Tales From A Corporate Raver: What it Means and Why it Matters

That being said, the definition of what a raver is has completely evolved. It is no longer a niche market; it’s not only the kid who wore the really big JNCOS in high school (we know you’re still out there), but the kid who won “most likely to succeed” in high school. It’s everyone and anyone. It’s the recent college grad who turns on the radio and hears Aviici’s Wake Me Up and realizes that he’s always loved this song yet can’t tell you why.

It’s the late 20’s working mom who listens to XM radio on her way to dropping her kids off at daycare and happens to catch Disclosure’s Latch and cries to the lyrics. It’s the early 30’s accountant who just wants to hear a few beats at the end of his long day to forget about the balance sheets he spent the last eight hours over-analyzing. Dance music has always been an escape; it’s doing the exact same thing, but for so many more droves of people.

There are plenty of studies on what music does for us. It helps us relax, it helps relieve stress. We could go on and on but anyone who is an aficionado of dance music knows its ability to help one escape from everyday life. And who else can you think of, in everyday life, that needs to escape more than a corporate raver? It’s no secret that corporate life is demanding, and that if you aren’t careful, your entire existence can be made up of deadlines, meetings, and pressed collars. Although the paycheck is nice, doesn’t everyone deserve an escape? What’s more satisfying, than after a long week, you attend a show, where you can wear whatever you want (buh bye business casual!) and can just get lost in the moment?

Corporate ravers do exist, and they are at shows. But why do we care? Why do they matter? They  matter because, whether we like to address it or not, they bring some legitimacy to our music scene. If you want to get things done, you flock to people who have expertise, and work experience, in your needed field. Us millennials who are in the corporate world are the ones that others look to for information, for expertise in our respective departments. If legitimacy is going to spread further into other more alienated aspects of the music scene (think deep into the corporate ladder), who else is going to spread the knowledge and beauty of our music if not to the very people who spend day in and day out both being a member of corporate AND rave society?

You must ask yourself: What is the ultimate goal? If the ultimate goal is to elevate our music scene (which, in case you don’t already know, is our goal here at Dance Music Northwest), then perhaps the corporate raver is exactly what we need, especially if we are going to spread our beliefs in harm reduction, and other valuable, important safety-related issues in the political realm. How else can we reach those most unreachable, than by having this group of ravers represent us in everyday life?

So next time you run into someone who is dressed in a suit at a restaurant, and you happen to catch their wrist, if they are wearing kandi, at least give them a smile and a wink. They are, undoubtedly, spreading PLURR in ways you cannot imagine. And if you see someone in a suit at a rave, or someone who looks a bit older or a bit “less into” rave outfits, think twice before judging them, and think more about what kind of legitimacy they may be giving your scene.

If you do want to know more about what you can do as an individual to help our scene, please read and sign to amend the rave act here. The more knowledge the better, and when election time is here, please research your local representatives. We cannot enact change without action from everyone!