Boom, Boom, Boom

I've longed and pined for it, and it is here at last - the first DEMF I'll have the pleasure of attending in 3 years.  Sure, I could in theory have flown back every year, but the cost was prohibitive and frankly, by year 7 of annual DEMF-ing, I was a little burned out on the whole thing.

This year, I've managed to score a free ticket (courtesy of my amigo, Big Clobby from the PGH-PIT), so I'm stretching out my legs, looking for comfortable shoes, and  stocking up on glow sticks.

PLUR!

After a three-year hiatus, I am ready to get my rave on.  Rave-ish.  "Day Rave" as some of my friends call it since rave itself is dead and buried and all that remains are clubs and "after parties."  While after-parties may conform to the first definition of a rave as an after-hours or all-night dance party, they are not raves based on their conspicuous  lack of vicks vap-o-rub and Blue's Clues backpacks.

I am cautiously optimistic for the festival itself.  A big part of the experience for every DEMF except the first is to complain about how it's all gone downhill since (pick at least one) A) Carol Marvin stepped in B) They started charging or C) All these stupid fucking newbie ravers started showing up. 

This year, they say, is going to be amazing.  "Prepare to be impressed," one friend said to me, and I am - I am ready to go downtown and get my socks blown off (albeit that I will be wearing sandals, but you get the drift). 

Back in time like Huey Lewis

So I'm going in this year with only the most obvious of assumptions.

Assumption 1:  The weather will turn to shit. 

Weather.com says the whole weekend will be sunny with highs in the mid-80's.  This is because weather.com thinks its funny to see people in shorts getting rained on and shivering as they freeze to death.

Assumption 2:  Whub whub whub

While there will be pockets of aural acuity, most of Hart Plaza will be covered in overlapping zones of sound from competing stages that are playing different music at different tempos in different keys, which will have the net affect of meaning that most of the festival grounds will sound something like two pairs of sneakers in the dryer.

Assumption 3:  Juggalos

Juggalos, Hot-Topic Goths, and all other forms of subnormal youth culture have long been a DEMF staple.  I predict this year that Hart Plaza will be thick with mouth-breathing downriver kids in black strappy parachute pants and ICP jerseys.  Many will be wearing black armbands or sporting new commemorative tattoos in honor of the dead Slipknot guy.

Assumption 4:  Hipsters

Fucking hipsters.

Know what would be really ironic?  A glowstick mustache.

So again, I remain cautiously optimistic.  I figure with an open mind and good spirits, I should have a good time and failing that, The Comet is within walking distance and they have one dollar drafts of Milwaukee's best.  Plus I have a cooler, and enough money for a fifth of paint thinner.  

Furthermore, I'll have a lot of friends there - many are my day-to-day amigos, but many more are visitors from out of town, people who have moved away and are now coming back to walk around in the freezing rain and reminisce about phat pants, visors, and kandee bracelets. That's probably the best part - big huge DJ's and all that business?  That's fine - but nothing can replace the good company of your OMG BEST FRIENDZ 4-EVAH!!!

It's always been about the music

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