It’s no secret that Tallahassee has a very popular and extensive nightlife. From bars to clubs to Greek life parties — there’s no shortage of entertainment for a night out. One new development, however, is the influx of raves being put on around town. Hosted mainly at houses or in backyards, these events are quickly gaining popularity with locals and students alike.
One DJ in particular is committed to expanding and enhancing these events. Lola Rivero, a local grad student, has been DJing for over a year now and states “I love the ability to control a room through just a soundboard.” Rivero, under the stage name 1-800-Lolita, as well as her DJ partner, Dalédi, craft original sets and perform for quickly growing crowds at least once a month. She was more than happy to sit down and give us an idea of why this scene is blowing up right now.
DJs have been in Tallahassee for years, predominantly at clubs or Greek life events, keeping the crowd entertained and the energy high for hours at a time. So, what makes this resurgence of raves any different from these previous events? She says repetition and arguable lack of creativity is where many DJs in the past have been lacking.
“I’ve seen Spotify playlists being thrown on at clubs. And that’s fine! It just gets kind of boring hearing the same songs after a while. The technical aspect of DJing is not necessarily that hard but, there’s a big difference with who’s behind that DJ deck as well as their intention,” said Rivero.
Another striking difference in these events is that many are safe spaces with a zero-tolerance policy for racism, sexism, homophobia and the like. With events that highlight female and queer artists, Rivero says she is committed to creating a space where people “feel safe and secure enough to enjoy themselves, without fear of being judged or attacked.” Rivero attributes the fast rise in popularity to this idea in particular. Since people can come to her events and feel secure, they tend to bring more people and come more often.
This also raises the question of crowd control. Rivero opened up about having to hire security due to an influx of people.
“I will say our security is, you know, not the SWAT team. Most of the time we’re able to find someone who we trust who is kind enough to just be there as a safety concern. Because unfortunately, the reality is to prepare for the worst,” said Rivero.
When asked about some of the rave stereotypes that might lead to issues, Rivero said “Many people assume that these events are places to drink or do drugs, but that’s not true. When we put on a show, we try really hard to make sure that it’s something everyone can enjoy without pressure to be anything but sober.”
Though the art of DJing has been here in town since house music first made its way into the limelight, now, with a group of committed individuals, we are starting to see a new and exciting wave coming to the Tallahassee scene. If you’re bored of going to the same club or bar every Friday night and still need convincing Rivero says this: “Nothing will compare to that moment when you’re at an event and a group of bodies that are sweating like crazy and being feral all come together on the same dance floor and make something really special.”