Electric Dance Music (EDM) has taken over the music scene in the last decade with the emergence of the PLUR lifestyle and the good vibes atmosphere that comes with the music. Artists such as Above and Beyond, ZEDD, and Tiesto have taken on today's youth with intense bass, killer melodies, and lyrics that people cannot help but sing to, all of which gave birth to the EDM era. Audiences eat, sleep, and breath peace, love, unity, and respect with every outfit, every festival, and all the people they meet along the way. Being in the crowd you cannot help but feel the good vibes as you just close your eyes and dance to the music.
But this is not a new trend at all; it is merely history repeating itself. If any of you were a fan of the 60s you will understand that the paragraph above almost perfectly describes the hippie era over 50 years ago. During the 60s, the teenage baby boomers were running wild and jamming out to The Who, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix while promoting a peace, love, and freedom lifestyle. Their motives were to live spiritual lives while resisting any form of oppressive power.
Youth in both eras are seeking a carefree, peace and loving experience through music. Woodstock was the ultimate rock & roll festival that was famous for its originality and come as you are attitude. This three-day festival brought out every hippie far and wide for a good time and an opportunity to become one with the earth and people around them. Four hundred thousand people traveled to upstate New York to leave their troubles behind them and set off on a new adventure. LSD and hallucinogens were running rampant among the crowds, which only intensified the free love experience.
Fast forward 50 years to the Pacific Northwest's Paradiso Festival and you find the same thing. For three days, ravers run to the festival with open hearts ready for the experience of amazing music and being connected to all 20,000 plus people attending the event. Some of the crowd still indulges in hallucinogens and rolls with the music with modern day drugs that, for some, intensifies the experience. The famous artists of the year play the music so loud it fills every heart in the crowd with love. Many describe raving as a spiritual experience where they can express their inner selves.
EDM as a genre, and the people of the era, have evolved significantly from our grandparents' era. Though we have mostly stayed the same in the ideals and connection to the music, we cannot doubt that we have changed significantly from the naked, long haired hippies that worshiped guitar solos. Well, I guess we're only half naked, now. The music, itself, has progressed while still maintaining a controversial edge. Artists have turned the wonders of modern day technology and created sounds that '60s hippies could not even fathom. Also, festivals have become safe with new rules that keep our peace loving selves from going too far, while keeping the atmosphere fun. This era has also made the lifestyle of PLUR global and accepted, so much so, there are festivals all over the world all year long.
We must pay thanks to the hippies and the rock music before us, even our grandparents. We must thank them for establishing a lifestyle that allows people to express themselves and connect with others in a safe and unified place. So, deep down in every EDM artist and raver is a piece of the hippie era left behind to continue the adventure.
