my first warehouse party

     In the late eighties is when electronic music became more and more popular and when the underground scene of raves began. In the early nineties raves were known as secret, illegal parties; sometimes outdoors on a secluded beach or sometimes in warehouses, and these parties were never advertised. The only way that one would know how to get to a rave would be by a secret map that only some people were given. When my friends and I threw "future primitive" up in the mountains, we made maps for people to go to and we never made fliers or had promotional media for advertising. We didn't want it to be commercial and we wanted to keep our party special, I imagine in the early nineties that was some of their goals for keeping a low profile too. Also the notion of being part of something secret and in some sense hand picked to go to, was all the more exciting to fuel a  night full of adventure, music, dance, and magic.
     The first warehouse party I went to was when I was sixteen. This was in the nineties and there were illegal raves going on in Hawaii then, much much more than they have now. Well, rarely do they have them now, I think HPD got wise to what was going on. Any way, the rave I went to was only advertised through word of mouth. No fliers, no maps, only people through people to people contact and words. The warehouse was called "Atomix" and it was located in a discreet crevice in the warehouse district of Nimitz highway. It was huge inside with an upstairs where they usually played jungle or drum and base, and also an outside area with tents. This was before the big ecstasy scare with kids dropping dead. This was before spinning glow sticks was popular, and this was before the time when girls dressed like strippers to raves. Everyone here was part of an underground family that supported music, and of course there were drugs on the scene, but it was never an issue if you went sober. I must say, that first experience of going to atomix at the age of sixteen changed my life. I loved the experience because it was pure freedom, and I felt so comfortable. At punk rock shows when I would go, there wasn't the same vibe of carefree that raves had. I mean you could dance with your eyes closed at a rave for hours and no one would bother you or question your behavior. At punk shows, I found many people had to uphold a facade and it often times was very violent with the mosh pit being full of big white guys with steel toe boots ready to kick skulls in. I never really was one for violence, so the p.l.u.r. (peace, love, unity, and respect) vibe of raves was a welcome change. If any one of you has ever been to atomix, I'm sure you will remember it fondly, remembering some of the big named dj's that you have seen there.

pink caddilac

     Well I started talking about pink caddilac last blog and I had titled the blog roller disco funk and didn't even get to why I had titled the blog such. Well, as I mentioned last time, I became buddy buddies with the promoters of the club (I gotta leave out the names, it doesn't take away from the story). One Tuesday night that I was there, a friend had pitched to me that he wanted to start a roller rink disco night. I love roller skating, but am not too keen on roller derby... yet. Well I  thought it sounded like a fabulous idea! I helped my friend do some promoting and, faithfully there on opening night I was there in my hot pants and fish nets and blue wheeled Rydell suede roller skates. Once again, I guess not too many people were willing to party on Wednesday nights, so I had the entire club to myself to roller skate around in. I loved it. I even got to be a pro at playing pool in roller skates:).  Well, roller disco night was short lived and didn't last long, but while it did it was super!

roller disco funk

     A while ago at a club that is now known as the Irish Rose Saloon, there existed the dirtiest seediest hole in the wall club that one could ever imagine. It had a dark wide stairway going up from the door entrance into the club. Once at the top of the stairs all you could see was the dance floor to the front left, the bar to the right and behind, towards the back, some pool tables with hanging dingy lamps over them with plumes of cigarette smoke filling areas between. Towards the opposite of the stairs and everywhere else around the club was darkness. In this darkness was booths with tall backs to sit in, the kind of booth and tables one sits in when you don't want any one to find you. This club at the time that I would frequent there was called "Pink Caddilac". But the dingy club has existed the same way it had always been with a variety of different names whenever they had to change owners or some shady business always seemed to loom in the atmosphere. Other names this place was called was... "evolutions", and some others I can't remember. Promoters used to throw jungle nights there called "rewind" and I had some good times there in the "nineties". But my favorite night was the eighties and goth nights. They were every Tuesday. At this time of my life, I would go out to the clubs at least four/five times a week. I practically lived at a handful of clubs. And of course whenever you're a regular at a club, the promoters and worker's for the night, always become your buddies. And me always being there every Tuesday night, I ended up drinking and playing pool with the djs, and heck, I'd be the only one there and I'd have the entire dance floor to myself!

Frankfurt-red light district!

     Let's see I left off just realizing that I got off the train in the red light district in Frankfurt. As I walked past strip club, after strip club, and past three high story dominatrix super stores, I laughed to myself at where my instincts have lead me. Strangely I did not feel afraid though, maybe because there was a lot of people and for the most part the streets were very well light, and I didn't go in the alleys that looked dark of course. I actually felt safer there than I do in China Town in some parts. Any way, as I walked, I decided to pop into a bar and get a drink and ask where, if any, are there places to go listen to music and dance? The bartender said there was a place and all I had to do was walk about four more blocks more outward (out from the train station). Now, I spent all my euros on the drink I had, and had to save the rest for the train ride back to the air port. But I had all night to explore and I could sleep on the air plane back home, so I decided to continue my quest for dance music after my gin and tonic double with lime.
     After a few blocks the red light district turned into a business district with lots of large executive financial buildings and banks, similar to our own down town honolulu. Then after a block or so more, finally I saw a club. The club was called "The Living Room", which was very funny at the time, because in Oahu at that time, there was a club at the Fisherman's Warf which was also called "The Living Room" which I used to love to go to, until the promoters changed from Imaginary Friends. But what caught my eye is the event that was going on next to the club. By the way the club was very chique with very tall glass walls, with water fountains on the outside, and the music the dj played was euro electronic techno and dance, some classic songs of that time still remind me of that club. But back to what I was saying caught my eye (apologies for the scattered writing tonight) next to the club, it was an outdoor art show with live dj's spinning outside on the grass and people were dancing outside on the grass as well. Now this is what I like and at the time lived for. I was very in to the art and music scene and to be able to experience this in Frankfurt was nothing less than magical and fantastic. I danced under the stars next to complete strangers where we smiled and had great vibes. I don't remember the artwork that well, but I remember walking around, alone, probably the only non speaking German there, (or not), it really didn't matter because there was no judgement, and I guess you could say we were all there to enjoy the music and the art and from that common link lingual and verbal communication could be surpassed.
     At this out door party I met a German gentleman that by the stroke of luck, worked at the airport! So, long story short, he ended up driving me back to the airport, so I didn't have to catch the train, and we got to drive his mercedes (everyone in Germany has a mercedes!) on the autovan! (which of course was awesome!) And I made it back to the airport in time to catch my flight to San Francisco, and then Honolulu. >