Slander @ Rawhide
A Rave to Remember
Feb 2 | Written By Nate Burk
Melodic and Dubstep. Trance and Trap. The perfect dichotomy to transport ravers from their day-to-day to another realm where it is okay to release all of their pent-up energy. Slander is the perfect pair to bring out suppressed emotion, guiding the crowd through a series of highs and lows, allowing you to truly feel what exactly it is that makes our experience so human. But before we get into all of that, allow me to take you back to the top of the night. The sun had just started its descent in the distance behind the McDowell mountains, and in its place rose a waxing crescent moon (in Pisces, for those that care). I scrambled to gather my photography gear and make my way over to Rawhide Events Center for gate open. As I scurried to load the car, I got a ping from Radiate. Someone nearby needed a ride. It was on the way. I had time. Sure, why not? Spread the PLUR.
“Hey man, what’s up? I’m Nate!”, I hollered out the window as I pulled up to the hotel. “Thanks for the ride! I’m Steven!” We dabbed each other up and were back on the road without missing a beat. He went on to tell me how excited he was to be returning to Rawhide. He hadn’t been since Goldrush in ’23. Life got in the way. As it happens, today was his birthday and this rave was his little treat to himself! As we pulled into the parking lot he revealed a handle of vodka… “Time to pregame!” I laughed and politely declined. “I’ve gotta get inside man. Work to do tonight!” I said, gesturing toward the cameras. “Oh no way, that’s dope!” “Yeah man, I’ll meet you here afterwards! I’m sure you’ll make friends easily enough with that.”, nodding to the bottle. “Oh, I bet! Thanks again, I’ll see you inside!” I grabbed my gear, made sure I had everything, and darted inside. No harrowing close calls with security this time! Box office had my credentials ready for me.
A line was starting to form at the gates. Nothing crazy like at Decadence, but you could feel the excitement as people waited. One group started dancing to music on their phone, and others nearby joined in. Perfect opportunity to snap some opening shots. Probably garbage, but fun for the vibes. Gotta get into the groove! People think it’s just a switch you flip, capturing moments, but it can take a minute to tune into that headspace. Especially when shooting for music events. Like the crowd, and the DJ’s, we’ve gotta warm up. The focus for the night? Artist capture. The shotlist I had developed tonight centered around seeking out moments from each artist on the roster, keeping a dynamic range of angles, shots, and focal lengths to maintain that visual interest. Goal number two? Push myself to hit a competitive artist turnaround time. Industry standard is photos uploaded, edited, and submitted to the artist by noon next day. One hell of a timeline considering the show ends at midnight. Actually though, not the worst. Shooting for music festivals often entails shows that end at 2am or later, covering multiple artists, and still meeting that same deadline. This would be a good exercise for me as we inch forward into festival season.
Once inside, I cut a beeline to the photo pit. No one else was here, and the opener was just about to get started. Can’t forget to support the smaller artists! Especially considering that I am just getting started myself. These are the connections that will carry you forward in your career, and who knows? Maybe Redline will be the next rising star in dance music. He did a great job of welcoming the early birds, building energy throughout his set, allowing us to loosen up, fade out from reality, and embrace the imminent storm of the rave. True to the name, the color theory of his set was predominantly red. I watched as my fellow fanatics raced to the front, drawn to the lights and music like moths to the flame. Each with their own story to tell of everything that led up to this night. All of the good, the bad, and the struggle. Building up to this epic night of not-so-innocent fun.
The pit closed after the third song, but the excitement from the crowd was infectious. I wanted more. I stepped back outside to capture the last rays of sunshine as the majority of attendees rolled in. Nothing like a golden hour shoot at a rave. Sunset sets are underrated. Arriving fashionably late works for some, but I have always been of the mind to experience all that I paid for, from gates open to closed. Coming from that history, I knew those that show up early had to have the same mindset, and that’s exactly what I was looking for. All smiles and eager anticipation for the night ahead! Plus, this is the best opportunity I’d have all night to capitalize on ravewear. There’s nothing more visually exciting that spotting someone who truly loves and embraces this culture, and wears it on their sleeve (except for cryo, pyro, and lasers). Slander Jerseys left and right. Rhinestones and bedazzled bikinis. The dude in a shirt and jeans next to his ultra goth girl. It’s all a beautiful mix, and not a soul questioned it for a minute.
Darkness settled in and the venue lit up under the night sky. Fairy lights twinkled in the trees, welcoming everyone home. The décor found new life in the darkness as the color from main stage leaked through. Vendor stalls had their black lights and disco balls, staffed only by the people with the highest tier energy. Looking at you Beatbox! The merch tent saw some early activity. Smart. Knowing Slander, they would be sold out of a lot by the end of the night. This would mark my third time seeing the duo take the stage. Each and every time left me with a renewed spark, ready to take on the rat race until the next rave. This is the first time I would see them outside of a festival, however, so I was expecting an altogether different experience. The night’s events would prove me right. Behind me, I heard the DJ closing out his set, calling out to the audience and hyping up the next pair. VCTRE and Copycatt.
The lineup tonight was phenomenal. I had heard nothing but good things from friends about VCTRE and Copycatt. Moody Good’s B2B set with Chee followed and each artist maintained a consistent through line of dubstep and trap, alternating with melodic and trance… Matching the headliners perfectly. All of these DJs will be performing at Slander’s new festival, Starbase, in Southern California at Lake Perris this Spring. All but one. Kai Wachi. Kai’s addition as a surprise final act before Slander was a huge draw for many as well. I have always struggled with identifying DJs and their tracks, unless I have heard them in person and made that visual connection. Kai made sure to put on a performance I would never forget. He burst onto the stage, demanding attention, and taking advantage of all of the momentum from the night. Starting with fan favorites, he jumped on the dj deck, called out to the mob, and fed off of their enthusiasm. Kai was here to make a statement, and he did exactly that. Remember how I said I wanted to focus on artist highlights? Kai gave me all that I needed and then some.
It wasn’t long before I was being ushered out of the photo pit. I swapped lenses to my 55-210mm and hit my landmarks. Hit my 45’s (angles), a few head on shots from front of house, and some from the heart of the mosh pit. I made sure to swap back to my wide angle before venturing into the depths, in case I was able to spot any candid crowd captures. I managed to get one or two good ones. There’s nothing quite like adventuring through the masses to really create that immersive claustrophobia that we all love so dearly. On the way I snapped a few shoulder riders, living their best life. The side-quester in me made it a point to navigate to them (remembering to say excuse me), and exchange socials so that I could deliver the content later on. It’s a tremendous effort, but worth it all the same. I got the shots I needed and tucked my camera safely away so that I could dance with my newfound best friends.
We danced for what felt like a moment, but quickly became the remainder of the set. I didn’t even notice my watch alarm going off to queue me to get into position for the moment we were all waiting for. Slander was about to take the stage. The lights slowly rose as the stagehands ensured everything was in place for the main event. This is what finally triggered me to move. Only problem is that once you’re in the pit, your’re in the pit. Getting out of it would prove to be a mission in and of itself. I fought my way to the sidelines, where many had stepped out for air. Luckily the brief intermission gave me enough time to access the photo pit. I prepped my gear for one last series of banger shots, before head of security promptly escorted me out. AAA passes only for this one. Damn. Pivoting, I clicked on my zoom lens and found a cozy corner in ADA. Old reliable for shooting artist shots with the crowd. The area was empty, so I made a step stool out of a chair and watched as the two took the stage. The crowd roared in approval, screaming in pitches I didn’t think were possible. Thankfully, earplugs are a thing. Shoutout to Loop for our future collab! (They don’t know it yet, but it’ll be a thing. Watch…)
Opening their set with familiar favorites, before unveiling their unreleased music, Scott and Derek sent the crowd spiraling with a cacophony of vibrant sound. Emphasis on vibrant, in every sense of the word. The music twisted and turned in a beautiful melody that triggered memories both good and bad, high and low. This is the experience I had come to expect from these two. Each experience affording me the opportunity to process something unique, whether it is deep dwelling emotion, or recent events. All of this in combination with their signature sound, a bath of lasers and smoke… It imprints itself on you, leaving you begging for more.
As the iconic vocals kicked in and everything slowed down, just for a moment, I looked around and witnessed the power they held over everyone. Tears streaming, couples locking eyes, people falling in love, or healing from love lost… They have mastered the nuance of giving the moment time to breathe. And then of course, ripping it all away from you by throwing you into the deep end of dubstep, forcing you to lock hands with your neighbor and rage against the machine, both literally and metaphorically. That’s the beauty of dance music. It’s all open to interpretation. It can mean the world to one person, and naught but a good night to the next.
By the end of the set, everyone had gotten what they came for. Some left at close, while the diehards stuck around cheering for more. “I CAN’T HEAR YOU!!” blared through the speakers, spurring on the crowd, one last time. The momentum shifted as people turned and sprinted back inside. It was then that a flurry of rainbow lasers and funky fun tunes filled the air. One last push. We went on for what could’ve been forever before the final departure. I wandered the crowd, offering assistance to anyone eagerly seeking the camera. I connected with a handful of people, and some recognized me from the previous festivals. A bit of an odd feeling, but a welcome one. I got a text from Steven letting me know that he was back at the car. We met up, debriefed on the drive home, and I shared some of my early favorites from my camera. Exchanging farewells, we agreed to meet up again if we should find ourselves at an event together in the future. The time had come to upload and edit… The process itself proved to be straightforward, if a bit tedious and time consuming. It did pay off in the morning though when both Slander and Kai Wachi slid up on my stories. I guess I was the first to publish…
Hell yeah.
