Being a Promoter in the PLUR Community:

The air is filled with excitement and anticipation. It’s an hour before the show begins, and all the promoters have gathered in the foyer outside of the Shaw Conference Center hall. The stage is set up, the lights are going through their final test and the room is buzzing with energy. Almost everything is in place, the crew are simply putting on the finishing touches to make tonight a night to remember.

Already the opening artist is setting up and getting settled before the doors open. Get Together 2017 has an amazing line-up, and the two-day event is completely sold out. Fans from all over Alberta have bought tickets and are willing to drive lengthy distances just to come enjoy the music and the community.

This event is being co-hosted by two different companies, Boodang Music Canada and Blueprint Alberta. Each company is having a separate meeting with their group of promoters, going over the rules of going backstage and getting their “plus-one” checked in.

Marcos Omar, former Blueprint Alberta promoter

“Promoters” are employees that get the word out about the shows, sell tickets, and handle refunds. They advertise for the upcoming events on their social media pages, and, if they sell enough tickets, get to go to events that their company hosts for free. They can get discounts on merchandise and can even have a plus-one for events as well. It’s a pretty fun job, and as a promoter one meets many different people and makes a lot of new friends. Getting paid to meet new people and go to free shows sounds like a pretty decent gig.

For Marcos Omar, working for Blueprint Alberta was like working with “a small family”. Omar was a Blueprint promoter for 2 years, and he took part in many shows during that time.

He found that the decision to join Blueprint was easy, “I was going to shows for at least 5 years and I was coming from Grand Prairie every time. Once I moved to Edmonton I decided to join the group. One of my good friends was running as manager so he was a really good guy, and I decided to join the team.”

Omar has always loved electronic dance music and getting a chance to work with the rave community sounded like a lot of fun. He decided to become a Blueprint promoter because he “loved the energy and the people working there.” 

Marcos Omar and Daniel Raymant at Get Together 2017

To Omar being a promoter meant that he got to see lots of different kinds of edm shows, he got to meet lots of new people and artists, and he got to experience new kinds of music that he had never heard before. He met a lot of people throughout the industry and made many new connections.

“My favourite parts of the PLUR community are the fact that you can be yourself. There’s no judgement. There’s a lot of the gay community, people that are shy… There are all kinds of people with different styles, and I really like it.” Said Omar, “I think that everyone should at least give it a try one day. Sometimes you think that it’s all about partying and letting loose, but it’s actually a lot about community. And if anybody has a chance to ever go to a show, give it a try. There are a lot of free shows that you can go to and check out for yourself, so I would definitely recommend to everyone to at least try it once.”

Marcos Omar and partner, Justin Lawrence

But Omar noticed that as time went on things began to change from when he first started in the rave community to when he decided to leave Blueprint. Omar commented, “I think there’s been a change. I think some people are starting to go to shows for the wrong reasons, and it’s becoming a little more - it’s not as PLUR (peace, love, unity and respect) as it used to be. Not all the time, but most of the time. The crowd is getting different from when I started. I think it’s because some DJs are getting very mainstream. You hear them on the radio, so people are starting to hear their songs. They don’t really know the DJ, but they know some of their songs. So, they’re starting to go to shows just to see who this person is, without really knowing the person.”

Omar doesn’t mean that new people shouldn’t go to shows, as that is a good way for people to experience new artists and hear new music, but when people that don’t understand the PLUR community or what the PLUR community stands for then things do start to change. The magic and passion that are such a huge part of the community can get lost. The rave community is built on being friendly and compassionate. PLUR - peace, love, unity and respect, is an integral part of the community. And the more mainstream shows become, the more PLUR starts to disappear.

Part of the reason that Omar ended up leaving Blueprint was because of how the crowd was changing, and how the attitudes of the community have changed over the years. But the biggest factor for him was the time commitment.

Blueprint Alberta logo

“It was more about the music for me, more than about the money… It takes some of your time. You have to make posts, you have to invite people and sell tickets. Look around, the more people that get into the scene, the more promoters you have to compete with.”

But Omar hasn’t ruled out going back to Blueprint. He wants to give it a little time, as he hopes that “the passion will come back” and if it does, he will definitely return to Blueprint.

Listen to the interview:

Frequency 2018: A newcomer's experience

The music is loud, heavy bass pounding through the room. Strobe lights and lasers light up the room for brief moments, illuminating the dancing crowd. It’s hot and humid in the Shaw Conference Center, the place packed at this sold out show. Bodies weave in and out of the crowd, people are laughing and smiling as they get caught up in the music. There are people wearing colourful costumes and extravagant outfits, women covered in glitter and jewels, and masked figures with blank painted eyes that roam freely. This is a rave. This is a music festival in the heart of Edmonton. This is Frequency 2018.

            Once a year Frequency comes to Edmonton. It is an Electronic Dance Music festival with several artists. This year’s headliners are Tiesto, Brennan Heart, Ray Volpe, Snails, Oliver Heldens, Purple Haze, and more. There are two stages, the Energy Arena, and the Electric Arena. The rave attracts people from all over, some are veteran ravers, others are first timers. Regardless of what you look like, where you come from, what your background is, all are welcome in the rave community. Everyone is welcome to come and experience the music.

            First time raver Jude Tennan* is having an amazing time. This is his first music festival in Canada, a country that has only recently become his home.

“This is amazing. I love it. The people, the music… it’s fantastic. I’ve never experienced anything like it! I love Canada!” He exclaims. Tennan never had a chance to go to a music festival before coming to Canada. For Tennan, Canada is a place of new experiences and opportunities that he would never have had living back home in Syria.

“Everyone is so friendly! I want to come to more events like this.” Tennan states. He’s spent the night running back and forth between stages, trying to see all of the artists and experience the different genres of EDM music that each stage has. Tennan is enthralled with the music and the lights, the people that he’s met and the energy of the crowd. Though it is only his first rave, he plans on continuing to go to music festivals. He heard that Edmonton has a lot of different raves and wants to go to as many as possible.

A young woman whirls by in a bright orange furry hood, bobbing her head in time to the music, an ecstatic smile on her face. This is her first rave too. 23-year-old Emily Bear* is a first timer at music festivals in Edmonton as well and came with a large group of veterans. She ended up getting lost in the sprawling crowd and was off on an adventure to meet new people.

“This is so much fun! I can’t believe I’ve never gone to one of these before! I’m so happy that I decided to come!” Bear had been on the fence about going to the festival, as tickets were a bit pricey for just one night of dancing.

Bear’s Frequency 2018 ticket ended up costing her $120, but she found that it was worth the price to spend the night dancing and having fun. The festival doors opened at 9pm and it wouldn’t end until 6am the next morning. 

“I haven’t been able to find my friends in about 2 hours now, but I’m having a great time. I’m not worried though, I feel really safe. Everyone here is so friendly!” Bear says.

Being lost in the middle of a music festival isn’t always a bad thing. People around you are kind and caring, and it’s a great chance to meet new people and make new friends. There also a sense of comradery and unification amongst the ravers, with veterans looking out for others around them, even if they don’t necessarily know them. It’s a very safe place to be. There are lots of security guards and police officers, as well as medical professionals in the venue and wandering the crowd. If anything was to happen there are services available and professionals on site to help.

Frequency 2018 was a lot of fun, with many newcomers to the rave scene. Still, there were many familiar faces and veterans. The strobe lights, background sets, and music were – and always are – fun to experience, and the artist Snails surprised the crowd by breaking out a giant inflatable snail during his set.

Unfortunately, there were a few people that had to be taken away in ambulances, due to possible medical conditions, or possible drug use, but they were able to get the help they needed thanks to the medical staff on site.

Always make sure to eat before heading to an event, and to stay hydrated. There’s always free water on site, as well as other drink options available for purchase. You’re going to be dancing and partying for a long time, make sure you take care of yourself and your fellow partygoers, that way you can still have an amazing experience but stay safe.

*Names have been changed for anonymity