1. MIAMI BEACH TURNS DOWN 2020 ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL: Miami Beach commissioners said no to a proposal to begin discussions with Ultra Music Festival organizers about holding the electronic dance music event in South Beach in 2020. Commissioner Ricky Arriola said the festival could make spring break festivities more organized and profitable, which created a negative response from residents, who sent emails and lined up to speak at the commission meeting on Wednesday. Miami Herald: “‘Adding the drug infested, ear splitting chaos known as the Ultra Music Festival to Miami Beach at March Break would be pure insanity,’ resident Laura Jamieson wrote Beach commissioners under the subject line ‘Ultra Insane.’ … The idea of bringing Ultra to the Beach was defeated five to two with several commissioners saying they worried the festival would only contribute to the crowd control issues. ‘I’m very wary that this will address the problem,’ said commissioner Mark Samuelian. ‘In fact, I think it could make it worse.’"
2. CBD ENTREPRENEUR TURNS LLOYD WRIGHT HOUSE INTO L.A. EVENT SPACE: A Lloyd Wright house in Los Angeles, which is linked to the Black Dahlia murder, now offers a space for cannabis events, benefits, and music videos after being bought by a CBD mogul. Dan Goldfarb, a former hedge fund analyst, purchased the Sowden House in Los Feliz last year with the intent to transform it into a cannabis hub. The New York Times: “‘There is this misconception that every event here is about cannabis,’ he said on a sunny afternoon inside the sprawling living room. (In all fairness, however, it was hard to miss a sizable bong on the kitchen counter.) ‘This is not like Cheech & Chong or a descent into Reefer Madness.’ Indeed, Mr. Goldfarb and his wife, Jenny Landers, have held fund-raisers for politicians (including one for Representative Katie Hill, Democrat of California) and nonprofits (Kindred Spirits Care Farm, which teaches students about farming). The house has also been used for a music video (for the XX song ‘I Dare You’), photo shoot (InStyle magazine), art exhibition (by the Gagosian Gallery) and dance performance (for HomeLA, an arts group).”
3. SPOLETO ARTS FESTIVAL KICKS OFF IN CHARLESTON: The 43rd season of Spoleto Festival U.S.A. kicks off today in Charleston, South Carolina, bringing 17 days of operas, plays, jazz, and chamber music to the city. The festival will take place at 11 indoor and outdoor venues, and is celebrating the 10th anniversary of Geoff Nuttall as director of the festival’s chamber music program. Associated Press: “Spoleto general director Nigel Redden said Nuttall has 11 eclectic chamber music programs scheduled through the festival. … Redden said his goal is to continue Spoleto’s long tradition of mixing old, traditional works with a modern twist. ‘For the 43rd season, the programming continues to transcend time and place, with long-heralded masterworks alongside world premieres and reimagined classics—fitting for the festival’s setting in Charleston, an ever-evolving metropolis steeped in a rich and complex history,’ Redden said.”
