The Before

So...this is how we all dressed 17 years ago...sorta.  I mean the UFOs aka pants, the Kandi aka the beads, the visors including the chupon aka the pacifier...were a must! Although most of the time we wore tanks. Lollipops, Vick sticks, gobs of water and lights were by far the best things to have on you inside your Sponge Bob Square Pants bag-pack.

So you're probably wondering...which one is she?  LOL Neither! Let me tell you...Sad story.  So all my pictures were on my hard drive...and guess what...it got stolen. I know right! Cry me a river!!!! I'm one of a small amount of people who literally lived to take pictures, and got her pictures stolen. Tragic! I know!  Totally feels like I lost my memories, especially since I have the worst memory ever now.

Thankfully, I have great friends who sent me their pictures - specifically since I asked cause I had to share.  =)  Gotta love my EDM Fam! Something I would like you to take away from this is...is this...in this world, strangers become your family. I this world, everyone accepts one another for who they are and for who they will become.  I thank my lucky stars I met the people I did when I did. We were a unit. A huge one at that. We all cared for one another and made each other stronger. I'm happy to say that even after so many years, most of us all still friends in some way or another. But don't get me wrong, some were like the wind. They would pass by and leave, and that was ok, because you still had your #EDMFam.

And this is how it was.  There were no festivals...YET...at least none that we knew of, but that was ok.  Here in the Rio Grande Valley, the underground movement was just happening.  2001 was my year.  That's when it all began for me.  I was no longer afraid. I was no longer trapped in a life that was only going one direction.  Now, it was all fun and games.  We partied like there was no tomorrow.  We had no worries.  We only had each other.  We loved to go to raves. We lived to rave; to go dance, give light shows, show some love and just enjoy being young and free.  That was the life. Having absolutely  NO WORRIES in the world. This is where I finally found myself and finally became who I was born to be.

Just a little Info...

I'll tell you something...after you go to your first rave...you are NEVER the same.

I'm what you would call an "old school raver." I began my raving days back in 2000 and although I'm 35 now, back then, I was a legit raver.  Now, I consider myself a spectator, but that's ok because now I can get away from the normal teeny bopper event and get to go to music festivals here in the US and in Mexico!!

So, how did I get into the rave scene?
Well, it's a long story...but in short...I remember being in my car and driving through town when The 5 O'Clock Drive came on.  Now for those of you that don't know what that is...well...it was the only time you could hear dance music.  You see, unlike today, when every song has some dj plastered all over the song without you even knowing it, or a famous artist using dance music to get the song played on the radio, Techno music was NON-EXISTANCE!!!

Sadly, this was the only time you could hear dance music because you had radio djs mixing the best music to unknown beats people had no idea even existed. This is when I heard the song Sandstorm. I remember hearing it and enjoying it. Lowering my windows down and enjoying the breeze and forgetting the horrific accident I had had months ago where I lost my best friend.  I could finally escape the ugly reality I was dealing with and I loved it.

I remember wondering what the song was. Heck! I was wondering what that sound was. What was it called? Where could I find it? I needed more of it.  I needed it....I wanted it...I had to have it in my life so I could forget.  It was like my drug and I was running low.

Now it was...who likes this stuff as much as I do?  Where do I find these people?  Where do I go hear this music?

I somehow found people.  I somehow found the music.   I was listening nonstop.  I wasn't just hearing it at 5pm.

Today, though, that is obviously not the case.  You can literally hear dance music back to back.  But back then, that music was a rare gem.

Electric Dance Music or EDM wasn't even called that!! It was called House, Techno, Trance, Drum n Bass, Progressive among other things.  You could distinctively tell which was which.  Now, it all sounds the same.  Well, somewhat.  Music has evolved.  You have Trap, DubStep etc. Personally not my vibe. Anyways...

It all started underground, like most things do.  And this blog...will take you there.

Now that I got you hooked on the info.... Imagine living it.

Welcome to Electric Festivals 101.  I will take you back and bring you forward to today's most amazing EDM festivals....So buckle up! Your in for a bumpy adventure!!