Save The Rave: I think we got our point across ;)

 

 For anyone that was in attendance Tuesday night to the memorable gathering of edm lovers and freedom of speech supporters alike, I just want to say thank you!  Thank you for coming out and letting the city of San Francisco's lawmakers know exactly how you feel about what they are trying to strip from us.  I was in attendance with my friends Sony and Kendra [founders of TranceFamilySF.com and fellow #TranceMafia members ;) ], and can truly say I made the best decision in recent memory to attend this historic occasion.  Now that the dust has settled and the emotions have calmed down a bit, it's a little easier to put some thoughts together and really evaluate what went down on that great night.  Now in case you missed it, here is footage from the hearing courtesy of TranceFamilySF.com:

http://trancefamilysf.com/2011/03/23/save-the-rave-speeches-at-the-city-hall-03-22-2011-complete-video/

There was definitely a special feeling in the building that night.  There was a refreshing sensation of being in control of one's own destiny.  Indeed this was our generation's movement to protect the music, the lifestyle, and the freedoms that we hold so dear to ourselves.  We do have a right to express ourselves and the speeches given by our local public illustrated that greatly.  Here are a few tweets from twitter that night which give a general consensus of what was felt that night:

Indeed a truly inspiring and emotional night as those who love electronic music wore their emotions on their sleeves and shared their stories to the public.  One person in particular, @glasser, was giving a play by play of the night. 
What really struck a chord with me was the fact that one single demographic did not represent the voice of edm lovers in the Bay Area.  All ages and all classes came together for their common passion of dance music and to protect their rights and freedoms as human beings.  DJ's, producers, record label owners, promoters, music fans, activists, community organizers, committee heads, youth groups, and all other forms of general public used their opportunity to speak.  Hearing all the stories of how edm has changed lives (and saved lives) forever and how our music really means the world to our people will stay with me forever.  The different ages and voices brought diversity and validity to our claim and proved on an intellectual and spiritual level that dance music events are beneficial to our cultural identity and ultimately, our youth development.  I think what transpired the night of Tuesday March 22, 2011 was truly something special that will be remembered in the history of the great city of San Francisco.  I can only hope Fiona Ma bore witness to the voices she is hoping to silence.  As I mentioned in one of my tweets: "Passion, expression, and discovery are all aspects of human nature that cannot be stopped or denied."  Only together can we accomplish our goals.

~Mark