On September 5th, Massive Intent once again hosted a huge rave at Travis County Expo Center. Hundreds (thousands?) came out to experience the all-female DJ lineup including two of my favorites, Sandra Collins and DJ Irene. It was an awesome night.

Here’s a breakdown of the good, bad, and funny from the event. The first set of pictures is below the break. Be on the lookout for more pictures, including another “cast of” set!

The Good
Once again, the music and production values. Massive Intent again put together a professional show with top-notch talent, sound, and lighting. If you enjoy electronic music, you really need to get to one of their events.

I was able to get on-stage to take pictures, and met Miss Lisa, DJ Irene, and Sandra Collins. Everyone was very cool with me (and other photographers) working around them. This is typically not the case at shows, and it was very appreciated.

Whether drug-induced or not, the crowd was extremely happy and energetic. It’s a different crowd, to be sure, but they are just having a good time. The crowd is really what makes a rave fun, and Divas had a great crowd. If you pack that many people together that closely at any other type of show, its an instant mosh pit (I’m looking at you, Austin Symphony Orchestra).

The Bad
Just like Future Fest, getting into the show was the worst part. The lines were easier to navigate, but the ticket booth staff were rude and just short of incompetent. My name wasn’t on the list for press passes (which had been confirmed twice) and I was treated like I was trying to con them. It wasn’t a good start to the night, but it also wasn’t a show stopper.
Side note: Press passes and guestlists are constantly messed up. At every show. Maybe its confined to me, but when someone says they put me on the list, I half-expect to show up and have the door people refuse me entry. This happened twice over Labor Day weekend; I jokingly told one door guy  “No, I carry my camera equipment around to all the shows just to see if I can get in for free”…which doesn’t sound too far-fetched now that I think about it. I know organizers have bigger things to worry about than some guy wanting to cover the show for some unknown blog, but come on.

Not technically “bad” – Divas was a lot smaller than Future Fest but held in the same venue. No dedicated drum n’ bass stage and the outside wasn’t open.

The Funny
Right as we walked in, some raver kid was getting booted (not sure why). The police were asking what was in his pockets and he was wailing in a high-pitched voice, “They’re glowsticks! They’re just glowsticks!”. We laughed.

The small groups sitting down sucking on pacifiers while some dude in white gloves tipped with LEDs “entertained” them. Ecstasy may feel good but it makes you look dumb. Caught a couple good examples on camera, which you will see in the upcoming “Cast of Divas” post.

Some hot chick on chick action at the front of the stage, with some creepy semi-mustached kid looking on. (see below) It makes a good Bud Light commercial, no?

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