Those who were looking to get torn up while celebrating the end of 2013 with Deadmau5 got a shocking e-mail prior the DJ's New Year's Eve show: No alcohol would be served at the event, held at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island.
It's safe to say that the producer himself wasn't behind the decision. Although he sent out the e-mail to ticket holders, the message itself was published as part of Coliseum Connection, the e-newsletter generated by the venue. This message was mind-blowing on three levels, which we've ranked from least-to-most mind-blowing below.
3. Nassau Coliseum without alcohol
If the coliseum was a dry facility otherwise, this announcement would be more understandable. However the idea of an arena, which exists mainly to host NHL games, not selling beer is ridiculous. And, as this map of the arena indicates, the venue features at least 14 stations marked that feature the word "beer," "brew," "bottled beverages," "bar" or "pub."
2. EDM concerts without alcohol
Admittedly, EDM needs to do a better job of policing itself for the misuse of substances, especially after numerous deaths resulting from the overdose of drugs such as ecstasy and "molly." However, suggesting that alcohol overconsumption is a problem limited to the electronic genre is a farce. EDM is club music, no matter where it's played, and people don't go to clubs to drink Coke. Unless it's mixed with something.
1. New Year's Eve without alcohol
If you think New Year's Day is a national holiday because it has some sort of relevance to American history, you're kidding yourself. It's a holiday because most of us are hung over. Nearby New York City gave more than 200 bars and clubs license to stay open until 8 A.M. New Year's morning. People drink on New Year's Eve, and the government condones it.
If Nassau Coliseum or promoters want to host a dry event, so be it. But waiting until the last moment to tell people who spent a lot of money on that ticket is deceptive and wrong.
