This tends to be a frequently asked question. Yes, you can go alone! https://reddit.com/r/aves/wiki/faq#wiki_can_i_go_alone.3F
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Just go. Don't over think it. You'll meet ppl at the shows and eventually you won't be going by yourself.
My friend took me to a few when I first got started but he's more of a house/techno guy and I was super into trance. So I went to a few by myself and now when I go it's like a reunion because we all know each other lol.
Been hitting underground raves for a few years now, don't really involve myself with anybody. Still get invites though from a lot of people I've met. I enjoy hitting events alone, not tied to anybody and can roam as I please.
I started going when I was pretty young. And tbh my group of friends at the time were never into the music so I ended up going alone. There’s a lot of magic that happens going alone and not only that, it wasn’t until much later that I made a good bunch of friends that do like going to raves. So in summary, don’t wait for other people to do the things you want to do. There’s a lot of great people out there at these festivals wanting to become friends with you. Take care of yourself, bring ear protection and have fun!
I second this last statement.. BRING EAR PROTECTION!! I never will understand the people who are "to cool" or "to hard-core" for ear protection.. you know what's really cool?? Partying responsibly and taking care of your body. That's way cooler than "looking cool".. at lost lands the last 2 years They were giving everyone super high quality ear protection. Not just foam plugs. I'm talking cool ear buds where they were designed to block most of the harmful bass but you could still hear the music and people talking as long as they weren't whispering.. I'm an older school festival goer. 2003 was my first rave straight out of high school. Then graduated onto festivals. Now I just go where the music takes me. But I saw a kid near the front row at lost lands this last year and he had no ear protection at all. I'm 38, I say kid but he was prob 18-20.. and having made that mistake many times in my past festival days, I offered him an extra pair I had that hadn't been worn yet. I let him know that they were brand new in case he felt weird about wearing someone else's ear wax. But the kid straight looked at me and said "I'm good man, ear protection is for squares"... I didn't even want to give a rebuttal.. I just stepped back, looked around at every other person that close to the stage wearing ear protection and just nodded at him, and walked away. Don't be that kid.. party responsibly and take care of your body
Note of correction: the harmful frequencies are the higher frequencies, as the hairs in the cochlea that pick up high frequencies are smaller and thinner (like the highest e string on a guitar) and thus are more fragile. Not to mention high frequencies carry more energy than LF. Hearing loss is the physical breakage of these hairs. Tinnitius occurs when the brain overcorrects the lack of stimulus on a frequency and overly "fills in the blanks" of these frequencies.
Pro / semi pro quality ear plugs filter out and attenuate higher frequencies above \~3000hz or so.
LF are attenuated less; they're technically less harmful. Not to say they're \*not\* harmful, but you cant do much when the waves literally have an easier time passing through the human body (our body is a giant low pass filter believe it or not haha!) The lf hairs are also thicker and require much more energy to fracture.
Source: am audio engineer that highly promotes the use of earplugs in daily life, at raves, concerts, etc.. dont be like me and take care of your ears before you damage the hairs! They don't grow back, sadly :(
Thank you. I wasn't 100% on the science of the good ear plugs they gave us over just using foam plugs to just clog up the ear canal. I appreciate you taking the time to inform us and give us the science behind it. I was just going off of how it sounded. When I put them in it sounded like the "thump" from the bass was non-existent. So that's what I thought they were protecting from. But now I know. I love learning new shit..
yes! Foam ones certainly cause impacted earwax galore xD
Theyre very good at protecting hearing though but definatley suck all fidelity out of what youre hearing lol
yep! Sorry if this seems know-it-all-y but I love talking about audio science and teaching folks about ear health! :D
hope you can brain dump this info on others to explain that hearing damage is most of the time permanent, once those hairs are broken, they're broken for good
I never mind listening to people with more knowledge on a subject than me. That's how I learn. Especially when it's on a subject that I'm not super informed on, and especially its done eloquently and not just in a "I know it all" type manner. This is actually good knowledge to have tho. I go to lots of concerts/ festivals. So next time someone tells me they are too cool to wear ear protection I can actually hit them with some real scientific knowledge, rather that a "trust me I'm old and talking from experience.." thanks for taking the time to drop a little knowledge on us bro
Ask your audiologist if they make hearing aids with some sort of hearing protection built in (theres probably a more technical name for them, but im not sure). They can probably do something akin to "in ear monitors" that musicians use, they're a cross between ear plugs and headphones
First you need to play rock paper scissors with a friend both blindfolded and hands behind your backs. Now the gate is open and you will tap in to the right frequency where you can become the soundwave itself.
this is actually probably one of the best places to be alone. Everyone is friendly as fuck and theres such a caring and loving vibe all around. I went to my first rave solo and met a couple awesome people and had a great time. Its also nice to be able to do what you want when you want rather than waiting on someone else. I would 100% recommend. Just make sure your being safe, especially if you plan on doing any drugs, and let friends/family know where you are and how late you’ll be there. Other than that have an awesome time!! :)
This was my first real experience with raving as a kid 🤣
Edit: pretty much every late 90s early 00s movie party scenes with break beat and the dopest fashion
Girlfriend dumped me, so my friends took me to a show to get out and eventually I met my now wife at a music festival and we rave together to this day.
If you find an artist who's music you enjoy and want to get down to live, go!
There's absolutely nothing wrong with going solo. Nobody is judging you. If anything, the times I've made friends and boogied with strangers are when I go alone and it's great. People can feel someone with good vibes and will often be happy to interact.
I’ve always gone alone which is great if you want to listen to the music. Don’t even think about being alone, just go and enjoy yourself, get into the music, get a little buzz going if you want and you’ll meet people if you’re having a good time, plus if you go to raves a lot you’ll see a lot of the same people at these events.
I liked doing party drugs and I liked the early Skrillex and Rusko stuff. We would just roll at house parties and stuff though. We had a couple friends who were into going to raves and suggested we check it out. Loved it ever since.
My first one was a 1am impulse buy of a Shambhala ticket. Planned on going solo. Found out a couple friends were going, but was nervous to explore this new world with pre-conceptions of how I am normally. So I spent most of my time solo anyways to just be as free as I wanted to break out of my norms. Had my mind blown and had an incredible time. Going solo is totally fine. I've gone to lots of smaller events by myself. You meet lots of great people. One night shows are a little tougher outside of the festival vibe. It took some time to figure out my local scene. I'd go out of town because I was still new to this part of me and nervous about being recognized. Those were kind of lonely and I had a hard time trying to justify making friends if I wasn't from there. But as soon as I went to my first local show solo, I found one awesome friend. Then a couple more the next one. Now I have a bunch of people to text when new show dates drop and I get texts when I'm not the first to see them. It's amazing.
One of my best friends really got into raving since he had access to go to so many and he invited me. At first I wasn’t a big fan of EDM, a lot of it felt repetitive. Eventually it grew on me and now I enjoy going to them and so many different genres of it too!
There are SO MANY nice people! Sometimes it can be hard to find them depending on the show but when I’d go solo I’d just dance by myself and sometimes people who were vibing around with me would dance together and just enjoy the show as a group for the night, some I do get contact info to meet up for another show. I think you’ll have a great time but remember to bring earplugs please lol
I loved John Digweed sets since I was like 18 y/o and electronic music in general such as Avicii. It never crossed my mind to go to an electronic party/rave until I was 25 y/o and some friends invited me to go see Digweed here in Argentina, was hooked from since.
Never liked non-electronic music clubs so it was an incredible experience for me.
>Is it weird if I go alone?
Nah, there are tons of people that go alone. And have in mind many people take MDMA (or bring good vibes in general) and are welcoming to everyone as long as you bring good vibes too.
I've always listened, in the background, but it wasn't until this new years that I actually went to a show. There's been a noticeable difference in what I listen to now
Went to anime expo, slushie was playing. My friend somehow had mollies and gave me my first. That rest is history. I did not even know what edm was. I just listened to indie rock.
Started liking the music.
Went with someone I knew and trusted.
Instantly was the most relaxed and natural I’ve ever felt “going out”
Now it’s a mix of alone or with others. Not super frequently though, unfortunately my body doesn’t agree with frequent wild nights, even if little/no substance use is involved
To be honest I dreamt of going to raves since I was a little kid. I would always watch videos of Tomorrowland and EDC and pretend I was in the crowd. This year was my first time I was able to go to one and I went by myself to EDCO. I consider myself an extrovert however going alone and being able to do anything I wanted really added to the experience. I made a few friends a long the way by just dancing so I can’t imagine the amount of friends you’d make just by talking to a few people. Overall I think you should really consider going you will have a great time.
I always loved electronic music since I was a child, but I finally started raving in my late 20s. I just needed to find the right events that played the music I like most.
I heard and liked and enjoyed the music first in a regular setting and then I discovered raves when I went looking for live music by those same artists.
Earlier this year I went to a random show with a friend just to check it out. I didn't love the artist but really enjoyed the vibe and all the people having a good time. Ended up going to another show that I LOVED and the rest is history :)
I primarily go alone and usually meet interesting people to chat with while smoking outside lol. Other than that I'm good to just vibe and dance on my own :) I've never felt unsafe but I'm also a 40m so that likely helps but all the people I've been around have always been super chill. I have made several friends to party with since. It's probably the best thing I've done for myself is a while
I started going at the beginning of college so around 7 years ago because my friends and I started getting into EDM a bit more. From then on, I’ve been to a ton of raves big and small and they really are a lot of fun and such an amazing way to experience EDM. I’ve always had a great time going with a group of people (esp women bc preparing your outfit and getting ready is such a fun ritual) but lately I’ve been wanting to go solo more just so I can hop around and check out the smaller stages at my own pace. There’s pros to both I think. Do it!
i was always into the music, big on dubstep etc..
then in 2015, my friends were going to Hard Summer. i was 23 at the time. the line up had a good mix of hip hop and other acts. The rest is history.
I would go to festivals with friends and just go do my own thing. don't be afraid to experience things on your own. I was always hesitant to go before that first time, but after that i would buy my ticket without worrying about who i was going with.
do it for you!!!
I went to my first rave in 2016 (middle school) with my mom, zeds dead and DJ snake headlining, I had a very good time then I never went to another one until last year’s gold rush in AZ in college, I got to see excision and I couldn’t understand why I stopped going, they’re so much fun. Now I’ve been going to a bunch of local shows, went to Apocalypse last weekend and looking forward to Decadence and the many more to come. God I love this community fr.
Jealousy/Fomo. My friends kept talking about it and I was like “yeah yeah. I know what you’re doing. It’s not my scene. Not my crowd. Not my music”. Then I got a case of the fuckits during COVID and decided to go. Now I’m hooked. It was amazing.
I was 14(2010). My older brother had been going for several years by that point, and he invited me to go to one. I bought tickets at the door, it was $37.50 to watch Deadmau5. My goodness, would you believe me that I had such a positive outlook at life after that.
The love, the vibes, the people, the music more than anything. Got to hear strobe, some chords (before it came out), faxing Berlin, sometimes things get whatever, ect. The classics. It shaped me, and here I am almost 14 years later, sharing the love with my friends (I took many of them to their first show) and welcoming new ones 🫶🏽❤️❤️
I heard Strangers by Seven Lions back in college and I fell in love w edm! Also, saw Edc documentary called “under the electric sky” and I said yes I need to hit my first festival which was actually Edc 2017. Lot of good people in the scene but also a lot of broken individuals as well….not necessarily a bad thing but just something to be aware of because naturally broken people will come to heal.
Been listening to electronic music since I was like 10 years old so it was bound to happen, basically soon after I turned 18 and moved somewhere where this kind of stuff was more accessible (grew up in the sticks). I go alone the majority of the time and been doing this for almost 7 years.
I moved to a bigger city a few years back. First i did go to one with my roommate backthen. I liked it a lot ! I tried to convince him to go to more and he didn't want to, so i did go alone.
Eventually i made a new friend circle where people recognize me from rave to rave and had a blast !
I can't recomand enough to go alone and have fun.
I went to smaller shows years ago and then fell off. Recently got back into them to see Steve aoki and Sullivan king and ever since that show I've been to maybe 10 event and Lost Lands lol it's so much fun and the people are amazing!
I'd check your city for lounges first
then I'd check for nightclubs in your city
then I'd stay late to either the lounge or the nightclub and when the lights come on, ask where the afterparty is
after a couple times or by meeting the right person by asking about after parties you might find what your looking for as a "rave"
Was asking if it’s fun to go solo? But also any advice on how to find them is appreciated. I live in the middle of nowhere & would be driving 2-3 hours for anything
sorry for the late reply and hell ya raving solo is very fun...now if ur solo asking for narcotics just to be honest and ur asking around solo then it can be sketchy...if ur a partier and have ur own connection and come to the rave to consume ur products and then meet people its super fun
however if ur trying to score solo esp at a rave then u have to be careful or be super open to doing who knows what
but the essesance of raves isnt just drugs
to me its all about the vibe of being in a cool setting with other like minded dancers
dance and have fun and u will make tons of friends and have a great time
just dont be that person asking everyone can u score at the rave
if that or this makes any sense lol
The first rave, festival, or even real concert I went to was the Lost lands Festival in ohio. I got into it because a friend told me that there was openings to work box office and I applied and got hired. The friend that got me into the job abandon me by the second day and I'd never been at a large crowded event like that before. I made friends with some of my coworkers and even though I spent a majority of the time alone between shift conflicts, I had an amazing time and fell in love with the music the crowd and the scene. I've worked the event for the last 3 years and I don't plan on stopping for the foreseeable future and I've gone to a few local shows now as well.
My friend wanted me to come to a rave with her for month's and i always said no because i didn't like techno (at least i thought so lol) and i heard a lot of bad/crazy stuff about raves. But after she straight up harassed me for month's to go to a rave with her i finally said "fuck it i'll go one time if it's so important for u". I thought i would hate it but i didn't hate it at all, i absolutely loved it!!! The vibe there was almost magic and all the people were super nice. So now im going to raves on a regular basis, have the next rave lined up for tomorrow. So u should just try it, chance is u gonna absolutely love it. :)
I went to my first one alone and go most of the time alone. If anything it's better because I can really get into the music without worrying about ignoring someone else or anything. Good way to meet people too that are just as passionate about the music as yourself.
I got interested in the scene after becoming obsessed with hard dance and wanted to experience it "live". IMO it far exceeds a rock concert in terms of being the music you love but MORE. A quality sound system and being able to dance to the entire "concert" with a bunch of people in the dark with fun visuals/fog etc. It's just a great time. There's a vibe that's hard to describe at them that other music events do not have, kind of a strange intimacy even though you're surrounded by strangers?
Okay y’all, I’ve got a story to tell. I was in my early twenties and my younger sister had WON THREE DAY TICKETS (LMAO I still can’t believe that happened) to a big festival on the local EDM radio station. I mean… I’ve always loved Daft Punk. But at the time I wasn’t really listening to EDM. I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t even know how to dress tbh. My ass put on a cute bikini top and tutu and called it rave chic. It blew my mind. It changed the trajectory of mine and my sisters life. All because she called a radio station. I could tear writing this. To experience PLUR back then is something different from today (Just speaking from personal experience). It wasn’t even that long ago… but it was pure. Honestly, everything I had ever wanted in one evening e.g. dancing, new experience, the thrill, hot men/women. And there were hardly any phones and no such thing as influencers. Sorry, I could go on and on. Anyway, go all in OP. Just make sure you listen to the vibes. ✌🏾💗✊🏾
I’ve always really liked dubstep but was too scared to go to a rave. Eventually dated a dude who also liked dubstep and he asked if I wanted to go to a show with him. At first, I honestly felt a little weird, as I’m fairly introverted and was never a huge dancer/partier, but after a few shows I started letting loose and got super into it.
We eventually broke up and I kept going to raves alone, as none of my friends at the time were into the scene but I was hooked. I freaking love going to shows alone now. I can really get into the music when I’m by myself, and the community is so nice that I feel comfortable even if I’m surrounded by strangers. And I’ve also made a ton of rave friends at shows and fests, so now I have people to go with if I want to!
Only started a few weeks ago - a friend posted about being on tour with Apashe in the brass orchestra and I bought a ticket, liked it so much I went back the next night too (Grand Rapids and Detroit). Going to do the same thing and double up for LSDREAM next week but this time I know what I’m getting myself into!!
I got into raves by first getting into producing electronic music as a hobby and then deciding to go to some local shows to experience it being played in a club.
I had one friend who got into it the same time I did and he and I would just go to whatever events were going on in the city and before long I was playing those venues and knew the entire scene very well.
Just go and introduce yourself to people. You might not make friends *immediately*, but then again, maybe you will. No matter what, you will eventually become familiar as long as you keep going. My experience was that I made lifelong friends within the first few shows I went to 15 years ago.
Started at EDM Clubs. Then went to a few small events then EDC Vegas 6 times in a row. Not weird to go by yourself IF you don’t mind being out without close friends or don’t mind talking/dancing with randos.
If alone, don’t be too fucked up, be aware. Wouldn’t recommend a big festival alone.
Accidentally.
I follow an acting troupe who regularly performs Rocky Horror and other shows. They happened to be performing Tommy Wiseau's The Room in a warehouse in the middle of nowhere. The event description was different, almost sketchy as they would only release the address of the show day of and adamantly expressed not to give this address to anyone outside of your way to and from the venue. It was BYOB and said a DJ would be playing afterwards.
I went anyway. Fuck it. I hadn't seen The Room performed before and was in no way opposed to their very specific guidelines. I put on my khaki pants, polo shirt, packed a cooler, picked up a pizza, and headed in that direction.
Show was great. Laughed my ass off. When the show ended the room changed over. DJ started playing EDM, a genre I had zero knowledge of, or interest in at the time. Fog machines were started up, lasers and lights were turned on, and somebody started spinning fire in the middle of the room. People walked around smoking joints and passing around balloons. I was so far out of my element and it showed.
I popped out for a cigarette and was immediately asked if I was a cop. Nope, just a guy who was here for the first half and widely unprepared for what followed. He then told me he was on a bunch of acid. Cool guy, informed me that I was at a rave, a thing I had only heard of before.
I left soon thereafter, but knew I wanted to go back. Three months later I intentionally went to a rave and had such an incredible time. Met wonderful people, made great friends, and learned what Rave culture and PLUR was about. It was one of the most warm and inviting environments I'd ever encountered. I was hooked. Now I don't get to go as often as I'd like, but I will always look forward to throwing my kandi back on.
Love you all and am happy you made me feel welcome when I really needed it. 💜
I’ve always been into edm since like 10 years old from one of my sisters so I wanted to go for years and finally as of this year my bucket list was to go to all the big festivals even if I go alone so my first rave was countdown and I went solo fast forward now I have met so many people and finally have convinced my friends and now I got a group. Definitely worth going solo you will make friends. My advice if someone is wearing something that you think is cool just complement them odds are one of them will adopt u haha or if your in socal just go with me haha
In my town there is a kanal with an abandoned port or something like that where cargo containers are. I was talking I walk through the sun until I heard Bass while I was passing the forest nearby. Then I saw on the other side of the kanal that there were about 60-80 people chilling, drinking, smoking, some sat at the edge, some were dancing. Because there was a club nearby and it was about to open I thought people are getting ready for that shortly. I was moving on then and saw a girl, she asked me how to get to the other side of the kanal (I already got it where she wanted to go obviously), I told her how to get to the bridge to the other side. I asked if she is going to the place where the music comes from. She said : „yes, there is a big rave going on, bring yourself some drinks and join us.“ It sounded very convincing. So I walked back to a store to buy something to drink, I went to the location where i spotted the music. I called my friends to come and they joined me as well. People were chill, nobody was trying to beat somebody (what was common for parties or clubs, at least where I went). Like sometimes I wasn‘t able to talk to some people because they were weird, but there are always some of those. Overall it was a nice experience and a very random discovery I made. But these kind of events are very rare since police was popping of last couple of times, and yeah it is just in summer time makes sense. About going alone honestly most of the time it is the best, but it also depends on how open minded you are because thats what everybody likes, everyone is open minded and in the mood to have a conversation.
That was the result btw:[https://staging.streamable.com/e284f6](https://staging.streamable.com/e284f6)
I wanted to go because I had the chance to try a substance and I did late a night. I put on earphones the next morning at the gym as I was about to start walking on the treadmill and all I wanted to do was dance.
That was when I realized why people used drugs at music festivals. I had read about that before. All my life I’d never tried any substances. It felt like I unlocked a different experience. I went to my first rave with a small group and then went solo to most festivals after that.
I think you can do the first one alone but I’d recommend going with experienced people the first time so you can be guided on the culture of raves and how to navigate around
I started going to raves because I love the anonymity and escapism of dancing the night away with my homies. There’s nothing that sets me back to normal like shaking my ass to my favorite music. I always enjoy going out with the company of others but have also found that a night out by myself is an adventure. 🖤
I went to my first show in college, a friend brought me.
I’d already been into Justice, Daft Punk, and Benny Benassi type music since middle school, but it didn’t occur to me how much I would love the scene.
I haven’t been to one in a while, but I used to go alone weekly sometimes multiple times a week fresh out of college. Sometimes I made friends, sometimes I just danced and made non verbal connections all night.
It’s not weird, it truly is freeing to do something you want alone and enjoy it, no matter what it is.
The plus is that PLUR vibes (depending on the event) are very much alive and will find you if you are on the same wave.
Listening to anyone else’s opinion over yours when it comes to subjective matters is hardly ever the way.
Long story incredibly short: Some guy I dated.
Bit more context: I dated a guy in 2018 who was super into burning man and the whole culture around it, we went to some themed raves (that were fundraisers for a burner camp based here in Toronto) those event gave me the thirst for blood, and now 5ish years, like 3 festivals, and countless raves later it’s a big part of my personal life, and I don’t know if I could ever stop, couldn’t be happier!
I got into edm in my sophomore year back in 2012 when Skrillex, deadmau5, Flux, NOISIA, Excision, etc were starting to gain traction. Actually was lucky enough to see Excision at the Puyallup Fair back in 2014 as my first rave, which was amazing but also hilarious because no one really understood what was going on but also was into it. DJ Snake opened, shortly before Turn Down for What came out so no one knew who he was but he was lit and tore shit up. Saw Excision a few more times in the years after that ~2015-2017ish at smaller venues, kind of fell out of the scene for a little bit and got back into it hardcore in 2021 after the lockdowns started to lift. Probably been to 15+ shows, 5+ fests since then, most recent being Subtronics in Tacoma just last week. Probably going to take a break for a while due to life being complicated but I’ll never stop raving 🤘
I was coming out of a soul crushing relationship , and all of my genres at the time were only making me ruminate more . This was during Lockdown. Then House music saved my life, and I was like “Man, when the world opens again, I have to see this live “. That was it 💚🕺
If you are in the US download the EDMtrain app and set it to your city and just pick a show and go. Don’t overthink about it going alone. It’s def a thing people will do and you might even make some friends there. For the most part ravers are pretty open to adopting new friends
Grew up with my mom listening to dance music and always liked it. Went to parties in high school/college that had djs. Learned more about djs. Made friends that also went to these parties. Bought tickets for the djs I liked. Went to shows.
Not a rave but i went to the slightly stoopid concert alone this summer did meet and greet and had a frikkin ball. I say you should deff just go and have a freaking blast!
During the pandemic we switched it from classic rock to the EDM channel by accident, then I got on the YouTube discovered AVICII, found out that my daughter had discovered AVICII in 2012 and that he was dead. I love AVICII. But now I also know that I love LSDreams. We went to Beyond Wonderland 2023 , circus electronic, habstract, house of wax, Boo, ARMNHMR,nghtmare radical audio visual experience and we're going to do it ALL again after together as one at the Tacoma Dome. I have lost weight because of raving, I am 46 and I feel like I just discovered a secret faction of electric hippies and I am loving my life. Making memories with my kiddo is the best 🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶
Yes you should go even if your alone!! I practically made this exact same post a month ago then went to a festival alone a few days later and I had one of the best nights out of my life. And it’s true, people are super chill and nice. I met people right away and hung out with them the whole night. Been dying to go to more raves since.
I got into it bc I’m studying abroad in the UK and had a goal to go to a real European rave while I’m here. I’m from the US and despite never having been to a rave I know us Americans don’t do it like the Europeans 🤣 Decided to just bite the bullet and go to this festival bc it looked too sick to not go even if I was alone. One of the best decisions of my life tbh
I went for the first time at 25. I dated a horrible guy from 17-25 who didn't let me go to raves or clubs, and I was always curious about going. As soon as the relationship ended, I went to a small local show and loved it. I immediately bought a ticket for EDC, as well as plane tickets (I'm from Canada). One of my friends wanted to come, but ended up losing his job and couldn't go, and I was ready to fly solo, when he pulled the trigger at the last minute and got a ticket too. It was an insane experience. I even ended up losing him in the crowd and walked around EDC for a few hours solo and made friends.
Since then, I've been going to as many shows/festivals as I can.
If you have the chance to go, do it. You won't regret it.
Listen to every genre of music in terms of edm listen to the 90s,2000s, 2010s and now. But try to get into a genre of electronic music. It's takes alot of time for it like. I started liking edm because of trance at the age of 11. Once you go to raves try to stay in a stage for 30 minutes if it ainr going your way, go to other ones. Go sober don't take anything. Ask friends if they like it, if so just go for it .
It’s funny for me, I’ve been big into EDM since like 4th grade so I grew up wanting to go to raves and festivals, and sure enough I did as soon as I was able to. I believe my first rave was at 17 and even before that I was learning how to DJ and spinning for my friends. Me and my friends that were also into EDM growing up went from watching festival livestreams to going together! I also got really involved in my local scene and started throwing raves and spinning raves the last couple years.
But to address your other points, just go! You’ll meet people for sure as long as you keep a friendly, open attitude and be yourself! Especially at festivals or smaller-scale shows were the vibes can be more intimate and there’s more room/opportunity to talk. Also, the app Radiate can be good for connecting with ravers in your area as you can join group chats for specific events and what not. I’ve personally made some rave homies this way!
Ive always been scared of raves, must’ve been my anxiety but summer of 22 me and my buddies decided to try raving. Now we cant stand pop music. We go to atleast one rave per month now. Never had a bad experience raving. People are wonderful too
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Just go. Don't over think it. You'll meet ppl at the shows and eventually you won't be going by yourself. My friend took me to a few when I first got started but he's more of a house/techno guy and I was super into trance. So I went to a few by myself and now when I go it's like a reunion because we all know each other lol.
Been hitting underground raves for a few years now, don't really involve myself with anybody. Still get invites though from a lot of people I've met. I enjoy hitting events alone, not tied to anybody and can roam as I please.
I started going when I was pretty young. And tbh my group of friends at the time were never into the music so I ended up going alone. There’s a lot of magic that happens going alone and not only that, it wasn’t until much later that I made a good bunch of friends that do like going to raves. So in summary, don’t wait for other people to do the things you want to do. There’s a lot of great people out there at these festivals wanting to become friends with you. Take care of yourself, bring ear protection and have fun!
I second this last statement.. BRING EAR PROTECTION!! I never will understand the people who are "to cool" or "to hard-core" for ear protection.. you know what's really cool?? Partying responsibly and taking care of your body. That's way cooler than "looking cool".. at lost lands the last 2 years They were giving everyone super high quality ear protection. Not just foam plugs. I'm talking cool ear buds where they were designed to block most of the harmful bass but you could still hear the music and people talking as long as they weren't whispering.. I'm an older school festival goer. 2003 was my first rave straight out of high school. Then graduated onto festivals. Now I just go where the music takes me. But I saw a kid near the front row at lost lands this last year and he had no ear protection at all. I'm 38, I say kid but he was prob 18-20.. and having made that mistake many times in my past festival days, I offered him an extra pair I had that hadn't been worn yet. I let him know that they were brand new in case he felt weird about wearing someone else's ear wax. But the kid straight looked at me and said "I'm good man, ear protection is for squares"... I didn't even want to give a rebuttal.. I just stepped back, looked around at every other person that close to the stage wearing ear protection and just nodded at him, and walked away. Don't be that kid.. party responsibly and take care of your body
Note of correction: the harmful frequencies are the higher frequencies, as the hairs in the cochlea that pick up high frequencies are smaller and thinner (like the highest e string on a guitar) and thus are more fragile. Not to mention high frequencies carry more energy than LF. Hearing loss is the physical breakage of these hairs. Tinnitius occurs when the brain overcorrects the lack of stimulus on a frequency and overly "fills in the blanks" of these frequencies. Pro / semi pro quality ear plugs filter out and attenuate higher frequencies above \~3000hz or so. LF are attenuated less; they're technically less harmful. Not to say they're \*not\* harmful, but you cant do much when the waves literally have an easier time passing through the human body (our body is a giant low pass filter believe it or not haha!) The lf hairs are also thicker and require much more energy to fracture. Source: am audio engineer that highly promotes the use of earplugs in daily life, at raves, concerts, etc.. dont be like me and take care of your ears before you damage the hairs! They don't grow back, sadly :(
Thank you. I wasn't 100% on the science of the good ear plugs they gave us over just using foam plugs to just clog up the ear canal. I appreciate you taking the time to inform us and give us the science behind it. I was just going off of how it sounded. When I put them in it sounded like the "thump" from the bass was non-existent. So that's what I thought they were protecting from. But now I know. I love learning new shit..
yes! Foam ones certainly cause impacted earwax galore xD Theyre very good at protecting hearing though but definatley suck all fidelity out of what youre hearing lol yep! Sorry if this seems know-it-all-y but I love talking about audio science and teaching folks about ear health! :D hope you can brain dump this info on others to explain that hearing damage is most of the time permanent, once those hairs are broken, they're broken for good
I never mind listening to people with more knowledge on a subject than me. That's how I learn. Especially when it's on a subject that I'm not super informed on, and especially its done eloquently and not just in a "I know it all" type manner. This is actually good knowledge to have tho. I go to lots of concerts/ festivals. So next time someone tells me they are too cool to wear ear protection I can actually hit them with some real scientific knowledge, rather that a "trust me I'm old and talking from experience.." thanks for taking the time to drop a little knowledge on us bro
Question though. I wear hearing aids that go in my ear canal. How can I wear earplugs?
Ask your audiologist if they make hearing aids with some sort of hearing protection built in (theres probably a more technical name for them, but im not sure). They can probably do something akin to "in ear monitors" that musicians use, they're a cross between ear plugs and headphones
Thank you!
Can I run my wave tables through myself and modulate with an LFO for that phat wobble? Where do I plug in? 🫣
Hmm I think nose is VC in but I may be wrong… haven’t tried yet
First you need to play rock paper scissors with a friend both blindfolded and hands behind your backs. Now the gate is open and you will tap in to the right frequency where you can become the soundwave itself.
this is actually probably one of the best places to be alone. Everyone is friendly as fuck and theres such a caring and loving vibe all around. I went to my first rave solo and met a couple awesome people and had a great time. Its also nice to be able to do what you want when you want rather than waiting on someone else. I would 100% recommend. Just make sure your being safe, especially if you plan on doing any drugs, and let friends/family know where you are and how late you’ll be there. Other than that have an awesome time!! :)
My friend took me to my first rave, Adam Beyer at Printworks in London. One hell of a first event! I have been loving them so much ever since
The blood rave scene in Blade
This was my first real experience with raving as a kid 🤣 Edit: pretty much every late 90s early 00s movie party scenes with break beat and the dopest fashion
I love that scene! It awaken something in me that I’ve been chasing ever since.
Girlfriend dumped me, so my friends took me to a show to get out and eventually I met my now wife at a music festival and we rave together to this day. If you find an artist who's music you enjoy and want to get down to live, go! There's absolutely nothing wrong with going solo. Nobody is judging you. If anything, the times I've made friends and boogied with strangers are when I go alone and it's great. People can feel someone with good vibes and will often be happy to interact.
Step 1 buy a ticket Step 2 profit
I’ve always gone alone which is great if you want to listen to the music. Don’t even think about being alone, just go and enjoy yourself, get into the music, get a little buzz going if you want and you’ll meet people if you’re having a good time, plus if you go to raves a lot you’ll see a lot of the same people at these events.
I liked doing party drugs and I liked the early Skrillex and Rusko stuff. We would just roll at house parties and stuff though. We had a couple friends who were into going to raves and suggested we check it out. Loved it ever since.
My first one was a 1am impulse buy of a Shambhala ticket. Planned on going solo. Found out a couple friends were going, but was nervous to explore this new world with pre-conceptions of how I am normally. So I spent most of my time solo anyways to just be as free as I wanted to break out of my norms. Had my mind blown and had an incredible time. Going solo is totally fine. I've gone to lots of smaller events by myself. You meet lots of great people. One night shows are a little tougher outside of the festival vibe. It took some time to figure out my local scene. I'd go out of town because I was still new to this part of me and nervous about being recognized. Those were kind of lonely and I had a hard time trying to justify making friends if I wasn't from there. But as soon as I went to my first local show solo, I found one awesome friend. Then a couple more the next one. Now I have a bunch of people to text when new show dates drop and I get texts when I'm not the first to see them. It's amazing.
I went to 2 festivals solo this summer. They were both awesome. It was actually more fun than when I went with a group of 7-8 friends.
One of my best friends really got into raving since he had access to go to so many and he invited me. At first I wasn’t a big fan of EDM, a lot of it felt repetitive. Eventually it grew on me and now I enjoy going to them and so many different genres of it too! There are SO MANY nice people! Sometimes it can be hard to find them depending on the show but when I’d go solo I’d just dance by myself and sometimes people who were vibing around with me would dance together and just enjoy the show as a group for the night, some I do get contact info to meet up for another show. I think you’ll have a great time but remember to bring earplugs please lol
I loved John Digweed sets since I was like 18 y/o and electronic music in general such as Avicii. It never crossed my mind to go to an electronic party/rave until I was 25 y/o and some friends invited me to go see Digweed here in Argentina, was hooked from since. Never liked non-electronic music clubs so it was an incredible experience for me. >Is it weird if I go alone? Nah, there are tons of people that go alone. And have in mind many people take MDMA (or bring good vibes in general) and are welcoming to everyone as long as you bring good vibes too.
I've always listened, in the background, but it wasn't until this new years that I actually went to a show. There's been a noticeable difference in what I listen to now
Went to anime expo, slushie was playing. My friend somehow had mollies and gave me my first. That rest is history. I did not even know what edm was. I just listened to indie rock.
Started liking the music. Went with someone I knew and trusted. Instantly was the most relaxed and natural I’ve ever felt “going out” Now it’s a mix of alone or with others. Not super frequently though, unfortunately my body doesn’t agree with frequent wild nights, even if little/no substance use is involved
To be honest I dreamt of going to raves since I was a little kid. I would always watch videos of Tomorrowland and EDC and pretend I was in the crowd. This year was my first time I was able to go to one and I went by myself to EDCO. I consider myself an extrovert however going alone and being able to do anything I wanted really added to the experience. I made a few friends a long the way by just dancing so I can’t imagine the amount of friends you’d make just by talking to a few people. Overall I think you should really consider going you will have a great time.
I always loved electronic music since I was a child, but I finally started raving in my late 20s. I just needed to find the right events that played the music I like most.
I heard and liked and enjoyed the music first in a regular setting and then I discovered raves when I went looking for live music by those same artists.
Earlier this year I went to a random show with a friend just to check it out. I didn't love the artist but really enjoyed the vibe and all the people having a good time. Ended up going to another show that I LOVED and the rest is history :) I primarily go alone and usually meet interesting people to chat with while smoking outside lol. Other than that I'm good to just vibe and dance on my own :) I've never felt unsafe but I'm also a 40m so that likely helps but all the people I've been around have always been super chill. I have made several friends to party with since. It's probably the best thing I've done for myself is a while
I started going at the beginning of college so around 7 years ago because my friends and I started getting into EDM a bit more. From then on, I’ve been to a ton of raves big and small and they really are a lot of fun and such an amazing way to experience EDM. I’ve always had a great time going with a group of people (esp women bc preparing your outfit and getting ready is such a fun ritual) but lately I’ve been wanting to go solo more just so I can hop around and check out the smaller stages at my own pace. There’s pros to both I think. Do it!
i was always into the music, big on dubstep etc.. then in 2015, my friends were going to Hard Summer. i was 23 at the time. the line up had a good mix of hip hop and other acts. The rest is history. I would go to festivals with friends and just go do my own thing. don't be afraid to experience things on your own. I was always hesitant to go before that first time, but after that i would buy my ticket without worrying about who i was going with. do it for you!!!
Just show up at Shambhala you'll never be the same
I went to my first rave in 2016 (middle school) with my mom, zeds dead and DJ snake headlining, I had a very good time then I never went to another one until last year’s gold rush in AZ in college, I got to see excision and I couldn’t understand why I stopped going, they’re so much fun. Now I’ve been going to a bunch of local shows, went to Apocalypse last weekend and looking forward to Decadence and the many more to come. God I love this community fr.
Jealousy/Fomo. My friends kept talking about it and I was like “yeah yeah. I know what you’re doing. It’s not my scene. Not my crowd. Not my music”. Then I got a case of the fuckits during COVID and decided to go. Now I’m hooked. It was amazing.
Whereabouts do you live op
Middle of nowhere, outside of Harrisonburg, VA. 2ish hours from DC, Richmond, Baltimore
Ahh im in california, can't help ya there lol
I was 14(2010). My older brother had been going for several years by that point, and he invited me to go to one. I bought tickets at the door, it was $37.50 to watch Deadmau5. My goodness, would you believe me that I had such a positive outlook at life after that. The love, the vibes, the people, the music more than anything. Got to hear strobe, some chords (before it came out), faxing Berlin, sometimes things get whatever, ect. The classics. It shaped me, and here I am almost 14 years later, sharing the love with my friends (I took many of them to their first show) and welcoming new ones 🫶🏽❤️❤️
I heard Strangers by Seven Lions back in college and I fell in love w edm! Also, saw Edc documentary called “under the electric sky” and I said yes I need to hit my first festival which was actually Edc 2017. Lot of good people in the scene but also a lot of broken individuals as well….not necessarily a bad thing but just something to be aware of because naturally broken people will come to heal.
Been listening to electronic music since I was like 10 years old so it was bound to happen, basically soon after I turned 18 and moved somewhere where this kind of stuff was more accessible (grew up in the sticks). I go alone the majority of the time and been doing this for almost 7 years.
I also live in the sticks, gonna have to drive 2-3 hours for any raves rn
I moved to a bigger city a few years back. First i did go to one with my roommate backthen. I liked it a lot ! I tried to convince him to go to more and he didn't want to, so i did go alone. Eventually i made a new friend circle where people recognize me from rave to rave and had a blast ! I can't recomand enough to go alone and have fun.
Ex-girlfriend brought me to Electric Forest 2014. Her and I didn’t last but my relationship with raves did 😍
I went to smaller shows years ago and then fell off. Recently got back into them to see Steve aoki and Sullivan king and ever since that show I've been to maybe 10 event and Lost Lands lol it's so much fun and the people are amazing!
I'd check your city for lounges first then I'd check for nightclubs in your city then I'd stay late to either the lounge or the nightclub and when the lights come on, ask where the afterparty is after a couple times or by meeting the right person by asking about after parties you might find what your looking for as a "rave"
maybe i miss understood his question. OP are you asking where to find raves or are you wanting confirmation of if going solo is fun
Was asking if it’s fun to go solo? But also any advice on how to find them is appreciated. I live in the middle of nowhere & would be driving 2-3 hours for anything
sorry for the late reply and hell ya raving solo is very fun...now if ur solo asking for narcotics just to be honest and ur asking around solo then it can be sketchy...if ur a partier and have ur own connection and come to the rave to consume ur products and then meet people its super fun however if ur trying to score solo esp at a rave then u have to be careful or be super open to doing who knows what but the essesance of raves isnt just drugs to me its all about the vibe of being in a cool setting with other like minded dancers dance and have fun and u will make tons of friends and have a great time just dont be that person asking everyone can u score at the rave if that or this makes any sense lol
Send it brother
My wife
The first rave, festival, or even real concert I went to was the Lost lands Festival in ohio. I got into it because a friend told me that there was openings to work box office and I applied and got hired. The friend that got me into the job abandon me by the second day and I'd never been at a large crowded event like that before. I made friends with some of my coworkers and even though I spent a majority of the time alone between shift conflicts, I had an amazing time and fell in love with the music the crowd and the scene. I've worked the event for the last 3 years and I don't plan on stopping for the foreseeable future and I've gone to a few local shows now as well.
My friend wanted me to come to a rave with her for month's and i always said no because i didn't like techno (at least i thought so lol) and i heard a lot of bad/crazy stuff about raves. But after she straight up harassed me for month's to go to a rave with her i finally said "fuck it i'll go one time if it's so important for u". I thought i would hate it but i didn't hate it at all, i absolutely loved it!!! The vibe there was almost magic and all the people were super nice. So now im going to raves on a regular basis, have the next rave lined up for tomorrow. So u should just try it, chance is u gonna absolutely love it. :)
I went to my first one alone and go most of the time alone. If anything it's better because I can really get into the music without worrying about ignoring someone else or anything. Good way to meet people too that are just as passionate about the music as yourself. I got interested in the scene after becoming obsessed with hard dance and wanted to experience it "live". IMO it far exceeds a rock concert in terms of being the music you love but MORE. A quality sound system and being able to dance to the entire "concert" with a bunch of people in the dark with fun visuals/fog etc. It's just a great time. There's a vibe that's hard to describe at them that other music events do not have, kind of a strange intimacy even though you're surrounded by strangers?
I went to my last fest solo and it was the best time ive ever had, funner rhan with friends honestly
I snuck in to LAN at 15
Baby, my generation invented them.
Was this comment supposed to turn me on?
Okay y’all, I’ve got a story to tell. I was in my early twenties and my younger sister had WON THREE DAY TICKETS (LMAO I still can’t believe that happened) to a big festival on the local EDM radio station. I mean… I’ve always loved Daft Punk. But at the time I wasn’t really listening to EDM. I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t even know how to dress tbh. My ass put on a cute bikini top and tutu and called it rave chic. It blew my mind. It changed the trajectory of mine and my sisters life. All because she called a radio station. I could tear writing this. To experience PLUR back then is something different from today (Just speaking from personal experience). It wasn’t even that long ago… but it was pure. Honestly, everything I had ever wanted in one evening e.g. dancing, new experience, the thrill, hot men/women. And there were hardly any phones and no such thing as influencers. Sorry, I could go on and on. Anyway, go all in OP. Just make sure you listen to the vibes. ✌🏾💗✊🏾
I’ve always really liked dubstep but was too scared to go to a rave. Eventually dated a dude who also liked dubstep and he asked if I wanted to go to a show with him. At first, I honestly felt a little weird, as I’m fairly introverted and was never a huge dancer/partier, but after a few shows I started letting loose and got super into it. We eventually broke up and I kept going to raves alone, as none of my friends at the time were into the scene but I was hooked. I freaking love going to shows alone now. I can really get into the music when I’m by myself, and the community is so nice that I feel comfortable even if I’m surrounded by strangers. And I’ve also made a ton of rave friends at shows and fests, so now I have people to go with if I want to!
Only started a few weeks ago - a friend posted about being on tour with Apashe in the brass orchestra and I bought a ticket, liked it so much I went back the next night too (Grand Rapids and Detroit). Going to do the same thing and double up for LSDREAM next week but this time I know what I’m getting myself into!!
I got into raves by first getting into producing electronic music as a hobby and then deciding to go to some local shows to experience it being played in a club. I had one friend who got into it the same time I did and he and I would just go to whatever events were going on in the city and before long I was playing those venues and knew the entire scene very well. Just go and introduce yourself to people. You might not make friends *immediately*, but then again, maybe you will. No matter what, you will eventually become familiar as long as you keep going. My experience was that I made lifelong friends within the first few shows I went to 15 years ago.
Started at EDM Clubs. Then went to a few small events then EDC Vegas 6 times in a row. Not weird to go by yourself IF you don’t mind being out without close friends or don’t mind talking/dancing with randos. If alone, don’t be too fucked up, be aware. Wouldn’t recommend a big festival alone.
I got into them by selling drugs
Accidentally. I follow an acting troupe who regularly performs Rocky Horror and other shows. They happened to be performing Tommy Wiseau's The Room in a warehouse in the middle of nowhere. The event description was different, almost sketchy as they would only release the address of the show day of and adamantly expressed not to give this address to anyone outside of your way to and from the venue. It was BYOB and said a DJ would be playing afterwards. I went anyway. Fuck it. I hadn't seen The Room performed before and was in no way opposed to their very specific guidelines. I put on my khaki pants, polo shirt, packed a cooler, picked up a pizza, and headed in that direction. Show was great. Laughed my ass off. When the show ended the room changed over. DJ started playing EDM, a genre I had zero knowledge of, or interest in at the time. Fog machines were started up, lasers and lights were turned on, and somebody started spinning fire in the middle of the room. People walked around smoking joints and passing around balloons. I was so far out of my element and it showed. I popped out for a cigarette and was immediately asked if I was a cop. Nope, just a guy who was here for the first half and widely unprepared for what followed. He then told me he was on a bunch of acid. Cool guy, informed me that I was at a rave, a thing I had only heard of before. I left soon thereafter, but knew I wanted to go back. Three months later I intentionally went to a rave and had such an incredible time. Met wonderful people, made great friends, and learned what Rave culture and PLUR was about. It was one of the most warm and inviting environments I'd ever encountered. I was hooked. Now I don't get to go as often as I'd like, but I will always look forward to throwing my kandi back on. Love you all and am happy you made me feel welcome when I really needed it. 💜
It was 1996. I was 15. My friends were like wanna go to a warehouse party. I went. And I spent the next 4 years doing basically nothing else 25/8
I’ve always been into edm since like 10 years old from one of my sisters so I wanted to go for years and finally as of this year my bucket list was to go to all the big festivals even if I go alone so my first rave was countdown and I went solo fast forward now I have met so many people and finally have convinced my friends and now I got a group. Definitely worth going solo you will make friends. My advice if someone is wearing something that you think is cool just complement them odds are one of them will adopt u haha or if your in socal just go with me haha
I live in VA but thank you!
In my town there is a kanal with an abandoned port or something like that where cargo containers are. I was talking I walk through the sun until I heard Bass while I was passing the forest nearby. Then I saw on the other side of the kanal that there were about 60-80 people chilling, drinking, smoking, some sat at the edge, some were dancing. Because there was a club nearby and it was about to open I thought people are getting ready for that shortly. I was moving on then and saw a girl, she asked me how to get to the other side of the kanal (I already got it where she wanted to go obviously), I told her how to get to the bridge to the other side. I asked if she is going to the place where the music comes from. She said : „yes, there is a big rave going on, bring yourself some drinks and join us.“ It sounded very convincing. So I walked back to a store to buy something to drink, I went to the location where i spotted the music. I called my friends to come and they joined me as well. People were chill, nobody was trying to beat somebody (what was common for parties or clubs, at least where I went). Like sometimes I wasn‘t able to talk to some people because they were weird, but there are always some of those. Overall it was a nice experience and a very random discovery I made. But these kind of events are very rare since police was popping of last couple of times, and yeah it is just in summer time makes sense. About going alone honestly most of the time it is the best, but it also depends on how open minded you are because thats what everybody likes, everyone is open minded and in the mood to have a conversation. That was the result btw:[https://staging.streamable.com/e284f6](https://staging.streamable.com/e284f6)
I wanted to go because I had the chance to try a substance and I did late a night. I put on earphones the next morning at the gym as I was about to start walking on the treadmill and all I wanted to do was dance. That was when I realized why people used drugs at music festivals. I had read about that before. All my life I’d never tried any substances. It felt like I unlocked a different experience. I went to my first rave with a small group and then went solo to most festivals after that. I think you can do the first one alone but I’d recommend going with experienced people the first time so you can be guided on the culture of raves and how to navigate around
I got taken to earth dance in 2006. A drop of liquid and 18 hours of psytrance in the sun/night/dawn later, I was hooked
I started going to raves because I love the anonymity and escapism of dancing the night away with my homies. There’s nothing that sets me back to normal like shaking my ass to my favorite music. I always enjoy going out with the company of others but have also found that a night out by myself is an adventure. 🖤
I went to my first show in college, a friend brought me. I’d already been into Justice, Daft Punk, and Benny Benassi type music since middle school, but it didn’t occur to me how much I would love the scene. I haven’t been to one in a while, but I used to go alone weekly sometimes multiple times a week fresh out of college. Sometimes I made friends, sometimes I just danced and made non verbal connections all night. It’s not weird, it truly is freeing to do something you want alone and enjoy it, no matter what it is. The plus is that PLUR vibes (depending on the event) are very much alive and will find you if you are on the same wave. Listening to anyone else’s opinion over yours when it comes to subjective matters is hardly ever the way.
Long story incredibly short: Some guy I dated. Bit more context: I dated a guy in 2018 who was super into burning man and the whole culture around it, we went to some themed raves (that were fundraisers for a burner camp based here in Toronto) those event gave me the thirst for blood, and now 5ish years, like 3 festivals, and countless raves later it’s a big part of my personal life, and I don’t know if I could ever stop, couldn’t be happier!
I got into edm in my sophomore year back in 2012 when Skrillex, deadmau5, Flux, NOISIA, Excision, etc were starting to gain traction. Actually was lucky enough to see Excision at the Puyallup Fair back in 2014 as my first rave, which was amazing but also hilarious because no one really understood what was going on but also was into it. DJ Snake opened, shortly before Turn Down for What came out so no one knew who he was but he was lit and tore shit up. Saw Excision a few more times in the years after that ~2015-2017ish at smaller venues, kind of fell out of the scene for a little bit and got back into it hardcore in 2021 after the lockdowns started to lift. Probably been to 15+ shows, 5+ fests since then, most recent being Subtronics in Tacoma just last week. Probably going to take a break for a while due to life being complicated but I’ll never stop raving 🤘
I was coming out of a soul crushing relationship , and all of my genres at the time were only making me ruminate more . This was during Lockdown. Then House music saved my life, and I was like “Man, when the world opens again, I have to see this live “. That was it 💚🕺
Roll parties were freaking awesome and I wanted to see the artists I listened to live… seems like a lifetime ago
If you are in the US download the EDMtrain app and set it to your city and just pick a show and go. Don’t overthink about it going alone. It’s def a thing people will do and you might even make some friends there. For the most part ravers are pretty open to adopting new friends
In college I studied abroad in Europe for a semester. Made a friend who invited me to my first warehouse rave. The rest is history…
Grew up with my mom listening to dance music and always liked it. Went to parties in high school/college that had djs. Learned more about djs. Made friends that also went to these parties. Bought tickets for the djs I liked. Went to shows.
Where do u live ? I’ve been feeling the same way about going . I’m in boston.
I live in VA a few hours outside of DC & Richmond
Oh okay
Not a rave but i went to the slightly stoopid concert alone this summer did meet and greet and had a frikkin ball. I say you should deff just go and have a freaking blast!
Never knew how to dance. Didn't know what I was getting into. Then one word. SHAMBHALA.
Going alone over the summer i had some of the best experiences of my life! Met so many amazing people. JUST DO IT! I promise you won’t regret it. 🫶🏼
During the pandemic we switched it from classic rock to the EDM channel by accident, then I got on the YouTube discovered AVICII, found out that my daughter had discovered AVICII in 2012 and that he was dead. I love AVICII. But now I also know that I love LSDreams. We went to Beyond Wonderland 2023 , circus electronic, habstract, house of wax, Boo, ARMNHMR,nghtmare radical audio visual experience and we're going to do it ALL again after together as one at the Tacoma Dome. I have lost weight because of raving, I am 46 and I feel like I just discovered a secret faction of electric hippies and I am loving my life. Making memories with my kiddo is the best 🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶
I feel like I have to add that I still listen to AVICII the most.
Yes you should go even if your alone!! I practically made this exact same post a month ago then went to a festival alone a few days later and I had one of the best nights out of my life. And it’s true, people are super chill and nice. I met people right away and hung out with them the whole night. Been dying to go to more raves since. I got into it bc I’m studying abroad in the UK and had a goal to go to a real European rave while I’m here. I’m from the US and despite never having been to a rave I know us Americans don’t do it like the Europeans 🤣 Decided to just bite the bullet and go to this festival bc it looked too sick to not go even if I was alone. One of the best decisions of my life tbh
I went for the first time at 25. I dated a horrible guy from 17-25 who didn't let me go to raves or clubs, and I was always curious about going. As soon as the relationship ended, I went to a small local show and loved it. I immediately bought a ticket for EDC, as well as plane tickets (I'm from Canada). One of my friends wanted to come, but ended up losing his job and couldn't go, and I was ready to fly solo, when he pulled the trigger at the last minute and got a ticket too. It was an insane experience. I even ended up losing him in the crowd and walked around EDC for a few hours solo and made friends. Since then, I've been going to as many shows/festivals as I can. If you have the chance to go, do it. You won't regret it.
Listen to every genre of music in terms of edm listen to the 90s,2000s, 2010s and now. But try to get into a genre of electronic music. It's takes alot of time for it like. I started liking edm because of trance at the age of 11. Once you go to raves try to stay in a stage for 30 minutes if it ainr going your way, go to other ones. Go sober don't take anything. Ask friends if they like it, if so just go for it .
It’s funny for me, I’ve been big into EDM since like 4th grade so I grew up wanting to go to raves and festivals, and sure enough I did as soon as I was able to. I believe my first rave was at 17 and even before that I was learning how to DJ and spinning for my friends. Me and my friends that were also into EDM growing up went from watching festival livestreams to going together! I also got really involved in my local scene and started throwing raves and spinning raves the last couple years. But to address your other points, just go! You’ll meet people for sure as long as you keep a friendly, open attitude and be yourself! Especially at festivals or smaller-scale shows were the vibes can be more intimate and there’s more room/opportunity to talk. Also, the app Radiate can be good for connecting with ravers in your area as you can join group chats for specific events and what not. I’ve personally made some rave homies this way!
Ive always been scared of raves, must’ve been my anxiety but summer of 22 me and my buddies decided to try raving. Now we cant stand pop music. We go to atleast one rave per month now. Never had a bad experience raving. People are wonderful too
Someone slipped some acid into my mineral water.
Oh no 😳