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Jeff Boston may be young, but he’s been around
the music business long enough to know that most acts enjoy performing for
an all-ages crowd. Boston, a 20-year old music promoter from
Carlinville, says that most bands would rather play for younger audiences,
who spend more time listening to their music than hanging out at the bar. “Honestly, most bands don’t want to play
for people who are getting drunk,” Boston says. Boston has already promoted five all-ages shows this
year at Club Chrome, 3075 Normandy Rd., and says it’s the best music
venue in Springfield because it has a 1,000-person capacity and a staunch
policy against underage drinking. That’s why Boston joined Neil Patel, owner of
Club Chrome, and several area musicians Tuesday in opposing a city
ordinance that would limit the number of all-ages events the venue could
hold to just three per calendar year. Patel told aldermen that 12 to 15 security guards,
plus an off-duty officer, usually patrol all-ages events at Club Chrome and
that minors are always cordoned off from the bar area. Todd Oliver, city
license inspector, confirmed that the venue has never incurred a violation
for underage consumption. But Ward 2 Ald. Gail Simpson says she introduced the
ordinance after receiving several complaints from constituents about
underage drinking and fighting that was occurring after kids left concerts
at Club Chrome. “They may not be serving alcohol inside the
club,” Simpson says, “but when you have this mix of adults and
teenagers they get the alcohol.”
Springfield Police Chief Ralph Caldwell agreed that
teenagers who have started the night at Club Chrome have gotten into fights
or caused problems elsewhere in the city. He added that resources are
sometimes stretched thin when on-duty officers are assigned to follow
groups of kids when they leave the venue. Ward 1 Ald. Frank Edwards argued that it wasn’t
fair to single out Club Chrome, especially because the city also has
trouble with teens at the mall and at movie theaters. “We’re penalizing the business,”
Edwards says. “It’s because they have people, not because they
have an event.”
The council rejected the ordinance on a 9-1 vote, with Simpson casting the vote
in its favor.
Contact Amanda Robert at arobert@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in Apr 10-16, 2008.
