Madison musician Joel Shanahan had to “helplessly watch from across the street” as the Oakland, Calif. warehouse where he was supposed to be performing went up in flames Friday night.
“I’m alive,” Shanahan told Isthmus reporter Allison Geyer in a Facebook message Saturday. “Far from okay.” Shanahan is Geyer’s roommate and close friend.
Shanahan, 33, who goes by the stage name Golden Donna, had recently set out on a monthlong West Coast tour organized in part by his record label, 100% Silk. He was to perform at the warehouse, which doubled as an artists’ space called the Oakland Ghost Ship, along with labelmates Cherushii, Nackt and three other independent dance music artists. The location of the all-night concert was announced on Facebook hours before the party.
Early media reports confirmed nine people had died in the blaze, but dozens more were unaccounted for in the chaotic aftermath. Several of Shanahan’s friends — including one of his best friends — are among the missing. Officials fear there may be up to 40 dead.
There were at least 100 people in the venue, according to CNN, and most of the victims were on the second floor of the warehouse. The only way to descend was a “makeshift, rickety stairway made from pallets and other materials.” Some escaped by leaping from windows.
Early media reports confirmed nine people had died in the fire, but dozens more were unaccounted for in the chaotic aftermath. According to CNN, most of the dead were on the second floor of the warehouse. The only way to descend was a “makeshift, rickety stairway made from pallets and other materials.” By Monday, the death toll had climbed to 36, and by Tuesday, all but one of the victims had been identified. Officials believe a refrigerator might have started the blaze, which is nation’s deadliest building fire in more than a decade.
Legal experts told the Los Angeles Times that criminal charges could be filed against the Ghost Ship property owner and the man who leased the building and allegedly sublet it to others. Members of the artists’ collective were living in the warehouse, in violation of city codes.
Other potential lawsuit targets could include “any contractors, engineers, engineers and architects who worked on the site over the years; the city of Oakland; promoters of the musical event held the night of the fire and possibly even manufacturers of items inside the building that may have sparked or contributed to the blaze.”
For Sarah Akawa, an independent Madison event promoter, news of the Ghost Ship fire came as a sobering shock.
Akawa co-founded a series of dance parties for queer-identifying people and people of color. Though she often works with established venues, she prefers to plan and party in DIY spaces similar to the Ghost Ship — spaces that may be unregulated or unsanctioned for such gatherings. “This [fire] is a huge wake-up call for society,” she says.
While some have cast blame on the Ghost Ship artists for choosing to live and work in an unsafe space and on partygoers for choosing to attend an underground music event, Akawa says the real culprits are things like income inequality, scarce affordable housing and a lack of support for the arts.
“[People] resort to [using underground spaces] because they don’t want to participate in capitalism and patriarchal structures,” she says. “We should be able to create these philosophical ‘safer spaces’ in a physically safe space.”
Shanahan is a familiar face and beloved member of the Madison music scene, memorable for his large stature, signature driving cap, talent and kindness. Originally from Stevens Point, he later moved to Madison where he started making music as Golden Donna in 2009. He relocated to Portland, Ore. about 18 months ago, but returned to Madison in September. For the last few months he has been DJing at places like Tavernakaya, Natt Spil, Liquid and Opus Lounge and preparing for his tour, which was to be his final as Golden Donna.
He was looking forward to playing shows and visiting friends in the Bay Area and elsewhere, but after the Oakland tragedy, he’s cutting his tour short.
“I’ll be home soon,” he said Saturday morning. “My heart is just broken.”
Editor's note: This story has been updated.
