I am never going to a concert again. First off, psych. From here on, in this article, I will address all the “EDM” concerts I go to as raves. Mostly because I like the word “rave," and concerts as a whole are just too vague. Concerts will range in every music genre to every show format. The shows may include one live vocalist singing to a small crowd of people, or to a band like Fall Out Boy performing a sold out venue, for example.

By no means am I belittling the talent it takes to sing or perform in other facets, but as a raver, I crave the.. well.. rave. From the moment I stepped in to my first show ever, the Skrillex Mothership tour, my world had changed. Never again will I go to a show where a band performs their tracks or a rapper waves their “hand in the air for the 2-1-3, now everybody follow me” says the late great Eminem (side note, I would probably attend an Eminem concert). Not that I am knocking any capabilities they possess, but it just WILL NOT DO IT FOR ME anymore. The cold hard truth is, frankly, that I think attending any other type of concert will flat out bore me now. Not that I would sit there with a stern face like Squidward hating on the music, just that each rave I go to is in fact “the time of my life” every time. Man, I love these things. Ranging from the single headliner shows I frequent at George’s Majestic to music festivals like Lights All Night where 30,000 people are in attendance. I have barely even scratched the surface of events and cannot wait for what the future has in store.

Any time my friends hit me with that “Yo, Young Jeezy is coming to town and that show is about to be so hype” text, I’ll respond back with a “hard pass." Nothing compares to the vibe of the crowd, especially the bass, the joy, and the lights and visuals quite like raves do. Not only is the music great, but as I’ve said before, the people make these events spectacular. Considering all other music genres, for one, I don’t think any have the magnitude of committed followers to provide listeners or musicians with weekends packed full of music, camping, and comradeship among other things.

Additionally, some of the nicest people you ever meet are those in groves of ravers. The acronym PLUR stands for Peace, Love, Unity, Respect and there have been very very few times where PLUR hasn’t symbolized everything that the event stood for. People help others in no selfish intents, but in the realization that what is put in will be received back by you. It is a common understanding amongst ravers and that is why the relationships is so tight knit between you and strangers in the crowd. I have met some of my best friends in these crowds and it still amazes me the connection that you can make with others in just one night of dancing (or headbanging) to this music.

Additionally, we are all there for one common purpose other than to PLUR. We are there to listen to what the DJs have to bring to the table. I will go in detail in the future about my bass craving tendencies, but the mastery is displayed by these DJs even before they step in to the eyes and hearts of viewers. By devoting hours and hours of arduous practice, generally alone, these producer/artists devise sounds and beats unheard of before they were created. They are literally painting the notes as the soundwaves are their canvas. It is truly an art form that when understood, can be fully appreciated by attendees and ravers alike.

I didn’t write this piece to encourage you to turn your back on other genres of music. In fact, I encourage everyone to listen to the music that they love. If you love going to other concerts, keep it up! Concerts are the best. The only reason I write this is because I have gotten picky over the years. I can only be pleased by so much nowadays; and that pleasure is often derived straight from the rave.