Bay Area – Wildflowers In Winter Recap w/ Miss Pixel
Ever since I was a child, I had this fantasy in my head of what raves would be like since my mom and uncle raved in the late 90’s.
I can remember making my first kandi bracelet when I was about five years old. Along with that were a mixture of video games, anime, Dance Dance Revolution and eventually happy hardcore music to influence my teenage years. I dreamt of the day I’d finally go to a rave.
Imagine Unity is a refuge for kandi ravers, happy hardcore fanatics, wildflowers and weirdos alike. It’s all I ever imagined raves would be. The moment I stepped in, it was like I had entered a ‘PLURific’ dream world away from the constraints of everyday society. Snow cones, spectrum glasses, breakfast foods, smiling faces, kandi beads, dancing ravers, happy music and the creator of it all – a guy named Joel running around with a unicorn horn hat. It’s a vibe all on its own bringing back that ‘old skool’ reminiscent of the 90’s raves nostalgic PLUR feeling.
After a few years of raving, I have finally attended my first Imagine – Wildflowers in Winter, on Jan. 27th, 2017. Back from their 5-month hiatus, Unity started 2017 on the right track. Lured by its colorful kandi raver looking flyer, I finally got to experience what I had dreamed of all along after a few years of raving. I got to photograph the event and bring along my aunt and her friends who haven’t had much experience raving to their very first Imagine.
Inside the event, we were greeted by the imaginative world of colorful winter decor, snow flakes and ravers all dressed in white. The first stage I see is Electric Lullaby decorated like a childhood blanket fort, stuffed animals and all the childhood nostalgia to make you feel right at home. Up at the main stage – Snow Flake Meadow – John Beaver was on deck who I have never seen before. I was awed by his positive energy and vibe jumping around on stage with huge smile ear to ear. You can tell he really loves what he does and the crowd loved it too.
Great way to start off my Imagine! Next up was one of my favorite DJ from Sacramento, DJ B-Funky, playing some funky house music while wearing a special Imagine shirt. Joel had announced that B-Funky was going to throw a special kandi cuff into the audience and whoever caught it, would receive a big group hug.
Simon Apex’s high energy along with MC Motive brought on the happy hardcore to the main stage as they kept the crowd up and electrified. Feet were moving and smiles were on display. Basehead followed up with some electro house as J Mello (aka J Power) closed out the night wearing a marshmallow mask, bringing some dubstep to the wildflowers. Amongst everyone going hard to some grimy dub with snow blowing up in the air, it was finally time to put this wild rave to a close with a second family photo including J Mello.
Pictures courtesy of Miss Pixel
Another reason Imagine is special, you never really know what to expect, whether it’s people waving around flags on stage, a ‘snowball’ fight, wrapping ravers up as toilet paper mummies for Halloween or the amazing Wildflower Family photos; they always have a wacky element of connecting with the audience in some form.
The music was a mixture of electro, house, psytrance, happy hardcore, drum & bass and dubstep. Along with some 90’s tunes like “Blue” by Eiffel 65, someone even played “What Is Love?”, you know that “baby don’t hurt me…no more” song. I absolutely love it because it reminds me of my childhood and it made me so happy when it came on.
That’s my experience of Imagine. Now I’d recommend you go out and experience it sometime for yourself! Thank you Joel and the Wildflowers crew for bringing your imaginations to life. On this night, they were collecting blankets and clothing donations for the homeless in the Bay Area in exchange for a cool Imagine sticker and giving a little back amongst your party peers.
Be sure to check out Joel’s new funky fresh dance party in the Bay Area, Disco Donutz, a +21 day to night party, every last Sunday of the month!!
-Marissa Tinsley
Pictures courtesy of Miss Pixel
