RAVE CULTURE IN LIVE EDM EVENTS

RAVE CULTURE IN LIVE EDM EVENTS
Rosemary Fajardo - Toby Yuen - Anthony Yumul
mkt 325x
Fall 2014
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Table of Contents
1. Abstract .................................................................................................................................................... 3
2. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 3
Raves vs. Music Festivals .............................................................................................................. 3
PLUR ............................................................................................................................................... 3
Diversity in Culture ...................................................................................................................... 3
Motivation ...................................................................................................................................... 4
3. Literature Review ................................................................................................................................... 4
‘Rave’ Review: Conceptual Interests an Analytical Shifts in Research on Rave Culture .... 4
Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World: Media, Industry and Society
Written by Tara McCall .............................................................................................................. 6
Does the Music Matter? Motivations for Attending a Music Festival .................................... 6
4. Methods ................................................................................................................................................. 7
Meet the Interviewees .................................................................................................................. 7
Diagrams ...................................................................................................................................... 10
Familiarity Index Table ................................................................................................. 10
Model of Motivational Process to Attend a Live EDM Event ............................... 11
Consumer Acculturation Model .............................................................................. 11
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory ...................................................................... 12
5. Results .................................................................................................................................................... 14
6. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................ 15
Motivation ..................................................................................................................................... 15
Rave Culture .................................................................................................................................. 16
Rave Culture in a Global Aspect ................................................................................................. 16
7. References ............................................................................................................................................ 17
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Abstract
The rave culture phenomenon is sweeping through the United States, especially because the
concept of “raving” has become extremely popular within this past year. Primarily focusing
on the youth culture, the idea of “going to raves” is suddenly the newest hip thing around the
block. Rave culture is a mixture of various backgrounds. In short, the rave subculture is diverse
in every way possible because it is a combination of varying cultures and interests. There are
also an unfavorable reputation involving the rave scene that relates to drugs and rebellion. Even
so, there is a strong bond of togetherness within this culture. The unity present is displayed
through a common raver philsophy: Peace, Love, Unity, & Respect. What influences or
motivates people to become part of the rave culture consists of varying factors such as level of
worth and level of uncertainty associated when deciding whether or not to experience a live
electronic dance music (EDM) event. There are also several other factors that are brought in
when it comes to having people continue to be part of the culture.
Introduction
RAVES VS. MUSIC FESTIVALS
EDM festivals are commonly associated with raves. The difference between the anatomy of
music festivals and raves can sometimes be a wishy-washy topic to dissect. However, depending
on how much knowledge a person has on the two topics, it is not as complicated as it seems.
The rave culture within the live EDM event culture is distinguished by various features such
as childlike fashion (Sherpherd, 2003) and different wants of expression and mindsets towards
life. Compared to other live music cultures, the rave culture has a distinct fashion style filled
with bright colors (Heller, 2014). Sometimes spotting a member of the rave culture can be easy.
However, in some cases, people do not express themselves as much compared to the “usual
raver.”
PLUR
The concept of Peace, Love, Unity & Respect, commonly known as PLUR, is a traditional and
foundational symbolic interaction within the rave culture. This notion helps create a universal
yet identical mindset for each individual involved with the rave culture. With PLUR, the
agreement of equality is publicized through colorful beaded bracelets known as “kandi.” Kandi
allows individuals to express themselves through the making his or her own kandi. Individuals
also wear kandi that has been “PLURed” with him or her. To PLUR someone means that the two
individuals who partake in PLURing are both of equal status quo and are now friends. These
values manifest itself in almost every event where the rave culture is present (Wilson). Scholars
have stated that this philosophy is the “doctrine” of raves.
DIVERSITY IN CULTURE
Rave culture is constructed by the people and for the people, consisting of different backgrounds
and outside cultures mixed together. It has become a melting pot full of contrasting ethnicities
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and music tastes. Although the rave culture involves a wide variety of unique ethnic
background and cultures, the idea of equality is still present as exemplified through the values
of PLUR.
MOTIVATION
Through the Model for Motivation Process by Hui, people who attend live music events
containing the rave culture are shown that people in the culture look like happy, carefree
people sharing their love for EDM. Present states for ravers are focused on the reality of life
while the ideal state focuses on the idea of escapism. For some, raving is even considered a
religious or spiritual experience (Hutson). Although there are varying sources, the ain sources
of motivation come extrinsically due to forming a bond with people within the same culture.
Literature Review
‘RAVE’ REVIEW: CONCEPTUAL INTERESTS AND ANALYTICAL SHIFTS IN
RESEARCH ON RAVE CULTURE
This article gives outsiders great insight on how the rave culture really is. There are common
negative misconceptions that are associated with ravers. However, not everyone who attends
a rave or a festival intend on doing drugs, nor is it their sole purpose to go. It is based on the
individual’s surroundings, including the people they are with and the individual’s cultural
upbringing. Raves originally started off as antiestablishment and unlicensed all-night dance
parties, with the attendees being the types of people society would deem easily susceptible to
drug usage and addiction.
Raves really began gaining cultural significance during the Clinton administration in the
1990’s. During this era, the rave culture was able to develop what was considered an alternative
lifestyle that eventually became mainstream. Raves were often seen as disorganized events
accompanied by the combination of reckless people and loud music – free to do whatever
they wanted to do without any supervision. In reality, that is not the case. There are a number
of security guards on duty, along with many tents and booths set up for medical attention.
Ambulances were on call as well for emergencies.
Raves have dramatically changed from its original time, but that is because raves became a
mainstream activity. Because of its emergence, raves began altering its ways to fit the cultural
and social norms of society. This leads to the discussion of how outside culture and other
factors contribute to being a part of the rave culture.
A main reason people attend raves is to be surrounded by the people they feel comfortable
being themselves around. This is a major factor to consider. As a society, we have to uphold a
certain persona to ensure that we are not judged or looked down upon. This is why so many
people love attending raves. People finally get a chance to act however they want to act without
others judging them. Most individuals that attend raves will claim that they believe raves
are much better when you are in a smaller group ranging from 5 to 10 people because of the
intimacy between groupmates. Large groups can become overwhelming.
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Some questions that people may have include: ‘Is the rave culture meant for men and women?’
and ‘Are there more groups of people who are the same ethnicity or mixed?’ This was a very
touchy subject to speak on because people normally do not judge other people based on their
sex or ethnicity. When asked these questions, individuals stated that they believe in being equal
towards one another and that no other person is better. This is where the concept of PLUR
comes in. The rave culture encourages this value so that everyone is considered equal, and they
would be able to have a good time and escape from the real world for a brief period.
Another notable factor is from the attendee’s choice of culture or music. A reason as to why
people travel to a festival or rave is to listen and be immersed with the type of music and
DJs that are performing. Music is an integral part of any culture. Sometimes it even involves
specific traditions that certain cultures practice for centuries. It would only be right to say that
music is an essential reason for people to attend raves. This can also make or break the group
you are attending a rave with. Most individuals would not want to waste their time and money
attending an event that they are not likely to enjoy. What makes a rave so unique is that there
usually is more than one DJ performing. They perform after one another with sets that can last
hours. This is what brings people closer together. At first, they might not like the DJ. However,
once they give that DJ a chance, it may sway their original judgment about them. Studies have
shown that people adapt better and grow stronger relations with people that show similar
interest as them. When this comes to raves, a substantial of it deals comes from music. When
individuals have a group of people that they feel comfortable around and also share the same
interest in music is what makes them really grow close and want to attend these raves together.
What stops people from attending raves if they enjoy the culture? There are a lot of different
reasons it can be: schedule confliction, little interest, or no time. For the most part though,
people are price-sensitive. People lose interest or become hesitant on attending an event if the
price is very high. This also connects to a cultural aspect as to why people attend raves. Those
you consider close to you tend to think and act the same as you do. This means that if you are a
price-sensitive person, the likelihood of your group being price-sensitive as well is very high. In
the interviews, four out of four people put price as their top three priorities of whether or not
they will attend a rave. If a certain person in your rave group cannot attend a rave because of
the high price, it can possibly affect the whole group’s decision on whether or not to attend.
Another reason as to why people attend raves can be tied to escape. Being at a rave is a time
for people to forget about the real world. Here, they can grow close or nurture intimate
relationships with peers. They also have chances to meet people all around the world. People
attend raves to listen to music and relax. One may see someone that works an everyday office
job and to the public eye is considered an average person, but will attend raves very frequently.
There is a major cultural and social difference of how raves are now compared to how they were
before. Previously, raves were for people who were considered the rebels of their time. These
rebels would get together and do massive amounts of drugs. In modern day, any type of person
can attend a rave with less of a negative connotation. Though the drug use still happens, there
are still a good amount of people who do not use drugs at raves. Certainly. raves have evolved
tremendously from its original form.
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CONTINUUM ENCYCLOPEDIA OF POPULAR MUSIC OF THE WORLD:
MEDIA, INDUSTRY AND SOCIETY WRITTEN BY TARA MCCALL
According to an article in the Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World:
Media, Industry and Society written by Tara McCall, rave culture originated as a rebellious,
unconventional, underground culture that shied away from the public eye. Although rave
culture is often compared to the club scene, McCall’s study suggests that rave culture is formed
through the rejection of club culture. Now they are known as warehouse parties.
The culture is known for its almost magical experience. In some instances, it may even be
spiritual. It is a quasi-Utopian society where social norms do not exist, allowing things such as
heavy drug use to be a normal and accepted activity.
This freedom creates distinct symbolism amongst the rave culture. For example, some claim
that raving is almost ritualistic because it allows older teens and young adults to have free
“play” time. Ravers also refuse to conform to socialized gender roles, with the text citing
examples such as freely hugging and massaging strangers. It is also noted that females dance
and talk to males freely without the fear of being objectified or sexualized. The childlike
fashion style of ravers signifies freedom and a judgment-free zone.
It should not be assumed that every person who indulges in the rave scene also indulges in
using Ecstasy. However, at the same time, it would be a naïve to say that the drug has little
to do with the culture. The combination of Ecstasy and house music is accredited to being a
foundation of the rave scene.
The text describes the rave scene as a continually growing fad. The rave subculture is unique in
the sense that it does not simply disappear into history. Instead, it currently revives itself and
has made its way all around the world.
DOES THE MUSIC MATTER? MOTIVATIONS FOR ATTENDING A MUSIC FESTIVAL
Different kinds of music festivals attract different kinds of people, but it has been noted in
a study done by several social scientists that despite the genre and location, people decide
to attend a festival for numerous but similar reasons. The article Does the Music Matter?
Motivations for Attending a Music Festival by Heather E. Bowen and Margaret J. Daniels
explores different studies done in various locations in regards to music festival-goers. This
study researches the different kinds of motivations of music festival attendees, answering the
ultimate question: “Why do people even bother attending large multi-day festivals?”
It is established that music is a vital part of any culture. Music festivals are extremely different
from a live concert, as the text notes that festivals can have a subculture in itself created by the
diverse group of people that attend. Although the group is diverse, they come together to create
a definable group, which in this case is the rave subculture.
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A study done by Formica and Uysal in 1996, which focused on an Italian jazz festival, found
five dimensions of motivation: excitement/thrills, socialization, entertainment, event novelty,
and family togetherness. The two segments that these researchers focused on involved region
visitors and residents of the area. People who visited placed a heavy emphasis on socialization,
whereas residents were more motivated by the idea of entertainment. For both groups, event
novelty was the highest motivator.
In 1997, Compton and McKay looked at an American festival and found six dimensions of
motivation: cultural exploration, novelty/regression, recovery equilibrium, known group
socializations, external interaction/socialization, and gregariousness.
Faulker, Fredline, Larson and Tomlienvic looked at a Swedish rock festival and found eight
dimensions of motivation: local culture/identity, excitement/novelty seeking, part, local
attraction, socialization, known group socialization, ancillary activities, and the desire to see
artists perform. This study investigated the relationship between motivation, past visitation,
and overall satisfaction of the festival. They found that partying and the festival lineup had an
effect on the overall satisfaction level.
In 2001, Nichoson and Pearce looked at a food and wine festival, an airshow, and a competitive
music festival in New Zealand. They compared and contrasted motivations across all the
events and found six categories: external interaction/socialization, novelty/uniqueness, variety,
entertainment/excitement, escape, and family.
Based on these studies, the conclusion can be made that a consistent motive for people to
attend music festivals are: 1) general socialization, 2) socialization with family or friends, and
3) novelty, excitement, and thrills.
Methods
MEET THE INTERVIEWEES
Luis Flores
Currently resides in Las Vegas, NV – heterosexual Mexican-American male
21 yrs old – part-time employee
Luis credits that his cultural upbringing has a lot to do with how he lives life, including the
food he eats, the drinks he chooses, the places he visits, and most certainly the music he listens
to and how he chooses to experience them. He has noted in his interview that electronic
dance music often reminds him of the Latin beats he loves to hear. Luis has spent an estimated
amount of $10,000 on music festivals overall, with the total number of attended festivals being
10. He believes in the concept of PLUR but does not actively go out of his way to practice it (for
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example, making kandi). He has always gone back and forth between Las Vegas and Southern
California EDM events. He recently attended TomorrowWorld, a spinoff of a staple festival in
Europe called Tomorrowland and has since decided to only attend really big EDM events.
Lillie Rodriguez
Currently resides in Las Vegas, NV – heterosexual Latino/Caucasian female
22 yrs old – full-time employee
Lillie grew up in Las Vegas but has had most of her EDM experience in Europe. She first
attended the Las Vegas Electric Daisy Carnival in 2012 and has since become a huge supporter of
EDM events. She has been to over 25 festivals total. She notably remembers how different EDM
festivals are in Europe, stating that the environment is calmer. Being an American, she was often
called “The Crazy American Girl” during her time in European festivals. The concept of PLUR
does not really exist outside of American festivals from her experience. Alongside that, drug
use and binge drinking is a very common and open thing at American EDM festivals. With that
said, Lillie believes that European festivals are a great experience and geared towards people who
are genuinely there for just the music. She has since attended less American music festivals and
enjoys saving up to travel elsewhere for them.
Jelani Kamal
Currently resides in Las Vegas, NV – heterosexual Black Male
23 yrs old – part-time employee/full time student
Jelani Kamal has a little over three years of experience of raving. Being a black male, Jelani
believes that he is able to get the true aspect of the raving when it came to experiencing the
entire rave culture. During his first live EDM event, Jelani was surprised that there was little to
no judgment for what people did during or in preparation for the event. What really drives him
to attend raves is the friendship and intimacy with the close group of friends he goes with. He
loves traveling for raves because it allows him to feel like he is on vacation.
Ace Matias
Currently resides in Las Vegas, NV – heterosexual Filipino Male
21 yrs old – full time student
Growing up in a Filipino home, Ace knew that attending raves was out of the question. Once Ace
attended college he decided to give it a try and see if really is as bad as his family claimed to be.
After attending his first rave in 2010, Ace found that the rave experience was nothing of what he
thought of from what his family had tried to influence upon him. While being part of the rave
culture, Ace always felt accepted and was not pressured to do drugs at all. Ace was surprised that
everyone was treated with such equality and that there was no judgment whatsoever when it
came to attendent live EDM events. Now Ace is a frequent rave and music festival attendee and
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he truly feels that he knows the true meaning of PLUR.
Jacob Willems
Currently resides in Nellis AFB, NV – heterosexual Filipino/Caucasian male
21 yrs old – part-time employee
Jake chose to speak about the rave culture because he believes that the rave culture is there
to spread love of the music, excitement of the event and the equality of the people at events.
Having only attended Electric Daisy Carnival for 4 years in a row after being relocated in Las
Vegas, it was only up until this past year in which he began to travel out of state for live music
events due to the influence of finding other people in Las Vegas to join him in traveling out
of state for smaller live EDM events. Jake goes through the concept of PLUR several times
at every festival he has attended and he believes that it is a vital part of the culture. To attend
music festivals outside his current city with this rave culture, the top most contributing factors
were the trip (overall experience), the friends, and the lineup. Although Jake is still gaining
experience within the live EDM culture as he has attended even underground raves, he has
only purchased tickets to half of the events he has attended.
Marc Aguilar
Currently resides in Las Vegas, NV – homosexual Filipino male
2 yrs old – part-time employee with 2 jobs
With one and a half years of experience with music festivals, shows, and raves, Marc has
chosen to speak about the rave culture due to the most impact it has given towards his behalf.
Spending approximately $1000 solely on music festivals, Marc formally believed that electronic
musical festivals were classified as raves; however, with the amount of experience he has gone
through, he no longer classifies music festivals as raves. Marc now believes that the concept of
raves exist in music festivals, but music festivals make up a huge aspect of the live EDM scene
due to the amount of commercialism regarding the raving culture. Marc goes through the
concept of PLUR at every festival. Marc is classified to be one of the interviewees with the most
experience in regards to purchasing tickets to attend live music events. Marc believes that there
is a mid-level of individuality as the whole culture is based on expression; however, people tend
to “have their cliques.”
Evan Gray
Currently resides in Evanston, IL – heterosexual Caucasian male
19 yrs old – full-time student
Having grown up in Las Vegas for most of his life, Evan currently attends Northwestern
University. Having only experienced music festivals and shows, Evan chose to speak about
the music festival culture in regards to the only music festival he has attended in the past year
– Spring Awakening Music Festival (SAMF.) Evan believes that the Spring Awakening Music
Festival is not considered a rave because the overall rave culture is not all present and raves are
more intimate and/or underground. While at SAMF, Evan had PLUR’d at least twice a day for
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three days. Although he has yet to experience the rave culture on the west coast, the amount of
word of mouth from his friends back home claim that west coast raving is relatively different
compared to how the rave culture is in the mid-west.
Matthew Madamba
Currently resides in Whiteman AFB, MO – heterosexual Filipino male
25 yrs old – active military duty
Although originally from Las Vegas, Matt currently resides in Missouri where Matt has only
attended EDM shows within the past year; therefore, he decided to speak about the EDM show
culture. Had he been aware about the Spring Awakening Music Festival happening, his purchase
would have been influenced mostly by having friends to go with, the price, and the lineup since
the location was the closest to him within the past year. The top most contributing factors to
not being able to purchase a ticket and attend a music festival within the past year are due to
price and location. Matt has only done the concept of PLUR once and it was initiated by another
consumer from the rave culture at an EDM show. Compared to the other interviewees, Matt
has the least amount of experience of being part of the rave culture and purchasing tickets even
though he wishes to be part of the culture when the situations permit him to.
Diagrams
FAMILIARITY INDEX TABLE
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MODEL FOR MOTIVATIONAL PROCESS TO ATTEND A LIVE EDM EVENT
CONSUMER ACCULTURATION MODEL
Luis Flores
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Lillie Rodriguez
HOFSTEDE’S CULTURAL DIMENSIONS THEORY
Rave Culture
Rave Culture
Music Fest. Culture
Compared to Rave Culture
EDM Show Culture
Compared to Rave Culture
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ASSOCIATIVE MAPS
RAVE CULTURE IN THE INSOMNIAC
BRAND
RAVE CULTURE IN THE INSOMNIAC
BRAND
THE EDM SHOW CULTURE
THE MUSIC FESTIVAL CULTURE IN
REGARDS TO SPRING AWAKENING
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Results
The rave and live EDM event microcultures are
brought together with the fact that the rave culture
is within the live EDM event microculture itself.
Live EDM events consist of shows, raves, and music
festivals. However, there is only a small percentage of
people who are truly part of the rave culture within
the said categories. The level of presence of rave
culture within EDM events depend on the category of
the live EDM event itself. Raves are thought to have
the largest amount of rave culture present while shows
have a lower presence. Depending on the brand,
some music festivals typically have a decent amount
of people truly part of the rave culture. There are also
cliques present at the events. The cliques include, but
are not limited to: people who attend live EDM events
for the music, people who attend for the party, people
Marc A. & his friend at an indoor
who participate in light shows, and more. Each clique
rave in San Diego.
may or may not have certain gender roles present as it
depends on a person’s style, perception, and mindset
towards the culture. Depending on the degree of rave culture present, females are usually
seen to be wearing booty shorts, leg wraps, and fluffies while males are usually seen to wear a
“brotank” with shorts or no shirt at all.
The rave culture today compared to how the
rave culture first started out has become more
mainstream. As Insomniac’s slogan for EDC 2013
states that “it’s all about the experience (“About
Insomniac”, n.d.).” Certain brands commercialize
their music festivals as an exciting event to be
experienced by all. This drives people to think that
these music festival brands are a unique experience
that one needs to feel at least once.
Luis Flores sporting his fresh 3-D
kandi cuffs.
The true definition and image of rave culture has
become blurred because of its current mainstreamness. Now, there are numerous definitions for what
a rave really is. That is partially due to the certain
perceptions marketed towards youth culture.
Although this happens often throughout the United
States, there are also varying perceptions about
the rave scene all around the world. For example,
the rave culture in America is heavily into the use
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of drugs. In contrast, other places such as Europe do not participate heavy drug use. In th e
interview conducted with Lillie Rodriguez, she stated that she was stereotyped as the “The
Crazy American girl” by European festival-goers.
Many individuals believe that music festivals are catered towards the younger crowd due to
its mainstream status. Despite how some people are heavily invested into the culture, said
consumers do not constantly attend music festivals. This may be caused by factors such as
time, price, or location. Even though individual expression is high in certain aspects of the
culture, the sources from the lit reviews and interviewees have noticed that individuals usually
attend events in groups between 3 to 10 people. Even though music is one of the main factors
for attending a live EDM event, there are also many other reasons connected to the music
that apply to different people in the culture. This creates additional subgroups within the
microculture itself. For example, certain individuals may focus on the intimacy and vibes that
people in the rave culture give off when a DJ plays a certain song.
Conclusion
MOTIVATION
The motivation study conducted by Bowen and Daniels concludes that the idea that music
does in fact, matter, but only to a certain extent. Festivals that rely solely on the artist lineup
may be disappointed in its attendee turnout. An imperative portion of what creates the unique
festival subculture includes the fun and festive atmosphere that will allow music festival-goers
the chance to socialize and have non-musical related experiences.
The rave scene is something that is new and exciting to the youth culture. The common
misconception is that “everyone” is doing it. Studies from Bowen and Daniels have found
that socialization is also a huge motivation to attend festivals, which ties into the influence of
friends. Based off of the interviews, if certain friends or group of friends choose not to attend
a festival it will cause individuals to second guess if it is really worth it or not. If a person is
not with the group they first intended to go with, this situation can change a person’s whole
experience when it comes to attending an event.
According to the interviewees, other motivational influences to repeatedly attend and
experience EDM festivals include location, time of the year, and price. Another factor as to
why our group of festival-goers attends a certain festival is connected to the music, as the
lineup and overall genres present play a big part of the type of scene associated with the
overall festival. Memories and experience associations from previous music festivals motivate
people to continually attend music festivals to create even more memories and experiences.
An additional reason to attend raves, and also a contributing factor to the rave culture, is
the undertone of raving’s religious aspect. Raves parallel the ideals of religion, ritualism,
spiritualism, shamanism, and mysticism (Gauthier, 2004). The DJ can be seen as the priest
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and the drugs can be seen as the holy sacrament. Some ravers claimed that they were closer
to God at a rave than they ever have been in a church. In summary, the religious experience is
found within the music, the DJ, and the crowd coming together to create one universal spiritual
environment (Hutson, 2000).
RAVE CULTURE
The rave culture is a culture brought together from many different background cultures. By
being a diverse assortment, the subculture is unique in its backgrounds and beliefs. The unity
brought by several factors such as music allows people to live in a judge free zone. Religion,
being an important part of any culture, plays a unique role in rave’s culture. Its dubbed doctrine
follows the philosophy of peace, love, unity, and respect (Hutson, 2000).
All interviewees agreed that there is a huge sense of equality when it comes to being part of the
rave culture. Comparatively, studies show that this mainly applies to the American rave culture.
The rave culture gives everyday people a chance to escape the real world. They are able to live
free and without fear of judgment, which relates to the present versus ideal state of the Model of
Motivation Process. This can be very beneficial to reducing and stress and leading to a healthy
lifestyle if safe precautions and the use of moderation are taken into consideration.
It is an undeniable fact that drugs play a large role in the rave culture. With that said, drugs
can be credited for assisting the creation of this judge-free zone. Ecstacy, scientifically
known as MDMA, is the drug of choice for ravers. The use of drugs can be seen as a positive
enhancement for a future sober lifestyle. The freedom of expression allows people in the rave
culture to constantly want to go back for more as a way to experience something they love and
to relieve stress. Interviewees were quite aware that drugs played a huge part of the culture.
However, the pressure for drug usage depend on who the individual is associated with. Because
of the judgment-free haven that the rave subculture creates, newcomers of the rave scene are
encouraged and welcomed to try new things, which include indulging in drugs. Although
RAVE CULTURE IN A GLOBAL ASPECT
Although the EDM festival experience in America generally share the same music taste with
other countries, not all festival attendees share the same values when it comes to experiencing a
festival. American festival attendees tend to participate in more drug usage and binge drinking
while festival-goers in other locations such Europe tend to focus more on the music. On a
national scale based on the interviewee’s prior festival attendances individuals attending large
West Coast and East Coast music festivals provide a heavy focus on production quality. This
means that these festivals are about being “big” and memorable, which includes graphics,
stage sizes, lights, and more. In contrast, the Midwestern festival Evan had attended included
comparably small stages.
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