Welcome to the Underground
While America sleeps safely at night, safe and secure in their world there is another world taking place, a more dangerous and wild world. A world going on right beneath their noses. Its taking place in their super markets, in empty whare houses, forgotten buildings, parks, and yes friends even there roller skating rinks. Many will never know hear about this world that usually takes place every Friday and Saturday. For it may be safer to not know, for if one knows one may be tempted to want to experience this world. Experiencing this world has been know to alter many lives. For once going underground theres no turning back, this ladies and gentleman this is the world of the Rave...
We walked towards the castle drawn like magnets, already sensing the hum of activity that lay inside. Already overly excited from the many energy drinks we had consumed for “ultimate performance.” My friend explained to me that a man named John Bishop started building this castle single handily along with some help of his family in 1963 and every year he would add something new. It is nestled in the foothills of Pueblo, Colorado and safe from any civilized towns. As my companions and I drew closer the butterflies in my stomach flapped louder and louder. The moon was shining brightly right over our heads the time about midnight I estimated and still our journey had not begun. There were people frolicking everywhere mostly teenagers, but people of all ages. They were dancing and hugging and running around energetically. Mostly dressed in baggy jeans and trippy outfits I saw one girl wearing a see-through plastic skirt with her underwear showing plainly. Others had on doctors masks, carried glow sticks, and some had pacifiers in their mouth, I didn't know why. Everyone seemed to now everyone else. Except for me of course I knew no one. I looked at myself, jeans and a T-shirt. “I don't think Im dressed right,” I whispered to my friend, a so-called Rave expert. “Don't worry man nobodies going to care,” he replied. We were now nearing the entrance to the castle, each grabbing our tickets tightly holding them as if they were the golden ticket in Willy Wonka. I handed my ticket to the door man, got a half hearted pat down by the security guard and stepped into the world of the rave.
My first thought was, “What did I get myself into!” People were moving everywhere at a high speed pace flying around like bee's in a hive. All in some kind of musical trance. Hypnotized by the shaman like vibrations coming from the speakers. The music so loud I could not think, only thing I could do was move my body to the hypnotic sounds as I walked with my friends. I saw people break dancing on the floor, Men and Woman massaging each other bodies. Lots of people giving hugs to people they've never even met. I see smiles traveling everywhere around the room. I walk around the corner a happy smiling blond hair girl runs into me, she proceeds to give me a lovable hug. Asks if I'm have a good party and speak a word I've never heard before- P.L.U.R. I later find out P.L.U.R stands for peace, love, unity, and respect, its the raver code. I suddenly find myself separated from my friends. Im alone in this new world without a guide. I find my feet moving my body without me telling them were to go. I am grabbed by some scruffy looking guy that screams above the music “Don't I know you?” I have never seen him in my life, I find this sort a thing happens allot in a place like this. Its seems everyone is my best friend and they all wanna introduce me to some new. This scruffy guy proceeds to grab me by the arm and introduce me to his many friends. They all start dancing so I dance with them all to the same rhythm, are vibes have connected and I don't even know one of there names. A pretty girl makes her way behind me and starts to massage my back as I dance vigorously to the music. She seems to know what she's doing for all the tension I didn't know I had built up in my back release's at a fast pace and my muscles completely relax. One of her friends offers me a drink of her water I graciously accept moistening the desert I call my mouth. I continue to dance throughout the night sometimes taking a break and getting a back massage which I have become addicted too. I then realize I have not seen my companions since we first walked in. I excuse myself the current new friends Im with and go looking for my friends begin walking around the maze of people I realize for the first time how hot it is and how sweaty my body has become. I walk outside for a breath of fresh air, only then did I notice that I lost track of all time. The sun was just begging to creep over the horizon, the rays of light extending outwards, and as if on cue I see my companions that came with me staring at the same beautiful sight. I realize this is why people go to raves, a place where they can be themselves let go and make new friends. A place where stereo types are left at home people of all back ground can come together and dance in harmony. Where else can you see a so called gangster with a pacifier in is mouth? The whole night I saw examples of love, the hugging, the back massages the smiles, the basic good vibe. I could really feel the love in the air. I left the rave with a good feeling, peace of mind, unity for my fellow human kind, love for those around me and respect for this thing called a “rave.”
Now let me shortly explain exactly what a rave is, its an all night dance marathon usually between the hours of midnight and six in the morning. There's legal raves and illegal raves and you can bet a whole lot of illegal activities are going on at any rave. Although many cops have been paid to look the other way if they some how find there way to one of these events but many choose to shut it down just the same. They take place in every single major US city every Friday and Saturday night and have so for the last ten years. The music is futuristic usually being digitally oriented, techno based, and certainly most eat deafening. The take place in any building you can cram a couple thousand people into. The best locations I have experienced have been at a ski resort hotel, the rave promoter lied to the hotel operator and said the party was a Jewish get together, a castle as I described earlier, and a out of business supermarket in suburban Colorado. The environment of a rave I'd call it insane, lazers going in all directions, people dancing everywhere music vibrating through your body. The people come from all walks of life and are usually extremely friendly, I have never seen a fight at a rave. Although the night is still dangerous, not everyone always makes it out alive. I have personally seen a man swan dive from a balcony landing on a innocent girl of sixteen years old. When he landed he had a smile on his face don't ask me why and was laughing I think he was on drugs, he died but the girl was alright. Other casualties simply result from people taking there bodies to the extreme by dancing all night without water when the heat is very high form all the bodies moving and dying from heat exhaustion. Although these instances are rare they do happen. The most fatalities occur from drug over doses, I'd say about 70% of the people who attend use drugs at the event with the drug of choice being MDMA, otherwise called Exctacy. Though if a drug does exist it will probably be at a rave. So just like anything there are positive and negative aspects.
The whole idea of the rave was basically to have a night of fun. A night where the vast majority of the people had no idea it was going on. A night in secrecy. The only way to find a rave was to know someone that goes to raves. It was strictly word of mouth and you only told your best friends. It wasn't about the money it was about the P.L.U.R concept. That's why they remained underground for so long. Sadly as the millennium comes to past raves become more commercial and more about the money. Media attention about the drugs has but a negative spin on something that used to be pure. As police desperately try to shut down every rave they can more and more people learn about this underground society. This society that lives at night and thrives on good vibes. A society I took part in a society called the rave.