RAVE ON!

A Former Raver Discovers The Culture's Next Generation

Ok, let’s go back in time, shall we?   It’s ’93, just before  Brandon, Kelly, Steve Sanders, David Silver and Brenda Walsh get caught up learning the dangers of  U4RA (Euphoria) at a party they got directions to only after delivering an egg to a corner store in Downtown LA, I was at my first of many warehouse parties called RAVES!  It was the Catastrophic New Years Party outside of Baltimore, and it was SICK!!!!!  

Thumping electronic beats filled the air, as 18 inch jean bottoms dragged the sweat across the dirty floor under the glow of black lights over neon paint splattered walls.  Glowing sticks twirled by crafty handed, rainbow dressed revelers breathed a life into what could have been an abandoned industrial space only days before.  I was taken aback and overwhelmed, but falling in love at the same time!  

Now, 16 years later, the only thing that has changed is the venue.  I found myself on Sunday, Jan 17 at a Steez Promo event in Baltimore in a club called Bourbon St (what I knew as HammerJacks) for “And Here It Is”; Fall Massive Redux!   

As legal complications and heavy overhead prevent the one time uses of hidden warehouses as prime locations these days, the 2,000+ person space at 316 Guilford St. was turned into an honest, true blue Rave that night.  $25 for 10 hours of bass banging Electro -House and Dubstep with a long roster of International DJ’s was well worth the price!  

We entered around 9:30pm (event was from 4pm-2am), just in time to catch Smash Gordon (the alter ego of Steve Gordon, mastermind of the event) finishing his set with The Notorious’ Juicy after dropping plenty of wobble bass.  I was happy!  16 Bit ( a young Dubstep producer from the U.K.) took the stage after.  I had heard of him before, and within the first two mixes knew why people were talking.. THE ROOM SHOOK FROM THE BIG BASS!!!  A Dubstep blend of melodic ambient sounds coupled with tremor inducing sub-sonics had the crowd bouncing and pounding fists!  

As we entered the main room, I was blown away!  Charles Feelgood, one of the very same Dj’s from my yester year was burning the roof off  the place and we didn’t need no water, let the mutha fucker burn!  It was a high energy Electro House set sprinkled with a little Baltimore club for flavor that had a room full of ravers shaking their glow sticks and cutting rugs.  I even saw a circle or two open up and  floor exercises ensue.. until the drunk 19 year old girl slipped into a face plant that made everyone cringe!  OOOOUCH!!  

As we flip-flopped between both rooms, the energy was seemingly building, and you could see it on each face in passing.  Emalkay was in full effect when we returned to the smaller of the 2 rooms built for heavy bass-a-thon that was underway.  Big tune after big tune is the way I like my Dubstep!   

The brightly colored outfits and what I can only describe as “Rave Burlesque” made the party goers stand out as extras in some kind of futuristic dance flick.  One girl even had a yellow mesh top, pink bra, pink panties, and sky blue mesh garters which she was in no way shy about dancing around the party in!  It was candy necklaces, ufo’s, glow bands and exposed skin to the max!!  I was not mad at all.  

When the homie Reid Speed took stage in the main room, the crowd went bonkers,  Hailing from LA, this little lady has become a bit of a favorite in the Bmore scene for dropping raw Electro cookies with fudge chunks of wobbly bass throughout.  I took the stage with Jen Lasher, Inna K, Gigantor and Mikey P to hype it up (not that she even needed us).  With the 4 of us taking turn engaging the crowd on the mic, Reid Speed brought a relentless fury of bangers one after another!  

It was Gigantor and Mikey P’s birthdays, so as a segway into the next set, we turned the lights up brought out candle adorned cupcakes and had the entire room sing happy birthday to them!  

Enter Le Castle Vania!  Eli Smith and Klever had put us onto this Atlanta based DJ/Producer and we were excited to see him in action!  He opened up with an electrifying blend of what sounded like Thrash Metal meets Fidget.  Forget a Crookers ACDC remix… this shit was pure head banger boogie!  Definitely a good show indeed.  

After a fun session in the green room, we took our ringing ears back to DC to rest.  I have been/seen/done and become many things since that New Years Rave to start ’94, but Steez Promo helped me remember that I am still very much so, A RAVER!!!  

- MCSL

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