LOS ANGELES – Every spring for the past few years, activists have been calling for a boycott of Coachella, the annual music and arts festival that takes place in Indio, California over two weekends in April. This movement arose after it was made public that Philip Anschutz, owner of Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) which owns Coachella, made donations to a variety of conservative groups, including some openly anti-LGBTQ organizations.
According to an infographic by Freedom For All Americans, Philip Anschutz donates to an organization called Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a conservative organization with Christian ties. The infographic states that ADF “equates being LGBT with committing incest and bestiality and has repeatedly advocated for the criminalization of homosexuality, both in the U.S. and internationally.” It also states that the group trains attorneys to advocate for anti-LGBTQ policies. Philip Anschutz’s tax documents from 2015 show that he made a donation of $75,000 to the alliance, confirming the accusation that he has donated to such groups.
In a press release from Jan. 5 2017, Anschutz responded to the controversy surrounding his donations. “Recent claims published in the media that I am anti-LGBTQ are nothing more than fake news – it is all garbage. I unequivocally support the rights of all people without regard to sexual orientation,” Anschutz said. He continues to assure that it was not his intention to fund anti-LGBTQ groups and that “when it has come to my attention or the attention of The Anschutz Foundation that certain organizations either the Foundation or I have funded have been supporting such causes, we have immediately ceased all contributions to such groups.”
Since then, according to donation records on OpenSecrets.com, Anschutz and his company have donated thousands of dollars to a variety of GOP parties, candidates and PACs throughout the past two years since the press release. However, Anschutz has also donated $1 million to the Elton John AIDS Foundation, according to an article by Billboard.
The Coachella Festival has also launched the “Every One” initiative, which includes a code of conduct in order to make the most inclusive and safe environment for festival goers. According to Coachella’s website, the initiative’s mission assures that “persons of any gender identity or expression, sex, sexual orientation, race, religion, age or ability are welcome at Coachella.”
It can be asked if the donation to the Elton John AIDS Foundation and this new initiative at Coachella are an attempt to compensate for Anschutz—an attempt to satisfy LGBTQ activists who are taking part in the “boycott Coachella” movement. AEG did not respond to requests to comment.
According to an article about music festival demographics in The Guardian, the main age group to attend music festivals are young adults aged 18 to 35. The Pew Research Center shows data about generations’ political affiliation and shows that, as of 2017, 59% of Democrats are millennials—ages 21 to 36 in 2017. The Los Angeles Times reported in 2016 that 61% of voters under 30 prefer a Democrat in the White House, which shows that the target demographic for festivals are increasingly liberal, which contradicts many of the donations that Philip Anschutz has made.
It is important to note that the Coachella festival is not the only festival that AEG owns. In fact, AEG owns many of the popular live music venues and festivals in Los Angeles. According to AEG Worldwide, the company owns a number of Southern California festivals in addition to Coachella, including Arroyo Seco Weekend, Camp Flog Gnaw, Desert Trip and Stagecoach Festivals. AEG also owns the El Rey Theater, Fonda Theatre, Shrine Auditorium, Novo and the Roxy Theatre in addition to the Staples Center and L.A. Live. AEG also owns both AXS ticketing and Goldenvoice.
Goldenvoice was founded in 1981 by Paul Tollett and Rick Van Santen as a Southern California based promotion company—hosting over 50 punk shows within the first two years. In 1999, the company held the very first Coachella Music and Arts Festival. By 2001, AEG had acquired Goldenvoice from its co-founders for almost $7 million.
Goldenvoice itself books a number of venues and festivals that are not listed on the AEG website, including the Fox Theater Pomona, Queen Mary Ship and Events Park, Microsoft Theater and the Santa Barbara Bowl as well as FYF festival. The Queen Mary Ship and Events Park is home to festivals like Tropicalia, Just Like Heaven and Smokin’ Grooves.
Paul Tollett, co-founder and CEO of Goldenvoice, feared that the controversy would lead to the downfall of his work and the Coachella festival. “There are big ships that go down over small things. You’re riding high, but one wrong thing and you’re voted off the island. It’s scary,” Tollett said about the “boycott Coachella” movement in a profile with the New Yorker. Goldenvoice did not respond to requests to comment.
When looking at the scope of AEG and it’s domination over the music world in Southern California, it is clear that boycotting Coachella is not enough to avoid funding Anschutz and his companies. The situation begs the question: is there any way to support live music in Los Angeles without supporting AEG? The answer depends on what an individual values more—supporting musicians, including those in the LGBTQ community, or supporting companies that align with personal beliefs.
It is important to note that an extensive boycott of AEG would have a severe impact on careers in the music industry. Emma Valles, a Los Angeles based concert photographer, spoke about how this controversy has affected her work in the music industry. “By going to shows and supporting the bands I am basically supporting [Anschutz] too,” Valles said about how she must attend shows at AEG venues in order to pursue her career as a photographer. Although money is still going towards Anschutz’s donations, Valles believes that going to shows and supporting artists is better than avoiding AEG venues and events altogether. “We’d be stumping the growth of bands if we guilt them [into avoiding AEG],” Valles said.
Alexa Terry, a Los Angeles resident and KXLU DJ, expressed her disappointment in the situation and how, in her opinion, there is no ethical consumption under capitalism. “A lot of independent artists rely on ticket sales and merch sales from tour, so it’s hard not to go to these venues and use these ticket vendors to support the people we love and the irony [that arises] when these artists are [part of the] LGBTQ [community] and AEG is in charge of it all,” Terry said.
Others believe that pro-LGBTQ artists and celebrities taking part in AEG affiliated events contradicts the authenticity of their message. Alina Mirzaian, an avid music lover from the Los Angeles area, said that “having to watch openly gay celebrities attend the festival themselves in an effort to boost their social media status is incredibly ironic considering where their money is actually going.”
“I’m a huge fan of live music and the atmosphere that goes along with it, so finding out that the CEO of one of the biggest entertainment groups not only does not support my rights but goes further to donate to organizations with anti-gay rhetoric really sucks to say the least,” said Deven Launchbaugh, who identifies as a queer woman. She finds it hard to navigate the situation because she would love to attend festivals and concerts but cannot justify supporting a company that does not support her community. “It sucks to see artists I love perform at these [shows], but it sucks even more when I hear friends say that it doesn’t really matter because it does,” said Launchbaugh.
“Maybe one ticket purchased won’t change anything but if people actually start to talk about this, people like [Anschutz] won’t be in charge anymore,” said Launchbaugh. But how much do people actually know about this controversy? According to a limited poll on Twitter, out of 23 voters, 91% knew that Philip Anschutz had donated to anti-LGBTQ groups and out of 12 voters, 58% knew that AEG owns many of the live music venues in Los Angeles.
Fii Sperling, an activist and member of the LGBTQ community, believes that it is hard to avoid supporting big corporations when it comes to music, especially in Los Angeles. “I think it’s really hard to balance the ability to be moral in this capitalistic society when your efforts to support small artists trickles down to supporting big immoral corporations, however like most things I truly think it is the thought that counts,” Sperling said, “I can’t get myself to spend big money on festivals and events knowing that the money is going to someone who seeks to erase my existence, but when it comes to small events and artists it’s almost like a give and take.”
“As a member of the LGBTQ community, I find it increasingly frustrating to watch my peers claim to be my allies only to turn around and support what is ultimately the detriment to those like me,” said Raven Yamamoto about people who support AEG venues and festivals, “when you purchase something, you are endorsing it.”
It is clear that there is no easy way to support small artists while avoiding AEG completely. However, the attention that the “boycott Coachella” movement has been receiving will have an affect on how AEG and the Coachella Festival portray themselves to the public. With Anschutz’s donation to the Elton John AIDS Fund and the launch of Coachella’s “Every One” initiative, changes are already being made.