There is something about being at a live show that can make you feel so alive and in tune with your surroundings. No matter what genre of music you're listening to, seeing it live is a completely thrilling experience. I have been to a couple of music festivals in the past and every time there is always something extremely memorable about them such as meeting a new friend, singing along with strangers, or having fun with all of the friends that I'm surrounded by.
Electronic dance music, EDM, has a way of bringing people together. It's presence, especially in the college scene, has been the background to all of our parties and even the music we listen to while studying. It's the kind of music you listen to when you just want a little boost in your day.
If you have ever been lucky enough to see Porter Robinson live, you can probably agree that EDM has no boundaries. However, when I'm at a show and enjoying the incredible artistry that went in to the D.J.'s set, it's hard to not be distracted by the person sucking on a binky next to me bumping into everyone. And as soon as that happens, I begin to notice the guy next to me with his eyes rolled so far back in his head I wonder if I should get him some help. And then there's the guy behind me, touching me without permission. As soon as I find a new place to stand, my favorite song is over and there's a new group of people being mindless of everyone around them.
This is not to say that this is the case for everyone; most people at shows are just there for the music and a good time. But it's hard to enjoy the music when half the people went there just to do drugs. I try my best to not let people like this bug me, but it has gotten to the point where I sometimes would rather skip seeing one of my favorite D.J.'s come to town because I don't want to deal with all of the people that will be there. It's extremely unfortunate that this type of music constantly draws in this kind of attention.
Surprisingly, I am not the only one that feels this way. Even some D.J.'s have taken steps to try to ensure that the audience is there simply for the music. Although banning "kandi" at one of his concerts made his fans extremely angry, Diplo decided to start a change in the audience at his shows.
Even more people have taken to the idea of having a music festival be just about the music. A festival in San Diego, CRSSD, decided to ban all "rave" attire (furry boots, kandi, pacifiers, etc.) and insists that it is a festival and NOT a rave. Although it may be a crazy idea, I am hopeful that there is a bright future for the EDM scene.
