Rave Raleigh
The music scene of Raleigh, like many others, is not only prolific, but also quite diverse. Within every genre, within every venue, there is a niche of a music scene existing inside. This is certainly true when thinking about the EDM/Rave event scene in Raleigh.
This is a community of people who not only share a common love for electronic music, but truly think of each other as family. These people have supported the local DJs of Raleigh at the clubs in Downtown Raleigh for many years and have developed relationships along the way. To really understand the world that is created on these Friday nights in Raleigh you would need to attend one of these many rave events.
Usually there an event on a Friday or Saturday night, which is heavily promoted several weeks prior. One of the most frequently used promoter tools is groups on Facebook. People can invite as many of their friends as they want, frequently all of them. If you are friends with any type of promoter on Facebook, you have certainly received one of these event invitations. Social media certainly had a huge impact on the development of this scene, propelling it to the forefront of online promoting.
Once the night of the show arrives, there is usually a fair amount of buzz surrounding the event. The venue I have personally had the most experience with is Southland Ballroom. This particular location has been the center of most of the happenings within Raleigh’s rave culture. Other popular venues that frequently host events are the Lincoln Theatre, Still Life, and other various night clubs.
Southland ballroom itself is off of West Rd, a street only a block over from Glenwood South, Raleigh’s premier nightlife and club district. It’s one of the most attention grabbing buildings on the street, especially when there is a show going on. There is usually a long line coming out the door, and a large group of people hanging out in the outdoor section, a gated off area in the front of the building. Inside, there is a pretty large dance floor, a bar on the left side, and a few booths lining the back of the building. These concerts can easily sell out, and almost always do on weekends.
The most important aspect to having a strong representation like this is the support it gives to local DJs. The aspiring EDM artists of the local area have plenty of opportunity to show off their skill to a continuously growing community of people. Having a presence like this surrounding a particular genre or type of event also brings a lot of character to a city like Raleigh. There are many people who attend these events frequently, and it becomes the majority of their social life.
“It’s much more than just a bunch of people that like partying and going to shows. There’s a lot of love in this community. We support each other, we’re a family.”
Devin Green, a Southland Ballroom and Raleigh club scene regular, said about the rave scene “It’s much more than just a bunch of people that like partying and going to shows. There’s a lot of love in this community. We support each other, we’re a family.” This isn’t a mild presence, either. I wouldn’t say the EDM community in Raleigh is a small, charming group, but rather one of the largest and most influential music communities in the Triangle.
