Play by Play on Show Day!

     The day is here, you are ready for your first show! You have taken all the necessary safety precautions and have all your.

Arrival:

I believe 30-45 minutes early is the best time to get to your venue. It ensures ticket availability and also you get your pick of the landscape inside.

Entering the Venue

As you enter the venue you want to identify  where the exits are, where you can find access to water, bathrooms, and also the "RaveSafety" tables you will often see with information and warnings for you.

Pre-show

Before the DJ's go on with their sets they will be playing music to get the vibe for the night set in before performances even start. This is the time you want to spend finding a place to settle into for at least the first portion of the night.

During the Show & Leaving

Just have fun! Keep safety concerns in mind, but have fun. This is a fun experience, a euphoric paradise this is what you have been so curious about. Hopefully you didn't come alone stay with the people you came with and move through crowds together no one should be alone at any point in the night. At the end of the night if you and your travel buddy are separated from the main group just proceed outside and call or meet at a previously agreed upon location.

Rave Ready?

     Up to this point we have have addressed a lot of the cultural essentials to the EDM music scene. You should be, at this point ready to go to your first show. In fact, I know you are! Because many people do not take any time to research all this information before going to their first shows. Which is okay if you are  being guided by an experienced raver, but going at it on your own can be an overwhelming experience. There are also some safety points I touched on before and I wanted to address again fully. Lives are unfortunately lossed at shows due to negligence on patron's part, and that gives the EDM scene a bad name as well. So below are a list of important safety points I want to make, and also resource URL's for finding more information about safety.

1. Water is probably the most important thing, Stay hydrated, it is probably hot you are dancing a lot a heat stroke can onset faster than many realize. Also if your empathy compels you keep an eye on those you came with or even those in the crowd near you and offer anyone water that you think needs it. Your kindness is often returned at some point, but also pay attention to the water you are offered to ensure their is nothing in it.
2. Find bathrooms, access to water, and exits BEFORE the show starts.
3. Take breaks if you get tired or drowsy, breaks are best taken in public places to avoid any one hassling you or bothering you while you rest.
4. Ensure your clothes are comfortable and won't cause any physical discomfort during the different sets.

This is a much more detailed and eloquent list:

http://www.complex.com/music/2014/03/edm-festival-survival-guide/be-knowledgeable

And I wouldn't feel right if I didn't offer a list specifically for women who unfortunately have a whole slew of other concerns and things to watch for:

http://showbams.com/2014/01/15/10-safety-tips-women-should-know-when-going-first-music-festival/

Venues on the Menu

     Venues are the place where shows are held, they are usually local clubs and theaters, but in festival showings venues are sometimes put up specifically to host shows. This blog is directed at people in the midwest, and me being a native kansan leaves my personal experience very limited, so I will direct everyone to the much more experienced electronicmidwest.com writers for their opinions on the better venues near us. This site is also a great resource to look for when you are thinking of making a longer distance trip, and need to know where the best shows are gonna be.

     I will say it is very important to not only research the popularity of venues, but also their quality. What are their sound capabilities, how many people can fit in the venue, how many people are projected to attend the rave, the security quality of the venues, and any local reputation the venue may have. Some places are really "shady" and not where you wanna be. A short anecdote from my life, I went to a rave in Lawrence. It wasn't at the Granada, or as it is better known the "Granasty," the local venue I frequent. It was in a makeshift venue in a warehouse. I came in and their was what I was told pigs blood smeared on the wall in the shape of pagan symbols and people doing drugs and self harming in the crowd. Not what I was shopping for, so I always caution people to be very careful and selective when choosing a venue or rave to attend.

     This is a photo from inside my "home" venue the granada. Which if you are looking for a first venue this one is great with an extremely smooth learning curve. By the second or third trip you will feel confident inside it and move as you please.

(Photo Credits: Hy-Tekk Productions)

Dress to Impress

     Raves also double as strange fashion shows. It is a part of the scene that I am not too deeply involved in. I value comfort while raving above all. It is also a predominantly  female facet, not to say that males do not peacock at raves. It is to a lesser degree of our female counterparts. Others disagree and put on a full peacock display for fellow ravers.

     ... and I use the term "peacocking" because a very popular style trend is based off of actual peacocks.

Photo Credits: Electric Laundry on Twitter @ElectricLaundr

          The creative ceiling is boundless at raves you could see the cliche  "sexy *insert a profession here* "

Like the lovely rave ladies you see below. 

Photo Credits: http://www.vyneworld.com/

     These costumes are classic and easy, but do not satisfy some ravers desire for individuality. So some go the extra step and make their own costumes, and they are interesting to say the least.

Photo Credits: http://imgarcade.com/

     There are some things to keep in mind though when deciding what to wear to a rave, you don't want functionality to go completely out the window. You have to remember that you will be dancing and moving. So your clothing will need to be sturdy if you want to avoid any wardrobe malfunctions. Also you are going to want to use water proof make up. If not your sweat someone elses you brush up against could ruin your outfit.

      For more information on rave fashion I recommend some, Google-Fu, individual study of the topic. Even if you are not that interested in the fashion portion of the culture the costumes are at least interesting to look at.

All the Pretty Lights!

     If you are a reader that is interested in going to a show the information in this post could potentially save the life of you or a friend. A popular and often sought after facet of shows/raves are the light shows. The lights show style and intensity varies based on the show. It is possible, and very easy for those susceptible to seizures, to go into one during these intense light shows. It is important to keep that in mind when considering going to shows. There are also a variety of projectors you can buy for at home light shows to accompany your music.

      I highly recommend those for people that like to emulate the rave environment at home with friends.
     
      Below are some examples of what to expect during light shows.

     This is the upscale end of light shows you wont usually see, but if you ever do cherish the experience. Most shows feature a strobe light, a few lasers, and some fog.

     Most "light shows" you will see will actually be performed by other ravers. Light up cloves and other accessories are used in light shows performed by crowd members. There are even "street performers" set up depending on the venue that have their own light performances. You can buy the gloves and lights at any local niche gift shop (ex. Spencers, Hot Topic, Zumiez)

Dance Like No One Is Watching!

     So you found some music you like, you've been listening to EDM for a sort time, seen some footage from shows and festivals and you think you are ready to hit the scene and go to your first show. Slow down eager beaver! A common misconception is that EDM and raves are a package deal. In many ways they are but the two are not completely co-dependent. There are still some pieces of informations and features of the culture you want to be familiar with before you dive in to your first show.

      Dancing, activity of choice for fans of EDM and also a necessity for ravers. "But what if I am a bad dancer?" Let me say now, no one cares. Literally no one, no matter how off beat awkward, or physically incapable you seem out there on the dance floor.  EDM has a very liberal culture to it, everything is generally accepted. So when we dance in this culture, we leave it all out on the dance floor. Admittedly dancing was not my favorite activity when I first started with EDM, but it grew on me. Before you go to your first show it is greatly advised that you check out the music they will be playing and experiment dancing to it. Just let the music guide your movement and pretty soon you will start to feel comfortable and confident dancing in public. 

      If you have a severe rhythmic disability use the video below, and others like it on youtube to inspire your moves:

Finding Favorites

     The first step of joining the EDM/rave culture is to identify which sub genre's of EDM you prefer. This is especially important in EDM. There are approximately 12 sub-genre's of EDM and those have 6-12 sub genre's of their own. Though many songs and mixes fall into multiple sub genres and the "sub-sub-genre's" in many cases are difficult to distinguish from each other. There are distinct pillars though in the EDM genre in which. Below are my three favorite sub genre's that also serve a great inductions into the EDM music scene.

1. House 

     House is one of the most popular genre's in EDM. House Music was born in the backyard of the midwest in chicago. Heavy use of 4/4 beats and drum machines. House, in the simplest terms, is dance music. It has a lot of disco and pop influences and the samples used in house music draw from any generation of music; from old school big band swing music, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Paula Abdul, etc. I always recommend House to newcomers asking about EDM, it has a wide variety and is probably the best representation for EDM.

Recommended DJ's

Avicii

Daft Punk

Kaskade

David Guetta

Dimitri & Vegas

Examples of House

2. Dubstep

     Dubstep is not one of my favorite sub genre's I actually do not like majority of the genre's music. It is however, an excellent genre for those new to EDM and there are admittedly quite a few musical gems in the genre. It incorporates a lot of other genre's into its style; break beats, and drum & bass styles. I joke about it being the "gateway genre" because a lot of my friends into the EDM scene started by listening to Dubstep.

Recommended Dj's

Skrillex
Adventure Club
Flux Pavilion
Zeds Dead
BassNectar

Examples of Dubstep

3. Trap

     Trap is my favorite form of EDM, it is not a genre for the faint of heart. The drum and bass kits are very heavy, and the vocals in the songs are often aggressive. . It originated as a form of southern hip hop that was extremely violent. As EDM Dj's moved into the genre it's focus shifted. It still incorporates many hip hop influences. If you like it loud and in your face this genre is definitely the one for you.

Recommended Dj's

RL Grime

Baauer

Hucci 

Stooki

Mr Carmack

Examples of Trap

Introduction Post

     Welcome to the Rave Ready blog! In this blog I will provide information useful for both new and experienced fans of the EDM (electronic dance music) genre in the midwest. Covering a wide range of topics; sub genres, shows, dj's, etc.

     It can be difficult to be an EDM fan in the midwest and more specifically in Kansas. Shows can be few and far between if you don't know how and where to look. It can also be a bit overwhelming to actually enter the scene. To a fresh, dough-eyed beginner  the loud music, flashing lights, smoke machines, and crowds of people can be very intimidating. Even for those not so frail of heart there are also a number safety measures and precautions. Poor judgements, and reckless actions at EDM shows too often result in hospitalization and death. There will be information in this blog to help readers have a safe and fun experience at EDM shows.

     Below is a video recorded at what was actually my first show in Lawrence last november. I have been to two shows since and a few "raves" it all came to me naturally.

Take a look at the video, and share your thoughts in the comments!