The Hollywood Beach rave that wasn't (aka 4th of July in Edgewater)
As I've written before, ever since I moved to Chicago, figuring out the best way to celebrate American Independence Day has been something of a work in progress. The first summer, I watched fireworks at Navy Pier. The second summer, I watched the Foster Beach fireworks from the closest lake shore park to my house - which turned out to be a huge mistake, since a condo building blocked most of the view. Last year, I decided to get closer to Foster Beach and watch fireworks from the south end of Hollywood Beach. Which turned out to be pretty fun. Mostly. I couldn't hang out as late as I wanted, and there was the ever-present shadow cast by the knowledge that my first chemo session would be next weekend. So I was determined to try again - both because I had more time and to continue my ongoing quest to wipe away cancer-related associations from things I enjoyed.
Only to find an evening that could be best summed up as "over too soon."
As I made my way onto the beach, I saw pretty similar thing to what I saw last year - people launching (most likely illegal) fireworks.
I tried taking multiple pictures, but all of them were too blurry.
As I kept walking south, I realized that I miscalculated. I should have been on the beach at least half an hour earlier. The Saddle and Cycle Club fireworks already started
Up ahead, I heard loud dance music. One coming from a tent closer to Hollywood Park fieldhouse, and the other further south, up on the hill, the same spot where the Hollywood Beach Rave took place last year.
As I said - the fireworks were already well underway. I sat down, figuring there was no reason not to enjoy them anyway.
Looking over to my left, I saw fireworks exploding all over the skyline - both the less-than-legal fireworks launched from the city's many beaches and the legal fireworks from the Navy Pier
It wasn't that long before the fireworks ended. But was determined to enjoy the rest of the evening. So I headed over to the Hollywood Beach Rave.
I wasn't able to get any pictures as good as this shot I got last time, but some came close-ish
Like I said in my Chicago Pride Parade 2015 post, while I love dance music, I rarely get a chance to do much of actual dancing. So, of course, I took advantage of the opportunity.
Along the way, I learned that the DJ did the rave every year for quite a few years, and that he lived in high-rise not that far from the beach. Last year, I wondered if someone paid him. This year, I got close enough to the tent to notice a pretty large tip jar - which was pretty full by that point.
This time around, I managed to get some footage of the rave. Hopefully, it will embed property.
I was really starting to enjoy myself when, suddenly, the right speaker stopped working. At first, other ravers assumed it was part of the show, but it didn't take long to realize that, no, speaker really stopped working. The song played, but it was like it was playing at half of the volume, and the quality of the sound seems to have dropped.
"It's like we're standing outside the club, waiting to get in," a guy dancing next to me commented.
Here's a thing. Dance music is, more than anything, about the mood it creates, the feelings it evokes in the people who listens. In RPM graphic novel, paulsizer wrote about how a DJ's job is to keep the feelings flowing just so, to keep people excited and moving.
When the speaker stopped working, it was like somebody sucked the energy out of the rave. Some people kept dancing, but others simply stood, waiting.
As I went to the side, I heard an older gay man talking to a small group that huddled just outside the dance "Floor"
"Last time I was at a rave, the cops shut it down three times," he said. "And it was at a warehouse, in a bad neighborhood."
"The good old days," I couldn't resist quipping.
"Yeah," he shrugged. "It's been a while."
I went over to see if the other rave further north was still going, but it looked like they packed it in long ago. When I got back, I saw a guy and a girl talking to the DJ.
The girl, who was wearing an "Angel (but a Devil Inside)" hoodie did something with the right speaker's plugs, and it started playing... only for the left one to suddenly stop working. The music was louder now, but it still didn't feel quite right.
And so the DJ and some ravers spent the next few minutes trying to fix the equipment, but it was all in vain. Some tried to keep dancing, as if hoping against hope that the party would keep going if they just dance hard enough, but even they eventually gave up. By about 10:50 PM, the party was over.
As I headed north, back toward my apartment, I passed a mixed-race, mixed orientation group. A short, well-built black guy broke away, telling a taller, skinnier white guy
"Thanks, but i like pussy."
And then a tall, heavier-set black woman who towered above the rest of the group called out:
"Can I fuck you?"
"Bitch, you old," replied the black guy and stormed away.
The woman didn't look any older than me - or the black guy. But even if she was... Well, my feelings about older women are pretty well-covered here and elsewhere on my social media.
But, much as I was temped to shout 'and that's a problem why?' I kept it to myself and kept walking.
Most of the people who were launching fireworks left, but some still remained.
Up ahead, a college-aged couple stood in the water, close enough to the shore that the water barely touched their ancles. They looked like they were about to make out when one of the firework rockets wheezed right passed them, hatting to water as the guy swore.
I kept walking, just in case one of those rockets might hit me.
Overall, the evening wasn't completely disappointing. I did have some fun. But next time, I will definitely come to see the fireworks earlier. Hopefully, the DJ will fix the speakers issue.
And maybe, I will actually try to dance with some of the girls who were there.
Maybe.
Only to find an evening that could be best summed up as "over too soon."
As I made my way onto the beach, I saw pretty similar thing to what I saw last year - people launching (most likely illegal) fireworks.
I tried taking multiple pictures, but all of them were too blurry.
As I kept walking south, I realized that I miscalculated. I should have been on the beach at least half an hour earlier. The Saddle and Cycle Club fireworks already started
Up ahead, I heard loud dance music. One coming from a tent closer to Hollywood Park fieldhouse, and the other further south, up on the hill, the same spot where the Hollywood Beach Rave took place last year.
As I said - the fireworks were already well underway. I sat down, figuring there was no reason not to enjoy them anyway.
Looking over to my left, I saw fireworks exploding all over the skyline - both the less-than-legal fireworks launched from the city's many beaches and the legal fireworks from the Navy Pier
It wasn't that long before the fireworks ended. But was determined to enjoy the rest of the evening. So I headed over to the Hollywood Beach Rave.
I wasn't able to get any pictures as good as this shot I got last time, but some came close-ish
Like I said in my Chicago Pride Parade 2015 post, while I love dance music, I rarely get a chance to do much of actual dancing. So, of course, I took advantage of the opportunity.
Along the way, I learned that the DJ did the rave every year for quite a few years, and that he lived in high-rise not that far from the beach. Last year, I wondered if someone paid him. This year, I got close enough to the tent to notice a pretty large tip jar - which was pretty full by that point.
This time around, I managed to get some footage of the rave. Hopefully, it will embed property.
I was really starting to enjoy myself when, suddenly, the right speaker stopped working. At first, other ravers assumed it was part of the show, but it didn't take long to realize that, no, speaker really stopped working. The song played, but it was like it was playing at half of the volume, and the quality of the sound seems to have dropped.
"It's like we're standing outside the club, waiting to get in," a guy dancing next to me commented.
Here's a thing. Dance music is, more than anything, about the mood it creates, the feelings it evokes in the people who listens. In RPM graphic novel, paulsizer wrote about how a DJ's job is to keep the feelings flowing just so, to keep people excited and moving.
When the speaker stopped working, it was like somebody sucked the energy out of the rave. Some people kept dancing, but others simply stood, waiting.
As I went to the side, I heard an older gay man talking to a small group that huddled just outside the dance "Floor"
"Last time I was at a rave, the cops shut it down three times," he said. "And it was at a warehouse, in a bad neighborhood."
"The good old days," I couldn't resist quipping.
"Yeah," he shrugged. "It's been a while."
I went over to see if the other rave further north was still going, but it looked like they packed it in long ago. When I got back, I saw a guy and a girl talking to the DJ.
The girl, who was wearing an "Angel (but a Devil Inside)" hoodie did something with the right speaker's plugs, and it started playing... only for the left one to suddenly stop working. The music was louder now, but it still didn't feel quite right.
And so the DJ and some ravers spent the next few minutes trying to fix the equipment, but it was all in vain. Some tried to keep dancing, as if hoping against hope that the party would keep going if they just dance hard enough, but even they eventually gave up. By about 10:50 PM, the party was over.
As I headed north, back toward my apartment, I passed a mixed-race, mixed orientation group. A short, well-built black guy broke away, telling a taller, skinnier white guy
"Thanks, but i like pussy."
And then a tall, heavier-set black woman who towered above the rest of the group called out:
"Can I fuck you?"
"Bitch, you old," replied the black guy and stormed away.
The woman didn't look any older than me - or the black guy. But even if she was... Well, my feelings about older women are pretty well-covered here and elsewhere on my social media.
But, much as I was temped to shout 'and that's a problem why?' I kept it to myself and kept walking.
Most of the people who were launching fireworks left, but some still remained.
Up ahead, a college-aged couple stood in the water, close enough to the shore that the water barely touched their ancles. They looked like they were about to make out when one of the firework rockets wheezed right passed them, hatting to water as the guy swore.
I kept walking, just in case one of those rockets might hit me.
Overall, the evening wasn't completely disappointing. I did have some fun. But next time, I will definitely come to see the fireworks earlier. Hopefully, the DJ will fix the speakers issue.
And maybe, I will actually try to dance with some of the girls who were there.
Maybe.