Over the weekend, it was revealed that one of the true homes of dancefloor culture and electronic music, Chicago, has implemented a shift in how it views DJing and live music. Cook County Commissioner John Fritchey announced that after consulting with the county board, as well as Chicago representatives and industry stakeholders, small venues that host live music and DJing will now be exempt from paying a 3 percent tax on admission fees.
“By bringing together public officials and music industry representatives, we were able to arrive at language that all parties agree recognizes the diverse and robust nature of live music while providing the County with the ability to collect those taxes that are legitimately owed to it,” commissioner Fritchey said in a statement .
“This agreement makes it clear that it was never the intent of the Administration for the County to play culture police and make decisions on what is, or isn’t, music or art.”
The decision was welcomed by local stakeholders, with the owner of Metro and Smart Bar venue Joe Shanahan saying it reflected the city’s creative legacy.
“These musical styles are all recognized as art around the world and Chicago is rightly recognized as the birthplace of some of the best-known artists,” Shanahan said.
The decision mirrors the news last month that a legal win for techno institution Berghain will now see its endeavors recognized as “high culture” and taxed accordingly.
