on Sep 7, 2011 at 9:19 am
Dr. Rock,
Nobody is predicting a world ending here. You're setting up a straw man argument. We're just opposed to the use of drug use in City limits that causes users long term damage in terms of health, and quality of life and also driving under the influence issues. If you're comparing Elvis with DJ's it seems your thinking has been affected. I'm a young person speaking so your argument is an insult to older as well as younger people.