・❥・Let’s Go Dancing˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚
~ A LaLaLand Rave Review ~
What did you do this Valentine’s Day? Were you celebrating with a loved one? Or were you out looking for love? Whether you were booed up, or flying solo, dancing in the dark, in a warehouse surrounded by lasers and strangers is never a bad choice. Especially when that warehouse is Warehouse 215, and the strangers include the likes of Green Velvet, Dombresky, and Layton Giordani. Each a tech house legend in their own right, providing a symphony of sound and color to help the rest of us in leaving the worries of the world behind. Even if just for the moment.
We all remember the feeling of stepping into our first warehouse party. It’s the type of thing our parents warned us about. That’s probably part of the appeal to be honest. Always tucked away, down some sketchy alley, where we allow excitement to get one over on our better judgement. Maybe a moment of suspense before taking one final breath and adventuring inside. This wasn’t my first visit to 215, and it certainly won’t be the last. Once I was through those doors, I was met by gorgeous, glittering chandeliers, shimmering in the low light. The back of the space held an art gallery, a bar, and ancillary music room for the local artists. Vendors occupied the patio, and provided a refreshing resting place for when the heat of the crowd became too much. I strolled the perimeter of the area and fired off some practice shots with my camera, adjusting the settings to match the space. By this point, most of my settings are dialed in, but covering a warehouse is a little different from big rooms at festivals. The lighting is much dimmer, and the crowd fills in to a significantly tighter space, leaving only so much room to work with.
Once I got my bearings, I moved on to the main hall, dubbed “the cathedral”. The crowd was already filling in, ready for the night. Composed of tight knit groups, cute couples, and an abundance of solo-ravers, the stage was set for a Valentines Day to remember… I know I certainly will. Surrounded by kindred spirits, I set out to do what I set out to do in the first place so long ago. Capture memories, and deliver them to my fellow strangers, as another photographer did for me back in my day when I first fell in love with the rave. I hope one day the moments I catch serve to play a similar role in the stories people tell. Until then, I caught my candids, and enjoyed the show. It was impossible not to. The music was loud, the crowd was dancing, and people were falling in love left and right. What a night…
To my fellow ravers: Happy Valentines Day, Happy Birthday, and rock on party stars ੈ✩‧₊˚
