Minimal Effort issues apology over Halloween shutdown
Minimal Effort has become one of Los Angeles’ most well-known underground brands. From their annual NYE parties, to one-off events like Flying Circus, they consistently throw some of the city’s largest house and techno events.
Last Saturday, Minimal Effort once hosted their annual Halloween party, taking place at Enox Events in Downtown Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the event was marred by early closure when authorities on-site made the call to shut the event down. At approximately 9:45pm, the party was was forced to close their doors, leaving hundreds of patrons barred from entry.
“We were told by the Sheriff and Fire Marshall that even though we had not reached our permitted capacity they would not let anyone else in,” the event organizers wrote on Facebook. “We had a permitted capacity of 3000, 2100 people were already safely inside, 300+ remained outside. Authorities told us we could either close the doors on the 300+ or risk shut down of the entire event. We complied, choosing the option we felt was the lesser of two evils.”
The event featured headliners Lee Burridge, Claptone, MK, and Damian Lazarus, and by all other accounts, was likely the best production executed by the team thus far. The new venue provided ample space for attendees (a large complaint following their NYE event), as well as upgraded sound and lighting production.
While it’s easy to point fingers at the event organizers in situations like this, it’s worth remembering they are ultimately looking to help foster LA’s house and techno community — which, in a city wrought with overregulation on electronic events, is no easy feat.
“We are dance music fans first and promoters second, and it is our passion for the music that drives us to put our life savings and debt on the line to try to provide the type of experiences that we ourselves love,” Minimal Effort wrote on Facebook in the aftermath of the event.
Despite the setback, Minimal Effort will return for NYE. Read their full statement regarding Halloween below:
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