Ah, the topic of raves, I'm sure you've all seen photos of your friends attending festivals and events on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Unless you've actually attended one of these events, it's hard to really get the feel of what it's like. The thing is, EDM has quickly taken over. It's all over the radio, and there are collaborations between musicians, it has rapidly made its way into becoming mainstream.
A lot of people still seem to have a bad image of raving, the reputation is easily ruined by what actually is statistically rare and doesn't happen as often as most people think, death. But, I'm not here to talk about that, I'm here to share my experience. I wasn't born loving EDM, truth is none of us are. You kind of just start listening to the music and before you know it you're commenting on your favorite DJ's Instagram telling them you love them, it's weird.
The events are breathtaking, I don't know how else to explain the feeling I get from being in the crowd. It's worth the sweat, the smells, everything. You see, there's this thing called PLUR- it stands for Peace, Love, Unity and Respect. The environment is probably the friendliest I've ever been in. For the most part people are genuinely nice and care, they'll ask you if you are okay and offer you water. I don't know about you guys, but sometimes I don't even get a "Hi" back from people at the mall. I guess what I'm saying is don't knock it till you try it?
The music itself is... I honestly can't even explain it. I'm actually listening to a live set from Tomorrowland Belgium 2015 as I type this article. I hope that gets the point across. I'm a lover of all types of music, but there's something about EDM that just gets me. What's even more amazing is the connections you're able to make. Sometimes you'll randomly come across another person into EDM and you feel as if you connect on a whole different level. Before you know it, you're in your car on the freeway dancing crazily with people staring at you. The best part? You wont event mind.
The community is probably my favorite part, you can be anything, wear anything, you can be yourself entirely without being judged for it. They'll accept you flaws and all, weirdness and all. I mean where can you go nowadays and a hundred percent do whatever you want without worrying about what others think?
In the end, I'm not saying that raves are completely rainbows and unicorns. It's magical and surreal, but it has its bad sides too. Then again, what in life doesn't?
