Stay Up to revive rave scene

Chris Lemon wore a hot pink fishnet sleeve with a rhinestone pop art shirt that read “FAB” and accented his fire bell-bottoms with neon suspenders and Mardi Gras beads. His face was made up with sequins, which he applied along with bright blue eye shadow and long silver eyelashes before putting his hair in a high pony tail.
His outfit said he had no intention of being missed, and as he danced to the electronic music Saturday at Rachael’s Café as a part of Stay Up, he achieved becoming the center of attention.

“I thrive to light, creativity, bizarre things, wild places,” Lemon said. “This masquerade is like a rave.”

Stay Up, an event-host organization founded partly by magician Evan Voss, features three DJs: Jobie Wan, Snack Pack and Dioxin One. Debuting Saturday was DJ Dzierba.

“I really feel that DJ Dzierba brings a whole new element of trance to the music that our group hasn’t experimented with before,” Voss said.

Lemon described the sound as hip-hop, electric and dub-step.

“It’s like an adrenaline pump,” Lemon said.

Party attendee David Goodman said he feels Stay Up is the perfect name for the group and the atmosphere it strives to create through its upbeat electronic music.

“The group had quite a following in the basement scene,” Goodman said. “I feel the name Stay Up suggests their pursuit to stay up in a new venue and not only continue their self expression, but share it with others.”

Voss said the group’s new goal is to reinvent the rave scene in larger venues, and he hopes to reach out to larger cities, including Indianapolis and Chicago.

“We want to throw bigger parties and expand to reach more audiences,” Voss said.

Another factor in reinventing the scene is introducing the concept of clean partying.

“Raves have reputations with drugs and underage drinking,” Voss said. “I
really want to change that by creating the hype in other ways.”

Voss said he believes his new idea of the rave atmosphere is much more
legitimate and clean. He also said it establishes the local group as a community idol to younger kids.

“Our next show should be cool because it’s a benefit show for the Girls and Boys Club,” Voss said.

The show will be April 8 at Rachael’s Café and will help the club raise funds for new skate park equipment.

“I love throwing parties and I love to see a crowd grow by the end of the night,” Voss said. “I feel this is a cool thing where we can have fun and still give back.”