% .,o ,i iesdlv c;-nber 8, 1999 - ' -The Mcgn Dai Nw Student Edition - 7C Iink raves are all about designer drugs and khno-snobbery? You're making a By Jason Birchineier f Daily Arts Writer D etroit raves have recently become an adventurous weekend activity for University students seeking something extraordinary. A decade ago these extrav- agantt dance parties began to occur in Detroit on a small scale. Along with the accompanying electronic music cul- ture, popularity has grown year after year. Only a 45- minute drive from campus, these modern cultural events rent an alternative to the mundane repetition of week- end campus life. Some people choose to stay on campus and do a little drinking. Others catch up on their studies or go watch bands play some good old rock 'n' roll. Nearly everyone does something to unwind from a stressful week of class. Yet of the various on-campus weekend alternatives, not many are as relieving as a night dancing to electronic music at a Detroit party with anywhere from 500 to 3,000 other people. Ask anyone returning from a Detroit rave about his or h, xperience and prepare for a poetic tale of adventure art enlightenment. Most parties create an extreme envi- ronment unlike anything found in Ann Arbor. An experi- ence such as this will most likely be more memorable than another one of those nights at The Brown Jug reminiscing. So what exactly goes on at these raves that's so fun? For some the appeal can be all-night pill-popping and the use of whatever designer drugs always seem to be on- hand at some raves. For others, it can be the simple thrill of flocking to an illegal party. But for most, going to raves is not about the illegal activity and hard-drugging you've re about and seen on almost every TV channel. And, is also often overlooked by everyone - most raves are not illegal. Music First year student, Anne Lauckner, serves as a perfect example. When asked about what goes on a rave she described a common myth among students. "I thought it was all about drinking and all about drugs," she said. Engineering Senior Shane Eaton has been intimately involved with Detroit's party scene for years. Recently he has begun throwing parties of his own in Detroit as one half of his company, PLURKids Productions. 'hat's the first question to come out of everyone's m~h," Eaton said. "The basic question is 'areti't raves just a place to go to get high and do drugs?"' And LSA junior Doris Payer said though raves often offer a clean way to have a good time for many, what real- ly goes on is not what makes it into the newspapers. "I think it's mostly the media that makes raves out to be these crazy drug-infested orgies with deafening music and strange props like pacifiers and face masks to complete the rituals," Payer said. Another University student involved in Detroit's party ;cene, LSA sophomore Gabe Sandier, said these myths a ecome problematic. "The main problem I see with the scene is the judgmen- al attitude that American people who have not participat- :d in it tend to have," Sandler said. "It's the type of thing rou should see for yourself and form your own opinion n." Located in the farthest depths of Detroit's inner city ;hettos, some may be hesitant to investigate these non-tra- litional musical gatherings. Locations don't get revealed intil the day of the event and even then directions can only p on a voice m ail recording . T actics such as these What todovw help foster an atmosphere of mystery as well as function- ing to keep the parties as underground as possible, where only the most courageous dare venture. Once you arrive at the party, park the car and finally enter, a whole new world presents itself. "It was kind of dark with minimal lights, loud music, dirty floors, potholes on the way to the party with steam coming out of them," Engineering senior Gary Givental said, referring to his first experience at a Detroit party. Givental found the environment to his liking, motivating him to become an aspiring DJ and Eaton's partner in PLURKids Productions. "People are there listening to the music, they're dancing, they're sitting on the floor chilling," Givental said. "Whatever it is they're doing, it's just a totally different atmosphere. I totally got into it because it was such a friendly environment, like I'd never seen at a concert before. "It totally blew me away because right away you could feel it in the air - you could feel the vibe. That sounds weird to some people but you definitely feel the atmos- phere," he said. "After that I wanted to go back. I wanted to hear more -- I wanted to learn more about it." Eaton's first experience prompted him to begin throwing parties as part of PLURKids Productions. "This was a whole new experience," Eaton said. "This was an exciting new world. This was me experiencing something I'd never experienced before and meeting all these new people. "There were no fights, no belligerent drunken people, no gangstas walking around trying to be all hard, just fantas- tic people. The more I got into the music and the more I realized what I love, the more I wanted to spread this stuff around," he said. Sandier puts this environment which Givental terms "the classic Detroit feel" - into further perspective: "A good Detroit party for me requires that two ideals are met. First, the music played there should be aesthetically pleas- ing in the sense that it's art and beautiful. Second, the crowd should reflect many different types of people there for the same reason - the love of fun." Also, the fact that Detroit parties last all night separates them from traditional dance clubs. Since dancing can sometimes go from 10 p.m. until noon the following day. most people come dressed more for comfort than glamour. Tennis shoes, comfortable pants and light t-shirts are the norm. Also, don't expect a meat market. This isn't the Nectarine or Rick's. People come for the music, not to ful- fill their sexual desires. "You will never ever see a guy freaking a girl at a party, and if you do, you're at the wrong party!" Eaton explained. Depending on the particular party, the music can range from hip-hop to jungle but in Detroit, techno and house music reign as most popular. Usually, most raves have more than one room in order to offer multiple DJs and gen- res along with separate chill-out area away from the boom- ing bass. Since raves do go until dawn, people often need a break from the loud music and dancing to hydrate and recharge. Some of the better Detroit raves offer other sorts of entertainment besides just music and people. Professionai light shows add an aura of otherworldliness to raves, edim- rhen a band ADRIANA YUGOVICH/Daily Caught up in the music at a Detroit rave, this party person swings a glow stick as he dances. Despite tales of rampant drug use, most raves in the Motor City are first and foremost intended for music and dancing. inating any remaining mundane elements. Depending on the time of night or the party, light shows can range from near-darkness with carefully positioned strobe lights to all- out barrages of every imaginable color. The sum of these various elements creates a surreal world capable of overloading one's senses. Being lost in the middle of a strangely lit ocean of youths all reacting wildly to the channeled energy of a DJ's music can become utopia for a hedonistic individual interested in sensory overload. The combination of stimulating environment, forward-thinking music and thousands of peaceful, danc- ing youths continues to convert music lovers of all kinds to party culture. Richie Hawtin, better known as Plastikman, engineered some of the first and most legendary parties in the history of Detroit. During the past decade, parties such as "Spastik" and "Consumed" are now considered historical events for their ambitious attempt to create surreal envi- ronments capable of immersing the partyers, making them forget about the outside world for the night. Held in an early 20th Century temple, "Consumed" needed four floors to accommodate its various environ- ments. The first floor consisted of a gigantic lobby. After ascending the stairs, partyers had the option of entering the main dancefloor 72 feet in length and 45 feet wide with a quadraphonic sound system where Hawtin performed. Then after taking the elevator up yet another floor, par- tyers could explore two audiovisual installation rooms or several other special artificial environments. Finally, the fourth floor consisted of more technologically disorienting art installation rooms and another large dance floor where partyers could relax and socialize as other DJs spun ambi- ent music. "We were involved at a time when there were no parties," Hawtin said in reference to the early '90s. "It's different now because there's a whole different mentality, there's a whole different reasoning behind the thing. When we start- ed throwing parties this wasn't a big scene. There was no fame involved. There was no money involved. There was only one real reason to be doing it. It was to make music, to go out and hear music, to go out and dance to music." Detroit's rave scene continues to grow with multiple par- ties occurring on weekends. But as the scene rises from the underground, Eaton said he believes it is slowly spreading itself thin. "I arrived when the scene was on its way down to where it is now, from the true underground, where it once was," he said. "I never saw the true underground. It was mostly dead by the time I arrived a few years ago. Parties now are all too often marred by a focus on everything else but what really matters, the music and how it makes us feel." Still, even as raving has become increasingly trendy, Payer's maintains an opinion that correlates with the com- mon attitude among University students familiar with the party scene: "It always has been and always will be about the music." passes 'U' by? Hit the road Vetroit and suburbs provide venues less than an hour away By-Jewel Gopwani Daily Arts Writer Almost every student is sure to find some sort of entertainment value in Ann Arbor's numerous musical, outlets. But some bands just can't or don't make it to Ann Arbor. Which only makes die-hard music ,kps travel outside this college pn's boundaries. No matter where you go outside of Ann Arbor, you'll have to either be the sucker with a car or find a suck- er with a car. Once that's accom- plished, grab a map, some cash and some concert tickets and the possi- bilities are endless. If you're seeking big-name bands took up and to the right on that map. Your best bet is the Palace of Iburn Hills. About an hour-long Uve from Ann Arbor, the Palace has hosted the Dave Mathews Band, Pearl Jam and Aerosmith. Early in September, Canada's Barenaked Ladies and the tour no one ever expected to happen -Tori Amos and Alanis Morrisette - will make appearances at the Palace. If you're looking for some smaller musical names, try Pontiac and -troit. Pontiac's night life has Aproved by leaps and bounds since Clutch Cargo's, Mill Street Entry and the 7th House started attracting all kinds of alt rock bands. Limp Bizkit, Snmisonic, the Foo Fighters and the Red Hot Chili Peppers have caused thousands of pre-teens, teens and honor of being a "buzz band" has paid its dues at this tiny venue. St. Andrew's also hosts a few hip-hop shows. like Foxy Brown and its Hard Core Hip-Hop fest during the sum- mer. Underneath St. Andrew's is The Shelter - another haven for tiny bands with a big sound. A little bigger and a little prettier, the State Theatre hosted Rammstein earlier this sumner and is bringing in Britney Spears in September. On Saturdays, The State turns into a dance club and shows movies on Monday nights - both for those 18 and up. Just down the street is the Fox Theatre, which offers an older crowd and an even more dazzling atmos- phere. But every once in a while, a person needs a little of that '80's glam rock that has managed to surge once more. For that stuff, stop by Harpo's in Detroit. This place started off as strictly a rock and roll club and branched out to host some rap acts. And no one should forget about Toledo. The capacious Toledo Sports Arena and the Stranahan Theatre - Toledo's version of Detroit's State - is usually a stop on a band's tour before or after its Detroit stop. So if you can't do without one more glimpse of Flea's undies, make the trip to Toledo and feed your need. And when a band doesn't include Ann Arbor on its tour, don't wait for them to come to you. Pack into the car and go to them. I *OKI vi