As
it turns out, it wasn’t in the cards for me to simply ignore this Electro Dash event, as eventually one of my friends sent me a facebook
message inviting me out to it. Wincing, I clicked on the link that she had
sent to the Groupon to purchase tickets for the run. I had no desire inside
of me whatsoever to go to this event, and I was having a very strong aversion to it.
Having been a bit of a raver back in the early 2000s when the scene was quite “alternative”, and as someone who still loves and frequents a good techno dance party, I can understand why my friend would have seen this and thought that I would be interested, nay, even excited to partake. And at first, even I couldn’t really understand why it wasn’t something that intrigued me in the slightest.
“Why does this seem like the lamest thing ever?” I asked my boyfriend. “What is it that makes it so lame?” He responded with “What about it isn't lame”? Yes, it seems that the better question was to ask: what about this seems fun or good?
I had to break it down. Let’s start with the description on the Groupon shall we.
Let’s see:
“Glow-in-the-dark
5k infuses electro music with a series of lasers and fog tunnels in a
non-competitive race ending in a dance party.”
Glow
in the dark stuff- love it.
Electro
music- love it.
Lasers-
love em.
Fog
tunnels- love em.
Dancy
party- LOVE THEM!
A
non-competitive race? Uh, I think we’ve
found the problem.
The
thing is, is this: The Electro Dash is inappropriate raving at its finest. With
the EDM phenomenon sweeping through North America, my boyfriend and I have
been stunned by the amount of "inappropriate raving" that we see
taking place. It seems the kids today just don't know when they're supposed to
be raving and when they're not. They've gotten so swept up in this new fad
that their "rave" switch appears to be constantly "on".
Allow
me to explain. The line didn't used to be so blurry. And truthfully, while old
school raving definitely connoted its own specific fashion style (think vizors, phat pants, and wife beaters), its
nothing like the costume fad that has swept the current EDM craze. Now it
seems that crazy costumes and outfits are as much a part of the party as the
music itself. A visit to Shambhala Music Festival will confirm this, where you
will see every costume under the sun being rocked. Add to this the furry fuzzy,
leg things and furry hoods (ElectroFur anyone? or as my friend Tom calls it
"caveman outfits") that everyone's been sporting, and it's a real
jumanji out there.
Don't get my wrong, I LOVE the costumes, and the freedom and
desire to wear whatever the hell you want. I mean, isn't that part of the whole
groovy, PLUR'ed out vibe that the rave scene is known for? Be and do and feel
and express yourself in whatever way you want. Acceptance has always
been key. The problem is when kids don't realize that they aren't
actually raving at that particular moment, and as such shouldn't be dressed
like they are.
Consider
if you will:
If
you're at a 4 day music festival with music constantly going: you're raving!
If
you're out at a bar in the city seeing a DJ one night: you're not raving.
If
you're at an all night warehouse party in the city, that ends at 8am: you're
raving!
If
you're at EDC: you're raving!
If
you're at Burning Man: you're raving!
If
you're at a friend's house party: you're not raving.
If
you're running a 5km non-competitive race: you're not raving.
You
get the idea.
Give
me a dance party with lazers, smoke tunnels and techno, but hold the non-competitive 5k run please. If it's a rave you're after, then let's just
have a rave. If you want to run, sign up for a run. I feel like this
combination is just a classic trying-to-cash-in-on-what's-trendy
situation. And apparently, it's working out very well, because I just
checked the Groupon for the Electo Dash in Vancouver, and it's sold out.
Even the Electro Dash organizers admit in the FAQ section of their website that "Everyone knows the best part of running is when it stops... We pump up the
Electronic Dance Music and fill the air with neon lights, lasers, and
free SWAG for the catching. So get ready to dance, because the finish
line is the moment your running shoes become your party shoes."
I
won't be attending the Electro Dash, but I might go to a dance party that
night. I like to take my raving the straight up, unadulterated,
old-fashioned way.
To
quote Tiga "Let's go dancing. I want to go dancing with you, all night
dancing."
