The Otherworld Experience
February 2025 came and went in what felt like the blink of an eye, and before I knew it, I found myself trading the desert paradise of Arizona for bleak blankets of snow in Ohio. Don’t ask me how or why, but it happened, and I would be locked away in a hotel room for the next three weeks. Of course, it was a good opportunity to catch up on some long overdue administrative work for the platform, but it wouldn’t take long for me to go a little stir crazy. The days started to bleed together, and I felt like my head would explode if I looked at the screen for another minute longer. I did the only reasonable thing I could think of in that moment. I opened Radiate and found the nearest rave. Little did I know that I would be transported to another dimension in the process.
My journey took me to the next town over, Columbus, Ohio, where I found what seemed to be an all but abandoned shopping square, with a single solitary property still in operation. Otherworld. I conscripted a classmate of mine along for the adventure, told him to throw on the extra pashmina I brought, and to just trust me. We cautiously approached the building, keeping our minds open, and found that the windows had all been blacked out. A promising sign. Following the velvet stations, we tried the doors and found they were open! Once inside, we discovered something we could have never expected. An immersive art exhibit that took on a life of its own! Music filled the air, and lights danced around the atrium. We were wanded by security before being allowed access, and picked up our wrist bands for the show. There was a brief scuffle with security over my camera gear, but what else was new? After the manager pulled me aside, he reviewed my credentials and made the executive decision to allow access to the show, and can I just say how reassuring that is, considering how this all started just five months ago?
Ty headed over to the bar to grab us drinks. I told him I’d catch up with him later. Work to do. I darted around the labyrinth, new sights to behold around every corner. One moment it was as if I was in an alien spaceship, and the next I was in a sepia-toned puppet house, that must have been where the likes of Jigsaw and Chuckie spawned from. Getting the hell out of there (after snapping some shots) I pressed on, deeper into the void. Out through the opening in the hollow of an old tree, I stumbled upon a swamp that made me feel as though I would meet a cooky old Kermit the frog, and he’d teach me how to make rocks float or something. Instead, I found a DJ. Close enough. Fully exploring my new surroundings, I began to notice the others, dancing in the smoke and shadows. Familiar figures adorned in bucket hats, neon glasses, and covered head to toe in sprouts. Even halfway across the country, I had found my way home.
I took a deep breath, and by the time I had let go, I immediately felt a wave of relief come crashing over me. Allowing the music to fill the space between strangers, and sweep us off our feet, we danced. Sure, I brought my camera gear, but this was more about taking the time for myself, and take a break, than it was to capture and create content. Ty found me in the crowd and gave me a drink. It was god-awful. A vodka soda to break my sobriety. Safe to say, it was the last drink I had that night. I quickly finished it, and it was enough to kill the nerves. I tossed the empty cup and broke out the camera. Our DJ was swapping out for the headliner of the night. What So Not. And no, he did not care how high we were.
The melodies of his music carried off into the late hours of the night. It was the kind of set that you could just tell the DJ was having fun. Swapping seamlessly from trance to DnB, mixing in some dubstep to keep us all riled up. All the while, we were soaking up the richness of our surroundings from the art, the lights, and the innocent playful fun of dancing with strangers. I jumped from corner to corner in this dark hidey hole that we had occupied, snapping shots of my fellow party-goers, and eventually snuck backstage… and then on stage. Don’t tell. I had to take the shot. I didn’t think anyone would say anything since I had the camera. When I climbed down from the stage someone asked who I was shooting for. “Festival FamCam. It’s a festival and rave media outlet.” I explained. “Oh dope! I’ll have to check it out!”
I smiled and shook my head as I walked away.
Closing drew near, but before we turned to make our exit, they had one more surprise in store for us. Some new music, followed up by a B2B2B with the two openers. Like I said, these guys were having fun. The energy was infectious, and the excitement jolted through the crowd. They had gotten their wish. One more song. I put the camera away once more, after snapping a clip of Ty and I. The rest of the night was for us to enjoy. We had a long drive back to the hotel, and somehow, I had a bunch of new content to edit, so for just a moment, we sat back and enjoyed the show. Cheers to all of the new friends we made that night! Hope to see you all again soon, and as always… rock on party stars.
