MCTIt’s 3 a.m. on Saturday morning, and surprisingly, the party is in full swing.
The black light reactive band on your wrist signifies that you’re underage; the 17-year-old you spoke with in line was turned away at the door; they’re not taking any chances.
As the lasers pulse in sync with the beat, the dance floor is a constant wave of motion.
Yes, the girl who just brushed past you was wearing fairy wings, but it doesn’t faze you; in fact, you hardly notice because you’re at a rave, and you already know to come ready for anything.
“Security pats people down and searches through bags. They’ve started some random checks too, like last week the guy checked between the pieces in my pack of gum,” Matt Lombardi, Main Line resident and an active member of the Philadelphia rave scene, said.
Although these security measures may not seem characteristic of a rave, those knowledgeable about the past few months within the scene can understand why such practices are in place.
Tru Skool Productions, one of Philadelphia’s major production companies, have finally opened a new venue, The Urban, and restored a much needed sense of stability to Philadelphia’s rave scene.
After interviewing numerous students across Cabrini’s campus, it was detected that a social stigma that has become more prevalent since an NBC 10 investigative report aired late last November.
The majority of students interviewed, many of who had never attended a rave, referred to the events as “drug-parties,” or gave generic descriptions such as “dance parties with trippy lights and techno music.”
NBC 10’s report consisted of both video footage, shot undercover by NBC 10 investigators and interviews with members of the community surrounding God’s Basement, a popular rave venue.
The tape, which captured what is speculated to be underage drinking and illegal drug use, served to heighten an already existing prejudice against raves and the people who attend them.
Due to increased scrutiny from public officials, the number of parties within the city dwindled; many people were forced to consider abandoning, or actually abandoned the scene all together.
Within weeks of the report’s release, God’s Basement was closed, and Mickey Fronick, the director of Tru Skool, was on hiatus.
“So many people as soon as they hear the word rave automatically think drugs, but the reality is that while yes, drug usage does unfortunately exist within the scene, it exists everywhere, within every scene,” a student at Penn State Abington, an active raver and Radnor resident said. “And just as they are in other areas of life, users are the minority.”
“A lot of people think the rave scene is bad and all about drugs. To be honest, that’s what I thought before I got into the scene,” Jennifer Brown, student at Kutztown University and another active member of the Philadelphia rave scene, said. “Once you’re in it though you realize that PLUR is practiced by most ravers.”
PLUR stands for Peace, Love, Unity and Respect and is the raver’s credo. “PLUR is the foundation, the real backbone of the rave scene, not drugs,” Lombardi said.
The majority of people associated with the rave scene embrace PLUR as a basic guideline for their lives.
They practice acceptance, and encourage individuality, welcoming those who fall or willingly walk outside of the social norms.
“As long as people feel the need to analyze and fear everything that falls outside of the mainstream, the rave scene will come under scrutiny and face speculation,” the Penn State student said. “But as long as people continue to practice and embrace radical self-expression the scene will exist.”
“There are few venues in the U.S. which promote dance culture. Minus the otherwise negative aspects of raves, they can be a great place to experience a momentary liberation through dance,” Zach Hasse, graduate student in the secondary education English program, said.
The Urban, which has entered its second month of hosting parties, promotes safe sober raving in regards to the heightened security measures.
“Bring it on; true ravers have nothing to hide. We’re just here to dance,” the Penn State student said.
