EDC was a week ago, and my left ankle still crackles from dancing to the drum n bass at that party. That's OK, we all know that you have to pay the price to be a raver. People automatically assume I am a "Kande Raver", that I have "hits of X" in my car at all times, that the pictures I develop at Costco are of myself, rolling.

Whatever.

A lot of people are selling out the rave scene these days, have you noticed? Some people are even kicking the scene while it's down. One smaller Los Angeles area publication even went as far as to say that the only people that are not over the rave scene are cracked out Koreans at Q-topia, but I don't see it that way. To me, rave is what happens when you have the right music and the right people after midnight. Yeah, that's it. You don't need glow sticks, and you don't need drugs. You don't even need a massive venue or 30 A-list DJs.

Anyways.

Back to EDC. I just got done telling Nada (#31) that we have to separate our relationship with the production companies from our relationship with our pens and notebooks. That means that we can't say things that aren't true. Even when the production company won't let us into their event to continue our fourth straight year of coverage. We are not on the "guest list", we have to talk to "P********", they are "just box office people and can't help". Okay, that's cool. Here is $120 dollars for Eddy (#42), Sam (#8) and myself (#37). I gave Mike (#22) cash last week to buy a ticket, and I sent Nada a check this week. So EDC cost me $200 this year. Was it worth $200?

Actually, it was.

I felt like I was ten years old! I was running around, screaming, dancing with everybody, I was at a party with SAM!!!!! I only went to one party with Sam last year, but went to about 100 parties with Sam in 2000 and 2001. In a way, just going to a party with Sam was worth $200. Actually, the fact that neither one of us had to lug around a 35mm camera made it worth it. Everyone thought that I was rolling, drunk, or on acid. Nope, no need, I was at a massive! I didn't know any of these people, I could do whatever the fuck I wanted, and I did. Until 2 a.m.

Thanks to all the great talent at this year's EDC, thanks to all my friends who showed up, and thanks to the guest list people for giving the staff a night off, we really needed it.

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