Excitement filled the air on Saturday, Feb. 17 at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco for the annual music festival and rave concert, Crush. Thousands of attendees filled the sold-out venue, waiting for artists, like Flosstradamus, Ghastly or Yultron, to get on stage.

It was my first time at a rave and something I began planning back in November of last year. For anyone who hasn’t attended a rave, it is defined as a large dance party fueled by performances by DJs and musicians. My group of friends convinced me to attend the concert with them, but I was initially reluctant because of the price, which was $60 for a single ticket and $110 for a couples pass.

I was also hesitant because the music featured at rave concerts is not what I usually listen to, hip-hop and R&B, while the mixes and songs that usually are featured at these concerts range from genres such as electronic dance music, house, trance, techno and electro-industrial. I listened to a few songs and mixes of the DJ’s that were scheduled to be at the event leading up to it to try and get hyped up for it. The thought of experiencing the rave culture excited me.

The event was scheduled for 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Our group planned to take BART ahead of time so we could be at the venue early and when we got to the hotel room we were exposed to pre-game substances such as alcohol, marijuana and other “rave supplements” as many referred to them. I decided to attend the rave sober, so I could document the event unimpeded and have a genuine experience.

When I stepped into the venue, I was greeted by roars of excitement.

Adrenaline was in the air as people were excited for the concert. Ravers wore revealing and colorful outfits that seemed to match the carefree vibe of the event. Ravers engaged in PLUR, which stands for Peace, Love, Unity and Respect. The idea behind PLUR is to create a friendly culture and community within the event. This culture made it easy to make new friends and exchange kandi, which are brightly colored beaded bracelets that people use as a friendly gesture giving them away to other attendees.

Bright and colorful lights shined as the thumping dance music played simultaneously, filling the entire stadium.

This rave was a night full of positive energy and carefree vibes, something I enjoyed. It was easy for me to connect with people at the rave and I’m eager to attend another one.