The Nicest Thing a Stranger Ever Did for Me at a Rave Was…

When’s the last time you did something nice for a complete stranger? Here, in their own words, Headliners recount the random acts of kindness they’ve experienced at raves. Long after the confetti stops flying, the music fades and the night ends, these moments remain in their memories.

Kevin
Bassnectar – Charlotte, NC, 2013

My first real rave, other than seeing DJs at a small club, was a Bassnectar show at the Grady Cole Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, the spring of 2013. Halfway through the event, the concessions ran out of water. Everyone was either in a mad dash to get to the bathrooms or trying not to lose their place on the dancefloor among the shuffle.

As I was weaving through the crowd, I accidentally bumped into a guy who ended up dumping his beer all over the girl he was dancing with. This caused me to drop my drink on the floor, after which I immediately started apologizing. I thought I was going to get caught up in a fight, but the guy I bumped into actually apologized for being in my way. He then walked me out to concessions, bought new drinks for the both of us, and told me that PLUR lives on.

At the end of the show, everyone stumbled out after going a couple of hours without cold water. It was at this point I remembered I had cases of water in my car. I popped the trunk and started tossing water bottles to anyone in need. The Bassnectar show just goes to show how one kind act can lead to another, and I hope those I helped [took] it upon themselves to do good deeds to others that night or at future raves.

Emelia
EDC Las Vegas 2013

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a bad back. If I stand for too long or dance, the pain becomes extreme. I had been at the main stage at EDC Las Vegas for hours enjoying all the DJs, when I couldn’t take the pain much longer. I decided to sit right where I was in the crowd so my friend that I was with didn’t have to leave the set. Suddenly, Hardwell ended and Dash Berlin was setting up, and everyone in the crowd started moving and shifting. Because I was sitting on the floor during the movement, I kept getting tripped over. This girl standing in front of me saw this and turned around and clipped a light-up daisy on my headband, simply saying, “Now people will see you!” and then turned and kept dancing. Once my back felt better, I stood back up and gave her back the light-up daisy, thanking her. She made my day so much better and exemplified PLUR at its finest: seeing someone who needs help and offering it.

Michael
Nocturnal Wonderland 2014

I spent my teenage years raving, hanging out with older crowds, and being heavily invested in the rave scene. I left around 2011, and it was then that I found the love of my life, Jason. Even though he had never raved with me, he was always interested in my rave stories. We ended up breaking up a few years later but still talked to each other once in awhile.

Last year, the second day of Nocturnal Wonderland ended up landing on my birthday, and Jason and I decided to attend together, just to let go and find closure.

This was Jason’s first rave and my first since Beyond Wonderland (either 2010 or 2011, I can’t remember). Over the years, I saw raving and EDM going mainstream, so coming to the rave, I wasn’t surprised to find a different scene from the one I was used to. Despite this, we heard some music similar to what I used to hear back in the day, and Jason loved it. We spent hours shuffling and overexerting our bodies. Exhausted, we decided to leave a little bit before the show ended. Just as we were about to make our exit, a young woman around our age stopped us to tell my boyfriend that she loved his tutu. (Yes, he came in a tutu. I love him for that.)

We spoke to her about how the rave scene was totally different now, and she sympathized with us. I told her it was Jason’s first rave, and suddenly, she understood everything. She took off the biggest cuff she had on, which was a red and white mushroom face cuff, and gave it to him, doing the traditional kandi trade and not asking for anything in return.

It was at that moment that I realized this was what PLUR was and this is what keeps PLUR going. We walked away from the show with a renewed energy. A few weeks later, Jason surprised me with tickets to go to Beyond Wonderland Bay Area, which is also in the city I was born in. During the festival, Jason asked me if we could make it official again, and I agreed that I had been wanting to in the back of my mind as well.

We’ve been hitting raves nonstop and have been together since, due in no small part to that kind stranger who stopped us at Nocturnal Wonderland.

Jessie
EDC Las Vegas 2013

The greatest thing someone has ever done for me at a rave was taking me into their group and making me feel like I was part of their family. Before going into EDC Las Vegas, I met a person named Dase who traded kandi with me in our hotel and took me to meet his rave family. As soon as I opened the door to their hotel room, I could feel the love from everyone. Once we got to EDC, I ended up losing the two friends I came with; but it didn’t matter, because I had a new family to take care of me. I stuck by them the whole night, and they made sure I didn’t get lost. When we went to see our first DJ, it was like we were best friends and had known each other for years. EDC Las Vegas 2013 was the start of me loving raves, because Dase’s rave family taught me no matter what, there are always people that make sure you have a good time—even if you lose the original group you came with.

Wade
EDC Las Vegas 2014

My best friend Brandon and I were about to walk into the kineticFIELD when I saw a group of people holding up their Greek letters. I asked them what school they were from and what house they were in, and they were the most welcoming group of fraternity guys I had ever met. These guys showed me a different view of fraternities from the one I had previously seen during my freshman year at college. After being invited to rave with them, we worked our way through a thick crowd, but through the process, I ended up separating from my best friend (who was the only person I was there with, and my ride home). With EDC being my first rave, I was overwhelmed by the experience, and losing my friend made me freak out. The president of the house told me to look for my friend and to keep checking in with them by looking for their letters in the crowd. If it wasn’t for them, I nor my friend would not have had a place to go to when we were looking for each other. Thanks to them, we were able to find each other and enjoy the rest of the festival, and I can say they truly saved my EDC experience that night.​

Regina
Beyond Wonderland Bay Area 2014

Beyond Wonderland Bay Area 2014 was my first rave ever. I was nervous and scared, but also excited. Unfortunately, my anxiety was racing during the first set I went to, and I couldn’t move. A girl saw this, came up to me, and asked why I wasn’t dancing. When I told her why, she put a peace sign up. I was confused until my friends showed me the motions of trading kandi, and I ended up getting my first bracelet. From that moment on, my night was inexplicably perfect. My friends kept telling people it was my first rave, so people kept trading kandi with me (I ended up with a 3D kandi bracelet of my favorite DJ, Kaskade), putting me on their shoulders, and even giving me my first pair of kaleidoscope glasses. I seriously have never experienced something so beautiful and memorable. Since then, I attended Countdown and cannot wait for EDC Las Vegas 2015. Thank you, Insomniac, for changing my life.

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