The electric sounds of music are heard from miles away and the sea of people rushes in like a tsunami. Taking one step closer to the venue, I hear the bass of Diplo getting louder and louder, my smile just gets bigger and bigger. It was like Alice entering Wonderland. A surreal place where the music just makes you dance, without a care in the world.
Neon colors cover majority of the crowd. Different costumes that give people a new identity. This utopia was like nothing I had ever seen before. Every person overjoyed to have finally made it to the event known as Spring Awakening in Chicago, my first musical festival that centered on electric dance music.
As summer approaches, there are more festivals to attend such as Electric Forest, Spring Awakening, Summer Set and the well-known EDC Las Vegas.
Electric dance music has become more popular over the past five years. The more sub-genres that have been added, the more diverse the fan base has become and to no surprise the more stereotypes people encounter.
From the way we act to the way we dress, stereotypes have been thrown out to the world that make people prejudge those—including myself—who listen to electric dance music.
My personal favorite—yet most annoying—prejudgment is that every person attending music festivals is on drugs. First, unfortunate events have happened where people have overdosed at events like these, it does not mean that I have picked up every drug in the book. It does not mean that every other person has either.
Stereotypes exist here—while some ignorant—others are quite comical. Not every person who listens to electric dance music fits into these stereotypes.
Another stereotype that I have come across is that the girls who attend festivals are promiscuous. This one in particular comes from the fashion seen. I’m not quite sure why this occurred, but as years go on, girls think it is okay to wear less and less to festivals. Girls are known to wear florals, headpieces, and short shorts that barely cover their rears.
Well, hate to break it to you, but the guys have their own fashion preferences as well. Men have also followed a certain trend of wearing muscle Ts and chubbies (yes, those very short shorts for men).
I remember going to festivals and concerts and seeing this trend. I saw a lot of girls wearing clothing that could have easily passed for bathing suits. This trend does not prove that the girls are promiscuous despite it being a little more risqué. It’s merely a costume for the festivities.
Another stereotype related to EDM festivals is, “they all have these weird beaded bracelets.” Yes we do, and actually they’re called Kandi. No, I’m not lying. These beaded bracelets are handmade with various colors, designs and sayings. Going to music festivals, you meet people from different states or even countries. They’re traded with each other when one meets a new person. It’s amazing to reminisce about the new collection of bracelets and the people you come across with their own stories.
These bracelets have a deeper meaning for some. Kandi represents that unity you feel at these festivals. Kandi also represents the shared love for the music.
I want to mention a last stereotype that really bothers me. I have heard this from various peers and it irks me every time. “People who listen to EDM have no taste in music.”
Everyone has their own likes and dislikes, but one should not be taunted about the type of music he or she listens to. EDM is an array of music, often blending songs together and creating new beats, rhymes and sounds.
DJ-ing is not as easy as it may seem. Djs work hard to create original songs. Some songs may not even have words in them and it is not always a bad thing. Think of it this way, Mozart did not use words in his creations. With that said, some may never like EDM, but also some may never like country music either.
Music is universal. I never understood why a person is judged by the type of music he or she listens to.
Electronic dance festivals have become more popular and its judgments, unfortunately, harsher. We gather at EDM festivals for the love of the music, the atmosphere, the people.
I go for the sense of community.
We are ravers. We are family.
