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The crowd went nuts as soon as the first record was dropped, and I felt a level of DnB energy that I have not felt since Cyberfest 2001. Although I was a tired from a poor nights sleep I had no trouble catching the beat, especially when AK would drop an intense booming bass line. Minutes later Diesel Boy would mix in fast, ultra tech Drum n Bass, as Dara waited to bomb the venue with his own selection of highly unusual records as well as more popular (but not played out) crowd movers. After about an hour of this, the year in So Cal raving was changed. Everyone in that hot, dirty, crowded venue had a smile on his face that stemmed from the raw unadulterated power of premium grade Jungle. Suddenly in the middle of a few-dozen weeks of generic raves, there was a unique event. The huge main area for once featured Drum n Bass, and the venue seemed fresh and new because of it. "You never know when you are going to go to a party that turns out to be amazing, so you should never miss a party," is the reason I never miss a party, and this event was the perfect example of why that logic works. As long as there are few events like this every year, it gives me hope that the one coming up next week will be one of them. My desire to rave swelled inside of me and I felt ready to check out the next 20 parties in hopes of finding another one that will be as satisfying, BUT, back to the party… Walking around the venue I saw countless people I knew - all of which were covered in sweat, and all of which shared a similar look of satisfaction. By 3 a.m. many Drum n Bass events have been over for an hour, but in the case of Glow the lesson was still in progress. By now I was so thoroughly drained of energy that I had to
have some calories if I had any hope of being able to stay in
the mix. I walked around the venue hoping to find something to
eat, but to no avail. Exhausted, I stood near a vendor's booth
and listened to the music. Just as I was browsing over the various
candy bars on the table, I saw a girl steal a pack of cigarettes
right in front of me. I looked back at the people working the
booth and could see that they were oblivious. The girl was in
a hurry to disappear into the crowd, but just before she did
I gave her a tap on the shoulder and a "not-so-fast-babe"
look. I held my hand out waiting for the pack of unopened Marlboro
Lights. She knew she was busted and assumed that I was working
for the people at the booth, so she was happy to hand over the
pack of cigs. I turned to the people working the booth and told
them what happened, simply trying to be a good viber. "Do
you smoke?" one guy asked. "Yeah," I said. "Keep
the cigarettes," the vendors agreed. "Oh that's cool,
but I'm alright." I said as I put cigarettes back in their
original place. "But do you think I could get a Twix?"
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But this party is not over yet, it's only 4 a.m.! Instead, it rages on and no one (except Nada and PHJ) wants to leave until the POTD crew finishes their super set. After all, we didn't know when we would get to see this kind of talent again. With a look of disbelief on his face and a smoking pipe in his hand, Marcus emphasized, "They are STILL spinning!" Between the Twix and the Herbal refresh provided by Marcus, I could feel a second wind coming on. Actually it was more than just a second wind, it was the feeling of being in perfect tune with the music. The feeling of being fully sucked into and part of Jungle, when your body can do anything you want and some things you never thought it would. Nick, Marcus, and I faced each other and each started busting out to the beat, sometimes one at a time, and sometimes all at once. None of us were going to stop until the POTD crew wrapped up their mega set, but I was completely drained and have to admit that I breathed a sigh of relief when they finally did. Jason Angel started to spin again, but there was just no way. Six hours of dancing to Jungle is enough for me (as long as I get it twice a week!). -37 . . |
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May 26th 10:15 p.m.: Outside the
Orion in Downtown Los Angeles, even jaded promoters spoke of
the "vibe" inside the already packed venue. The Planet
of the Drums Crew (AK1200, Dara, and Dieselboy- maybe the world's
most entertaining trio) were about to take to the tables. For
once this year, Southern California would enjoy a full night
of world-class massive-caliber DnB talent. Trance and Hardcore
were stuffed downstairs (where they should have been that night),
and the entire upstairs area was a dedicated, decorated, electrically
charged Jungle room. Over three thousand Junglists of all shapes
and sizes gathered in one place to form the biggest Jungle room
and strongest Jungle vibe we have seen in over a year (Audiotistic
2001, April). Many were anxiously awaiting this event since the
first fliers appeared in February, myself included, and after
the long wait we would get what we wanted. Jason Angel spun what
I would call a "Greatest Hits" of Jungle set that included
most of the popular records from 1998 to 2001. It was a great
way to start the night and to get everyone in the right mood
for the Jungle onslaught ahead. Many of the records everyone
knows and loves were spun by Jason Angel, since the Planet of
the Drums crew were sure to bring us fresh plates during their
4-hour set. MC J-Messinian introduced the POTD and it was on!
As I opened the wrapper and took
my first bite, AK dropped yet another sick bass-line, and I heard
one of the vendors at the booth say, "Now that's a good
party kid." Wow, just when I thought I was a little too
jaded and maybe even over the whole rave thing, I got a taste
of what got me into raving in the first place. The feeling that
being a raver was a good thing, and that at least here, if no
where else, you could get by on nothing more than a little bit
of good Karma.
