Raver Flavor Days

I was a raver, once upon a time and long, long ago.

Don't laugh! It was a short phase, from my last year of high school until about a year later.

Then it was over and I moved on. But while I was in the midst of it...hoo boy!

Some raver-flavor girls I ran into at CONvergence in 2009

There aren't too many things left from those days. Some techno music CD's, a couple of colorful visors, maybe a feather boa or two somewhere, possibly some left over and forgotten light up devices, my faerie wings (hey, those are multi-purpose!), one lonely last pair of those super-wide pants angry, disenfranchised and angst-y youth wear, some plastic beaded bracelets, and those awesomely fun shoes with the wheels in the heel that allow you to skate around or walk, as you choose.

I don't go to all-night parties and dance from sundown to sunup anymore. Sometimes I catch myself remembering those days with the kind of fondness you reserve for things in your past that you only sorta wish to do again, but at the same time you don't really want to.

There are some really great things about raves, underneath all the stereotyping and bad parts typically associated with them. If you haven't experienced a good one first-hand, I'll tell you they're not all bad. Yes, sometimes they aren't held legally, they damage property and create a big mess. Yes, there is underage drinking and illegal drug use. I'm pretty sure that kind of stuff happens at many parties where young people gather in herds of anxious and swaggering groups.

Like with many subcultures, outsiders don't see or understand what draws people into this particular type of activity. What they may not realize is the sense of community and sheer fun that can be had, staying up all night and dancing until you drop. How do I explain the rave phenomenon in such a way that this sense of community and goodness comes through? I'm not sure I can.

My favorite part about going to raves was the atmosphere. The people were usually happy, energetic, enthusiastic and friendly. At so many of the parties I attended, I met really nice people who would earnestly discuss all kinds of philosophies, beliefs, ideologies and hot button topics with me. Many times I would spend part of my night outside chain smoking and passionately arguing with others.

Of course you can't forget the music. I know electronica doesn't appeal to everyone. I leaned towards music that was techno in flavor even before my raver days, and it's definitely stuck with me after. Now I can't listen to any of my old techno music unless I really want to dance or I'm doing chores around the house. I prefer my techno now be a little diluted with pop, hip-hop and rock.

But the MUSIC! How awesomely transcendent it could be at a rave. The speaker freaks might have had the right idea. My very first one, in the basement of a small local arena, featured the Wall of Bass. It was a signature feature of one of the DJ's performing that night, a local Minnesota boy who invested unspeakable amounts of his own money to buy all those beautiful speakers. They were stacked three high and stretched across the entire floor. Standing all the way across the room from them with my back to the wall, I could feel the bass physically hitting me in a wave, causing my hair to move slightly. It was complete immersion in the sound, allowing all these white kids to find the beat and dance to it in something approximating rhythm. We had stood in line for 2 hours in the cold 35°F March evening before the doors opened, shivering in our t-shirts and baggy pants. Who wants to worry or carry a coat or purse when you know soon enough you'll be sweating on the dance floor? We were too cool to worry about being warm while waiting.

That night I saw the best set of record mixing and scratching, ever. The song "I'm Sorry Miss Jackson" was popular then and one of the DJ was a master scratcher. He had two turntables going, both playing "I'm Sorry Miss Jackson" and he would do crazy things between the two round vinyl disks, using his elbows, arms, hands, spinning entirely around, switching back & forth between the two records but never allowing the song to sound disjointed in all this moving around. Even as a novice I knew I was seeing something special, experiencing true skills from a master of the art.

My raver crew and I drove to Wisconsin a few times to attend raves in Madison, Milwaukee and Memononie. The 4-5 hour trip was part of the fun. Often we would go to the car right after the party, eyes blinking in the morning sunlight, bodies tired with the feel-good kind of exhaustion that comes from physical exertion. If a couple of us felt chipper still, we would pile in the car & start the long drive back home.  This is when I discovered a consequence of staying up all night--there comes a point in the morning when you can either go to sleep, or you're up for another 8-12 hours despite your tired eyes and aching feet. Often I would elect to stay up. On those nights that were so magical, so fun, so full of energy, it was hard to say goodbye to the night and move on. Staying awake felt like it prolonged the experience.

Techno music is the overarching label many people give to this type of electronica/dance music. I learned that there are genres of techno. Some DJ's spun two-step, others spun actual techno or trance, some drum & bass, others hardcore. Other kinds were jungle and my personal favorite, house music. The differences are subtle. Not too much difference between techno and trance--I'm still not entirely sure what's different between them, to be honest. Drum & bass and hardcore are just what they sound like, a harder, edgier version of the music. House music has a lot of vocals and is typically sprightly and energetic, something to really get your feet moving and your soul involved.

Nobody cares whether you're a good dancer or not at a rave. Great dancers are applauded, but even if you dance like Elaine from Seinfeld no one is going to mock you directly for it. It's all about feeling the music, getting the rhythm and transcending yourself through dancing. If the DJ was good, they did transport you to somewhere else, building the tension by removing all the bass from the song and letting the high notes build, and build, and build while you wait on your toes, craving those deep sonorous notes until *BAM!* he drops the bass back in and you're jerking crazily around, the pulse pounding in your ears in time with the track. That moment was sheer nirvana, all was right in the world and you're getting your funky groove on.

One artist that is closely related to the rave scene is Fatboy Slim. Although he's most known for that "Funk Show Brother" song, I really enjoy his Halfway Between the Gutter & the Stars CD. If you enjoyed his hit song or like techno-esque songs, you need to check it out. The whole thing is pretty good, there's only a few songs I tend to skip, but in particular I like the very last song. He manages to capture just what the rave experience is all about. Not to mention that he forever endeared himself to me by having the lyric "If you walk without rhythm/You won't attract the worm!" which I insist must be a Frank Herbert Dune reference.

I've rambled on enough and think that Fatboy Slim said it better than I could, so enjoy! Hopefully this sheds some light on the crazy freakness that is ravers and house music lovers.

A Song for Shelter by Fatboy Slim (from Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars LP)
I get deep I get deep I get deep I get deeper into this thing…aha
The deeper I go the more knowledge I know
What to sing, what to bring...what?
I get deep I get deep I get deep I get deeper into the vibe…
What?
Why…
Check it out I’m chilling in the corner of the shelter all by myself
Check it out I’m not dancing no more but why…why…why…
What?
How on earth are you supposed to vibe around the fakes ones
The ones, the ones, the ones that say they know what is what, but they don’t know what is what, they just strut, what the fuck
What?
I get deep I get deep I get deep I get deeper into this thing and
I pretend that they’re not there
I just stare up in the booth at the Dread man spinning the song
Spinning it strong playing things like
"We can with House, we can!"
That’s my shit, what?
Whoo I get deep I get deep I get deeper I get deeper
Then people start to disappear and it’s about six o’clock
Whoo I’m feeling hot
Take off my sweater and my pants and I start to dance and
All the sweat just pours out my face and
I pretend that there’s nobody but me in this place
I get deep I get deep what?
Whoo I get deep I get deep I get deeper I get deeper
And he takes all the bass out the song and all you hear is highs and it’s like
"Ohhhhhh……SHIT!"
Ah I get deep
Whoo I get deep I get deep I get deeper I get deeper and
The rhythm flows through my blood like alcohol and I get drunk and
I’m feeling hot and I’m falling all over the place
But I catch myself right on time, right on line
With the beat and it’s so sweet sweet sweet sweet sweet
Why, if House music was air, then Dr Love would be my song and
I would only take deep breaths and fill my lungs with rhythm, with the bass,
I get deep yo, I get deep

Now it’s about 3 am and I see people going "Plea-ase!"
Spinning jumping and grinding as if they had wings on their feet
Raising both hands in the air
As if Jesus was a DJ himself
Spinning those funky, funky, funky House beats and
In this temple we all pray unity for the same thing
Dramatic pause without cause, bass from those high definition speakers
Sitting in the corner on each side of the room
Giving us the boom boom boom to our zoom zoom zoom
The smell of the ‘El while walking by but
The music gets me high, sanctified like an old lady in church
We get happy, we stomp our feet, we clap our hands, we shout, we cry, we dance, we say "Sweet lord, speak to me!"
Speak to me, speak to me, speak to me
Because we love House music and on this planet bring us together
Like a family reunion every week, we eat, we drink, we laugh, we play, we sing
So for all you hip hoppers, you do-whoppers, name droppers, you pill poppers,
Come into our House to get deep!
What?
To get deep.

Another great song...lyrics don't do it justice!

Drop the Hate
Talk to Heaven
Forgive each other
I'm calling on Heaven and rain, to join hands tonight, Oh Lord!
Let's join hands and walk together, oh yeah!
Well I need ya tonight
Yeah I need ya tonight
Well I need ya tonight
Let's all join hands

Talk to Heaven
Forgive each other
Talk to Heaven
Drop the hate

I'n that right? I'n that right?
I don't know about you girl, but I made up my mind
I wanna be in that number

Talk to Heaven
Forgive each other
Talk to Heaven
Drop the hate
Talk to Heaven
Forgive each other
Talk to Heaven

I'm calling on Heaven and rain, to join hands tonight, Oh Lord!
Let's join hands and walk together, oh yeah!

I don't know about you girl, but I made up my mind!

Wanna be those days, wanna be those days,
Wanna be those days, wanna be those days

Talk to Heaven
Forgive each other
Talk to Heaven
Drop the hate
Talk to Heaven
Forgive each other

Talk to Heaven