It was the summer of 2011 when I experienced my first rave in LA’s Downtown Historic Park. I remember standing in line outside the venue, the hot sun beating down, waiting eagerly to get in. Belly-baring girls in sparkly tutus and sun-tanned guys in neon tank tops surrounded me; everyone was wrapped up in this unspoken energy. As I walked inside the venue, I could feel the pulse of the bass shaking the floor and the relentless debauchery of the crowd. Was this the place to break all inhibitions? There was an air of excitement that even the most conservative young adult couldn’t resist. It was called Hard Summer, and I can honestly say that it was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had.
The phrase “rave” has always carried an audacious connotation. The term ‘raver’ was first used to describe bohemian partiers that identified with the mod counter-culture of the early 1960s—the hippies. Bands such as The Who were the self-described ‘ravers’ of the time. But times have changed, and so has the music that rave-culture associates itself with.
Music
Modern day raves are based on electronic dance music (EDM). It was in Britain that the EDM music scene first blew up, somewhere around the 1980’s, but it has evolved since. European DJs are among the most popular and successful today, although American DJs are rising up with the growing popularity of raving in North America. Artists such as the ever popular and grammy winning Skrillex, racy Israeli dubstep DJ Borgore, and European power-houses Kasakade and Swedish House Mafia all produce very different genre’s of EDM. From dubstep, drum and bass, house, to trance, genres of EDM are countless. And with the vast distributional qualities of Internet and YouTube, hopeful young DJs have much more of a chance to make it in the industry alone than with any record company start-up. EDM is growing rapidly worldwide, but there are still people who are against it. To a first time listener, the music may sound all the same; just a bunch of beats and noise with no real meaning. But maybe they just don’t know the setting in which to listen to it—from my own personal experience, there’s no better way to experience the music than at a rave. Raves are not just about the music, and don’t let any EDM hipster tell you otherwise. Yes, the music is awesome— nothing beats the feeling of chills going down your back in anticipation right before the beat finally drops; however, the people, the visuals and the experience are what really makeraves unforgettable.
Experience
Recently, raves have become much more mainstream and organized. Instead of the underground, forest raves that do actually still go on, more popular today are the shows that are planned and financed by corporations such as Insomniac or Hard. These shows are truly a one of akind experience—laser lights shows, costume-clad go-go dancers, smoke machines, and illuminated art structures are some of the many spectacles to witness at raves. Often times there are luminous mazes, Ferris wheels, and entertainers dressed in elaborate and impressive costumes just walking around. It’s an environment that stimulates all the senses; it’s an environment that goes beyond reality. A lot of rave-goers get really into the fashion aspect. Typical rave fashion consists of tutus, sequin bralettes, bead bracelets, and if you’re going to go all out, those furry boot things. It really depends on the kind of rave you go to; maybe at Identity (summer, San Diego) there will be more cutoff shorts and crochet tops whereas at Escape from Wonderland (Halloween, San Bernardino) there will be metallic booty shorts and fishnets.
There is a certain freedom that you have at a rave, a freedom to dress how you want, to dance how you want, and to ‘live in the moment’ without having to worrying about societal norms and judgments. Is the EDM rave our generation’s counter-culture? In my eyes the answer to that question is yes, and I ask, who would want to miss out on that?