The lethal fire that killed 36 people and gutted Oakland’s Ghost Ship artist work/live space on December 2 of last year inspired DIY event organizers around the country to take stock of their own safety practices. The tragedy and the subsequent national discussion forced many members of that community to consider why it remains essential to foster underground culture in cities where rising rents and cultural homogeneity make that effort increasingly difficult. Cities like Seattle, for example.
Some DIY promoters—already wary of municipal authorities—have become even more paranoid about their spaces being ruthlessly inspected by the police and fire department in the wake of the Ghost Ship tragedy. Some of the people I contacted for this piece chose not to comment, preferring to remain under the radar out of a sense of self-preservation.
