On the night of Saturday, September 17, 2016, ravers from the Front Range and far beyond gathered in Denver for an experience that will never be forgotten. That experience? Skylab, and for its 22nd consecutive year the festival came back stronger than ever. This event really made us look back on the earlier years of raving, the days where PLUR existed and thrived, where people of all walks of life could come together to unite under the moon. There are multiple reasons why we think Skylab and Global Dance are a major backbone to the Colorado dance music community, here are five we came up with:
1) The Theme – Lets be honest here... a rave without a theme isn’t really a rave, it’s a concert. Skylab really embraces this key aspect to throwing down a proper event by laying down their mission: gathering thousands of Denver’s finest astronauts to travel the cosmos together and explore new worlds that were once unreachable to humankind. The spaceship itself being Skylab, attendees were in for the ride of their lives. Hosting stage names like Launch Pad and Bass Lander, and adorning the ceiling with giant planet art structures, it really did feel like we were on a giant spaceship traveling through dimensions. Skylab made it really easy for us to drift away into worlds we used to only imagine.
2) The Massively Diverse Musical Lineup – Going to underground raves over the years, one thing that is always nice is knowing that the night will be filled with a myriad of genres. Unique beats varying with every level of BPM that will make you never want to turn on a radio again. Skylab did an amazing job at keeping the night filled with genres of all different types, from all different parts of the planet. The night was filled with everything from a filthy jungle set by Dieselboy, an all trance set by the legend himself Markus Schulz, and even the heavy hitting dubstep artist Rickyxsan throwing some hardstyle in his set. Whether you wanted to hear the Emcee Armani Reign spit fire during Bro Safari, or house music and rave legends DJ Dan and Donald Glaude go back to back leaving us speechless, there was something there for everyone, and this is what a true electronic event needs to thrive.
3) YOU – Just briefly looking around the crowd, wherever you were, you could quickly tell that you are surrounded by all walks of life. People of all ages, all backgrounds, together with one common goal in mind, to unite and forget about all the troubles of the world. It really makes me happy when I’m at an event and I notice this, and Skylab did a great job at creating an atmosphere for everyone.
4) The Loyalty – Skylab has been consecutively happening since 1994, 22 years. Just under Nocturnal Wonderland for the longest running electronic event in America. An event can’t go on like this for so long without a strong backing, a following of committed fans. Being a fan, there is nothing more encouraging than loyalty given back from the company. With the event only getting bigger, it’s very exciting to see what in the hell Skylab has in store for us, year after year. It’s truly amazing to be apart of something with so much beautiful history, and it should serve as inspiration to the dance community around the globe.
5) The Overall Message and Impact – For there to be a strong community within the dance scene, that community needs a staple. In a massive city like Denver, with surrounding metropolis and mountain towns, there are lots to chose from. There are dozens of different clubs, concert halls, amphitheaters and more driving distance away that host a slue of different events. So what makes Skylab so unique? Besides the reasons included in this list, fans from near and far know that each year they can come back to Skylab with confidence. Top notch production and an enticing electronic line-up is guaranteed, but the Skylab experience is unlike anything else. That experience of peace, love, unity, and respect that has been solidified here in Denver, 22 years in the making. And with that, we thank you, Skylab.
Written by: Cullen Lobe
Photos by: Melanie Gordon
*Note all photos/videos used in this article are property of Bass Feeds the Soul.