Dancefestopia

     The footage of EDC 2014 and Tomorrowland always invoke a sense of excitement in ravers hearts. For some of us though, those events are out of reach. For those of us living in Kansas though, we have Dancefestopia, and Dancefestopia is awesome.

     Don't believe me? Check out this video teaser for last year's Dancefestopia.

     Dancefestopia is in Kansas City, which for most of us is a relatively short drive. It is a 3 day festival with onstage performances non-stop. There will be 3 stages and with the way acts are set up it is possible to see all 35 of the headliners and majority of the other 40 or so acts that will perform during the festival: and most importantly there will be access to showers this year! Which if you've never been to a festival seems like an odd thing to be excited about... but trust me you, and anyone near your tent will be more than happy about it.

Here are a couple of pictures from Dancefestopia and also this years line up of performers.

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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)

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)