Will somebody please tell this Old Guy what a “Rave” party is? I have no idea why 100 people were having some kind of party in a Warehouse. If some of you younger folks can explain this to me it would be appreciated.
There’s a whole culture surrounding a certain type of (usually) electronic dance music, they get together and dance all night. There are formal rave nightclubs and there are more impromptu setups, in warehouses, abandoned buildings, even outdoors.
Well, I’m an old guy too, but I know the term.
A “rave” is a big party with music that has a strong beat, probably a light show, the music could be “trance”, could be “techno”, there are other names for it, where people do drugs such as extascy and stay up all night, they are in unpermitted large spaces, and the publicity is spread by word of mouth or handbills depending on whether you want a big crowd, or just the cool kids.
Features loud repetitive techno dance beats. The objective is to get wasted and dance for hours or even for days. The attraction is that it’s “underground” and fueled by drugs, usually ecstasy, amphetamines, and LSD. Since underage kids are allowed, there’s no alcohol; the cans and bottles would be impossible to conceal in the event of a police raid. The activities are dangerous and illegal, so the actual time and place-—always in out of the way warehouses, barns, industrial or rural settings-— is released on short notice to a select few who are on a list of designated “cool” people aka “ravers.”
They’re very childlike; they bring light sticks and gadgets to enhance their hallucinations. Many ravers wear the sneakers with the colored lights that flash as they dance. Oooh, trippy!
Ravers are the white suburban peace-and-love counterpoint to violent rappers. Whereas many white kids also go to rap shows, hardly any blacks go to raves. Different drugs, different music.
“Rave culture” was in the newspapers a lot in New Orleans in the 90s, that’s how I know about it. Local authorities wanted to outlaw the concerts after a young girl died on the dance floor (amphetamine heart attack/acute exhaustion.) The oblivious ravers thought she was napping and continued dancing around her body for over 24 hours.