Stephanie (@__zomgsteph)

“Back in the day when I was still a huge kandi kid, I made it my mission to make kandi for every person in my rave family. 2014-2016 was a rough period with my last rave family, the drama nearly tearing apart all of the group. I still keep in touch with some of them, but I could tell that things would never be the same. Once 2016 came around, I began raving with a new group of friends who were new to the rave scene. I made these cuffs to commemorate our first EDC together as a rave family with their given rave names written on the back of the flowers. It was one of the first EDC’s where everything went smoothly, everyone took care of one another, and had an awesome weekend dancing under the electric sky.”

Nick (@nick_badbird_jones)

“Getting to trade with someone who has inspired me in my kandi journey was one of the highlights of EDCLV 2017. Walking through the tunnel on day one, he was the first person I saw and traded with by chance. It was pure magic with that unbelievable backdrop. The big cuff on my arm is the one he traded me and the big one he’s wearing I made! Anyone who follows @bboysfear knows his kandi making level is out of this world! His designs pushed me to use more expensive string beads and colors to my kandi! He really helped me find my own unique style!”

Lily (@lily2silly)

“So my friend Elina (IG: @medusaxrose) traded me this beautiful pink hello kitty kandi cuff I was eyeing forever;  little did I know it was for me! I've seen her way before EDC and we became friends a bit before Beyond Wonderland 2017, but since Beyond we were raving together all the time. I love her spirit her personality and she's my go to when I want dress all matchy matchy. Elina is like the ying and I'm yang, her being this bad ass me being all cutesy. We always have a match day and she inspires me to be more out the box with my style. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have found my new rave fam. She kept me from leaving the rave scene when I lost my rave fam that came before her and I'm glad she convince me to stay!”

Tate (@tateknm)

“Although I didn’t know him that well, I just felt Caleb was a genuine person. Sometimes I make kandi with no specific person in mind. I save them until the right person comes along. He’s a volunteer for Conscious Crew, a nonprofit group that focuses on safety at Washington raves. Caleb always remembers my name, says hi to me, and gives hugs. He asked if I wanted to trade someday and I asked what he likes, he said spongebob. Then I said, ‘Ohh actually I have something for you now.’ Then I gave him my Smitty perler and he cried!”

Norma

“After having really bad depression, my two-year-old boy was desperate to get me out of the house as I would always be sleeping. He would play the song on my phone “You Are a Cinema” by Benny Benassi all the time until he would get me out of bed to buy donuts or whatever. Fast forward to my first EDC 2015 and this guy from Miami trades kandi with me for the first time and he gives me this single, exactly as if he knew this song is very special to me, and it got me out of my depression.”

Miguel (@miiggguelito)

“EDC 2016 was such a life-changing, transformative experience. I went into Vegas ready to have the time of my life and gained so much more. The bond and love cultivated that weekend with my rave fam, strangers, old friends, new friends, foreign friends, will hold a special place where Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect allow multitudes of people to come together in one place without the worry of judgement or worries of the outside world. Keep the love going because it is what makes this community the best out there. This piece is symbolic of the journey raving and EDM has taken me in. Thank you to my family Jacob (IG: @ecua_salvi_93)  and Salena (IG: @salenamour) for blessing me with such a beautiful piece. I have learned so much about what it means to be a raver through you both and I am so honored to call ya’ll 87 Fam, family, blood, and rave fam. I can’t picture the rest of my life without the both of you in it.”

Leslie

“This story is from EDC in 2014. I was on my way to EDC in 2014 and my friend that I was driving out there with was reminiscing about a rave we’d been to in the Bay Area about 9 months before. She and I had only raved together a couple times before EDC and she didn’t know a lot of my friends that we’d been with that night so she was trying to figure out who of them were going to be with us at EDC that year. She asked me what the name of the “blue fuzzy hat guy” was and I replied that I had no idea who she was talking about. She pulls up pictures from that night and he’s in all our photos. I reply that I didn’t actually know him and had only briefly chatted with him that night. She said she thought he was my friend couldn’t believe I didn’t know him since we she chatted to him all night. We laughed about this. Flash forward to night two of EDC and from across the crowd she spots blue fuzzy hat guy!!!!!!! She and I had just split up and she grabs his hand and drags him through the crowd back to where I was standing. We all embrace and it was a beautiful moment. We end up trading Kandi and I give him one I’d made that I really loved - a piece of squishy toast that said “I Knead U” on it. We exchange contact numbers because we’re both from the Bay Area and say we’ll try to meet up the next day. Day 3 passes and we never text each other. I hadn’t even saved his number in my phone. Around 11am on Monday morning (I’ve only been asleep for about 30 minutes) and my phone starts to ring - a random 415 number. I think, "holy shit if this is Walgreens or something I will kill someone." Turns out, it’s blue fuzzy hat guy and they totaled their car on the way back from EDC and they were desperately calling anyone they knew headed to the Bay looking for space in a car because they had to be at work in the morning. We had two seats in our car so we ended up driving them all the way back to San Francisco. Blue Fuzzy Hat guy (Will is his real name!) and I have been great friends ever since. Turns out he’s the one who “kneaded” me. He still has the Kandi to this day and we love to share that story of how our friendship and to be!

From kandi kids decked in cuffs or just wearing a few singles, kandi represents the hours of meticulous hard work ravers put into each piece. You don't have to be a pro at making a beautiful kandi to make it meaningful, but the symbolism and memories behind the kandi is what makes it special. I hope you all have an amazing EDC and create your very own magical kandi experience! To learn how to make Kandi on your own, check out our guide published here!

Das Energi is a two-day event with three stages, taking place August 17th & 18th. The event takes place at the Great Saltair - a local Salt Lake venue. In addition to the incredible stage production that is expected to take place, there will also be art installations hosted in the breathtaking Salt Flats - a beautiful, natural landscape that Utah proudly boats. Das Energi is hosting an incredible lineup including tons of popular names such as Kaskade, Deadmau5, Rezz, Snails, Rusko, Nghtmre and more! 

Along with visiting Salt Lake City for the first time and adding a new festival under my raving resume, I’ll even have the opportunity to check out some artists I’ve never seen! So, who am I most excited to dance to at Das Energi?! 

K?D

I’ve seen K?D once at Phoenix Lights 2017, but I can’t judge an artist based on only one show. My boyfriend first introduced me to his music a couple of months prior to Phoenix Lights and my first thought was, “Wow, this guy sounds like a mix of Porter and Madeon.” After seeing him at Phoenix Lights and listening to his latest singles, I’ve grown more intrigued by his unique sound and need to see him again!

JOYRYDE

As a known trance lover, so you might be wondering why I would want to see JOYRYDE. Let’s just say that I’m trying to expand my horizons and I have no idea what to expect. This track is the only single from JOYRYDE that I know because I’ve heard it mixed in during other’s sets, so we’ll see how my first experience will be.

Sam Feldt

I have been listening to Sam Feldt’s podcast, HeartFeldt Radio, for a couple months now and I have to recommend it to everyone who is searching for some good vibe music. His live sets are full of energy and even incorporates live music into his festival sets to add a bit of flare. Sam Feldt is one not to miss out on if you’re looking to have a good time to some great music!

What So Not

Half of my friends are still wanting to see mainstage artists, so I’m extremely stoked to be able to have the freedom to go see artists I would normally skip because my friends hyped me up to see the artist they want to see. What So Not has been on my list of artists to see for a while now and I was bummed when I had to miss his tour stop in Oakland because it was on a work night. I highly recommend listening to his latest album!

Dillon Francis

I may have heard Dillon Francis while passing by one of the stages at EDC, but I have not ventured off to specifically see him. The only thing I actually know about Dillon Francis is that he is a funny guy that trolls everyone, but I can’t merely judge a music producer based on what other people say. Das Energi will definitely be an interesting experience!

This year has been a tough year trying to balance my Master’s program, work, and personal life, but since I have finally completed school I am able to fully enjoy life and begin festival season! Das Energi will be an entirely new experience for me; I have never traveled to Salt Lake City, I don’t have any friends that live in the area, and this is one of the few festivals that I am not attending with my usual rave family. I’m extremely nervous to embark on this unknown journey, but I’m excited to create new experiences and memories with new friends and music! I can’t wait to meet so many new friends and check out all of the artists I have been dying to see!

The music possibilities are endless

There is so much new music coming out that you're bound to discover a new favorite artist! I regularly listen to Firebeatz presents Ignite Radioshow, Laidback Luke’s Mixmash Radio, EDX No Excuses, and Above & Beyond Group Therapy Radio, just to name a few. I've been able to look through setlists with track name/artists I've never even heard of! If I'm not careful enough, sometimes I fall deep into the rabbit hole and spend hours listening to music. Sometimes, I feel sorry for those who only listen to top 40 music because those artists don't release as much new music as artists in the EDM music industry do.

Photo Credit: Photo by Thomas Blase / T Blaze Photography

EDM gets the party going

Unless you're a genre snob, EDM can set the mood at house parties, open up the night at events, or even a fun night out! The same goes for going to the club: the opener’s job is to warm up the night with slower beats and gradually build up the crowd’s energy to get pumped for the headliner. I'm not a huge fan of house parties, but when someone puts on some good electronic music I can deal with being out instead of wanting to go back home to watch Netflix.

Photo by Thomas Blase / T Blaze Photography

So many beautiful lives have been saved by EDM

If you have a friend that loves EDM, chances are that EDM saved their life or helped them through a dark time. I was going through a rough period during college and felt like my world was crumbling to pieces, but EDM helped me understand who my true friends were and I that I shouldn't let others define me. EDM speaks to many of us because we are the weirdos and outsiders of society and the general public doesn't see EDM music as ‘real’ music. Together, we make a fun pair!

Photo by Thomas Blase / T Blaze Photography

The EDM culture is exactly what this world needs

With all of the negative headlines that have been in the news lately, we need to sprinkle a dash of PLUR (Peace, Love, Unity, Respect) to bring back the positivity. I try to live my life by PLUR, treating everyone how I want to be treated, living life one day at a time, and focusing on the positive. There are days when I watch the news and wonder why we have so much hatred for one another, but I try to remind myself that we all have our opinions and differences and it is up to us to set the example and be the change. We don't truly know what another person is going through unless we are able to have an open and honest conversation with one another, which is why we need a little bit of PLUR to understand and respect one another's opinions.

Whether it is the music or the culture, people should care about EDM music because it helps us overpower obstacles that we think are too difficult to handle. From music producers putting their sweat and tears into creating the perfect song or ravers that suffering from the struggles of reality, EDM brings joy and life into a dull world. In the end, everyone has their personal music preferences and we shouldn't force our beliefs on others and respect our differences. As long as we teach others what the music and culture is all about, there will hopefully be an understanding and respect for EDM music.

Step 1: Put on your base makeup. Trust me, it would be a pain to try to put on any sort of makeup if you’ve put on your rave accessories first. I just use concealer, foundation, eyeliner, and a brow pomade for my everyday look.

Step 2: Glue on your gems. Even though all of the Lunautics, Gypsy Shrine, or any other face gem brand have adhesives, I also HIGHLY recommend using eyelash glue to add extra support to your gems. If you're going to be actively dancing (or headbanging) all night, you might be at risk of losing a gem - and just one small gem can be crucial to your look! (Note: any brand of eyelash glue will work!)

Step 3: Place glitter primer on the area you want to put glitter on. I personally use E.L.F Glitter Primer to put on my glitter, I absolutely love it and my glitter hardly budges! I usually use my fingers to place the primer on, but since I'm only putting glitter on small areas I used a small makeup brush.

Step 4: Put on glitter to the spots you put glitter primer. For this look, I placed Angel Aura directly around the gems while I outlined it with a little bit of 24Kayyy to give it a little pop!

Step 5: Spray setting spray over your masterpiece and you’re all done! For setting spray, I use Urban Decay because it holds my makeup throughout the entire event without glitter coming off. 

Step 6 (optional): Add a flower crown! If you don’t think glitter is enough, add some accessories to make your look even more fabulous! You can’t go wrong with a flower crown or even flower cat ears, they just make you feel even more majestic! Check out homegameauction' blog post for steps on how to DIY a flower crown!

I hope you all learned a thing or two about some of your glitter needs and maybe I’ll see some of you with this inspired look at an event!

Step 1: Put on your base makeup. I only use eyeliner, foundation, concealer, and eyebrow makeup for my everyday look, so I’m pretty much halfway done from there!

Step 2: Use a glitter liner to create the outline of the moon. You can really use anything you feel comfortable using for this. An optional step is filling it in with blue colored eyeshadow. You don’t have to do this step, but I did it because it helps fill in the blank space, creates more color, and I don’t have to finish my whole container of glitter in one sitting! I am absolutely in love with Colourpop’s Super Shock Shadows, they’re so vibrant and bold!

Step 3: Put on your glitter primer and use finger (or makeup brush) to place glitter inside moon. Put on as much glitter as your heart desires! I covered most of the moon, but you’re still able to see the blue eyeshadow behind it.

Step 4: Add whatever lipstick you feel comfortable with. I am using the Kat Von D's Studded Kiss Creme Lipstick ‘Poe’ and layered the Kat Von D Everlasting Glimmer Veil Liquid Lipstick in aquamarine with a little bit of glitter in the middle of my lips! I absolutely love the sparkly iridescent look!

Step 5: Add Your Festival Jewels and More Glitter! For this festival look, I used GypsyShrine’s All in One Body Jewel and add Lunautics Moon Dust XL Disco Dreams Face Glitter glitter. All of these items can be found on the homegameauction website

Step 6: Accessorize your look! I recommend the homegameauction Flower Kitty Ears! Now you’re ready to go out looking fabulous! But don’t forget to set your makeup with setting spray; I stand by Urban Decay’s Setting Spray, my makeup holds for an entire music festival and I never have to reapply any makeup.

And, Presto! You're now a beautiful and sparkly Moon Kitty. If you're inspired by this look, but want to swap the colors, homegameauction has a tons of styles and options for festival glitter and face gems!

Stay tuned for more Glitter Tutorials - coming soon!

Seven Lions

Seven Lions is one of the artists I can’t miss when he’s playing at an event! He’s known for effortlessly mixing in trance and dubstep into his sets, taking the crowd on a journey of feels to headbanging to some hardcore bass. His first episode of The Observatory is a perfect example of his musical taste, starting off with the slow melodic tunes of Lane 8 and later bringing in the fire with ‘Cold Hearted’, his collaboration with Kill the Noise. If you’re a dubstep and trance lover, Seven Lions is for you!

Goldfish

A unique experience to witness, Cape Town’s Goldfish is one of the few upcoming artists you absolutely MUST check out! Their tour includes a live performance of the duo jamming out on the keyboard, double bass, flute and saxophone along with the electronic synths. Their latest mixtape is just a taste of what to expect when you see them live in April!

Chris Lake

"Ring ring goes the telephone, there’s no one home..." Sounds familiar, right? You’ve probably heard house producer Chris Lake’s famous song, ‘Operator’ without even knowing. You might have even gotten the catchy tune stuck in your head. Lake has even collaborated with Chris Lorenzo to make an equally groovy single called ‘Nothing Better’, which I currently have on repeat. If you like to shake your rave booty, Chris Lake better be on your set schedule!

Martin Garrix

This a little embarrassing to admit, but I have never seen Martin Garrix live. The only song I really knew from Martin Garrix was ‘Animals’, the song that made him popular back in 2013. Browsing through his Soundcloud, I fell in love with his single called ‘Pizza’, which reminded me of the good ol’ days back in 2012, when house music was at its peak. If you’re attending Phoenix Lights, catch his set for me!

How has trance music influenced your life?

Andrew Rayel: Well, I grew up listening to trance music since I was 13 years old maybe even earlier than that. Happily enough, they used to play a lot trance music on the radio when I was young. They would not do that everywhere, probably not in the States yet, but in Moldova they used to play a lot of Armin [van Buuren], ATB, and Tiesto. That’s where I heard this genre of music and fell in love with it.

How did you decide that trance was the one for you?

Andrew Rayel: At that time I was studying music in a musical school and composing a lot of melodies and obviously with a melody you can do any genre. You can create rock, hip hop, or even trance music. From listening to trance my whole life, I decided that trance was the music I like and that’s where I want my melodies to go.

Who would you say is your biggest influences your music?

Andrew Rayel: In general there isn’t just one big influence. Obviously Armin is one of the biggest, but for sure also guys like ATB and Hans Zimmer, who is from another world. It’s just a different progression of different names that came into my life and carer that have influenced my vision of electronic music in general. Starting from Armin, Tiesto, ATB, Dash Berlin, W&W, Gareth Emery, just to name a bunch of names. I might play with them on the same stage now but back in the days I was just a kid listening to their sets at home. Now I get to do this!

How do you think your radio show has been changing over time?

Andrew Rayel: It’s obviously changing because I’m changing! I’m talking better in English. That’s one of the things the radio show helped me a lot with because I do it every two weeks and I have to write myself the script and I have to pronounce it well, read it 25 times until I record it perfectly and I’m happy with it. It started with a normal mix of 15 tracks and then we started adding in little tweaks like favorite of the moment, talent ID, the classic selection. And now I get to do a really fast mix of 24-25 tracks in an hour which is really fast mixing for a trance show so I get to mash things and make a very unique and interesting mix, not just song after song.

What makes Dreamstate special for you?

Andrew Rayel: It’s one of those events where I have to prepare more because it’s mostly about trance music and I do prefer a lot of electronic music like, big room trance. But for this I prepare more melodic stuff or edits of my tracks. I might play a lot of older music that a lot of people like. For me, it’s something more melodic, euphoric, and energetic. It’s not just normal Andrew Rayel banging set.

Photo Credit: Da Black Swan, Insomniac Events

Just hearing that simple phrase brought so much happiness and awe. I could not believe that I was finally there, witnessing a live broadcast of Group Therapy. Being on the beautiful hills on the Gorge with my rave family brought back memories of us when we used to go out and rage every weekend, but now we’re growing up and have to take care of responsibilities. This Group Therapy was a reminder that we’ll always love the music, the vibes, and the culture despite all of the hate going on in our world.

Above & Beyond threw down a beautiful and moving set with new singles and even announced their new album and tour at the very end, Common Ground. Throughout the whole night, we danced constantly trying to keep our balance on the hills of the Gorge and kept one another warm when Seven Lions and Jason Ross took over until we sadly had to part with our friends to take the shuttle to go back to the hotel. Although I missed out on the experience of camping, I was happy that I did not have to walk 30 minutes in the cold back to the campsite and to have a warm bed and shower waiting for me.

As soon as it hit 9 AM, my boyfriend and I were forced to wake up and get ready to take the shuttle back to the Gorge to make it to the yoga set. As I expected, no yoga was done by my group as we immediately bought food, sat by the ABGT 250 sign, and ate as we watched others do yoga. Since the Gorge was closed, the Anjunadeep stage was held at a smaller stage, creating an intimate setting for those alive enough to power through the day. Although I was one of those who was laying in the back relaxing, I used that day to meet up with friends, meet new friends, and explore the Anjunadeep vibes.

Above & Beyond Group Therapy 250 was definitely one of my favorite festivals. After being absent from the scene for a couple months, ABGT 250 reminded me that there are still festivals where people go for the music and don’t just go to get messed up. There’s nothing like a little trance to bring out the love. Thank you to everyone who made the weekend memorable and I can’t wait until the next Group Therapy reunion!

Living in Los Angeles, California, Jose was easily exposed to the rave culture and began raving when he was just 15 years old starting off with smaller shows, then attending his very first festival in 2009, Electric Daisy Carnival. Like so many new ravers in the scene, he was excited to see what rave culture was all about and just knowing it was a place where people can have fun and dress up was just exciting on its own. With the new possibilities that have opened up in his life, Jose began to immerse himself into a world that would forever change his life. 9 years later, Jose transformed into who we now know as PLUR Rabbit.

So the question everyone may be wondering: how did he come up with the name PLUR Rabbit? “The way I express myself is by representing the word PLUR but also showing people that you can make it a lifestyle,” explains Jose, “Plus rabbits are lucky!” Jose embraces his PLUR Rabbit name and lives up to its fullest potential through his hats. “I love how creative my PLUR Rabbit hats are because it represents me as well as challenges me to express myself differently, but creatively each time!” Jose shares. It’s inspiring to see Jose dedicate himself to the one subject being the rabbit, yet have different themes for every single event that he goes to! I don’t know how he comes up with each idea, but if he’s anything like me he must plan it out in advance because the details in each outfit is superb! Where does the inspiration come from? “One person that has inspired me is my good friend Tony,” he shares, “He showed me to not be afraid to express yourself and that they should be no limitations. Another person that inspires me is Alex Duran. He has shown me how to step out of my comfort zone and if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be dressing up! He was the one that started choosing my outfits and making ideas before I knew what I wanted to wear and he’s one of the most creative people I know in my life.”

Not only has raving strengthened his friendship with his current friends, he has been forming new ones at each event he attends: “Raving has really changed a lot in my life. I actually got to meet a lot of my friends and it’s funny because the people I meet at these events actually stay in my life. The friends that I have now have been like family and always there for me as I am always there for them. We always hangout, have sleep overs, and always talk about how we met in line or on the dance floor. Raving can really bring people together.” The bonds of friendship over the love of music and rave culture made Jose truly believe that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel even though many say that the scene has become filled with hatred. “Raving has also shown that there is peace and love in this world,” Jose says. “It’s such a positive place to be in and it makes me feel happy even after the events!”

If you ever see rabbit ears shining through the night make sure to find it because chances are it’ll be the one and only Plur Rabbit! 

1. Explore the sights and sounds: Walk around and see everything! If you are going with a friend or a group who are rave veterans, they might already know which stages they want to go to and which DJs they want to see, but you need to remember that this is YOUR first time. So don’t only stay at one stage or one area! There is so much to see and so many different types of dance music. If you notice that your friends are only staying in one area, let them know that you want to explore the whole place so you can get a feel of what you really like and discover DJs you’ve never heard of!

2. Wear comfy shoes: There will be lots of walking and dancing, so make sure your shoes can handle it! If you decide to buy new shoes for the rave, be sure to break them in first! Wear them for an entire day before the festival so you can get a feel for how they fit. If you notice any part that feels uncomfortable please don’t wear them to the rave, because the pain in your shoes will take away from the awesome experience. If you have room in your shoes you can double layer your socks for more cushion. When I go to raves I’m always really comfortable in converse or boots, so make sure to wear what’s best for you! Also don’t worry about having the newest or cleanest shoes, because by the end of the night I guarantee your shoes will be dirty anyway. There will be dirt and dust, and there will be people who accidentally step on your feet, don’t worry about your shoes, because with all the excitement happening, that’s the last thing that will be on your mind!

3. Don’t go too hard: There’s lots to see and lots to experience, so please pace yourself! Don’t be the person who pounds a bunch of drinks and is way too sloppy within 20 minutes of getting there! Yes it’s acceptable to have fun, but you also want to remember everything the next day! If you drink, take it easy and let the night flow. Plus it’s not so fun when you start feeling sick and end up having to rest the entire night anyway, that is a definite mood killer! And if you don’t want to drink there’s no problem with that. There is so much going on, the whole rave itself is fun enough that you won’t need the extra help to have a great time. You’re allowed to have fun, but whatever you do, just don’t OVER do it.

4. Don’t carry too much stuff: Only take a few basic necessities! The more stuff you have to carry, the more stuff you have to keep track of, and the more paranoid you will be checking your pockets all night long. It’s also easier when security is checking you because if you have too many items, they are going to take longer to check everything, so the less stuff, the faster check in. Try to narrow it down to just the essentials – money, phone, and a few small items like lip balm (by the way if you bring lip balm make sure it’s not opened yet as certain events won’t let you in with an already opened one). Wherever you chose to hold these items make sure it’s secure and will hold while you are walking, jumping and dancing. And if you forget something, there’s always booths that will carry other essentials you may need. 

5. Go out of your way to meet people: Whether you are a shy person or not, approaching someone new in the outside world might be nerve racking, but this is a rave, so don’t hesitate to talk to and meet new people! I love making new friends at raves because there are people from all over the world. There are so many beautiful personalities all with different stories and different things to share with you. You might even make life long friendships and meet these same people again at future events. A lot of times, people will come up to talk to you, but you should still make an effort to go out there and meet new people too. It always feels good to make new friends!

6. Be prepared for the weather: The days can get very hot and the nights can get very cold. Sometimes being in the crowd makes you get all hot and sweaty, and as soon as you take the walk to the parking lot you’re freezing! My rave outfits don’t usually have complete coverage so I’m comfortable in the crowd, but I know that it’s going to be cold after I get out of there so I always make sure to have a sweater or blanket in the car, that way as soon as I get in I can get warmed up. Sometimes I even bring a light sweater with me into the event. If you are at an event during the say and the sun is blazing, be sure to rest in the shade any chance you get and stay hydrated! There might be lots of hilly terrain or long distances between stages so be prepared to walk a lot. Before you go to any rave look up the weather for that area so that you aren’t caught in the heat or the cold, and always ask other experienced friends for advice on what to wear and how to be prepared!

7. Be yourself: The best thing about the rave culture is that you can come completely as you are and you won’t be judged! People feel most like themselves at raves because it’s the one true place you go and not be judged for how you look or act. Some people have to carry themselves a certain way in their everyday life because of their profession and then let their alter ego loose at the rave! Also, don’t worry about trying to “fit in”. Don’t feel like you have to know how to shuffle, or have an arm full of kandi to be with the crowd. You can come as yourself, and I promise you will be embraced exactly the way you are!

8. Live in the moment: Yes take pictures, but focus more on the experience than the pictures! Now don’t get me wrong I love taking pictures to remember the moments, but it’s the mental pictures that stick out the most. I have been to so many raves where I had every intention of taking pictures but by the time it was over I didn’t take any because I was just so caught up in the moment. Get a light show, feel the music, dance all night, have fun with friends, have fun and make REAL memories!

Photo by: Rukes

The headliners are half of the reason why I continue to attend Insomniac’s events; I absolutely love meeting new people and the endless supply of PLUR people that I meet are priceless! At almost every event I meet some amazing people that are the highlights of my trip. This year’s Nocturnal Wonderland attracted an array of colorful characters that I was lucky enough to meet, but sadly I wasn’t able to take photos with all of them. For those I was able to take photos with, here are 20 amazing people I met at Nocturnal Wonderland’s 20th Anniversary and their fun, colorful outfits!

#1: fellow homegameauction blogger, Shelby (@_shelby_lyynn)! Amazing hooper and great vibes 

#2: Erica (@NorcalRaves). Thank you for spending all of Friday night guiding us through the rabbit hole

#4 Anzueto (@sokkermasta). It’s always nice meeting Instagram followers! 

#5 Jon and #6 Josh Kan. Two brothers from the same mother that spent the entire weekend with my rave family and I! We love you two

Cosplayers #7 and #8 Rock Lee. It’s always nice when you see fellow cosplayers dress up as their favorite characters 

#9 Insomniac performer that made my boyfriend jealous 

#9 Luffy and #10 his girlfriend with my group. Yay for fellow One Piece cosplayers!

#11 Balu, #12 Kim (@miss___jade), and #13 Mike (@shufflemike). Mutual friends = new friends!

#14 Melissa (mama_meliss). As she says, ‘Rave to the grave’  Age should never stop you from doing the things you love!

#15 Nate (Rosie The Rose King @rosiertk). Met up with him everyday, super chill dude with an equally cool Stormtrooper helm!

#16 Kelvin (@conejitokelvin), the sassiest most stylish person I’ve ever met

#17 Chris (@chrischinanity). An old college friend that my boyfriend and I ran into over the weekend!

#18 Jake Ryan (@JakeRyanDuh). It’s always great seeing Jake outside of Bay Area events with his AMAZING outfits! He really goes all out and I love him for his creativity 

#19 Claudia (RaveSelfies) and #20 Kaitlyn(EDMHumor). They’re extremely cute together, and DEFINITELY funny! 

These are only 20 of the people that I’ve met at Nocturnal Wonderland, but I’ve met so much more than 20! I’ve traded almost all of the singles and cuffs that I made for the three days I was there and have received a gift from almost everyone that I’ve met. For those that I met and didn’t get the chance to take pictures with, know that I’ll cherish our time together (shout out to the two guys from Arizona that we met while eating at the food trucks and to Grant, the guy we adopted for about 2 hours since he lost his friends on his birthday!). Thank you everyone, Insomniac’s headliners, for making my second experience at Nocturnal Wonderland one to remember!

Hope to meet some of you at an event and keep it PLUR in homegameauction!

For pretty much my entire life, I’ve been told that drugs are bad for you and to not take them. Hell, I even took D.A.R.E when I was in middle school to learn what different drugs did and why NOT to use them. I’m not condoning drug usage, I’m promoting drug EDUCATION. Drug usage cannot be 100% prevented since it not only takes place at raves, but also at homes and parks. By shutting down DanceSafe at Electric Forest, the only thing the festival was doing was preventing attendees from knowing what is in their drugs and possibly making an unsafe, uneducated decisions and future decisions due to that lack of knowledge. It’s extremely important to, at the very least, know what you’re taking by doing a simple test. For all a person knows, that ‘ecstasy’ that they’re about to take is mixed with other chemicals that could possibly kill you if you take the wrong dosage or mixture. Drug education not only educates us about drugs, but drug safety as well. We become more aware of what we consume and put ourselves at risk for if we decide to take a drug with unknown elements. We can’t shy away from this topic and cannot address it simply with force as we can all see, that never works. So if we won’t allow DanceSafe to be a part of the solution, who is to blame? 

Could it be law enforcement? Fuck the police, or at least that’s what everyone says. However, police officers working events are only there to watch out for our safety, but by mainly putting them there to catch people holding onto drugs doesn’t help much. Sure, they can catch people who are trying to sneak drugs in, but that only encourages many hide their drugs better or to consume almost ALL of their drugs before they reach security, which is obviously extremely dangerous! I’ve heard from many that as long as you don’t have enough to make it seem like you’re selling, the police will just confiscate your drugs and let you in, but don’t take my word for that; that’s not always the case. The police truly care about our safety and are there to help prevent deaths to the best of their abilities. Some love raves just as much as we do! So if not the police, whom should we blame?

Ourselves. I wouldn’t necessarily call it blame, but responsibility. It’s our responsibility to research exactly what we’re getting ourselves into and what the possibilities could entail. After every big music festival (raves specifically) there is at least 1 person reported dead and the media loves to blow this up because it creates such a solid link between raves and drug usage. They don’t take into account that both the Electric Daisy Carnival and Paradiso had insane temperatures of over 100 degrees possibly causing hundreds to become dehydrated, but we can’t put all the blame on the weather so the responsibility once again falls into our hands. We already knew what the weather was going to be like, so it was up to those who attended either festival to best prepare themselves for that intensity. For those who decided to become intoxicated through alcohol or drug consumption and had to be taken to first aid, they probably forgot to take into account that the heat would dehydrate them a lot faster. I’m not saying that we should blame ourselves for these misfortunes, but rather our lack of education, preparedness, and help from those around us. I’ve heard too many stories from this year’s EDC on how there was a person that was either having a seizure or fainting right next to them and no one stopped to help them. As a fellow raver, I wouldn’t want my friend to be put in that unfortunate situation and I try my best to help those around me. Just because the person right next to you isn’t your immediate friend doesn’t mean that you’re exempted from helping them; put yourself in their shoes!

Keep this in mind: While we can’t put all of the blame on yourselves, we have to take responsibility for ourselves! Freak accidents happen and there’s nothing we can do to stop them. The only thing we can do is educate ourselves, make sure that we are fully aware of what we put into our systems and the possible harm that may happen, take into account all of the possible factors (weather, location, etc), help a fellow raver out, and to learn from other’s mistakes! 

Once we got home my boyfriend told me that he was upset that I was supposedly ‘flirting’ with another guy right in front of him. At first I was legitimately surprised by his accusation, but then I realized that he doesn’t know what we’re talking about. All my boyfriend sees is his girlfriend and another guy talking, hand contact, and the weird dance movements. Of course he’s going to think something is up, he’s a guy. Then my boyfriend continued saying how it bothered him that I flirted with other guys even while I was standing next to him.

Now, hold up. I’ve ALWAYS talked to random people at events! Just because I’m talking to a guy doesn’t mean I’m flirting with him! I can understand how difficult it is to distinguish between flirting or being friendly at a rave because everyone is so damn friendly all the time, but that’s what I also love about raves: we’re naturally friendly people and want to give out the good vibes to others as well.

So how can we really distinguish the difference between flirting and being friendly at a rave?

One solution: Stop assuming everyone is flirting with you. It’s not being conceited if you think someone is flirting with you at an event, but if you keep thinking that the entire world is hitting on you at a rave, you’re in the wrong place. A rave is a place where you’re surrounded by friends that you haven’t met yet. Ravers, being some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, are ALWAYS more than happy to meet new people! In the raving world we’re all about PLUR and therefore are comfortable with being ourselves around strangers without having the need to worry about being judged. That’s why I’m not afraid to go up to anyone and strike up a conversation with anybody, not just boys! I like to pay girls compliments on their outfits whether it may be cute or creative or if someone is feeling the same vibe from me during a certain artist I give them a high five. These small gestures could indicate flirting for others, but 90% of the time IT’S NOT FLIRTING.

A second solution: if you’re genuinely interested in someone that you’ve met at a rave, make sure to grab their info and hit them up afterwards for a cup of coffee; just do something outside of a rave without the worry that the other person is intoxicated. A rave is a place where people come and express who they really are, but sometimes that doesn’t correlate to how they really are in real life as well. Once I met a guy at a rave who seemed interested in me; we danced, talked a bit, and exchanged numbers. So once we met outside of a rave and got to know him a little better, I began to like him a lot. But here’s the catch: his girlfriend of 5-years broke up with him a couple months ago and he started raving to try to get over that. After a series of drama and him eventually reuniting with his ex, I vowed to never date a guy I met at a rave ever again. This isn’t always the case though! I’ve met plenty of rave couples that met at a rave and have healthy relationships, props to you guys! It’s possible to meet the love of your life at an event, but the real test is when you’re outside of an event.

Again, there isn’t anything wrong with flirting, just don’t go overboard where the other person could consider it harassment. I admit that I’m not very good at noticing when someone is flirting with me or not, but how else do we make friends at events? Compliments! Compliments are how we meet on another whether it may be because of our taste in music, outfits, or kandi.

There isn’t a definite way to pinpoint whether or not someone is flirting or being friendly with you at an event. The only way you will know is by asking the person or just going with the flow. Remember: don’t take everything so seriously at events. Let loose and have fun meeting great people! Even if someone was flirting with you, take it as a compliment, who doesn’t like getting compliments?!

The Mom

The mom of the group is always looking out for their friends: checking if everyone’s having fun, has enough water (and if they don’t, offer to do water runs for the group), and always has a supply of pretty much everything and anything else you could possibly need. The mom will always be a text or yell away from you, rushing to you if you need to be taken care of. They will be the ones to lead the group to the bathroom, give you their own water if you run out, and to hug you at just the right moments. Sometimes it seems that the mom is constantly bothering you about trivial matters when all you want to do is dance and listen to the music, but hey – we probably need a couple reminders to take care of ourselves. We get so caught up in the moment and sometimes

need someone else to remind us that we must take care of ourselves first. Give your rave mom a some love for just looking out for you

@k_shaww on Instagram 

The Rager

The rager is the party animal of your group; the one who gets everyone hyped up and ensures you’re raging as hard as you can. Sometimes they can get carried away and can annoy people who aren’t on the same level yet, but once everyone is at an event, the rager makes sure that everyone is having fun whether they like it or not. They’ll encourage drinking more, dancing harder, and pushing your boundaries beyond your imagination. A con to having a rager would be having someone constantly call you out for not being down to having a good time and pushing you to party even harder. But on the upside: you’ll learn what your boundaries are and a rager is always helpful when you want to have the time of your life. Hate them or love them, you gotta have them

@madi_cooper on Instagram 

The Scheduler  

Once the set times for a major festival gets out everyone starts either: 1) panicking because DJs have similar time slots now they have to choose or 2) making a schedule for who they want to see. It’s one thing to make a schedule, but to stick with it when the day comes? That’s the real challenge and Time Nazi’s time to shine. They are the ones who try to get everyone organized and rush the group from stage to stage, making sure they stick to the plan. It’s nice to have someone keeping track of time to make sure that you get to see the artists you’ve been dying to see, but at other times it can be a little overbearing to have someone keep nudging you to leave a stage to begin the journey to a different one. I’m a bit strict when it comes to time, but I always try to go with the flow.

@madisonrosefit on Instagram

The Person That’s Too Messed Up 

I bet everyone has been in this position: you drank way too much before the event and as soon as you get into the venue you can’t even stand up! Or there’s always that one person in your group that goes way too far and isn’t let in because they’re too intoxicated. When my group of friends go out to a club to see a DJ that we’ve been dying to see for a long time, someone in our group gets kicked out because they got way too drunk. It’s a buzzkill. That’s when the mom of the groups steps in and takes care of this person, sacrificing their fun for the sake of others. Honestly there isn’t really a pro to having this person in your group other than helping you realize that you don’t ever want to be that person.

The Lover

You’ll get never-ending hugs, kisses, and PLUR from this person. The lover of your group is full of love and happiness from being at an event and expresses it with a lot of touching. I admit I can get like this when I’m with friends. I get the feels during certain songs and I need to bear hug one of my friends and tell them how much I love them. A major pro with having a lover in your group is knowing that someone has a positive vibe and keeps the PLUR alive by being friendly and open with everyone, not only their friends. A con with the lover is that they could be way too touchy when you want your personal space; not everyone welcomes a hug from a stranger or from someone they just met that night. But honestly, who doesn’t love a lover at a rave of all places? They’re the ones who help you fall in love with raves in the first place.

Not everyone in a rave family fits into these categories and there are people that even fit into more than one type. You need each one of these people (well, maybe not the one that’s always too messed up) for your family to function at its best, but it’s okay if you don’t have a complete set. No matter what category you and your friends fall in, love each other no matter what.

PS. While you’re at it, also help the person who’s always too messed up step into a different category. PLEASE!