Anyone that is even the least bit familiar with electronic dance music is well aware of the name “Bassnectar.” What they may not be aware of is where to find the DJ on September 9th and 10th. That is because he is pulling back to old-school warehouse tradition and playing two shows in a currently undisclosed location in downtown Atlanta. Bassnectar is on tour and these dates fall in line with the other shows that are planned. However, the Atlanta set is the only one listed as a “Secret Location.”
The idea is mainly a tribute to the old underground raves which were typically held at warehouses and not advertised to the general public. The lack of advertising at that time was usually because not everything going on at these kinds of parties was approved by the authorities. In this case, it is the music and the experience that Bassnectar is looking to revive, not so much the illegal activities. Bassnectar revealed his motivation for this event in an interview with Billboard magazine.
“I had no idea where it was or what it was going to be like. A kid from school found the directions last minute… it was like a treasure hunt. I drove there in a car packed with friends, and we parked on the street outside. When we got out of the car, you could hear the bass booming in the distance. We just followed the bass until we found ourselves at the doorway to a building.
Everyone was lost in the music, and lost in the experience of a creative, social free-for-all. Instead of staring at a DJ up on a stage, or spending the entire night with their phones out trying to ‘capture the moment,’ they were in the moment, and this is what I want to recreate in Atlanta.”
It seems like so many artists these days are prone to “selling out” or forgetting where they started as musicians. It is refreshing to see something that is not designed as a quick cash grab or a choice that was made just because it is trendy right now. Music is at its best when it creates a moment or a memory, but to be able to tie your fan base to the moment or the memory that inspired your career as a musician, the concept is just too cool for words. If I were anywhere near Atlanta on the 9th or 10th of September, I would be dropping everything to try and figure out where this event is going down. It would be great if more artists were able to connect their fans with a moment like this.
