Pubdate: Thu, 07 Sep 2000 Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI) Copyright: 2000, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact: 414-224-8280 Website: http://www.jsonline.com/ Forum: http://www.jsonline.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimate.cgi Author: Meg Jones, Journal Sentinel staff WOMAN DIES AFTER RAVE, AUTHORITIES SAY Drug Overdose Suspected; 2 Others Hurt At Festival Near Black River Falls A woman died of a suspected drug overdose and two men were injured, including one who was severely burned after dancing in a bonfire, during a four-day music festival and outdoor rave in northwestern Wisconsin, authorities said Wednesday. The rave, which the Milwaukee-based promoter said was similar to a Grateful Dead festival but with electronic music, was held near Black River Falls. Tara J. Tidgwell, 24, of Humbird was brought to a hospital in Osseo around 4 a.m. Monday. She was transferred to an Eau Claire hospital, where she died eight hours later. Jackson County Chief Deputy Dennis Blanchard said witnesses told authorities that Tidgwell attended the festival from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday. "Allegedly she received a gift of a drug by a person at this party," Blanchard said. An autopsy was performed, but the report was not released Wednesday. Toxicology results will not be known for some time, Blanchard said. The Sheriff's Department was not called to the festival, but the local volunteer ambulance service, Black River Falls EMS, was summoned three times. Concert promoter Drop Bass Network, which is well-known in the Milwaukee rave scene, hired guards to provide security. Steve Schreiber, the ambulance service director, said all three of the injured people either admitted to taking illegal drugs, mostly acid, or are suspected of drug use. Early Saturday, a 23-year-old Round Lake, Ill., man was injured when he dived off a stage and landed 12 feet below on asphalt. Early Sunday, a 30-year-old Milwaukee man was treated for a possible heart attack. Also Sunday, a man, whose age and hometown were unknown, jumped into a bonfire and suffered burns over half of his body. He was in serious condition Wednesday at University of Wisconsin Hospital, a hospital spokeswoman said. "If it's a good, respectable concert, fine. Accidents happen," Schreiber said in a phone interview. "It appears every one of these we transported was illegal drug use. We don't need it here. We're busy enough as a volunteer department taking other calls." The festival promoter said that aside from the ambulance calls, there were few problems at the concert, called "Even Furthur" - named after the bus used by Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters during the '60s and profiled in Tom Wolfe's book "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test." "It ran fairly smoothly other than noise complaints," said Kurt Eckes, owner of Drop Bass Network, which has promoted six other Even Furthur festivals in Wisconsin and Illinois. He said he didn't know how many people attended the festival or how many tickets were sold. Eckes received a permit from the Jackson County Board a month ago to schedule the festival on 64 acres in the Town of Alma. Eckes said he doubted Tidgwell was at the concert. Wally Schultz, the owner of the property where the outdoor rave was held, also disputed whether Tidgwell attended the festival. Law enforcement officials "better not be saying that, because she was never here," Schultz said. He said didn't know if Tidgwell had bought a ticket. Schultz said that 15 security guards kept control of the crowd, although a bonfire got out of hand and bystanders tried to prevent the man who jumped in the fire from getting hurt. "I don't know how you're going to stop somebody. It's like saying, 'Don't drink that quart of whiskey,' " Schultz said. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D