By Charlotte Horton
With Ultra this past weekend, EDC NYC at the beginning of the summer, and the dozens of shows to come before the end of the semester, it can get hard to decide what to wear to these electronic dance music (EDM) concerts. Some people dress for comfort, worried about sweating too much, and then there are the people who dress to impress. But if you’re a newbie to the rave culture and lifestyle, there’s always that initial moment of awe when you walk into an EDM festival and find yourself amongst thousands of people in wacky costumes. Alissa Meagher, a TRF major from Southern California knows exactly what this phenomenon is like.
Q: Tell me about your experience with EDM and it’s culture:
A: EDM has definitely changed my life. I’ve been to two different EDM festivals – Electric Daisy Carnival (in Las Vegas) and Electric Zoo (in New York). Besides that, I’ve been to countless other smaller one-day raves and individual concerts and shows. Some of my favorite artists live are Above & Beyond, Dada Life, Feed Me, Bloody Beetroots, Rusko, and Porter Robinson. I was recently selected to become a Syracuse campus representative for MASS EDMC, which put on the Syracuse David Guetta show back in February, and that has been an amazing experience so far. I also have my own radio show on WERW, Electricuse, every Friday where I play two full hours of EDM, and it has literally become my favorite part of my Fridays. EDM is my passion in life and I’m so excited to attend more shows and fall deeper in love with the music.
What do you typically wear at EDM concerts?
I always dress for comfort because I know I’m going to end up dancing for hours! I typically wear a cool tank or cutup shirt, booty shorts, fishnets, my Converses, and lots of kandi! I am definitely planning to go all out for EDC this year though—fluffies, fishnets, neon, everything! It’s so exciting to plan outfits for future events because you know people are always going to go crazy and get creative with their costumes.
What did you wear to your first rave?
A Deadmau5 shirt, shorts, fishnets, and my Converses. Plus, a jacket because it was freezing! I asked my friend if my Deadmau5 shirt was okay and he said yeah, so I wore that and whatever else was comfortable. At the time, I didn’t realize how creative people got at EDM shows in LA.
Favorite fashion statements seen at raves:
I love kandi kids! They are so fun and colorful. Fluffies and fishnets are my favorite rave staples for girls. I love when guys actually dress up too!
Most outrageous outfit you’ve seen:
Probably pasties! They are kind of becoming more common now, but whenever you see a girl at a rave wearing them you’re always like “Oh my god, look, that girl is wearing pasties!”
Any shows you’re excited about going to?
EDC Las Vegas, of course! It’s going to be even more epic than last year- especially since I plan to go crazy with my outfit. Until then, I’m thinking of going to either Dirty South or Steve Aoki or Robbie Rivera with Bassjackers & Peacetreaty at the 
Westcott. The only problem is that I’m completely broke from my EDC ticket! But if you know me, you know I always find a way to rave.
Alissa’s Top 5 EDM songs at the moment:
- “Diplodocus (Kill the Noise Remix)” by Noisia
- “Eyes Wide Open” by Dirty South
- “Generation 303” by Nicky Romero
- “One Last Ride (Tommy Trash Remix)” by John Dahlback
- “Promise Me a Rose Garden” by The M Machine
EDM concerts coming near Cuse:
March 27 – EXCISION @ the Westcott Theater
March 29 – DIRTY SOUTH @ the Westcott Theater
April 5 – SBTRKT @ the Westcott Theater
April 5/6 – DAYGLOW @ Albany/ Rochester, NY
April 15- LAIDBACK LUKE @ the Westcott Theater
April 20 – ROBBIE RIVERA @the Westcott Theater
April 21- BASSNECTAR @ the Main Street Armory, Rochester, NY
April 22 – STEVE AOKI @ the Westcott Theater
April 27- KASKADE for BLOCK PARTY @ the Carrier Dome
April 28 – ELECTRIC FLURRY: FOAM PARTY @ the Westcott Theater
May 2 – SHPONGLE @ the Westcott Theater