It's a rave-arama at Northlands
Sportex, where some 30 DJs hailing from around the world share the stage with
live skateboarding demonstrations and a variety of inflatable attractions
including sumo wrestling
Publication title: Edmonton Journal
Pages: E1/ FRONT
Section: Entertainment
Publication date: Sep
25, 1998
Copyright: Copyright Southam Publications Inc. Sep 25,
1998
An all-ages, 12-hour music-dance explosion
* Where: Northlands Sportex
* When: Sept. 26, 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
* Tickets: Colour Blind, Gravity Pope, Plush, Divine,
Farside, Groove Asylum, Glamslam
* No: alcohol, drugs, camcorders
* Further info: 493-1212; www.nexustribe.com*
And if we can be allowed a lame cross-generational pun, the
beat goes on. Louder. And Nicky intends to be around for it. Saturday, The
Nexus Tribe -- a loose aggregation of like-minded, dance-music- oriented folk
not-so-loosely headed by Nicky and his partner Shelly Solarz -- stages its most
ambitious rave to date, The Change of Seasons.
Nexus has already promoted several organized, thematic,
ticketed parties, at venues ranging from the Strathcona bus barns to the
Elysian Fields of Shakers Acres, but Saturday's fete promises to be a quantum
leap forward in local music history.
Set in five rooms at Northlands Sportex, featuring some 30
DJs hailing from locales stretching from London and New York to Regina, live
skateboarding demonstrations and a variety of inflatable attractions including
sumo wrestling, big bout boxing, The Change of Seasons plans to be counting its
audience in the thousands this time around, literally all night long.
"Some people in Edmonton
might think this is still underground, but just about everywhere else in the
world, it's mainstream," says Nicky, his cell phone bleeping throughout
the lunch hour. "Anyway," adds Shelly (the good-natured promotional
cross-bantering of the Nicky and Shelly Show is a side attraction), "who
wants to be underground? We're proud of it. This is the music of the
times."
The two met in junior high: Nicky, a Filipino immigrant and
aspiring DJ, Shelly, a local dance fan interested in fashion and design. Like
many young Edmontonians, they found few outlets for the music they loved
available locally, and with a group of friends and volunteers, decided to do
something about it.
"People kept complaining that there was nothing to do
here," offers Nicky over a bowl of soup, sipping a pop. "We thought,
well, whatever you get is whatever you put out." Shelly: "The idea
was to provide a quality, safe, secure environment, with good sound, good
lighting so people would get their money's worth."
"Sure, it's about DJs and dance music, of combining all
the different types of music, but it's also deeper than that. Raves should also
be a gathering place, a link, a connection, a gathering place. We wanted to
create more of a festival atmosphere, where people could go to any room, meet
new people and yet feel comfortable. It's not like a club, where people are
wondering what to wear and how to act. It's a place where you can be yourself.
If they can do it in Toronto or Vancouver , why can't it happen here?"
By any accounting, The Change of Seasons should represent a
serious shot at the relative bigtime. The ambitious program, which also
involves a pre-party tonight at the Therapy club and a Sunday after-party at
Lush -- underground velvet lounge can't be faulted on scope.
The rave's lavishly illustrated glossy program sets out a
mission statement. "The Nexus Tribe presents the forth year celebration of
the Nexus Gathering. This year's theme rooms take shape as the four seasons.
Each room reflects different music genres that respects electronic music &
urban culture alike."
Summer, the main room, will centre on trance and
progressive, featuring ten DJs, from Nicky and hot local Corey Payne to Hook
Recordings' Christopher Lawrence from Los
Angeles . Techno, jungle and turntablism can be found
in the Winter room, starring New York 's
Roc Raida and a special battle DJ set. Fans of house, speed garage and
breakbeats travel to Spring, led by Londoner Richard Mears while Fall's hip
hop/trip hop/R&B action will also include live music with an
all-western-Canadian cast, another part of the Nexus master plan.
"Another thing we're trying to do is to unite the three
western provinces," says Nicky. "People have thought the scene here
was too small, there was no hope.
"Well, we've got ticket locations and transportation
set up in Saskatoon, Kelowna, Calgary, Vancouver and Victoria."
Spreading the net wide also includes skipping across the
generations: The Change of Seasons is an all-ages event.
"We're basically looking at 16-35," says Shelly,
"but there are people in their 40s who have come in the past, anyone
open-minded enough to go to a party and have fun.
"You'll also get a pretty good workout if you dance all
night long. This isn't like going to Kaos, to a bar."
Nicky adds a (festive) cautionary note.
"The more expression, the more extreme the expression,
the better. Look at the festivals around the world. The Love Parade in Berlin
draws two million people, partying, dressed-up crazy. We've opened it up
because of demand. But if someone 12 shows up, we'll probably send them home.
It's basically the Lost Generation we're looking it."
The two admit to growing pains -- there have been some long
lines and unhappy customers in the past -- but say new systems, including a
lengthy no-re-entry policy are in place to handle the 3,500 expected at the
Sportex.
As to commercialism -- well, Nicky, in his early 20s like
Shelly, says it's all part of growing up, too.
"This is mainstream culture all over the world. Even if
you don't hear it much on radio here, you hear on it MTV, in Gap ads, at huge
stadium festivals. We've had British soldiers show up, wondering why they
couldn't find this anywhere else around here. It's time that we stopped being
selfish, keeping this a small thing. It should be exposed everywhere."
"It's not an exclusionary thing," adds Shelly.
"It's just... now. Come on in and check it out."
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