Following a discussion between industry stakeholders, Cook County, and the City of Chicago, live music and DJing are now considered recognized art forms. A revision will be made to the current amusement tax ordinance, which is to exempt the current three percent tax on admission fees for small venues like nightclubs.
“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, and that fact is bolstered by [Cook County Board] President Preckwinkle’s desire to co-sponsor my amendment.”
This revision follows after similar decisions in Berlin and Vienna to elevate the status of nightclubs to that of established concert spaces. The official hearing is to take place on October 26th, and many of the city’s inhabitants couldn’t be happier that the birthplace of house music is finally getting official recognition.
“This agreement confirms that government officials should not be the arbiters of what constitutes art while affording small venue owners a sense of certainty as they continue to present musical talent to Chicagoans and the many visitors who flock to our venues based on our city’s international reputation as a music capital.”
H/T Mixmag