Virtual Rave-a-Thon Keeping the PLUR alive. By Melissa Zuniga
Art by Eraj Hussain
Technology is one of the only things connecting everyone right now. With the stay at home order being extended, we’ll be stuck in the house for much longer. Music could help us get through it. With artists and DJs playing for free, artists are bringing the festivals right to your home. Pasquale Rotella is the founder and creator of Insomniac, the world’s largest dance music company. With his yearly Beyond Wonderland being held during quarantine, he decided to do a free live stream on Insomniac’s YouTube. He didn’t want to stop the fun, so he brought it straight to our laptops. No need to wait hours to buy a ticket or sign up with your email. Simply head to Insomniac’s user
22 Music
profile from Friday to Sunday and it’s right there in front of you. Rotella put together his team to create a DJ set in his own Insomniac headquarters. The room was filled with decorations heavily inspired by “Alice in Wonderland.” There were mushrooms, butterflies and neon lights primarily red and purple. He had booked about six to eight DJs that would come to the headquarters and play their sets live. Rotella sat across from the DJs so that he could hear the music and watch the lights, all while checking on the comments. Each DJ is introduced before their set by Rotella. With set time slots, listeners can tune in when their favorite DJ is playing. The sets last between an hour or more with lasers, lights and
