On the ride over to our Grandma's, I entertained the idea that there was probably a show we could go to while we were staying with her. Sure enough, Boogie T and SQUNTO’s Strike Back Tour was going to be playing at the Rex Theater that weekend. I just went to my town’s date of that tour about a week prior and had an amazing time with my crew, but unfortunately my brother had to work. I suggested that we go!

He agreed that it was a good idea and that it would give us something fun to do besides family time while we were out of town. Neither of us were planning on going before we left, so neither of us brought “rave clothes” with us. Besides church clothes, we didn’t have a lot of options and we didn’t have a car. I threw on some black cotton leggings, sneakers, and a black t-shirt. He threw on jeans, and a button-up shirt. We ordered an Uber and headed downtown, ready to have a great night listening to good music.

When we walked into this venue, it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary for us. The openers were starting, we had a few drinks, but I had this looming feeling of being SUPER uncomfortable.

We’ve both been to shows and even festivals alone before. While we’re used to having a pretty big group of friends at our local shows… we had never been ignored or side-eyed so much at a show before. My brother kind of looked like a cop that night, so maybe that played into it? Either way, it was a WEIRD vibe.

When we first walked into the venue, a lot of the girls there had their look very together and most of the girls had similar outfits - fishnets, cheeky shorts, and some type of crop top or bralette. Standard for a riddim show like this and probably exactly what I wore when I went to another date of the tour. I felt self-conscious because I enjoy dressing up for shows and I couldn’t... and maybe it was all in my head, but what happened next wasn’t.

A girl walks past my brother and smirks, “Try harder next time.” My brother didn’t say anything back, determined to still have a good time. We shifted our position in the crowd and Boogie T’s Raven Master started bumping. Although it was just one comment, the general vibe just felt judgey, but we were determined not to let it ruin our night. Besides, it didn’t matter as much with the music blaring and the the lights down. 

The moral of this story is, no matter what city you’re in or what your situation is like, to make someone intentionally feel like they don’t belong is exactly what we don’t need in the EDM community. Judgment doesn’t belong in this space! No matter the subgenre or the type of event, why would you try to make someone feel uncomfortable or out of place? After this experience, I really try to stay super aware at shows I go to, making sure to ask people how they’re feeling if something seems off. I love seeing totems at festivals that say. “Lost? Dance with us!” That’s how to community should be!

What you’re wearing, or not wearing, to shows, is never an excuse or invitation for these types of comments. I love wearing rave clothes, making costumes, all of that- but it’s totally unnecessary to feel like you always HAVE to. Sometimes you just want a comfy night or sometimes you might not have the time to pull a look together, and that’s completely okay.

It’s also not an excuse or invitation for touching, grabbing, or dancing on someone who hasn’t given you explicit permission to do so - and I’ve got plenty of stories about that. Everyone in this community deserves to enjoy themselves at events. That means that you keep your paws and comments to yourself. Spread positivity when you’re out and it will come back to you!

I attended Weekend Two this year and overall, the weekend was rich in good tunes, good vibes, and some crazy weather. Paying attention and putting care into your body and to your friends when you’re all going through four straight days of dancing was key. The highlights of my Forest experience this year? I missed my favorite artist (thanks mother nature!), found some new favorite artists, and changed my whole perspective on each day by starting it off with a transformative yoga session (big shoutout to Hannah Muse). I felt a paradigm shift within myself between my first Forest experience and this year and with that came new insights.

During Electric Forest, it’s so important to be present in the experience, because there is so much going on explicitly and implicitly. Look down and you’ll see where the fairies are. Look around you and you’ll see radiant beauty. Open your ears and you’ll hear something new. Walk down a different path and you’ll see there’s so more to explore.

Electric Forest is so intricate, so full of detail and beauty, and has so many hidden secrets. And they’re good - I promise. You can ask questions, solve riddles, talk and get to know folks from across the world. 

The Hangar (one of the many stages at Electric Forest) was where a lot of the mystery started for me. Not only is this a stage designed to look like a 1940s aircraft hangar, but the Hangar is a full-on interactive area for attendees. Between the hair and tattoo salon, the milkshake and brownie bar, the auto shop, the arcade, and the antique shop, I was intrigued, to say the least. When you walk into the Hangar the sign on the entrance says, “Only from the heart can you touch the sky.” How true! There were glamorous flight attendants selling candy for pennies with pastel, coiffed hair and colorful glittery lipstick. I loved their look and I loved how they spoke with such poise and humor.

I had a very memorable experience during my time spent at the Hangar when a mysterious man in the Hangar approached me. He told me that there are many times in life when you’ll have to wait and there are many lines to stand in, but it’s more important that you don’t have the attitude of waiting, of impatience, of expectations, but that you enjoy what you’re experiencing now. He was playing with a clear glass ball and catching my eye with his handlebar mustache and elaborate tricks and rhymes.

At festivals, you’re given this incredible opportunity to be around people that are all there to make the most of every moment, see their favorite artists, and hopefully change their life for the better. At Electric Forest, there are designated areas, like the Giving Tree and the Trading Post, where people can exchange gifts, letters, and symbols of something meaningful to them, that they’ve wanted someone else to experience. Whether you’re a kandi kid and trading bracelets, or if you’re into collecting pins or crystals, there’s somebody out there that wants to share a beautiful moment with you. This all retraces back to the principal of PLUR - peace, love, unity, and respect.

Every morning, it was super fun starting my day with some yoga to get my head in the right place and my body limber. Afterward, I would run back to my campsite to smear glitter all over my friend's faces, carefully applying gemstones, and figuring out what bodysuit would best coordinate with the artists or genres that I was seeing that day. I like to wear rainbow pastels when I’m catching sets that are more future bass or chillwave (like Louis the Child or Rufus Du Sol) and I like to wear darker colors on days that were more bass-heavy or dubstep heavy (like for Bassnectar or Jauz). There were a lot of outfit changes and that’s part of the fun. Weekend Two was HOT this year, but that just meant I had to wear less. I saw a guy in the lost and found line that was butt ass naked... I think he lost everything. I don’t blame him.

The last day at Electric Forest, I stayed up dancing my heart out at the RV sets until the sun rose, just to make up for the lost time we spent in our tents during the thunderstorms. Cherub dressed up as Daft Punk and had me fooled until about a week later that they reunited at 3 am in the parking lot. It seemed pretty real to me.

No matter where I was - at the Hangar, or waiting at the gate, a security line, a food or shopping line, there was always something to experience at Electric Forest. Whether it was music to listen to or someone interesting to meet and share a beautiful moment with, this festival provided infinite opportunities

Until next year, Happy Forest!