By Jack Skidmore

Deliberate deviation from your comfort zone is key to an enriching musical experience — some of my favorite memories of music result from following this type of ideology. After attending my first rave over New Year's, I have grown an appreciation for an entirely new genre and community. The two-day Decadence EDM festival in Phoenix, Arizona, was part of my close friend Braeson Worcester’s birthday celebration. In the spirit of this occasion, Kim and Andy Worcester, Braeson’s parents, were eager to tag along with us at the festival. While everyone’s experience was subjective, it was exciting to witness collectively positive experiences from the festival from a variety of age groups. 

Although this was my first time experiencing electronic music on a massive scale, the genre itself is something I have been surrounded by in college. It is a defining sound of much of our generation’s social scene, and for many, a connecting musical force. One recent advancement in this genre is the stylistic appreciation of a DJ. I believe this can often be overlooked by older generations who may fail to observe its skill capacity. This is likely due to a DJ’s lack of music production via traditional instruments and the assumption that they are just playing songs to move an audience. For myself, Decadence served as a dauntless contradiction to this disposition. Each DJ at the festival had a defining and unique style executed with impressive intricacy in sound production and improvisation on stage. 

For starters, the Worcester parents went into Decadence with especially open-minded attitudes. Prior to the festival, Andy expressed past enjoyment of a bit of electronic music from listening to popular EDM artists such as Steve Aoki while waxing skis in his garage. “Brae[son] would always call me the closeted electronic fan,” said Andy. Upon attending Decadence, Andy was able to experience this genre in its live setting which included an especially impressive set from Aoki himself. “[Aoki] has perfected his craft, he knows what he’s doing, and it was freaking awesome,” said Andy.

The crowd spirit at the rave was a point of high anticipation for Andy. “I was really hoping for that energy and that energetic vibe.” As a fan of impressive live acts like Phish and U2, Andy has an appreciation for the interaction between a crowd and the artist — as well as the crowd amongst themselves. “For me, it was everything I had hoped for and more…feeling the music, feeling the crowd, and the stage presence. I knew that it all was there, and I was really looking forward to it,” said Andy about Decadence. He also commented on the experience of his wife, Kim Worcester. “She was equally as blown away, and I think she enjoyed the music aspect way more than she expected,” he said. 

Upon returning to Bend, the Worcester parents have sought out at least one local EDM show that they plan on attending. Regarding raves, Andy said, “My biggest regret is that it took me until 57 to go.” Andy especially appreciated the overall kindness from members of the crowd. “The age kind of helped out,” he noted when reflecting on the excitement and warmth he and Kim received from members of the crowd.

The udder zeal of Decadence is something I will not soon forget. From within the crowd, enthusiasm and empathy thrived at each set. It was unique to any live music I have seen before. Furthermore, many of the people I met at this festival became instant companions which made the experience alongside the music that much more enjoyable. Electronic music had never been a top genre for me, but attending Decadence opened my eyes to the appeal of a rave. I am thrilled to attend a similar event in the near future.