Dance Till Your Happy

By Tomas Acosta

The bass is your guide as you walk through the forest because the screenshot that you have is a bunch of arrows drawn on google maps. The music is louder with each step, you see others wandering in the forest going toward the colorful lights and you are excited that it has not been shut down. Finally you have arrived under the bridge plastered with graffiti, hearing nothing but pounding rhythmic music and seeing dozens dancing in the night. The clock just struck 12, but this is the beginning of the show.

Hundreds of kids have repurposed the local abandoned warehouses to throw festive parties exhibiting edm music scheduled all through the night every weekend. Some have been shut down by authorities others are on a legal level, but both draw a certain audience that is under represented. These parties called raves draw those from the queer, goth, weeb communities and have built countless friendships gathering those with shared interests. Some are free or are cheaper than other party fares and despite the fact that they are doing these events under a bridge or in abandoned places, they maintain a high sense of respect and have a clean craft. This is an average weekend for many young adults and it is not surprising why. There is a vast community that indulge in this activity and it could be beneficial if you are into the arts or if you simply want to have fun. I will be interviewing those who attend the events and host them  to dive deeper into why the culture is what it is and how the scene is impacting the Philadelphia region. Because yes they are the cause of groups of teens rummaging through abandoned places making the police force work harder, but they are gathering the queer, goth, and punk communities by the hundred. They have become known to be the friendliest of late night activities and try to maintain the best possible security and safety they can at these raves. Legal or illegal, raves are here to stay and the Philly scene is making waves.

A little context on the history of these events. The culture is said to be born in the United Kingdom as a part of the edm craze in the seventies, but Chicago is home of the birth of Acid House known for its synthesizer and constant bass drum on every beat. But these are just two genres in edm, when there are dozens ranging from drum n bass, to techno, to grime and what all these really have in common is a grassroot movement in the originating location and having anti established dance parties all through the night. Philly is no different with a love for techno, hardcore, jungle, and drum n bass these events can be found every weekend with a ton of different hosts. A popular underground organizer, Xenon, hosts multiple times a month and prides itself on a safe space.

I had the opportunity to speak with the organization and the first thing they mentioned was no hatred of any kind is allowed at their events and how they are queer-led looking to create a safe space for all marginalized people. They always have staff on hand looking after ravers, providing drug tests, water, and controlling the area. They clean up the abandoned space beforehand and make sure everyone is on the same page. The community at these raves is phenomenal partly because Xenon markets them as pay what you want, but Xenon is also pushing boundaries. They have unique locations for every event, host tons of underground local artists, and they care about the culture above everything. Ravers who attend these events love xenon as well. They asked to remain anonymous, but told stories of how xenon found their bag they lost at the rave and how their free parties have stimulated them and their friends’ weekends and relationship. Stating that especially in youth when spending money hurts just a little more, knowing xenon has a free party, leads to excitement and enjoyment for all.

Another large organizer is Kulture Cru. They do not host events as often as every week, but when they do they are big. Just like Xenon they have a caring community and are looking to push the boundaries. The difference between these two organizers is the promotion. Kulture Cru is big on this, posting memes or other raves,  they really connect the culture with Philadelphia. Just like how drinking in the corporate world brings connection with the team, a similar connection is brought with raves. Kulture Cru exploits this and really has a grasp on the raving community in Philadelphia. People as old as 40/50 attend these events because they know the good they do. When they are not dancing in Fairmount park, they host clothing and food drives and work on their craft.

What these have in common besides the difficulty to attend these events is the people they bring together. Queer, goth, weeb communities are all brought together to party. Raves have given these communities safe places to party, but also safe places for them to be themselves and meet new people. Your average joe or jane who hangs out at these places, it gives them events to look forward to along with a community that supports them. This is powerful and Philadelphia needs communities like these to thrive. Despite its delinquency, the community provides safety and blessings to its members and a window into the culture of the youth.

Take a listen as we explore what a rave is like with interviews from ravers and the DJ himself.