Last Sunday was the most caring and important show that I've ever been to. It really gave me hope for Columbus, and it really meant a lot to several people. The show: "Booty Bounce". The Cause: a charity event to raise money for one of our own.
Our bouncer "Handcuffs" has been with us only a few short months, and to be honest we weren't too sure about him right at first. See, the handcuffs threw us off, we thought he was a cop. But that didn't stop us from really putting in time to get to know him, didn't stop us from being friendly and it didn't stop us from getting involved when he needed help.
The sad story behind that is that his brother died recently, only months after Handcuffs spent all of his money to bury his mother. So we stepped in. Steve and Nice Entertainment threw a show in honor of him, all door proceeds going directly into Handcuffs wallet.
It was a good night for a multitude of reasons. For one, it was Stevens first party and he was ecstatic at its success. For another, Handcuffs couldn't get over how many people showed up for him, the day after St. Patricks and only hours after a terrifying tornado warning. Halfway through the night we had raised half the money that he would need to bury his brother. It was not a huge event, but a fair amount of people came and they donated good sized amounts of money. One guy gave Steve 300 dollars, and I think many of us would have been willing to donate that if we had the funds to do so.
What was interesting was the fact that none of the "key" players in this scene came to show support. Well, except for Push. I want to give him credit for that. And maybe they did pop in with some money, but I didn't see them. I think it would have been really good to have them there in person to show that they honestly care about the people that keep them and their people safe.
However, I'm pretty excited about the people that did in fact come. It was everyone that could make it out and that really cared. My boyfriend Ket and I didn't hesitate as soon as we found out about the show, did not consult our schedules, did not even hardly have to talk about it. Simply, we knew we were going to be there.
And the people that threw the party, Steven and Derrick and his partner (names are not changed) are really getting into the scene deep. Steven I know, is certainly doing it. He's only been with us since this winter and already he is deep into our local radio show, throwing parties, considering his own production company, and learning as much as he can about the scene as possible.
I can't tell you how glad I was when he told me that "The scene is 20% the music and 80% the people." I couldn't agree more, and I'm glad that he is being such a go-getter. Steven is what is coming up hot in Columbus, and he is what we need. He's humble, and in it to get people to have a good time. Our conversations often revolve around how unhappy we are about how the scene is so profit-based.
If you ask me, certain players in the scene are trying have more than their share. And Steven may be the guy to found a subculture within the EDM subculture. A group of revolutionaries, intellectuals, and free thinkers. People who know its about the environment and the people. Who still believe in the concept of PLUR. And I am damn excited to be part of it. Look out Columbus, I think this may be happening. Led by the people that I not only respect, but admire. But don't blab about it too soon, apparently Nice Ent even asked for permission from A and C to do the show. So that he wouldn't tick them off. As if doing a charity show for one of our own was stepping on their toes. Big things are afoot, keep your eyes and ears open and hopefully you wont miss them!
We are the true scene in Columbus. I don't care about making the columbus EDM scene into a "legitimate business" I care that my friends and my business partners are legit fucking people. And we are, so watch out!
