Golden Era

Do you remember the "Golden Era" of EDM? Do you remember the feeling that 2014-2016 time of going to EDC, festivals, shows, concerts, and when PLUR was actually a thing? Do you remember singing to Swedish House Mafia - Don't You Worry Child and looking at your friends thinking “Wow, what a moment to be alive." When you barely saw a phone out but everyone is dancing, vibing, and just being completely present in the moment?

Yeah, I remember those times, and man, how a part of me wants to return to that moment in time. But unfortunately, life continues, we all get older, friends move away, work takes up your life, and the grind of life keeps life-ing (idk if that's a word, but I'm using it anyways). Now you've hustled your ass off in your 20s and 30s by working in tech, finance, business, health, etc., and your group of friends are all married, having kids, buying houses, what have you, but there's a part of you that is longing for this sense of connection and maybe even belonging.

I know this is something I've been craving and wanting ever since moving back to the Bay back in 2019 when we all knew the world had different plans for us. In 2020, we were forced to isolate, and now 6 years later, we're the loneliest we've been according to the previous Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy. We've never really recovered nor processed what the hell we all just experienced. If you're someone who is also wanting some type of organic connection, I hope this group could be that for you, that I'm hoping it will be for me.

I've been searching and searching, hoping that something will just "come my way," and obviously, that's not how life works. I've finally decided to take things into my own hands and try to create a space that I've been wanting for so long. I hope you can join me on the journey and building this community.

Goal of the group is to bring some type of organic connections in our heavily digitalized life, getting off screens and living life. Trying to make friends in my late 30s isn't easy. I don't want my life to revolve around work, and I also don't want to keep talking about work with my coworkers outside of work. We're human beings first and foremost. We’re not human doings (also not a word I know).

Are you tired of meeting people for the first time, and their first question to you is "What do you do for work?" I think this is what the European countries got really well (aside from other things), but they rarely talk about work outside of work. But here in the States, especially in the Bay, you have people talking about work all the damn time. It's like damn dude, I'm so much more than my job.” We all have interests, hobbies, opinions, stories, experiences, and so much more that makes us human beings. I really want to flip that script and just have a space that we can all just exist. I'm sure work conversations will come up. It’s unfortunately programmed into how we socialize, though I hope this can be a space that we can talk about much more than that.

Welcoming all folkx, all pronouns, all ethnicities, all human beings. We're human beings first before anything else. Just come with good vibes, good intentions, an open mind, and using the "Golden Era" of EDM as our guiding principle of ways of interactions. Looking for folkx that consider themselves in their 30s and 40s, people who experienced the essence of PLUR during the "Golden Era".

What will we be doing, you ask? I guess you can say it's a mature version of a "Rave fam" though expanded. Sure, we will suggest shows to go together like Seven Lions in May or Dreamstate SF in March, but I really want to extend it beyond music. Yes, it's the connecting force, though I want this to be a place for people to talk about life, ask for advice, or just a space to be heard and validated.

Like you want to check out a new brunch spot and you're fine with going by yourself, but maybe you want some company. Or you really want to start going back to the gym, but you don't know where to begin on how to lift weights, or maybe need an accountability partner. Maybe you don't really want to talk to anyone but just go for a drive up to the city on some random night just to experience the stillness of the city. Maybe you want to check out a coffee shop and read a book, and maybe you just want someone you're at least familiar with just so you feel a little bit of ease. Or you want to go to LA but don't want to travel by yourself. Or you've lived in the Bay all of your life, but you feel like you haven't fully experienced it. So maybe the purpose of the group is a little ambiguous, but I think if we can keep it ambiguous, it'll be a space for all of us to just feel like we can exist.

Though my wish is that you're already comfortable doing things by yourself, and maybe this is the place for you to share experiences with others, creating memories and stories that you can share. I truly believe that stories help with creating our identities and a sense of belonging.

If you've read this much already, I hope I hit a nerve and hopefully give you that extra push to just do it, jump in, we're all waiting for you.