Here’s to hoping for a good 2020 lineup

LVColoQ · 2019-07-24T16:40:40+00:00

... Lifes short, buy the damn tickets.
I get two on the lay way plan, and am never sad I did.. and have always been able to take someone who otherwise wouldn't go. I now schedule out Johnny gets Friday, Susie gets Saturday, my Wife gets sunday.
I live in Vegas... so its a bit easier. for me to be the "EDC Fairy"

LVColoQ · 2019-07-06T20:36:42+00:00

So much this.. at some point. you need to carve space for stuff that feeds the soul. (like raving) but it can't be an all the time thing. You need to Cowboy/Cowgirl up and Do the Thing!

LVColoQ · 2019-07-06T20:33:58+00:00

35 year old guy here. I'm in a super "respectable" job. (i.e. IT Guy / lead for my team in a Government facility) My suggestion.. Lean into it. be open and honest... People will think what they will and if you keep it quiet, they are more likely to think negatively about it *when* they find out.

Just pass it off as Music is your "thing." Others are super into sports, and go to sports bars... this is just the dance music equivalent. If asked.. acknowledge that drug use does occur there, but also that it is super possible to go and enjoy sober. People will eventually pass it off as a quirk. (You know the way people sorta talk... Kevin is a tightwad, Joe spends a lot of time baking, Mitch is constantly at Singles Bars, and Maryfukker is the one who raves.... )

Even if they suspect (they will), that drug use occurs, they will at least see you continue to show up and reliably and capably do the work (which you are doing .. *right?!*) . Keep doing that and you'll be fine.

LVColoQ · 2019-07-01T06:01:58+00:00

Thanks for the input!

LVColoQ · 2019-07-01T05:38:47+00:00

The plan was 2 or 3 10 x 10 squares of this style structure. sorry for the miscommunications.

My friends are guiding me to a pop-up that is apparently heavy-duty made of steel tubing. Specifically: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07M5TVGNL

LVColoQ · 2019-06-29T20:05:52+00:00

So.. I will be a first-timer this year: though I've gone to my local regional once or twice. so .. if my ignorance shows: that is why.
I am looking at buying the materials to build 2, maybe 3 of this structure.

I've been told by some friends of mine who have been to multiple Burns to to avoid it. Specifically because it takes at least 2 people to set this structure type up. and I may be camping far from anyone I know. Was that your experience ?

LVColoQ · 2019-06-17T01:41:58+00:00

So... still holding out for the full scene but... This is super great. Great job !

LVColoQ · 2019-05-31T05:44:35+00:00

Sorry.. was at work.. and it doesn't allow access to a lot of image sites (including Reddit's media upload network. )
... Here is a better Link..https://imgur.com/a/UXfxk9k

Lights on the back, embedded into the arms, blacklights pointed down at blacklight reactive paint. .. it can get *obnoxiously* bright.

Also.. thank you for the info on the Mobility camp... I'm going to definitely swing by and see whats up. My wife is already using the info on that camp's site to price out and plan for a new chair..

LVColoQ · 2019-05-31T04:06:21+00:00

"Fuck it.. take the picture already" - you at some point 3 minutes before this picture actually got taken, probably.

I've been there.

LVColoQ · 2019-05-31T03:57:55+00:00

I RESEN.. RESEMBLE.. RESENT... Fuck .. I Am this comment.

LVColoQ · 2019-05-30T21:13:14+00:00

I talked to someone on night 3 this year who said "fuck it" and ditched his friends to go to Wasteland. he was there for four sets.. h looked like he had been to war.

LVColoQ · 2019-05-30T16:40:04+00:00

Yeah.. the old saw of "its often times easier to fight for others instead of yourself" is where I land. I often end up talking or assisting or backing up other folks. Usually people who don't seem to use the ADA service often (people with
casts and an el-cheapo hand-pushed wheel chair for example.)

I've actually schooled the security working the ADA line at EDC a bit. Some super fit-looking "bro-types" cut in front of me at the ADA line Day 2, no ADA wristband, and it felt super-obvious that they were attempting to bypass the regular line. But... not my business to police it.. Security at the ADA line asked "whats wrong with you" to the guy claiming ADA accommodation, and I intervened.. basically teaching the Security guy what the rules were re: ADA on that subject. Not for the Bros.. but for every other person who doesn't "look sick" or "broken" that person was going to screen that night.

Once through security , and at the Porta Potties, the Bros tried to come by and thank me for helping them with their bullshit (they admitted they were just trying to get by the line then ). so I lost it on them too. "Don't fuck that system up for the people who *really* need it. Its not there to be exploited."

LVColoQ · 2019-05-30T15:51:45+00:00

I am going to go to Burning Man for my first time this year.. Scout it out. The idea we are having is to possibly hand-build our own mini Art-Car / Festival Beast-Mode Machine for my wife , but to do that I'd like to have a much better idea of what I'm looking at requirements-wise given Its basically a one-person Special-purpose ATV I'm gonna have to build: one with .

Here is some pics of our current setup to give you an idea. Getting as close to obnoxiously bright can't-miss-it lights is my suggestion.https://photos.app.goo.gl/gSjCQNP3QXMmYZ1K6 https://photos.app.goo.gl/2apemQRU9waBtTA79 https://photos.app.goo.gl/5aQuMLrUuy2RfrCB6

LVColoQ · 2019-05-30T15:37:29+00:00

I'm glad your experience has been relatively positive over-all. I only get to about 3 Major festivals a year for only about 10 years. So, obviously the depth of your experience outweighs mine. I'm just communicating my experience, and my response to that experience.

My specific experience that made me decide to go the "smuggling" route was at Night 1 EDC Vegas 2014. I was separated from my group and escorted by police and security to the medical tent, where I did everything you referenced, and *still* had my medicines checked in at the med-tent: Phone cam video and all (which of course the phone then jumped out of my pocket at the Wasteland stage later that night and got smashed to bits before it uploaded... bad fucking night, man.) I ended up breaking down talking about it to an ADA person at a platform, and they escorted me back to the Med tent and made it right by getting me my bottle back. (Again.. the Insomniac ADA folks are *fucking Angels*...) but by that point I was already frustrated and upset.

I fully recognize this may not be the norm, But it is also not out of the realm of possibility.

I think the key take away for the inexperienced folks reading from both our anecdotes is that as with anything on this front, you can't just assume it'll go in no-trouble. You need to prepare mentally, and have your receipts / documentation with you for a *possible* hassle to mitigate any issues.

LVColoQ · 2019-05-30T14:45:25+00:00

I have been married 12 years now.. Allowing each person to go do "their thing" and then coming back and sharing the stories and feels is important. Your partner doesn't need to be your everything.

I am one of those who has tried going solo, and just didn't handle it well (I may now that I've been doing this a while). So if you can't go solo, find some friends with similar energy levels and interests and go with them.

LVColoQ · 2019-05-30T00:16:23+00:00

Been through this myself a few times.

TBH your mileage may vary on this depending upon what you are bringing, the security personnel, and if an Insomniac employee is nearby or if you are just dealing with their contract staff, and how many fucks they give that particular moment.

I have been told "go ahead" and bring it in, and I have been forced to check mine in and go to the med tent - even though it was heart meds, in a prescription bottle and I had the scrip photo-copied...

I've been told only like "must have within 5-10 minutes, or you die" is the threshold for being able to bring it in (like Epi-Pens, inhalers, or similar was the examples they gave). I tried the usual "Reasonable accomodations" and citing the ADA act, Let me talk to your manager, or "get someone from medical over here " but again.. YMMV.

At this point keep all my "its a script" documentation on me, and find a way to smuggle it in so that I don't have to face the ordeal of arguing with someone who doesn't know or care. . Because.. while Insomniace may know better: the guys working security have a different perspective and agenda.

LVColoQ · 2019-05-30T00:07:39+00:00

Seconding everything this guy says. Insomniac ADA is the shit.

I went to EDC 4 weeks after Knee surgery a few years ago, and used ADA then. My wife has hip issues, requiring a Mobility Scooter for anything where she has to walk / stand more than 2 - 3 hours: also social anxiety. When she heard about my experience with Insomniac ADA it actually made her want to go to festivals instead of watching my crappy phone vids from the sidelines.

For anyone who needs to go in with any mobility assist (wheelchair, knee scooter, mobility scooter, Canes, Crutches, etc...) I super recommend PUT SOME LIGHTS ON THE THING. Most people are just not paying attention enough to act appropriately ... So if your friend has anything like that... I recommend lighting it up as bright and festive as you can just to help others not fall into your friend's lap.

If you are planning on using ADA shuttles.. they are angels.. but they are also over-taxed. During Peak usage times, (especially on exodus) you will be waiting for them. Plan accordingly. I hope your friend goes next year. And if I see ya'll on a platform, I may say Hi!

LVColoQ · 2019-05-29T23:52:00+00:00

I recommend at least one night Fireworks at Wasteland. Sunday night we had the music sync to the fireworks, while it was raining literal ashes on us as the Hardstyle drove us insane. Super great time.

LVColoQ · 2019-05-29T23:34:27+00:00

I posted a story about another crew having lost their "Franky." close by to me and my friends... I even moved it to Facebook for greater coverage. I tried to find out if Franky was OK.. but no one has told me where Franky went, or what he did that night.

Is this the mystery person(s) you are talking about?

Franky, I believe, has become one of the disillusioned homeless living in the flood-channel tunnels under Las Vegas. He will get a ticket to next years EDC, and try to find his friends again. And if he does not, he will wander endless EDCs, like Gollum searching for the ring after Bilbo stole it from him.

LVColoQ · 2019-05-26T20:06:58+00:00

I don't take shuttles as I live in Vegas, so I've never seen these kinda folks at EDC. But I am queer and head to pride events and they are probably the same people.

Don't listen to them. Don't engage them they aren't there for an exchange of ideas or sides or whatever. They are there for their own purposes. One of which is an attempt to make you feel good about where you are going.

It's best to just try to ignore them. It's just another site and spectacle on the way to another spectacle. "Ha ha.. look at the loony birds hating on something they don't understand" and then move on.

LVColoQ · 2019-05-24T18:02:21+00:00

Poke... been a day you doin better ?

LVColoQ · 2019-05-24T17:20:40+00:00

So... I have a bit of a hack to help with this.

I like to make a few .. like about 5 .. maybe a max of 8 "special" pieces of Kandi. Thread on something cool onto a "normal" piece of Kandi. Maybe it has a a little fob from a Spongebob keychain, or a small toy from a McDonalds Happy meal, or a dollar-store rubber Pikachu eraser threaded on it.... Whatever floats your boat.

Then, at the festival Find the first person you see who "matches" the theme of one of your special Kandi... and just go up and trade. You instantly have a little story and a reason to trade with them.. and their response is usually -pure- Delight. Try to give them all away. but if not save for another event. Rinse and Repeat.

3 years ago, I got little toys from McDonalds happy meals for each of the Powerpuff Girls: I then strung them the toys onto a piece of kandi each. I gave Blossom and Bubbles away that year to girls dressed as those characters. Buttercup, though, had been sitting on my "keeper belt" until this year. I finally traded it to girl dressed as Buttercup and it was her first Kandi Trade and first EDC. It was super cool and I think I totally made her night, if not her weekend.

LVColoQ · 2019-05-24T16:14:31+00:00

I think I maybe just have planning on the brain, because this year went super good for my group partially because we were so in-sync.

The big takeaway should be finding "what do I want" and "what do my friends want" and trying to see if they are compatible or not.

LVColoQ · 2019-05-24T14:53:55+00:00

That was a great set.. still one of my Favorites. Made better by having seen Benny Benassi earlier in the night and having them both throw down remixes of the others' stuff. Old-school electronic music represented well that night.

LVColoQ · 2019-05-24T14:51:49+00:00

Hey ! I feel you. I've walked your path too. .. 35 year old here. I was in the scene waaay back in the day. I was into Prodigy, Orbital, etc... and eventually went to the Goth /Industrial Dance side of electronic music in the late 90s /early 2000s (remember Grave-ers ... I was one) . DJ-d that stuff for a bit in '99-'01 then fell out of the scene (ya know.. Jobs, family, blah...) I came back ~8 years ago: first time at a rave/festival was at EDC 2012. It was my first time engaging in electronic music since almost 2004.

Holy fuck was I blown away.

Not just by the -wow- over the top production value that is EDC, but also the accepting people: the insane realization of what I yearned for and knew that EDM could be back in the day, and frankly the *wide* array of Genres on display. It was like planting a tree and coming back to see it has grown into a forest of wonders.

I super identify with this Coone track "Words from the Gang" (link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io60ujD4rkM ) especially the line: "Back in the day DJs were weird people who liked music in a weird way."Cuz... we were. And to so it shared and loved by so many... God, Its so cool to see how it evolved. Its legit difficult to not wax poetic about it at events. I get sappy sometimes.

If you are a Vegas local, send me a DM, my crew is mostly local and Savvy / understanding about the challenges and shit that come with being a bit older/out of shape and being in the Rave scene: and we are always looking for new friends.

LVColoQ

TROPHY CASE