If you’ve been paying any attention at all for the past few months you’ve caught onto the weekly schedule of Virtual Rave-A-Thon events that Insomniac is bringing right into your living room. They’ve softened the blow of losing almost the entirety of festival season in 2020 by bringing weekend relief in the form of music and virtual community. As the months have gone by, Pasquale and his team have continuously increased the stunning stage quality and even made it possible for DJs who are not local to California to remote stream into the event, further expanding the good vibes they could share!!
Being the absolute MVP they are, Insomniac has made it possible to catch up on their past months of Rave-A-Thon events via their YouTube page, which I highly suggest you check out because there have been some tasty remixes dropped in these sets. The first installment into their virtual festival schedule was the Beyond Wonderland live stream, which took place on the same days the festival was originally scheduled to cover in person back in March. This was one of the first EDM live stream events to be put into motion amid the barrage of cancelations happening through March. Another huge loss for the Insomniac festival circuit was the rescheduling of the May dates of EDC Las Vegas. Insomniac made sure to do the virtual version BIG with their three-day festival! It was during this stream they started talking about their community initiative, Rave Recovery, which I’ll talk about more in a moment.
Keeping with their weekly schedule, this weekend (6/20-6/21) you can expect another packed bill of artists ready to lift spirits and get you off your couch and dancing! Insomniac festival-goers were preparing for a brand new installment to the Beyond Wonderland series with the addition of Beyond Wonderland At The Gorge. Well, as the fates would have it, the inaugural year for Beyond at the Gorge is set to happen virtually! With a stunning list of artists, I’m prepping for a stellar weekend of social distancing and dancing!
While there is no denying that Insomniac has been delivering excellent quality and consistent entertainment through our quarantine age… they’ve been doing quite a bit more for the community rather quietly. One of the most talked-about efforts that Insomniac is spearheading is Rave Recovery. In partnership with In Place of War, they’ve made it possible for those in the Rave Community to apply for and receive relief grants. The first wave of grant applications was accepted through the month of May, with funds being raised during the three-day EDC Las Vegas Virtual Rave-A-Thon. There are hints there may be another way of applications to be accepted as they are continuing to collect donations for the relief fund. It’s important to note that there is a high likelihood Insomniac is losing a good deal of money through this pandemic and subsequent recession so it speaks volumes to their character as an organization that they choose to continue supporting and even increasing their community efforts as the year evolves.
If you take a look through Insomniac’s socials you’ll find subtle mentions here and there about their nonprofit partnerships and community initiatives. I, personally, find this a humble practice on their behalf to be operating without the aim of recognition and praise. One of the organizations they have partnered with most recently is the Equal Justice Initiative. In response to the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the hands of a police officer, Insomniac issued a statement (see below) clarifying their stance on racism. They’ve been collecting funds for EJI for the past few weeks. They have plans to continue the partnership moving forward with this weekend’s live stream supporting EJI, Rave Recovery, In Place of War, and Change.org. You can check out their various initiatives on their Action Now page.
EJI focuses on working towards an end for mass incarceration and excessive punishment in an effort to protect human rights. By confronting our history of racial inequalities and creating hope in marginalized communities EIJ has been making an impact since 1989. As a member of the EDM community, I’m proud that one of the leaders in our industry is aligning themselves with a nonprofit that is focused on fighting systemic racism, a cause that has never been more relevant or more on fire across the entire globe. While I’m certain this weekend is going to absolutely go off, I felt it was important to highlight the different outlets of positive change and support that is happening as a result of Insomniac and their relentless efforts.
