-by Mark E 37 

Over 4,500,000,000 people did not attend "The Return of Super Raver" at the Masterdome on Friday July 17, and I feel sorry for every single one of them. This was one of the best raves at the Masterdome that I have ever attended, and virtually everyone I asked agreed with me on that point. Beyond that, this was one of the best parties that I have ever attended, and the reason that I ignore people that say that they won't go to the Dome, because they "have been there so many times." That night, the venue was transformed into a perfect raver fantasy, with not one, but two moon bounces outside for us to play in and to lay in, as well as a free hooka bar for whoever wanted to sample it's sweet smoke. Further decorating the Masterdome's familiar outdoor area was the brightest full moon you could ever hope for. This venue has the tendency to become overcrowded, but was perfectly crowded that night, with plenty of room to dance outside, and even inside on the dance floor. One could easily walk from the outside area all the way to the front entrance without having to bump, push, or squeeze by a single person. A very pleasant surprise was a hotdog stand that served both fresh fruit, and frozen fruit, with ice cream filling. This was a yummy, and healthy substitute for candy.

I would like to thank every single Jungle DJ that was dropping fat baselines and sick beats on us all night outside, as well as every DJ that was providing excellent Trance and House in the main inside area, and all of the Hip Hop DJs & MCs that were in the smaller inside room. There was not a single average set all night long, anywhere. Super Raver's DJ Lineup was perfect. While I wish that I could talk about every DJ in more detail, I am going to pick one that stood out, and simply turned anyone within earshot into a lifelong fan.

Since the other area's were shut down, the closing DJ for Super Raver had the attention of the entire crowd. Somehow, after having the best time all night long, we were taken to the next level of musical enjoyment by none other than one of Southern California's most prolific, and brilliant artists. Looking down from the stage, I watched the crowd's energy build while the music gave them a brief window of opportunity to catch their breath. Looking over at the DJ, he was ever so slightly bouncing his head to the music. Then he stopped, and pointed to his record, and the beat came on fully. The entire crowd, reacting as one, exploded into dance. Seeing that was the highlight of a party that was filled with beautiful people, excellent music, and a very special vibe. So who was this Super Star DJ? It was none other than Thee-o, a DJ that I have heard many, many times before, but who continues to innovate and to change, and to entertain. Please understand, if you ever hear anyone say that they are sick of Thee-o, or that Thee-o is anything but great, they know nothing about the music or the scene, and will be feel shame if they ever learn how wrong they are. Thee-o is one of the longstanding and consistently amazing parts of the Southern California Rave Scene, and should be respected as such. The set he had at Super Raver was one of the best that I have ever heard from him, or anyone else. No matter how much energy I burned, I did not want to waste a single beat by not dancing, all the way until 5AM. After his set, I asked him if that was the best set he had ever had, and he said that "it was up there." I noticed that he had scratched much more than I have heard him scratch before, and he said that he "was just feeling it." I am sure that that explains what the crowd was feeling, as well.

What I cannot easily explain was why the vibe at this party was so good. The feeling was one of intimacy, and coziness. You could meet people, and see them many many times that night. There is a lot to be said for that. There were no fights, medical emergencies, or security issues all night. Every Super Raver seemed to appreciate the excellent music, decorations, and the company of their fellow Super Ravers, not to mention the full moon that watched over this event. In fact, if you looked closely, you could even see that the moon had a smile on it's face. I know I did.

As I walked to my car, and changed out of my soaking wet clothes, I felt alive, as if my body had been rinsed of any and all impurities. Leaving the venue, the other people at this party seemed to feel the same way. The music had stopped coming from the speakers, but we were dancing and grooving as it played on in our heads. That is something that you cannot plan, or predict, or expect to happen every time there is a full moon.

A special thanks to Melissa, and the rest of the crew that threw this party. =* ]

It represented the way a rave should be, regardless of size. Super Raver was an ideal and perfect party.

Raving has gone from underground to commercial in what seemed like minutes. Today if promoters spend the money towards the sound system and DJs rather than the flyers, they will create a great party, at their own expense. Such was the case with a great party in San Bernardino's Masterdome, where Super Raver took place, and lost $6,000 due to low revenues.

Most magazines choose to ignore low budget raves, but we took a chance when we got onto the guest list for a low budget rave; The Return of Super Raver. I brought my camera, Mark brought the Nodoz, and off we went in an hour's notice. To be honest, we did not expect much. The parking was in a poorly lit dirt field and with plenty of space after midnight.

My colleague Mark commentened on what a good and comfortable crowd it was as we were walking into the warehouse. Looking up at the barely filled bleachers and a half-filled dance floor, I thought to myself "Extra fifty to a hundred more people could have added to the overall vibe."

This was my first time to L.A.’s Masterdome, it is probably what all teen raver movies were based off of. A warehouse the size of a high school GYM, with a stage, a dance floor the size of a tennis court, and a comfortable area outside to chill and listen to jungle.

The theme was Super hero, although I only saw two cuties in matching Wonder Woman tank tops, there was not much else in the costume department. Cardboard posters of comic book heros were flying into action overhead with explosive action sounds such "POW" or "WHAM" along with a disco ball, beaming lasers, and huge rotating black lights that accentuated the movements of the beautiful girls in white see-through clothes. One could stand still, watch them, and hold their breath in fear of spoiling the moment.

Outside were a couple of moon-bounces, flashing me back to childhood I sat inside, passing a beachball around was pure nostalgia and fun. About thirty feet away was a tent with Jungle sound, pumping unbefuckingleavable music all night long combined with a little freestyle rap. Also outside was the nights best dancer, an Asian girl by the raver-name of Swifty representing Orange County. "I've been dancing Jungle for a year" she said. I was amazed at how good she was. "Lots and lots of hours of practice" she said with a smile.

There was another room toward the entrance, forgotten by most guests, there was House and Hip-Hop; keeping the breakers happy, while the couches provided relaxation for those who were no longer able to dance. As the night turned to morning, I moved from the stage to dance floors to bounce rooms, and back to the dance floor again.

Lack of the huge crowd gave enough dance room to experiment with dancing. I walked out onto the floor. I got into position where the sound would bounce off the walls just right and the view of girls was just perfect. I danced as if I was in my own universe, without a care for what I looked like (which probably made me look like a freak); simply pure emotion, and expression of music and fun draining from me.

At approximately 4:30 everyone was taken in from the outside, and crowded onto the dance floor inside. Those who left, missed the best part of the party. As Theo began his amazing set, I pointed him out to my friend and colleague Mark. Looking up at the stage, everyone could see the 210 6'3 giant with bleached hair, camouflage wind-breaker and a pair of red ear muffs on his ears (obviously Mark, muffs make the music sound better he says). Mark was dancing in front of Theo, pumping the vibe and watching the crowd dance with him. At that moment he reminded me of Homer at the peak of his cheerleading career with the Springfield Baseball team. Mark did this with the help of selfless promoter Melissa. I realized that promoters today are some of the nicest and most selfless people around. While she knew that Super Raver was going to be thousands of dollars short, she let the guest list stand, and graciously hosted RaveOn. What kept her going was the joy she saw on all the ravers' faces. She was sitting above everyone on top of the high-rise speakers like the queen of all ravers, getting the crowd to scream and raise their hands to the music. Then two candy raver girls came on to the scene; with Mark in between them, they danced the traditional dance of the marching shroom. As I saw it; Melissa, Mark the Kandy Raver GoGo girls were the Super Ravers of the night.