L.A. Now Live: Some raves have proved tragic; worth the revenue?

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L.A. Times reporter Paul Pringle will join L.A. NOW Live at 9 a.m. to discuss an investigation into large rave events produced by Pasquale Rotella, considered within the industry as the nation’s leading rave promoter.

Since 2006, at least 14 people who attended concerts produced by Rotella and Reza Gerami, another prominent Los Angeles-based impresario, have died from overdoses or in other drug-related incidents, a Times investigation has found.

GRAPHIC: Read more about the 14 deaths

These days, raves fill fairgrounds, basketball arenas and football stadiums. Their audiences are no longer a few hundred revelers but tens of thousands.

As raves have moved into the mainstream, there have been more tragedies across the country.

According to an analysis of coroners’ and law enforcement reports from nine states, most of the deaths were linked to Ecstasy or similar designer drugs — hallucinogens tightly bound with raves.