In Half-Moon Bay, a handful of extremely talented electronic artists, djs, and the best emcee/rapper I have ever witnessed hauled a generator, tables, speakers, lights, a totem and sound equipment ten minutes down a steep trail (and back up again the next morning) for a guerrilla performance on the beach. It was a small crowd considering the level of polished, professional talent and work that went into it, but damn, we enjoyed it.
Sitting on blankets and dancing and mingling behind the stage and "making the crossing" as I called it--there was a knee-deep stream to traverse every time we wanted to return to our tents closer to the shoreline--the crowd fluctuating and reacting organically to the music, a shifting mass in the middle for dancier sets, or pressing forward as one like zombies trying to eat the brain of Edgewise (of FreeFall), whose rapidfire lyrics hit exactly the right note whether introducing himself, putting the crowd at ease, beckoning us out of a stupor back into the meaning of his words, or transitioning us into the next song. So beautifully in flow with every move he made.
But I digress. Impressive shit from literally every performer. Goomba also, in particular, got rave reviews from my peeps.
What would you expect from an underground rave on a beach? We were excited to hang out with people we typically only see in passing, but we didn't know what the general crowd would be like, whether it would have an aggressive edge like some downtown hangouts, whether we'd vibe with the music, how packed it would be.
We were pleased and delighted. The temperature was perfect, the stars were shining, and when dawn snuck up on us, it revealed a gorgeous cliffside scene and serene ocean, protected by a sandbar from what we named "Death Beach" for all of the organic detritus scattered across it.
The only disappointment was that some of the crowd exhibited a lack of respect, leaving their trash behind for the artists and producers to collect, even though they had just put on an amazing, free event at their own expense. Sad times. These guys deserve a large and respectful audience.
I was so inspired, I offered to start a blog for them. If the techies and Burners in the Bay found out about it, this thing would explode. Take advantage of being a hometown local and come out for a rare, and as of yet relatively undiscovered treat. Though I don't expect it to stay that way for long.
There's a gathering in March, and another one in April. If you know, you know. If you don't, better find someone who does. See you there.
